by Lyn Gardner
The game of croquet continued until a murderous glint stole into the Queen of Hearts’ eye and she started to swing her croquet mallet around, crying, “Off with their heads! Off with their heads!” The audience began to scatter as she advanced towards them. Aeysha and Eel were carried in one direction by the crowd and Olivia, Georgia, Evie and Tati were pushed towards a small gold door they hadn’t seen before. Olivia wanted to try and find Eel and Aeysha, but when she looked over her shoulder she saw the Queen bearing down on them, swinging her flamingo-topped croquet mallet menacingly.
“Come on,” she shouted to Georgia, and they followed Evie and Tati through the door and slammed it shut behind them. They all stood in a gloomy corridor looking at each other with scared, sparkling eyes. They knew it was just a performance and that the Queen was an actor – one Georgia was sure she’d seen playing the mother in a stage version of The Railway Children – but they were swept up by the delicious terror of the whole thing.
“Phew, that was a narrow escape,” said Georgia. She looked along the gloomy corridor, where a single light flickered at the far end. “Shall we go down there?” Tati glanced nervously into the gloom.
“Let’s wait until the Queen’s gone, and then go back through the croquet room and see if we can find Aeysha and Eel,” said Olivia.
Evie’s phone bleeped. Olivia was quite tempted to say that it was rude to have your mobile on during a show, but she bit her lip. Evie took the phone from her pocket and as she did so Olivia caught a fleeting glimpse of the sapphires. Evie turned away from Olivia’s gaze, flipping open the phone as she did so. The light from the screen shed an eerie greenish light in the gloom. At that moment the door was flung open and the Queen stood illuminated in a dull red light.
“Off with their heads!” she shouted, brandishing her croquet mallet at them. The children screamed and fled, and in her panic, Evie dropped her phone. She tried to pick it up, but the others pushed her forward in their hurry to get away. Olivia scooped up the open phone and set off after the others with the Queen on her heels. Up ahead, the corridor forked in two, and Evie and Tati peeled off to the right while Olivia pushed Georgia to the left. They ran on down another corridor and emerged breathless into a room full of white rose trees, where men were busy painting the roses red.
There was no sound of feet behind the girls. They leaned against the wall, their hearts beating fast, and tried to get their breath back.
“That was a narrow escape,” said Georgia. “I feel as if my heart is going to burst.”
“Me, too,” said Olivia. She glanced at the open phone in her hand. The text message was visible on the screen. Olivia knew she shouldn’t read it, but she couldn’t stop herself. It said: You clever, thieving little hussy. What a thing to do to your poor old uncle! Will do deal on the sapphires. Meet me in St Giles’ Cathedral 5 p.m. today. Third pew from the front. No tricks. Will make it worth your while. Mitch.
Olivia gasped. She showed the message to Georgia, who looked shocked. “So you were right, Livy. Evie does know someone called Mitch and the sapphires are clearly stolen. She must have taken them from her uncle. So that’s why he’s looking for her.”
“Yes,” said Olivia. “And she must have told this Mitch person that she’s nicked them. It sounds like he’s going to buy them from her.”
“We have to tell the grown-ups,” said Georgia, looking scared. “This is getting really serious.”
Olivia shook her head slowly. “Not yet. We still need proper proof. We’ve got to be absolutely certain.”
“So what are we going to do, Livy?”
“We’re going to the cathedral and watch to see what happens.” Olivia felt a thrill run down her spine.
Georgia looked a bit worried. “We’d have to be really careful not to be seen,” she said. “It all seems a bit scary to me.”
“It’ll be fine,” said Olivia. “There are plenty of places to hide in a cathedral.”
“Maybe I could get a picture of Evie and Tati with this Mitch bloke on my phone?” said Georgia excitedly. “And then we could show it to Jack and he’d know what the scammer looks like.”
Olivia nodded enthusiastically. “That’s a great idea.” She scrolled down Evie’s phone to see if there were any more messages but there was nothing. Then she clicked on the picture gallery and quickly looked through the photos. It made her feel guilty to be looking in somebody else’s private photo gallery, but she needed as much evidence as she could find.
