The Boy Who Fooled the World

by Lisa Thompson

  I could see that Mason was typing a reply.

  Mason: I can’t see anything Hawaiian about him though…

  I took another look at the painting on my phone and zoomed in on the artist, studying him millimetre by millimetre.

  Cole: What about that bunched thing pinned to his jacket? They’re feathers, aren’t they?

  On the lapel of his jacket was a small bunch of something red and yellow.

  Mason: Maybe it’s something to do with another bird? A bird from Hawaii?

  Isla: I doubt it. I don’t think the clue would lead you back to the same place in the museum. Let me check the map again.

  I jumped off the bed and grabbed the museum leaflet from my school bag. When I sat back down, Isla was already typing.

  Isla: Anglo-Saxons, Geology and World Culture are the only areas where we haven’t found a clue. I think we know where to look next then?

  Mason: World Culture it is! Let’s go and look after school tomorrow.

  Cole: And Basil said there were four clues so this must be the last one!

  I lay back on my bed, my heart not feeling quite as heavy as it had a minute before. There was still a chance that we were actually going to solve ‘An Enigma in Oil’. I’d let Mum and Dad down so badly and they were so ashamed of what I’d done. Maybe this was my chance to make it up to them? Maybe solving that painting and finding the treasure could make amends for everything I had done.

  World Culture

  When I left for school the next day, all the journalists had gone. Mum said that she thought they might come back later, but I was just pleased that I could walk to school without anyone shouting at me.

  Unfortunately, people were still shouting at me at school. I heard “cheat” at least ten times, but thankfully that was fewer than yesterday.

  Mason, Isla and I met at lunchtime and talked about what could be hidden in the World Culture gallery and where it could lead us next.

  “I think you’re right, Cole: this must be the final clue. We might find the treasure tonight!” said Isla, her eyes glowing.

  My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t dare think we were that close to solving the whole thing.

  After school we practically ran to the museum, and when we got there we headed upstairs and straight to the World Culture gallery. There was a big sign across the door.

  GALLERY CLOSED

  It was locked.

  “Great. Now what?” I said.

  “Hang on,” said Isla. “There’s someone in there.”

  I peeked through the glass door and saw the back of Dr Sabine. She was typing on to a laptop which was balanced on top of a low cabinet. I knocked and she turned around and came over to unlock the door.

  “Dr Sabine! We’re looking for something! Is there anything in there that has feathers? We are so, so close, we just need to look for one more thing!”

  Dr Sabine blinked at me.

  “Whoa, slow down, Cole. What is it you’re after?” she said.

  I looked at Mason and Isla.

  “I think we should tell her what we’re doing,” said Isla.

  Dr Sabine looked between the three of us.

  “Go on then,” she said. “I’m all ears.”

  “We’re going to solve ‘An Enigma in Oil’,” said Isla, a great grin on her face.

  “Oh, are you?” said Dr Sabine, looking amused. “You do realize it hasn’t been solved in over a hundred years, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but we’re really close!” said Mason. “We just need to take a look in this gallery.” Dr Sabine looked at her watch. She clearly thought we were wasting her time.

  “That’s great, but I really need to get on,” she said.

  “We won’t be long,” I said.

  “I’m sorry,” said Dr Sabine. “I’ve just got too much work to do. Your mum had to go home early today because your new sofa is arriving.”

  My heart sank. I’d forgotten about that.

  “Look, I really commend you for what you’re trying to do.” She glanced at me. “But the museum needs to be emptied ready for closure and I have to get everything packed up and out of here as soon as possible.”

  She went to close the door.

  “Dr Sabine,” said Isla, stepping forward, her voice loud and clear. “We have solved three clues from ‘An Enigma in Oil’ so far. I am convinced that we are about to solve the fourth and final clue and we know that the clue is somewhere in the room behind you.”

  I saw Isla’s throat go up and down as she swallowed. Dr Sabine frowned.

