The Trouble with Perfect

by Helena Duggan

  “And nobody saw a thing?”

  “Mr Eton said he heard the plants screaming and looked out, but whoever it was had gone. A few others heard them too, but nobody spotted anything. One person said they saw Boy when they heard the screams, but they must have confused their times. Boy and Violet weren’t down there until after the eye plants were taken.”

  “It’s very strange,” Eugene said, shaking his head. “I’m sure Vincent Crooked will be raving about this at the Committee meeting tonight. Of course, you’ll have to call a meeting, given the circumstances.”

  “I can ask about the eye plants at school, Dad,” Violet said, feeling excited. She missed investigating stuff. “It could be kids. They might think it’s funny?”

  “It’s alright, pet. We’ll figure it out,” Eugene said. “Do you think it could—” He stopped abruptly, looked at his watch and turned to face his daughter.

  “Pet, you need to get ready for school or you’ll be late again.”

  “But, Dad, I want to stay and hear!”

  “Violet!” Her father’s tone was serious.

  Slowly, she got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen. Eugene closed the door behind her. Then, after a few moments, she carefully placed her ear against the cream-painted wood.

  “Violet’s having bad dreams about Edward. I thought they’d gone, but I heard her have one again last night,” Eugene said, from the other side of the door. “I didn’t want to talk about him in front of her.”

  “Edward?” William asked.

  “Yes. Do you think he could have come back?”

  “Violet Brown!” Her mother’s voice rang down the hallway towards her.

  The kitchen door swung inwards and Violet stumbled forward, off balance.

  “Violet!” her dad exclaimed. He looked disappointed, and she hated when he looked at her like that. “What have I told you about eavesdropping? Go get ready for school.”

  “But, Dad, if Edward’s come back, I want to know! You can’t keep it a secret from me.”

  “He’s not, pet. I just asked the question, that’s all.”

  “My brother is not coming back. It’s not him, Violet,” William said, standing up and walking to the door. “He wouldn’t need to steal the eye plants, they’re his invention after all.”

  Eugene coughed. “Not entirely his…”

  Even though the eye plants were invented because of a terrible idea, Violet’s dad was still a little proud of having helped develop them. He said they were a good thing, just put to a bad use by awful people.

  William nodded and looked back down at Violet. “And if my brother ever does return, you and Boy will be the first people I inform,” he said seriously. “You saved Perfect. You defeated my brothers, Violet. We’re a team, like I told you before.”

  “Thanks,” she said, smiling proudly.

  Violet got dressed and rushed out the front door, bidding goodbye to her parents and William in the kitchen. Then she climbed onto her bike and headed towards Town.

  The sun was peering round the clouds as she pedalled the streets to her school.

  Violet sped down the tree-lined avenue and turned left onto Splendid Road, towards the centre of Town. She waved at Mr Hatchet, the butcher, sweeping up outside his shop door. He waved back warmly as she cycled past and swung up right off Edward Street to her school.

  Everybody was friendly in Town these days – not falsely friendly, like they’d been in the old Perfect days, but proper friendly.

  Violet propped her bike against the school wall and headed for the entrance.

  “You better get a lock for that,” somebody said, behind her.

  Violet turned and was greeted by Beatrice Prim – possibly the most annoying girl in school, or at least in Violet’s class.

  “Nobody locks their bike in Town,” Violet said dismissively.

  “They do now,” Beatrice said. “Haven’t you heard the news?” The red-haired girl lowered her voice, as though she were about to tell Violet a massive secret. “Lucy Lawn’s bike was stolen from outside her house last night. Her mother told my mam at the school gates. Lucy’s so upset that she couldn’t come in today!”

  “Oh,” Violet replied in surprise. So it wasn’t only the eye plants that were taken last night. She’d never heard of anyone stealing in Town before now.

  Violet’s dad said Town was one of the safest places in the world – but real safe, not Perfect safe, where everybody did what the Archers told them to, without question. For the most part, since Perfect fell, people had a new respect for each other, Eugene Brown had said.

