Breaking News

by Jacqueline Harvey

  Cordelia silenced him with a hand. She set Wellie down on the floor and gave Mac a ruffle on the head before walking back around to the other side of her desk. ‘Thank you for coming to see me,’ she said. ‘Make sure you look after them, Song, and perhaps you could keep a closer eye on things in future.’

  Song bowed and, blushing, guided the children and dogs out the door.

  The twins looked at one another, their faces etched with disappointment. Dame Spencer might have been a lot of things, but helpful wasn’t one of them.

  Contrary to expectations, Kensy and Max left the Beacon with more questions than when they’d arrived. They were also waiting for Song to tell them off for going to see Dame Spencer, but he was strangely silent on the subject.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us you were a twin?’ Kensy asked as they walked home. She was holding Mac’s lead, and Max was in charge of Wellie’s. ‘You and Sidney are so alike. For a minute there we thought it was you in the hall.’

  ‘My brother is at least half an inch shorter than me and he has the worst taste in music,’ Song replied somewhat testily. He peered at the girl out of the corner of his eye. ‘Sidney is still a good person but not nearly as good-looking.’

  ‘He has terrible taste in music?’ Kensy began, receiving a swift smack to the arm from Max.

  The children turned left past The White Swan. Although carrying on down the main road would have been a more direct route, Song was happy for the dogs to lead the way. They were clearly trying to avoid the crowds and doing a fine job of it as there was barely a soul on the sidestreet.

  Song was right behind them when his phone buzzed inside his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. ‘Oh,’ he said with a grimace. ‘Sorry, children, it’s the boss. I must answer.’ He put the phone to his ear, but from the look on the man’s face, Dame Spencer wasn’t calling to congratulate him on his childminding skills. ‘Yes, ma’am, I will be more careful in future,’ he said. ‘I do apologise.’

  ‘Way to go getting Song into trouble, Kens,’ Max said, nudging his sister. He quickened his pace so as not to listen in on the man’s private conversation and gestured for Song to meet them around the corner. The butler nodded, then flinched and moved the phone away from his ear. ‘We need to apologise to him when we get home,’ Max said to Kensy. ‘You shouldn’t have run off like that.’

  ‘Okay, okay, I’m sorry,’ Kensy said. ‘I didn’t think. But if we hadn’t gone, we wouldn’t have seen Fitz. Should we tell Master Confusing about that too?’

  ‘Are you really sure it was him?’ Max said. ‘Like, really sure and not one of your conspiracy theories?’

  Kensy gritted her teeth in frustration. ‘I know what I saw, Max. Fitz has been looking after us since we were babies. He’s like our second dad. Of course it was him and I want to know why he lied to us.’

  Max gulped. He wanted to know that too. ‘What did you make of Dame Spencer?’

  ‘Well, I don’t think she was very happy to meet us – and I don’t believe her when she said that she’d do anything about Mum and Dad. She seemed pretty stand-offish, if you ask me,’ Kensy replied. ‘Maybe she’s miserable because of all the bad things that have happened to her, like Mrs Grigsby said.’

  Suddenly, two men dressed head-to-toe in black, and with balaclavas covering their faces, dashed out of an alleyway and lunged at the children.

  ‘Kensy, look out!’ Max called, as he ducked under one fellow’s muscular arms.

  Wellie latched on to the man’s pants. The dog pulled and growled, and was at one point lifted off the ground, but refused to let go. The other man grabbed Kensy around the middle. She smacked his head and tried to pull off his balaclava. Then she remembered what Fitz had taught her about self-defence and jammed her fingers into his neck, aiming for a pressure point. The fellow howled in pain and released her. Kensy kicked him as hard as she could in the shin, while Mac latched on to his worn leather boot.

  The other goon struck Wellie hard under the rib cage, launching the little dog into the air. Wellie yelped in pain and tumbled backwards over and over. Max ran at the man and crash-tackled him to the ground.

  ‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Stop that!’ a girl shouted.

