Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis

by Paula Berinstein

  How had the book come to be in the library in the first place? They now knew that David had found it there and made up a catalog card for it. It seemed that he’d felt that was the proper thing to do for an unlabeled book. Of course if he hadn’t, Amanda and her friends would never have figured out that the Detective’s Bible was the whatsit, so maybe David’s OCD had brought about something positive for once. Maybe he wasn’t so compulsive after all though. He’d misfiled the card. If he hadn’t, they would have figured out what the whatsit was earlier.

  Amanda was still wondering what Simon had meant when he’d said he thought Professor Redleaf had seen the Legatum equivalent of Voldemort. Now that things had settled down a bit she asked him.

  “I wasn’t sure, but I got the idea that she’d seen something shocking,” said Simon. “And scary.”

  “Something to do with Voldemort? That’s what you said.”

  “I didn’t mean that exactly, obviously,” said Simon. “There’s no such thing as wizards.”

  “Of course not,” said Amanda.

  “I couldn’t get too much out of Scapulus, but he did slip a little and I got the impression that what she saw scared her half to death.”

  “Maybe, but how do you get Voldemort out of it?”

  “I really shouldn’t have said that,” said Simon. “It’s misleading.”

  “Okay, fine. Forget Voldemort. What did she see then?” said Amanda.

  “I think she saw evidence of the most dangerous hacker ever to walk the earth, and you know I don’t normally talk that way.”

  With all the chaos around him, Thrillkill had been able to make at least one decision. He’d hired construction workers to come and fix the school. This work would cause some disruption, but everything should have been fixed by the fall term—should there be a fall term, which no one was sure there would be.

  Everyone was so down that the gremlins had taken it upon themselves to lift the school’s morale. They had decorated the place in an absolutely royal fashion, and it was drop-dead gorgeous. They were still bickering over silly stuff, though, but everyone seemed to appreciate that they were trying to put a pretty face on a bad situation and help calm people down. Despite their own tendency to squabble, they hated to see people fighting, plus everyone was rattled about the earthquake damage and there was a lot of anxiety over the missing students, although most people, the gremlins included, did not know about the Bible.

  The décor was beautiful but it looked weird with all the damage. Alexei and Noel had come up with a Downton Abbey theme, and they kept racing around trying to fix flaws. They were having trouble setting priorities, though, and kept arguing over what the most important tasks were. What once would have been horrifying but was no longer so was that that they had hit it off with Amanda’s relatives, who were staying at the school for a couple of days with Thrillkill’s approval. As great as Despina and Hill had been at the quarry, they were still sticking their noses in everywhere and offering unwanted advice to everyone, including the teachers, who felt that they had to be diplomatic because it was the students’ relatives who supported the school.

  Then possibly the strangest thing of all happened: Simon and Amphora won the disguise competition. It turned out that Amphora had a real knack for costuming and makeup, Simon had had some great ideas, and they had actually enjoyed working together. They had produced burn victim makeup based on one of the simulations they’d created in Fires and Explosions, taking into account everything from the temperature of the fire to the amount of time the victim had been exposed to it. This accomplishment won them high marks in both Professor Tumble’s and Professor Pole’s classes and gave the teachers the idea to team-teach some seminars in the fall.

  Amanda and Ivy were stunned. Truth be told, Amanda was a little envious. She was the one who was supposed to know all about costumes and makeup. Still she was happy for Amphora, who had been having a tough time, and asked Ivy if she thought there was such a thing as a fashion detective. Simon piped up and said Amphora could probably have a great career fighting espionage in the fashion industry. This idea got Amphora so excited that she told her friends she was going to speak to Professor Tumble about it immediately.

  Unfortunately Amphora had also managed to get the new cook fired. She was let off with a warning not to become personally involved with the staff. Simon suspected that she had not been punished more harshly because of her family’s importance, which made him mad because he had been suspended just for cutting a class. Mercifully Ivy declined to fine him for his remark. Later Amphora told Amanda that she hoped she’d see Eustace again. Amanda shrugged. Despite what had happened with Rupert Thwack, the girl hadn’t changed one bit. However, one mystery was solved. The last thing the young cook was heard to say as he was escorted out the door was, “Nuts. I forgot my candy stash.”

  37

  It’s a Wonderful Life

  When Amanda sat down to research where the Moriartys might have gone, she suddenly remembered Darius Plover. She’d been horrible to him, first lying and then ignoring him. She hadn’t even looked at the second set of clips. She’d probably ruined their relationship, but she may as well do it and this time tell him the truth.

  The second batch was as bad as the first one. She was so upset she briefly thought about pretending she couldn’t access them. Still she had said she would tell him the truth, so she opened her mail and wrote the director a note.

  Dear Mr. Plover,

  I’m sorry it took me so long to get to the second set of clips. I have no excuse and I’ll understand if you’re disappointed.

  I have to say I think they could use some improvements. To be honest, so can the first set. I’m sorry I didn’t say this before, but I think the scenes need to be crisper. I feel like I’ve seen them in other movies. A gimmick might help—maybe some humor or a shock, like the monster exploding out of John Hurt’s stomach in “Alien.”