  “I’m sorry? Did you say you’ve solved three clues?”

  “Yes!” I said.

  “B-but … how?”

  “Isla did the hardest bits, to be honest,” said Mason, pointing at Isla who blushed.

  “It was all of us really,” she said. “But we are sure that the last clue has something to do with feathers and might be in this very room. We really won’t be long, I promise.”

  Dr Sabine sighed.

  “OK,” she said, opening the door wide. “You’ve got five minutes and then I’ll need you to leave.”

  “Thank you, Dr Sabine,” said Isla, smiling brightly.

  “And if it’s feathers you’re after then you’d better check the cabinet by the fire exit,” she said, nodding towards a dark corner. She turned and walked back to her laptop.

  We all rushed over to the cabinet, which had a long, dark cloak hanging on a mannequin inside.

  “I thought she said it had something to do with feathers,” said Mason. “This isn’t going to help!”

  Isla stood closer and read the sign.

  “Hang on!” she said. “Listen to this … it’s from Hawaii!” She turned and grinned at us. My stomach did a triple somersault. Isla read aloud.

  “Such cloaks were worn only by the highest chiefs, as a sign of their semi-divine rank.” She stopped to take a closer look at the cloak. “It’s incredible. And there’s more, listen: A cloak of this size has been estimated to contain … 450,000 feathers.”

  I stepped closer and saw that the cloak was in fact made of tiny feathers, all woven together, the same colour as those in Basil’s lapel.

  “It’s amazing!” said Mason.

  “And highly valuable,” said Dr Sabine, coming over to join us. “This is an incredibly rare piece. And before long it’ll be shipped off to its new owner, probably in a private collection where hardly anyone will get to see it.”

  “That’s so sad,” said Isla.

  “It truly is, Isla,” said Dr Sabine. “Right, have you found want you wanted?”

  “Can we just have three more minutes, Dr Sabine?” I said.

  “Three minutes and then you’ll have to leave,” she said, turning to go. “Oh, and by the way, I’d love to know more about how you’ve managed to solve the painting so far. Do tell me all about it when I’m not so busy, won’t you?”

  “We will,” grinned Isla. As soon as Dr Sabine had left we gathered around the cloak and looked all around the case.

  “Hang on, there’s something pinned just inside the hemline,” said Mason. “It’s in another language. Isla?”

  She leant forward.

  “It’s Latin!” She said. ‘ “It says … responsum oculos spectat…”

  She took out her phone.

  “Let’s see if I can translate it online,” she said, tapping the screen. We waited and then she slowly looked back up at us.

  “It says, The answer looks you in the eyes.”

  “What on earth does that mean?” I said. I could almost see Isla’s brain whirring.

  “It’s looking us in the eyes. It’s like he’s saying the answer is staring us in the face.”

  “I don’t get it,” said Mason. “The clues are in the painting and we are looking at them. He’s stating the obvious! Of course the answer is staring us in the face! But how can we solve it just by looking at it?”

  We made our way out of the World Culture collection and into the corridor. Isla had tak
en the museum leaflet out of her bag and she placed a red circle where we’d found the last clue, on the Hawaiian cloak. She studied it for a moment, then placed the map against the wall and drew lines between where each clue had been hidden. It made a very lopsided square, some edges much longer than others.

  “Hang on,” I said, grabbing the pen and leaflet. “How about if you draw a line diagonally? So, from here … to here…”

  I drew the red pen from the top left corner to the bottom right corner, and then from the top right corner to the bottom left. In the centre of the square was a large X. For a second it reminded me of the vapour trails in my painting, ‘A Sky in Blue’.

  “Oh, wow. X marks the spot!” said Mason.

  “That’s it!” said Isla. “That’s where the treasure is hidden. Let’s go!”

  The X on the map was hovering in a space towards the front of the museum. As we headed there I tried to think of where it could be. Behind the information desk? Or did one of the steps have a hidden panel? When we got there, we crowded around the map and checked the position again.