There were some pictures of Evie and Tati together and some of a woman who Olivia guessed must be Cora. The woman was laughing in the photograph and with a pang Olivia realised that this woman with the dancing eyes was now dead. She clicked on some more recent pictures as Georgia craned to look over Olivia’s shoulder. The pictures were all of the same man wearing a hat angled low over his face. The pictures were often taken from slightly odd angles so his face was never entirely visible, as if the photo had been snapped without him knowing. The date and the time of each photo were recorded in the bottom right-hand corner, and they all seemed to have been taken in hotels. In one, the man was sitting in a lobby reading a newspaper. In another he was entering a lift; in a third he was in a corridor with doors leading off it. In a fourth he was making his way down a fire escape.
“That’s Evie and Tati’s uncle, isn’t it?” said Georgia.
“It is,” said Olivia excitedly. “But what odd photos.”
“Yes, they’re not exactly pics you’d want to put in your album,” agreed Georgia.
At that moment the White Rabbit ran into the room and beckoned them to follow him. They were directed into a large room in which the entire audience and cast had assembled for the trial scene. Olivia saw Evie and Tati whispering agitatedly to each other at the back of the crowd. She sidled over and held out Evie’s phone to her.
“You dropped this,” she said gruffly.
“Oh, what a relief,” said Evie. “Thanks ever so.”
“We thought it was lost for ever, or that it’d be crushed in the stampede,” said Tati.
“It’s fine,” said Georgia.
“It was really kind of you to pick it up, Livy, I’m really grateful.” Evie’s dark eyes showed she meant what she said.
Olivia shrugged. “I hate to be without my phone. You never know when you’re going to get an important message or need to take a photo,” she said innocently. Evie threw her a suspicious look as she turned away.
When they got out of the show Olivia had a text from Tom. Will be travelling to Edinburgh with Aeysha’s folks. So many of us we’ve had to book almost an entire carriage. Very excited and can’t wait to see you all! T xxx
Me too, texted back Olivia. We’ve just been to see some immersive theatre. It was sick.
Sounds a bit damp to me, texted Tom. Did you have to wear swimming costumes?
Not that kind of immersive, idiot, texted Olivia. She felt much more cheerful now that the investigation seemed to be getting somewhere.
Later that afternoon, Olivia and Georgia walked up the Royal Mile towards St Giles’ Cathedral. They had slipped away from the group of Swans who were handing out flyers for the next performance.
“Georgie and I are going to try a bit further up,” Olivia had said casually.
“I saw Evie and Tati head that way, they should have it covered,” said Aeysha.
“Oh well, it’s still best if we spread out,” said Olivia. “You stay here with the little ones.”
She and Georgia pushed their way through the crowds who were watching the Fringe acts perform in the late-afternoon sunshine. People kept trying to thrust flyers for shows into their hands. They had put their own flyers in Georgia’s bag.
“Come and see Macbeth performed on a bouncy castle!” entreated a young man.
“Four-star reviews for a puppet version of Oedipus Rex. Described as ‘blindingly good’ by the Guardian,” said a woman, waving a leaflet under their noses.
Olivia and Georgia smiled and shook th
eir heads politely. They knew how soul destroying it was to try and sell your show every day, and they had total sympathy for the desperate performers. They had almost reached the cathedral when Olivia spotted the boy-magician. She was irresistibly drawn towards him, even though Georgia pointed at her watch and said it was nearly five.
“Let’s just stop a minute,” said Olivia. “We need to wait until Evie, Tati and Mitch are there, otherwise they might spot us. We can creep up behind them and maybe then we’ll be able to hear what they say.”
There was a dense throng gathered around the boy, so they stood on a bench. Even so, they were just able to see him over the heads of the crowd. The boy was in the middle of a complicated card trick but he noticed Olivia and Georgia and gave them a wink. His resemblance to Jack was so astonishing that Olivia felt faint. She knew that her dad had laughed when she’d asked him if he had any other children, but how did she know he was telling the truth?