  I will understand if you no longer want to speak to me. However, I remain your devoted fan.

  Sincerely,

  Amanda Lester,

  Filmmaker.

  She reread the message and pressed Send. Oh well. She’d done it now. She’d never have a chance like this again. She’d still make movies but she’d probably never break into the big time. She banged her head on her desk. She was just like G. Lestrade. It really was those awful genes again. She wondered if a full blood transfusion would change her into someone else. If that were to happen, would everything be different? Would she lose her filmmaking skills? Would she look different? Would she even still be eligible to go to Legatum? She supposed all of that would happen. Maybe it was better to keep the blood she had.

  Ivy entered their room with Nigel and sat down on her bed. “Any luck?”

  “What, oh, with Blixus?” said Amanda. Ivy nodded. “Sorry. There was something else I had to do. I haven’t started.”

  “Are you okay?” said Ivy. “Come on up, Nigel.” The dog jumped up, turned in a circle, and lay down with his head in Ivy’s lap.

  “He’s so toasty, isn’t he?” said Amanda.

  “Always,” said Ivy. “So?”

  Amanda knew exactly what her friend was referring to. “I’m all right. It was awfully weird seeing him though.”

  She pictured how Nick had looked when he’d got into the white van. His T-shirt had been covered with blood, his jeans were ripped, and a layer of dust had settled all over him, making his dark hair appear gray. She wondered how serious his injuries were. It was she who had zapped him in the gut. Presumably the Moriartys had patched him up. They certainly wouldn’t have gone to a hospital, not with all points bulletins out for them.

  “Did you ever think he was still alive?” said Ivy.

  “No,” said Amanda. “I thought the same as everyone: that he had died in the fire. How could he have escaped anyway?”

  “Probably a secret exit or something,” said Ivy. “It was a pretty big place, wasn’t it?”

  “Huge. It had several le
vels. Legatum could have fit inside it. I mean the buildings, not the grounds.”

  “I wonder where all those criminal kids went,” said Ivy.

  “I imagine they’ll turn up eventually.” That was a sobering thought, one they didn’t have time to consider now. “You know, Ivy, I’m so mad at him I could spit. Where’s he been all this time? How could he let me think he was dead? And how could he be so mean to the crystals?”

  She remembered how Nick had stomped on the clock that day in the common room. That was when she’d realized he could be violent. What was wrong with him anyway? Of course, it was obvious: his parents were psychopaths. Still . . .

  “And yet,” she said.

  “What?” said Ivy.

  “No matter how bad he acts, I keep feeling that there’s good in him. I’ve seen it.” Why else would he have preserved her film for her, as he’d done by putting it into cloud storage and placing an icon on her phone? There was nothing to be gained by that. It was an act of affection, pure and simple. No matter what Nick said, she’d never believe he could be taken at face value. Maybe that was why he’d kept her picture and the film in a secret place.

  “I’ve seen it too,” said Ivy. “There’s something going on there we don’t understand.”

  “I’m not sure I want to,” said Amanda. “By the way, how’s your hearing?”

  “It’s fixed!” said Ivy. “Know what it was?”

  “What?”

  “Wax. I finally went to see Dr. Wing and she spotted the problem immediately. She cleaned out my ears and I’m fine.”

  “That’s great! I’m so relieved.”

  “Me too. That was one hidden treasure I could have done without.”

  That night in bed Amanda thought about Holmes. Obviously the whole thing with him was over. She knew that for sure, although she couldn’t quite say why. He was perfect. Not only was he a genius and a nice guy, but he was as attractive as one of Clive’s magnets. Plus he stood up for her, which counted for a lot. But he wasn’t Nick, and for some perverse reason that mattered.

  She wished it didn’t. Now that she knew Nick was alive, however, there was a chance she might be able to resolve her feelings about him at last—if she could find him. Would they cross paths again? Maybe all it would take was one more nasty word from him and she’d be able to forget him forever. She needed to figure out where he was and face him one last time.

  He had certainly made an impression on Editta. Imagine abandoning the detectives to run off with the Moriartys like that. It was horrifying, but there was something else: now Amanda felt just a bit of rivalry with her friend, even though she was still furious with Nick and probably hated him. This ambivalence confused her. The Moriartys had opened the door of the van to let Editta in. Nick preferred Editta to her. Why? It wasn’t looks. Editta was plain and looked like a bird. Holmes had told Amanda she was beautiful, although she didn’t agree. Intelligence? Editta was great with numbers. She would be a huge asset to the criminals’ organization. But Amanda was smart too, and creative.

  And then it hit her: Editta was malleable. She’d do anything for Nick. Amanda stood up to him, to his father. Editta would go along with whatever they wanted.

  She sat up in bed. The situation was far worse than she’d realized. Editta was in real danger and had to be rescued immediately. But how?

