Krystal searched in her pocket. "Here it is!" She took out the crumpled piece of paper and tried to straighten it. "You're right about the letters. Some of them are different, they're capitals, and the others are small. That is strange," said Krystal, as they stopped near their parting corner.
They both wanted to know the answer to the puzzle. "Why don't you come to my place and we'll try to work it out?" Krystal suggested.
Tracey stared at her wristwatch. "Oh no, it's after half past four. I'd better get home. I'll try to come over a bit later, after I see Mum, and change out of my school things," said Tracey, glancing at her watch again.
"That'll be cool. See you later then?" Krystal carefully folded the little piece of paper and pushed it deep into the corner of her pocket. She didn't want to lose it.
Krystal walked around to the back of the house. "Hi Mum," she called through the security screened door. Krystal's Mum came hurrying from the family room.
"Krystal, there you are. I was starting to get a bit worried about you. I was just about to ring the Roberts to see if you were with Tracey. I knew her Mum might be asleep so I waited bit longer. Did you get caught in the rain or what?" Mrs. Cormack unlocked the security door.
"No, I'm dry's a bone," Krystal replied, giving her Mum a hug. "Tracey and I found shelter and waited for the storm to finish."
"Good. You're a sensible girl. Kevin came home absolutely saturated. He just rode through the storm. I made him change his wet things straight away. I wish I'd had the car today, then I could've come to pick you up. Never mind, you're safe and dry, that's the main thing. I made some biscuits. There's some on the table and in the biscuit tin on the bench." Mrs Cormack fussed over her eldest child like a mother-hen, delighted to have her return."I think I'll make a hot chocolate drink for you kids anyway. I just don't want you coming down with a cold." She opened the pantry cupboard.
"I'll just go and change out of my school things, then I'll have a drink and some of your beaut biscuits. By the way Mum, is it okay if Tracey comes over a bit later?" Krystal asked.
"Sure, that's fine, as long as you get your homework done."
"We will. Thanks Mum." Krystal headed for her room towards the front of the house.
"Phew," said Krystal, flinging her school bag onto her bed. She was glad her mum didn't ask too many questions. She would have liked to share the afternoon's events with her beloved mum, but had a niggling feeling that her mother would not approve of her and Tracey going into that deserted house, even for shelter.
When she had changed into a tee shirt and shorts, she was careful to remove the little piece of paper from her pocket. She stared at it for a moment.
Just then her mum called from the kitchen that drinks were ready. Krystal quickly pushed the note under her pillow. She decided to wait until Tracey came over before she studied it again.
~~~~Chapter Six~~~~
The Secret
The smell of hot chocolate and freshly baked biscuits bounced at Krystal's nose as she came into the kitchen area. Krystal suddenly felt hungry.
Kevin was sitting at the table chatting to his small sister, Kathy.
"Hi." Krystal pulled out a chair and sat down next to Kathy.
"Bikkies." Kathy offered a half eaten biscuit to Krystal. The other half was spread across her face.
"Thanks Kath." Krystal took the soggy biscuit and tried not to look disgusted.
Kathy reached for another biscuit but was halted by Mum.
"I think you've had enough for now Kathy. We had better leave some for Daddy too!" Mrs. Cormack lifted Kathy from the table and took her to the bathroom to wash her face and hands. Kathy tried to wriggle out of her mother's arms but Mrs. Cormack held on tightly.
"How come you took so long to get home?" Kevin asked through gulps of warm chocolate.
"It rained." Krystal looked at the soggy piece of biscuit in her fingers. "Patchy, Patchy, here puss puss," she called out softly. A fluffy, orange, black and white tortoiseshell cat came out of the family room, looked around, then stretched. "Here Patchy." Krystal held thebiscuit towards the cat. Patches came immediately and sniffed the morsel; gently it took the piece in its teeth, shook it and put it on the floor.
"Hey, don't make a mess, puss," Krystal told the cat as the biscuit was scattered into tiny pieces on the floor. Patches looked up expecting another biscuit.
"That's all!" Krystal ignored the cat's pleading eyes. Patches sat and waited a moment.
Krystal pointed to the crumbs.