Olivia grasped Georgia’s sleeve. She felt a terrible urge to confide her fear that this boy must be her dad’s secret son. What other explanation could there possibly be? She needed to talk to someone about it.
“Georgie,” she said, “I know you’re going to think I’m insane, but that boy… That boy, I think he could be…”
Olivia stopped. She felt that if she said it out loud she might make it true. Georgia looked quizzically at her, waiting for her to continue. Olivia was very pale and looked so anxious that Georgia felt worried for her friend.
“Are you all right, Livy?” she asked, when at that moment the cathedral bell started to sound. It was five o’clock.
“It’s nothing,” mumbled Olivia. “I’m just being silly. Forget I said anything.” She took a deep breath and jumped down from the bench. “Quick, Georgie, we’ve got to go to the cathedral or we’ll miss Evie, Tati and the mysterious Mitch.”
But they already had. As Olivia and Georgia entered the cathedral, a very tall, thin man and his small, squat friend pushed roughly past them and out of the door. The interior of the cathedral was cool and dark, and after the bright sunshine outside their eyes took a while to adjust.
When the two girls got near the front of the nave, they could see that although there was a smattering of people in some of the other pews, there was nobody in the third pew from the front. A woman was righting a wooden plinth and candle that looked as if they had been knocked over. She was muttering “kids” under her breath as she did so, and she eyed them suspiciously.
“We’re too late,” said Georgia disappointedly. “I knew we shouldn’t have stopped for the magic show!” They went out through the side door that led into the crypt café but they could see no sign of Evie and Tati.
“Let’s go back to the others,” said Olivia, and they headed back down the Royal Mile. They spotted their friends a little way away and were walking towards them when they noticed the man they had seen in Greyfriars Kirkyard loitering as if he were keeping an eye out for someone.
As they walked past he caught Olivia’s eye and smiled in recognition.
“Hello again,” he said. “I’m still looking for my niece. I’m worried she could be in trouble, her and her sister, poor wee bairns.” He sounded really distressed. “I just want to help them. I feel I’ve let them down.”
Olivia and Georgia looked at each other. They wondered whether they should tell him that they actually knew Evie and Tati, and that his nieces were mixed up with a criminal called Mitch. Perhaps they should mention the sapphires?
“Well…” said Georgia uncertainly, but she got no further because Aeysha came running up.
“There you are! Where’ve you been?” Aeysha didn’t wait for an answer. “Just hurry up, will you, we’re going to be late for the show.” She looked quizzically at the man, then cast an exasperated glance at Olivia and Georgia and started dragging them away.
As they hurried down the road she said tartly, “I know from the way you two are always whispering together that you’re up to something. I’ve noticed and I reckon Evie has, too. I just hope you know what you’re doing and I hope you didn’t tell that man that Evie and Tati are staying with us?”
“But, Aeysha, he’s their uncle, the one they mentioned. We’re sure of it,” said Georgia plaintively.
“That’s what he says,” said Aeysha, and then she added darkly: “And that’s what Abanazer told Aladdin so he could get the jewels. I wish you would just let Evie and Tati be. They’ve never done anything to harm either of you.”
“Do you know where they are?” asked Olivia stonily.
“Yes,” said Aeysha. “I saw them come rushing out of the cathedral about ten minutes ago, and I don’t think they’d been leaving the vicar a flyer.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jack had added some new routines to Enchantment since Evie and Tati’s arrival at the Swan Circus and he was putting everyone through their paces in a rehearsal. Olivia and Evie were up on the wire, moving towards each other slowly and watchfully. Both were wearing long robes with cowls over their heads so they looked slightly sinister as they glided towards each other. The pair of them stopped some distance apart, dropped their cloaks to the floor many metres below, and stood facing each other in glittering leotards and tights. Evie was dressed entirely in white and Olivia in black.