  “Maybe somebody just borrowed Lucy’s bike, and they’ll drop it back later,” Violet answered.

  “You would say that.” Beatrice smirked.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re his best friend – of course you’d cover for him.”

  “What are you talking about?” Violet asked, feeling a little frustrated.

  Beatrice smiled and stepped back.

  “Lucy said she saw Boy take it last night, right around the time those disgusting eyes went missing. She heard a noise and looked out her window. She swears it was him!”

  “Well, it wasn’t,” Violet said, shocked. “I was with Boy last night and he didn’t steal anyone’s bike. In future, Beatrice, get your facts right before you tell lies about people.”

  “Ask Lucy,” Beatrice said, as she turned in a swoosh of hair, and swiftly disappeared into the school.

  How could anyone accuse Boy of stealing a bike? He’d be really angry when Violet told him. Beatrice was annoying, sure, but saying something like that was going too far, even for her.

  Everyone was already at their desks when Violet entered the classroom.

  “Good of you to join us, Ms Brown!” Mrs Moody said, in a tone that didn’t sound as if it were “good” of her at all.

  Violet nodded and kept her head down, as she walked to her seat. Boy was in his place already and she squeezed in beside him.

  “You’ll never guess what Beatrice said to me this morning,” she whispered across the desk.

  “Violet Brown,” Mrs Moody called, “classroom time is classroom time!”

  “Classroom time is classroom time,” Violet mimicked as Boy tried to stop himself from laughing.

  “You two, I will split you up!” the teacher warned, as she looked over again.

  Then Mrs Moody told everyone to take out their homework and she began to correct it, writing the answers on the board.

  “I thought she’d be a bit nicer, since Pippa came back,” Violet whispered, shaking her head. “If she was my mam, I’d want to be back in No-Man’s-Land!”

  Mrs Moody’s daughter, Pippa, had been taken into No-Man’s-Land years before and was reunited with her family when Perfect fell. Violet remembered watching her teacher cry as she held her daughter. The whole thing made her kind of like Mrs Moody a bit more. That changed quickly when school started again, though.

  “Pippa said that’s just her mam’s way, Violet. She said Mrs Moody is soft underneath,” Boy whispered back.

  “Her clothes must be made of stone then!”

  Boy smothered his laughter again.

  “What did Beatrice say to you, anyway?” he prompted, a little later.

  Violet looked over at the red-haired girl, then dipped her head a little bit as she whispered. “She said Lucy Lawn saw you stealing her bike last night.”

  “She what?” Boy’s eyes almost popped out of his face.

  “I know,” Violet said, nodding. “I couldn’t believe Lucy would say something like that either.”

  “But why would Beatrice say that? Was Lucy’s bike really stolen?” Boy asked.

  “Beatrice says it was. I think that’s weird, though – nobody would steal anything in Town. I mean, except the eye plants.”

  “Lucy lives on Forgotten Road, doesn’t she?” asked Boy.

  “Yeah, I think her family moved into the house her dad had when he
was living in No-Man’s-Land,” Violet replied.

  “So, near one of the eye-plant beds… Maybe the person who stole the eyes took Lucy’s bike too?”

  “But why would someone do that?” Violet asked.

  “Because they wanted to get away quickly!”

  “Not that,” Violet huffed. “I mean, why would someone from Town want to steal in the first place? Almost everybody knows each other. It’s not like the person who stole Lucy’s bike can cycle it around without being seen.”

  “I suppose…but why would Lucy say I took it?” Boy replied, thinking out loud.

  “You two have had enough of a warning,” Mrs Moody said over her shoulder. “Violet, come here.”

  The teacher pointed to a desk in front of her. Boy tried not to laugh as Violet, red-faced, picked up her books and sat down right under Mrs Moody’s large nose.

  With no one to talk to, she stayed in total silence for the rest of the day, apart from lunch, and was itching for conversation when the bell tolled to signal the end of school.

  Boy rose quickly from his desk. “Come on!” he said, pulling his bag over his shoulders.