  I banged my foot on the first few stairs, testing to see if they sounded hollow. Nothing. I looked all around and then it dawned on me. All of our running around the different areas of the museum trying to find the treasure had been a wild goose chase, set by an artist with mischief on his mind. But I’d cracked it, I’d beaten Basil: I knew exactly where the treasure was.

  “I’ve got it!” I said. “It’s the painting! Of course! The answer is staring you in the face and the X has led us back to the painting. The treasure must be hidden somewhere inside the painting, in the frame, in the back, something like that!”

  “That’s genius,” Mason said, shaking his head.

  “Oh, wow!” said Isla. “To hide the treasure inside the actual picture. Brilliant!”

  We were all quiet for a moment as we realized what we had done.

  We’d done it.

  We’d actually solved ‘An Enigma in Oil’.

  But when we turned to look up at the painting all that was there was a bare section of wall.

  “It’s gone!” said Isla.

  A Surprise Visit

  We found Dr Sabine and bombarded her with questions about the whereabouts of the painting.

  “I’m sorry,” said Dr Sabine. “A lot of our artefacts have been sold now, including ‘An Enigma in Oil’. It’s being transported to its new home as we speak.”

  “But who’s bought it?” said Isla. “Can we go and see it?”

  Dr Sabine shook her head.

  “I’m afraid it’s gone to a private collector. It won’t be on public show any more.”

  “Who?! Who’s bought it?” said Mason.

  “That information is confidential, I’m afraid,” she said. “Now, off you go. I’m sorry but I’ve given you long enough and I’ve still got a lot of work to be getting on with.”

  I felt sick. That was it. The painting was gone, along with its treasure. We turned away and made our way back through the museum.

  “I don’t believe it. We’ve come so far! How can it be sold? How?” I said. I could feel tears prickling in my eyes. I tried not to blink in case they escaped.

  “I’m so sorry, Cole,” said Isla, placing her hand on my arm. “We were so close. It’s not fair.”

  “I just wanted to help my mum and dad,” I said, letting the tears come at the memory of their disappointed faces. “I wanted to say sorry for everything that I’ve done, the mess I got us all into.”

  I wiped my eyes.

  “They were so excited when I sold the painting. It was like all their problems had vanished. And then I made everything a million times worse. I’ve ruined everything.”

  We walked through the foyer and I looked up again at the blank space on the wall. I sighed as we headed outside into the daylight.

  “This was my one chance to put things right,” I said. “I’d find the treasure and show Mum and Dad that I could do something to help our family. And now that’s all gone wrong too.”

  “Come on,” said Isla. “Let’s go home.”

  We made our way down the museum steps and as I stopped to wipe my face on my sleeve someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around. It was Declan, Marika’s PA, and he was actually smiling at us.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t be too angry with me.

  “I’ve just been to your house, actually. To return the painting. Your sister’s painting.”

  I felt myself blush.

  “I’m sorry, Declan,” I said, hanging my head. “I’m sorry I’ve wasted so much of your time.”

  Declan looked at me carefully for a moment, then patted my shoulder. “I think you’ve been punished enough, don’t you, Cole? It’s time for all of us to move on. Speaking of which, I’m actually heading back to London now. I’ve been overseeing a purchase that Marika has made from the museum.”

  “Marika has bought something from the museum?” asked Mason.

  “Yep,” said Declan, checking his phone and putting it in the inside pocket of his jacket. “Marika has an incredible amount of art from all around the world for her own private collection. Although I think she’s purchased this one for purely sentimental reasons.”

  “Art?” said Isla. “She’s bought a picture?”

  Declan frowned. “Yes, she has actually.”

  My heart started to pound. “She’s bought ‘An Enigma in Oil’ hasn’t she?” I asked.