  It was important to go through all the evidence she’d gathered. There had to be clues to the Moriartys’ whereabouts. Amanda got out of bed and powered up her computer, careful not to wake Ivy and Amphora. She uploaded all the pictures and videos she’d taken in the last few days to the cloud site Nick had set up for her. How could someone who’d do that be so awful? How could someone who’d invented the Planet Detecto, teased her about the slime mold they’d found eating the pink sugar, would kill a clock to please her, be faking it all? It wasn’t possible. He was a good actor, but he wasn’t that good. Was he?

  When she checked her mail in the morning, she was astonished to discover that Darius Plover had written back. She was afraid to read the message, though, and it took her half an hour to get up the courage.

  Dear Amanda,

  I absolutely love your ideas! I am so excited about them that I’d like to offer you a job. If you could see your way clear to come to L.A. this summer, I would love to hire you as a consultant. If after that you still want to work with Plover Films, I think we can manage some remote work.

  Interested?

  Your friend,

  Darius Plover.

  Amanda was flabbergasted. The offer was beyond her wildest dreams. Of course she’d go to L.A., if her parents would pay for the trip. They’d offered to let her live with her aunt and uncle there, so why not? She’d call at once and ask.

  She threw on her clothes and tiptoed down to the common room, which was empty, as you’d expect at 6:00 a.m. Was it too early to call home? Probably, but who cared. She brought up her mother’s phone number and was about to press the icon when her phone rang. It was her mother!

  “Darling, I’m sorry to call so early,” said Lila. “I hope I didn’t wake your roommates.” Her roommates? What about her? “I need to talk to you immediately. Are you at breakfast?”

  The logic of her being up at breakfast while her roommates were sleeping within range of the ring tone escaped Amanda, but obviously Lila was so agitated about something that she hadn’t realized what she was saying. “I can talk. What is it, Mom?”

  “I don’t know how to put this, darling. It’s bad. Well, it isn’t bad, exactly. It’s good in a way. Well, you won’t think it’s good. I think it’s sort of good. Actually I don’t think it’s good at all.” Amanda could hear her breathing quickly on the other end of the line. She sat and waited.

  “The thing is, well, I’m just going to come out and say it,” said Lila. “Your father and I are getting a divorce.”

  Amanda dropped the phone. Had her mother said that they were getting a horse? They wouldn’t even let her get a dog. She felt for the phone under the sofa where she was sitting. It had fallen so far underneath that she had to get down on her hands and knees and reach all the way to the back of the space. When she managed to retrieve it her mother was still talking.

  “As you know, dear, he hasn’t been the same since the kidnapping. He wants to quit the law and find himself. I’m afraid I can’t cope with that, so we’ve agreed to part. He’s out looking for a place to live as we speak.” At six o’clock in the morning? Must be some weird landlords out there.

  Amanda was so shocked she couldn’t speak. How was this possible? Yes, her father had been through a lot, but divorce? Her parents had always been on the same page. They agreed about everything, did everything together, plagued their daughter together with their tales of G. Lestrade and Sherlock Holmes. They were like Holmes and Watson. In fact, they were so much like that pair that they’d soon be back together. They had to be. But if they weren’t, who would she visit on term breaks? Where would she go at holidays? What if one of them moved back to L.A. and one of them stayed here? OMG, what if this meant she couldn’t go to L.A. and work for Darius Plover?

  She ran up to her room and found Amphora and Ivy getting ready for class. “I have to talk to you,” she said. “My mother, I mean, I just talked to her. My parents are getting a divorce!”

  “Oh no!” said both girls together.

  “Oh yes,” said Amanda. “My dad has gone off to find himself and my mom can’t take it.”

  “I suppose that isn’t so surprising considering what he’s been through,” said Ivy.

  “No,” said Amanda. “But you’d think she’d be a little understanding. Actually you wouldn’t. You’ve met her. What do you think?”

  “She’s a great writer,” said Amphora.

  “Maybe she’ll come around,” said Ivy. It seemed that neither one of her friends wanted to say what they were all obviously thinking: that Lila Lester was a selfish and foolish woman who always had to get her own way.

  “Now that
I think about it, I understand my dad’s point of view,” said Amanda. “And you know what? I’m not as shocked. I mean I always thought they were so much alike, but they’re not really. My dad is altruistic. He wants to save the world. My mom wants to make a big splash. It’s just that up until now their goals were the same. That’s why they got along so well. Now that they’re not, they’re having problems.”

  “It happens,” said Ivy.

  “Unfortunately,” said Amphora.

  “I wonder if my dad will want me to leave Legatum now.”

  “Why?” said Amphora, looking horrified.

  “Maybe he’s disillusioned with law enforcement. He’s been doing a lot of yoga.”

  “I can’t see how he’d want you to give up what’s always been so important to him,” said Ivy.

  “No,” said Amphora. “I’m sure he’ll want you to stay.”

  “Maybe I should call him,” said Amanda. “I don’t want to leave. I did at first, but now I don’t.”

  “Of course not,” said Ivy. “Why would you?”

  “There are other opportunities,” said Amanda, thinking of Darius Plover.

  “You mean your filmmaking?” said Amphora.

  “Yes,” Amanda sighed. “My filmmaking.”

  “First do one, then do the other.”