  “Where are we going?” Violet asked, gathering up her stuff.

  “To Lucy’s house. I want to ask her what she saw. It might help us figure out what happened to the eye plants.”

  “Okay,” Violet said, running excitedly after him. “We’re on an adventure again!”

  “Relax, Violet, we’re only going to Lucy’s.”

  “I know, but we are kind of trying to solve another mystery. Like the olden days!”

  “You really do get excited pretty easily…”

  The pair pedalled their bikes up Edward Street and turned onto Rag Lane, racing down to Forgotten Road.

  Violet was remembering, back in Perfect, when the buildings in No-Man’s-Land were in disrepair. Lucy’s house, although she didn’t live there then, had always been kept nice, though. This was because Larry Lawn, her dad, was a carpenter and great with his hands.

  Mr Lawn had been locked in No-Man’s-Land while Lucy and her family, having forgotten he ever existed, lived in Perfect. Her dad had made good use of his time, repairing the house with leftover materials. Larry created all sorts of beautiful household things, such as patchwork curtains, lampshades and even kitchen stools from old buckets he added legs to.

  When both sides of Perfect came together and created Town, Lucy’s family moved into Larry’s house and Mr Lawn opened a shop in Market Yard, selling his unique creations. Rose Brown, Violet’s mam, was one of his best customers.

  Violet and Boy pulled on their brakes outside Lucy’s house.

  Boy left his bike against the wall and walked up to the purple door, knocking solidly, with Violet beside him. Mrs Lawn opened the door.

  “Oh, I knew it had to be a mistake, Boy.” She sighed. “I told Lucy you probably needed her bike for something and would return it.”

  “Erm…” Boy looked at Violet, wide-eyed. “I didn’t take the bike, Mrs Lawn, that’s why I came. I wanted to ask Lucy what she saw.”

  Lucy stepped out into the hallway from a room off it.

  “Hi, Boy,” she said, her face stern.

  “Hi, Lucy,” he replied. “We heard about your bike and came to see if we could help. Some of the eye plants have been stolen in Town too, and we were wondering if maybe it was the same person. Can we ask you some questions?”

  “It was you,” the girl said firmly.

  Boy shook his head. “I didn’t take your bike, Lucy,” he replied, a hint of red skin showing at the base of his neck.

  “But I saw you…”

  “Where did you see him?” Violet asked.

  “I saw him out the front. My bike wasn’t locked, but it screeches when you pull the brakes. I meant to get Dad to fix it. I heard it screech, so I ran to the window and saw Boy.”

  “But it wasn’t me,” he said again, the blotchy red skin now highlighting his cheeks.

  “It was you, Boy, I saw you! You even turned around and looked straight at me when I called your name.”

  “Wasn’t it dark?” Violet asked, confused.

  “My daughter wouldn’t say it if she hadn’t seen you, Boy,” Lucy’s mother interrupted. “I don’t mean to accuse you, you seem very convincing, but she doesn’t lie.”

  Lucy blushed and hid behind her mother.

  “Neither do I, Mrs Lawn,” Boy replied.

  “This is not getting us anywhere,” the woman said, closing the door a little as her daughter began to cry. “I’ll bring this matter to William and see how he takes care of it. In the meantime, Boy, if you do remember what happened and return Lucy’s bike, an apology will suffice. We just want to sort this out. I know you’re not a bad child, all children make mistakes.”

  “But I didn’t…”

  Mrs Lawn forced a smile.

  “I’ll be speaking to your mam and dad, Boy, and, as I said, if you remember anything…”

  The purple front door closed firm. Violet looked at Boy’s red face.

  “What was that about?” she almost whispered.

  “I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t take her bike, Violet.”

  “I know you didn’t, Boy, but it’s strange. I don’t think Lucy would lie…”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Boy asked quickly.

  “Nothing. I just meant that—”

  “That Lucy doesn’t lie, so I must be?”

  “No, Boy, I didn’t mean that at all.”

  “I’m sorry, Violet,” her friend said, picking his bike back up. “It’s not your fault. I’m just annoyed. Lucy seems so convinced, but how could she think I’d take her bike?”