  “As a matter of fact she has,” he said. “That painting made a big impression on her when she was a child. She used to come and view it with her father, intrigued by the riddle within. But I’d appreciate it if you kept that to yourselves. Right, I’d better get back to London…”

  I grabbed his elbow.

  “Declan, please. We need your help,” I said. “We are trying to solve the mystery of the painting and we’re so nearly there, but we need to see it close up. Can you help us?”

  He rubbed his head. “That’s a bit tricky, I’m afraid. It’s about to go to London and—”

  “It’s still here?!” said Mason. “In the museum?”

  Declan looked a bit panicked. “Not in the museum exactly…”

  “Then where is it?” I said. “Please, Declan. It’ll only take five minutes, I promise!”

  Declan sighed as he thought about it.

  “Hang on,” he said, taking his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll see if I can stop them.”

  The three of us stared at each other. Isla gripped my arm.

  “It’s going to be all right, Cole,” she said. “This isn’t over yet. I just know it.”

  Declan walked away as he spoke on the phone and we all watched him in silence. Eventually he turned back, putting his phone away.

  “The van is going to park around the corner. You’ve got five minutes to take a look and then it has to go, OK? You’ve caused Marika enough trouble, Cole, I don’t want any more delays here.”

  We nodded.

  “OK,” said Declan, looking a bit fed up. “Let’s go.”

  We followed him down the road and into a side street. As we turned down the road a black van pulled up and parked. Declan said something to the driver and then he went to the back doors and opened them.

  “Quick, turn on your phone torches,” said Mason.

  “Five minutes,” said Declan again and we climbed up into the van.

  It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness and then I saw that the painting was strapped to the left side, covered by a huge, grey blanket. Isla quickly reached for the buckle and undid it. The painting began to fall forward and the three of us quickly reached up to stop it.

  “Place it back gently,” said Isla. “Rest it against the side.”

  When the painting was propped up, we stood there for a moment. I suddenly felt really nervous. What if we were wrong? What if there was nothing there?

  “Come on then,” said Isla. “Let’s get the blanket off and take a look.�
��

  We carefully pulled the blanket down and I gulped as I came face to face with Basil Warrington-Jones. He was so close I could see the small lines around his dark eyes.

  “Hello, Basil,” I whispered. “We’ve come to claim your treasure, if that’s OK with you?”

  Basil smiled back at me.

  “Look at the river,” said Mason, shining the torch from his phone along the water. “It glistens!”

  He was right. The light from his torch caught flecks of white paint on the canvas which made it look like the water was actually flowing and rippling.

  “We need to get around the back,” I said.

  “Let’s edge it away from the side and you can squeeze behind it, Cole,” said Isla. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” I said. Isla and Mason stood in position at each end of the painting. They held on to the frame and carefully edged it away from the side of the van using tiny movements.

  “It’s so heavy. I bet it’s full of gold!” said Mason. “Or diamonds!”

  “Sshhh,” said Isla. “Keep quiet!”

  She was right. If Declan saw what we were doing he’d tell us to get out of the van immediately. I had to hurry.

  “Is there enough room now?” said Mason, his voice sounding strained.

  “I think so,” I said. I squeezed behind the giant painting. “Edge it forward a bit more, I can’t see.”

  They moved the painting a few more centimetres away from the side of the van and then I had some space to take a proper look.

  “Can you see anything?” said Isla.

  “Nothing,” I said, moving the light from my phone all around. “It’s covered by some kind of thick material.” But I could see some small metal tacks holding the fabric in place.

  “It looks like it’s nailed to the back,” I said.

  “Can’t you just rip it off?” said Mason.

  “No, Mason. I can’t just rip it off. It’s fastened tight! I’ll need a knife or something to cut my way in,” I said. My torch trembled a little. There had to be something here, there just had to. I followed the light along the edge of the frame and paused.

  “I think you’d better come out now,” said Isla, her voice strained. “We can’t hold it for much longer.”