The cat sniffed the crumbs, then padded off to the family room, her tail held high. She sat on a little door mat and started licking herself.
Just then the noise of someone coming interrupted Krystal and Kevin's afternoon snack.
"Hi. It's me," said a voice. It was Tracey. Her friendly face peered through the screened back door. She was wearing a bright pink tracksuit.
"Hi," said Krystal and Kevin together.
"You were quick. C'me on in. Have a biscuit." Krystal unlocked the screen door.
"I hurried. Did you find out...?" Tracey's sentence was interrupted by a plate of biscuits pushed near her nose.
"Have a biscuit Tracey, please," Krystal pleaded.
Tracey was about to refuse but felt that Krystal's expression told her she really wanted her to have a biscuit, so she took one.
"Ta," she mumbled as she bit into a crisp chocolate biscuit.biscuit towards the cat. Patches came immediately and sniffed the morsel; gently it took the piece in its teeth, shook it and put it on the floor.
"Hey, don't make a mess, puss," Krystal told the cat as the biscuit was scattered into tiny pieces on the floor. Patches looked up expecting another biscuit.
"That's all!" Krystal ignored the cat's pleading eyes. Patches sat and waited a moment.
Krystal pointed to the crumbs.
The cat sniffed the crumbs, then padded off to the family room, her tail held high. She sat on a little door mat and started licking herself
Just then the noise of someone coming interrupted Krystal and Kevin's afternoon snack.
"Hi. It's me," said a voice. It was Tracey. Her friendly face peered through the screened back door. She was wearing a bright pink tracksuit.
"Hi," said Krystal and Kevin together.
"You were quick. C'me on in. Have a biscuit." Krystal unlocked the screen door.
"I hurried. Did you find out...?" Tracey's sentence was interrupted by a plate of biscuits pushed near her nose.
"Have a biscuit Tracey, please," Krystal pleaded.
Tracey was about to refuse but felt that Krystal's expression told her she really wanted her to have a biscuit, so she took one.
"Ta," she mumbled as she bit into a crisp chocolate biscuit.
"Good, aren't they?" said Krystal, putting the plate
back on the table in front of Kevin, taking her cup and heading for her bedroom.
"Excuse us. Got things to do." Krystal indicated to Tracey to follow. "Let's go." She hurried towards her room.
Kevin stared at his sister. "You're not allowed to bring drinks into your room. Remember you spilt all that chocolate over the floor? Mum said!"
Krystal stopped a few metres from the table and stood, drinking her mug of chocolate. She then stormed past her brother and placed he
pty cup on the sink. She strode off to her room. "Thanks for reminding me, dear Brother."
"That's okay." Kevin grinning widely.
The two girls went into Krystal's bedroom and closed the door. They sat on Krystal's bed.
"The note's here." Krystal reached under her pillow and rescued the little white slip. "I nearly died when you started to ask about it," Krystal continued, scolding her friend. "We don't know what this means yet, if it means anything, so don't say anything to anyone. Keep it secret for now. I hope you haven't told anyone, have you?"
"No. Mum was still sleeping. Nobody asked where I'd been, actually. Matthew did ask me where I was heading, so I told him. I left a note for Mum," she added.
"That's good." Krystal stared at the note again. Both girls read it together."The capitals and small letters seem all mixed up." Tracey was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door.
~~~~Chapter Seven~~~~
Invasion
"Quick, hold the door," Krystal whispered to Tracey. Tracey jumped off the bed and held the knob of the door, holding the door closed with her body weight. Krystal quickly pushed the note under her pillow and grabbed her school bag. She undid the straps and pulled out some books, which she threw around the bed to make the scene look 'busy'. "Who is it?"
"Me," said a voice from the other side of the door.
"Go away Kevin; you're not allowed in," Krystal responded.
"Help...Krystal." Tracey's face was going pink. "I can't hold the door..."
"Let us in. What are you up to? C'me on. I'll tell Mum." Kevin pushed the door.
"Let it go Trace," whispered Krystal. Tracey stepped back from the door. It immediately flew open and Kevin and Matthew came tumbling into the room.
The two girls stared and giggled at the two boys sprawled on the floor.