  “Don’t worry. Do you want to come back to mine for dinner? We can try and work it out. Maybe she saw someone who looks like you, like Bobby Broderick or something.”

  “Bobby Broderick doesn’t look like me,” Boy said, shaking his head.

  “I know, but he’s your height and has the same colour hair and stuff. Maybe, at night, she might think…I don’t know. Bobby is the type of person who might take Lucy’s bike.”

  Bobby Broderick was one of the school bullies and if anyone would steal a bike, he would.

  “We can’t go around accusing people too, Violet!” Boy shook his head. “Anyway, I’d better go home. Mrs Lawn is going to tell Mam and Dad, and I want to speak to them before she does. The way Mam is at the moment, I’m not sure how she’ll react.”

  “It’ll be fine. You didn’t do it, and Dad says the truth always comes out,” Violet said, picking up her bike. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

  “Yeah.” Boy didn’t look at her as he pushed down on his pedals and headed for Wickham Terrace.

  Violet cycled back through Town, her head spinning.

  Lucy Lawn really seemed to think Boy had stolen her bike. Violet knew Lucy from school, not really well as Lucy was a year ahead, but she’d always seemed nice, not like someone who would lie. Or, at least, that’s what Violet thought before now. But Boy definitely wouldn’t lie either, so what was going on?

  Violet wanted to ask her dad about it that evening, but her mam said he was going straight to the Committee meeting after work.

  “It’ll be a long one this evening.” Rose sighed as she set down a plate of bacon, potatoes and cabbage in front of her daughter. “Vincent Crooked is creating a fuss over the plants and Lucy Lawn’s bike.”

  “You heard about that too?” Violet asked, unable to stomach much of her food.

  “Yes, pet, it’s all over Town today.”

  “Lucy is telling everyone Boy took the bike, but he didn’t, Mam,” Violet insisted, pushing her food round the plate.

  “She’s just upset, and needs someone to blame—”

  “Well, she shouldn’t blame Boy!” Violet interrupted.

  “I know, pet, but don’t worry. It’ll all be sorted soon.”

  Violet sat playing with her food a while longer, before sliding away from the
table and heading up to her room.

  She waited on her window seat, watching the yard for her dad, but her mam was right – when night had long fallen, he still hadn’t returned.

  Violet climbed into bed in a muddle, and fell into an uneasy asleep.

  “How did the meeting go last night?”

  It was the first thing Violet asked as she joined her parents at the kitchen table the next morning. “Did William find out anything about the eye plants?”

  “No, unfortunately not.” Her dad shook his head.

  “And now this missing bike,” Rose replied, scrambled egg falling from her fork. “It’s a bit strange, really. Town is normally such a safe place. I can’t imagine anyone—”

  “Lucy said it was Boy, Dad,” Violet cut across her mother. “We went to her house yesterday and she seemed really convinced.”

  “You didn’t tell me you went to her house. Oh, Violet, don’t go bothering the Lawns like that.” Her mother tutted. “Better to leave this to your father and William.”

  “I heard you paid a visit, Violet,” her dad commented. He sounded a little annoyed.

  “How?” Violet asked.

  “Lilly, Lucy’s mother, came to the meeting last night,” Eugene said, looking up. “She put in a complaint about Boy, and wants the Committee to look into the theft.”

  “But it wasn’t Boy, Dad. He was as shocked as I was when he heard. That’s why we went there, to ask her about it!”

  “I know, Violet, but please just let it all blow over. Once the eye plants are back up and running properly again, things like this won’t be in dispute. Anyway, the Committee have to handle it now, but I’m sure Boy has nothing to worry about.”

  “Are you going to check up on him?” Violet asked, her spoon stopping millimetres from her mouth.

  “We have to, pet, but, as I said, I’m sure Boy has nothing to worry about.”

  “He doesn’t,” Violet said, swallowing the last spoonful of cereal, before packing her school lunch to go.

  “Violet!” her mother called, as she raced out the door.