Watching from below, Aeysha thought how much they reminded her of two cowboys squaring up to each other in one of those old westerns that her dad loved so much. It wasn’t surprising really: inspired by the final scenes of Hamlet, Jack had come up with the idea of a carefully choreographed duel high up on the wire. Both the girls were holding balancing rods that they used as staves to attack and defend themselves. Pablo had managed to spotlight them really dramatically and Kasha had written some brooding music that built to a crescendo as the fight reached its climax.
From down below, the performance was powerfully compelling, but up on the wire, things were rather tense. Olivia and Evie were testing each other every step of the way. Jack had choreographed the fight sequence with great care and impressed upon each of the girls that they had to follow his instructions to the letter. He wasn’t taking any chances and he didn’t want any accidents. He had insisted that both wore safety harnesses, although Evie had loudly protested that she hadn’t needed a harness since she was four and the Magnificent Purcarete would never have made her wear such a thing. Olivia bit her tongue. The unkind thought, And look where recklessness got him, crossed her mind and she felt ashamed of herself. It was just that she hated the way everyone bent over backwards for Evie and Tati, and seemed to put up with such a lot from them.
“Let’s try that again, girls,” called Jack. The music began, and Olivia and Evie moved across the wire towards each other again. Olivia had to admit that Evie was skilful and admired the way she moved so gracefully, but she also thought she was flashy and attention-seeking. How could Jack possibly think Evie was so good, when she walked the wire with a flamboyance of a kind that he’d always said he’d detested? Evie used the wire as a place to show off and play to the crowd, and it was certainly working with the Swans, thought Olivia crossly, who were behaving as if they had never seen anyone walk it before. It made her feel very small, and unimportant.
But at least the routines she did with Jack were the backbone of the show. Evie may have wormed her way into the Swan Circus but she couldn’t take her double act with her dad away from her.
Evie was approaching her with a glint in her eye. There was the satisfying clunk of wood on wood and the two girls leaned into each other with their staves in a cross formation. They both counted silently to three then broke apart, and as she did so, Evie gave a little double twirl that was totally not in the sequence.
Olivia waited for Jack to stop them and tell Evie off, but to her disgust, he shouted: “That was great, Evie. Do you think you could manage it, Liv? Not to worry if it’s too difficult for you.”
Olivia felt rage rise in her stomach. Manage it? Of course she could manage it. If her dad wanted h
er to behave like a little show-off, that’s what she’d do. The green snake curled ever tighter in her stomach.
The two girls faced each other again. Evie danced towards Olivia, an infuriatingly superior little smile playing on her lips. Olivia scowled at her. She wanted to wipe the smile off Evie’s smug face. Never in her life had she wanted so much to slap someone, but she knew she’d never do something so awful and embarrassing. Instead, she clenched her fists. Evie did another twirl that wasn’t in the routine.
“More!” shouted Jack from below. Olivia obeyed. The two girls whirled apart along the wire and then whirled back again like human spinning tops. They came closer and closer. For a split second Olivia felt tempted to whirl into Evie and send the two of them spinning off the wire, but such a deliberate act of sabotage was beyond her. It went against everything that Jack had ever taught her.
The girls came to a whirling stop just centimetres from each other. They raised their staves again and there was another clunk as the two sticks met. They could feel each other’s weight. Their eyes locked. They were so close that Olivia could feel Evie’s hot breath on her cheek.
“Not bad for a beginner,” said Evie, with a patronising smirk.
Olivia felt as if a volcano had erupted in the core of her stomach and hot fury was trying to force its way up through her body and out of her burning throat. But when they came, Olivia’s words were a quiet snarl. “I know about you,” she said.
Evie suddenly became very alert, like a bird sitting in the low branch of a tree that had suddenly sensed a cat prowling within striking distance.
The two girls broke apart.“You don’t know anything about me,” hissed Evie as they came together again, their staves hitting with real force, but there was a trace of something fearful in her defiance.
“Oh yes, I do,” said Olivia quietly, as she stalked Evie, who was walking backwards. “I know lots of things. I know that you’re not living with your uncle. I know that you’ve been camping out in a garage in Jekyll Street. And I know that your uncle’s looking for you.”