"No wonder you couldn't hold the door Trace; there were two of them. Well, you're in, now what?" Krystal placed her arms on her hips.
"I just thought you two were doing something, I dunno, sneaky," Kevin mumbled, still on his hands and knees on the floor."You are rude, pushing the door in like that. I should tell Mum on you," said Krystal sternly.
"Well, we just thought you might be planning something to do to us - revenge!" said Matthew, sitting on the bed.
"Well, it would serve you right." Krystal stared at the boys.
"Yes! You were mean to us this morning, scaring us like that." Tracey stood next to Krystal.
"We were just having fun. You looked funny jumping, Tracey." Matthew laughed. "We're sorry, aren't we Kevin?"
"Sort of." Kevin was smirking. "Still, I think you're up to somethin'. Why can't you tell us?"
"There's nothing to tell, Smartie." Krystal glared at her brother.
"Why did you stop Tracey saying somethin' in the kitchen then?" Kevin asked.
"That's a secret...nothing to do with you at all." Krystal glanced at Tracey.
"It's probably somethin' dumb. Who cares. Let's go Key." Matthew rose to leave.
"It is not something dumb.It's very interesting
actually...please, can we tell them Krystal?" Tracey pleaded.
Krystal shrugged her shoulders.
“Suppose we may's well. They'd probably find out anyway. But you have to be able to keep a secret."
"We sure can," said Matthew, doing an about turn and bouncing on the bed.
"Watch my books, please!" Krystal rescued her scattered books.
"Woops, sorry!" Matthew stopped bouncing.
"That's okay," replied Krystal. "Trace, can you please close the door."
Tracey dashed to close the door, peering outside as she did so.
Krystal moved towards her pillow. "We found this." She pulled the little piece of paper from under her pillow and handed it to Kevin.
He took the piece of paper. Matthew moved close to Kevin and both boys read the note
"Is this all. It's just a car sales ad." Kevin looked puzzled.
"Yeah, looks great to me, vruum, vruum." Matthew made car noises.
"Well, we don't think it's a car sales ad. There's a secret message in it," said Tracey.
"We think there is anyway." Krystal supported her friend.
Kevin and Matthew stared at the little note again. "Nope, can't see any secret message, can you Matt?"
Kevin turned the note upside-down, then held it up to the
light of the window.
"Maybe, what's that strange looking brown mark with lines?" said Matthew seriously.
“Where,” Krystal and Tracey clustered around the note.
"There." Matthew pointed to a brown curved mark with small lines off it.
"Oh, that! That's just dirt from my shoe. That's not a message. That's not what we mean!" Krystal plucked the note from between Kevin's fingers.
"I bet you girls made this up to try and trick us. We've gotta go, right Matt?" Kevin headed for the door.
"Yeah, a silly message." Matthew yawned.
"How can you say that. You have no imagination!" Tracey exclaimed.
"Goodbye then," said Krystal, striding to the door and pulling it wide open. "It's too bad that you'll never know what else we saw at the old Queenslander," she announced, feeling annoyed that the boys didn't believe their exciting story.
Kevin stood in the doorway. "Which old Queenslander?"
"The old place on Underwood Road. The one with rails around it," Tracey explained.
"But nobody lives there. It's all locked up." Matthew looked puzzled.
"Well, the door was open and we went inside from the rain. That's where the guys met," Tracey blurted.
"Which guys?" Kevin asked sceptically.
"Toy and Maz, and two other bigger guys," Tracey replied."Called Chevy and Merc," Krystal continued.
"Sound like strange names to me." Kevin turned to leave the doorway.
"Yeah, more like car names." Matthew made some more car noises.
"And we know two of the boys. Toy and Maz are Nathan and Davo," Tracey continued.
"From our school?" Kevin asked, turning back. "Yeah, I saw them," said Krystal.
"And what would they be doing in that old place? I still think you're making this up, just to get us back. What do you think Matt?" Kevin looked at Matthew, who just shrugged his shoulders.
They didn't believe the story!
"They'll probably meet at the house again," Tracey chirped in.
"Yep, they probably will. Do you want to come and see for yourself?" Krystal looked at Kevin. She was determined to prove their story now.
"Yeah, I'll come," Matthew butted in.
"When exactly?" Kevin asked, after a moment of silent thought.
"Oh no! We don't know when they'll be meeting again," said Tracey limply.
"The note Trace, maybe it's got a clue about the meeting time?" Krystal began to unfold the little note again.
"Well, let's try and work it out then. Anyone got apencil?" Krystal asked, her eyes glued to the note.
Tracey handed her a pencil, then stood next to Krystal, looking over her shoulder.
"To Trace."
The three gathered around Krystal and the note.
"Great Offer Over next few Days. Wild
OffeRs. Know whaT Others and You wANteD?
aMAZing baRgains. Every day We hAve gReat Dreams comiNg truE, eXcellenT Motors, utEs, ETc. FOUR new FabulOUs motoRs. FOr yoUR benefit, come to us," Krystal read aloud.
Krystal couldn't help feeling excited.
"Look at all the capitals. There is a sort of message there after all." She circled all the capitals.
"It is. It is. I knew it. I knew it!" Tracey exclaimed, reading the capitals as words. "GOOD WORK TOY AND MAZ REWARD NEXT MEET FOUR FOUR FOUR. It's a message. It really is."
"Crazy message," Kevin droned, yawning.
"Coded messages are always crazy. It's up to us to work it out you know," said Krystal firmly.
"Sounds like Toy and Maz have been working hard, so they get a reward next meeting. But what do the three fours mean?" Tracey translated the message.
"Three fours are twelve," Matthew concluded.
"Maybe there are twelve cars for sale," Kevin
suggested.
"Maybe it's twelve days to Christmas," said Matthew,laughing.
"You're being silly. I wonder what sort of work Nathan and Davo have been doing." Tracey's lips were pursed.
"I bet it's something bad, else why would it have to be in a coded message?" Krystal mused aloud.
"Hey, maybe we ought to join Nathan and Davo's gang, and get some of the reward." Matthew grinned.
"How can you say that. They're doing something bad. You're supposed to do good if you're a Christian, you know," Tracey told her broth
er.
"Yes. We want to find out what bad thing they've been doing, not do it too. I think you two should exit and leave the work up to Tracey and me. We'll solve the mystery. Go!" Krystal ordered, opening the door wide.
"Sorry. I was only joking." Matthew tried to be serious.
"We're on your side." Kevin tried not to smile.
Matthew nodded, biting his lip so he didn't laugh.
"This is your last chance then." Krystal closed the door again as the two boys sat down with straight faces.
"Well, we know Toy and Maz are Nathan and Davo, and they're getting some reward, but the question is, what does FOUR, FOUR, FOUR mean?" she questioned.
"One of the fours could mean four people, and another could mean four o'clock. That was about the time we were there today, remember?" Tracey remembered looking at her watch to check the time. It was after four when they were leaving the house.
“That could be it, but that still leaves one FOUR," Krystal stated.
"Maybe they need four more to join them for the reward. Hey, this might be interesting Kev." Matthew looked at Kevin.
"Mmmm. I don't know if I believe all this...I mean, Nathan and Davo seem okay guys. Maybe the girls made up the story. What do we know?" Kevin frowned.
"Well, you can see for yourselves if you want to. We could meet at the old Queenslander straight away after school tomorrow, and see if they come again. We might find out a bit more about what's going on. What do you reckon?" Krystal tried to keep up the boys' interest.
"Suppose we could check it out. What d'ya reckon Matt? But wait, tomorrow I have footie practice straight after school. I could come after four." Kevin kicked his foot as high as the doorknob.
"And I have soccer practice, but I reckon I'd like to catch the baddies." Matthew dived onto the bed and grabbed Krystal's pillow.
"Right, you'll come then." Krystal glanced at the two boys. They nodded. "Tracey and I will go to the house and hide inside. When you come, make sure nobody sees you. Got that?"
"Sure! We'll be invisible, won't we Kev?" Matthew replied.
"Krystal," Mrs. Cormack called from the family room. "Krystal, are you busy?" She peered into the bedroom.
The Gum Tree Gang and the Mystery at the Old Queenslander Page 2