  Kensy was stunned to see Autumn sprinting towards them with Carlos close behind. Autumn scissor-kicked Kensy’s attacker in the nose. Carlos, meanwhile, ran to help Max, who was now pinned to the ground. Carlos shoved the man as hard as he could, sending him crashing onto his side. Max managed to get a grip on the balaclava but couldn’t hold on. The thug jumped to his feet and flung Carlos away like a rag doll, then lashed out at Max, who made another attempt to unmask him. This time Max spun around, using his legs like a sweeper. He connected with the man’s ankles and the fellow collapsed onto the pavement. The boy jumped on him and sat astride his chest while Carlos tried to get hold of the man’s flailing arms.

  To their right, Autumn and Kensy circled their attacker, who was down on all-fours, his nose dripping blood onto the footpath. He hobbled to his feet and fiddled with an earpiece that had fallen out.

  Max made one last grab at his assailant. He tore the balaclava at the side a little, revealing some of the top half of the man’s face. For just a second the boy looked into a pair of watery blue eyes. The roar of an engine and screech of brakes diverted Max’s attention as a black van pulled up beside them. The sliding door opened and the pair of brutes broke free and leapt into the vehicle. It hurtled away, disappearing around a bend in the road. The one positive was that Max had managed to commit the number plate to memory.

  Kensy was doubled over, trying to catch her breath. Autumn offered her a hand and the two girls embraced tightly. ‘I don’t know how you happened to be here, but thanks,’ Kensy wheezed.

  Max patted Carlos on the back just as Song rounded the corner. The man was stunned by the scene before him. His eyes found Wellington, who had a piece of one of the fellow’s trousers hanging from his mouth, then the children. ‘What has happened?’ he gasped, rushing over to them.

  ‘Some guys just tried to kidnap us,’ Max puffed. ‘Maybe it had something do with your unexpected visitor yesterday.’

  Song clutched at his head. ‘Oh my goodness, I should have been with you. I am so sorry.’

  ‘Why would anyone want to hurt us?’ Kensy could feel tears stinging her eyes but was determined not to cry – especially not in front of Autumn and Carlos.

  Song was at a loss for words. He shook his head at the ground. ‘I do not know. Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity. Most importantly, are you hurt?’ Song assessed each of the children for visible injuries, then gathered the dogs’ leads. ‘We must return home.’

  ‘Shouldn’t we call the police?’ Max said.

  Carlos and Autumn exchanged glances, then looked at Song.

  ‘No, I will report it as soon as we are safely inside,’ Song said firmly. ‘It will take hours for the constabulary to come and by then it will be even colder and you will be hungrier. Your friends need to get home too. If we call now, they must stay to be witnesses. I will arrange for them to give their statements.’

  Kensy shivered. A stiff breeze had sprung up and she could feel the chill against her cheeks.

  Autumn gave her another hug. ‘You’ll be okay,’ she said.

  Kensy brushed at her eyes. ‘Thanks. If it wasn’t for you two … I hate to think what could have happened.’

  Carlos shook Max’s hand. ‘You should come to my kung-fu class. You’re a natural.’

  Max grinned and rubbed his neck. He was kind of proud of himself for having fought off his attacker. All those years of sparring with Fitz in the gym must have helped. And Kensy had held her own too.

  ‘Miss Autumn, Master Carlos, do you need assistance in getting home? I can call you a cab,’ Song offered.

  ‘No, I’m not far,’ Autumn said, and peeked at her watch. ‘Oh gosh, look at the time. My aunt will be wondering where I’ve got to. I’ll see you tomorrow.’


  And with that the girl turned and hurried back towards the main road.

  Carlos gave a wave. ‘See you at school,’ the boy said, and scurried away in the same direction the van had gone.

  Kensy glimpsed a curtain in one of the terraces pull back and then drop down again.

  How was it that two kids could be attacked at peak hour on the streets of London and, right when it happens, there is no one around, Kensy thought to herself. And then there was Carlos and Autumn. She couldn’t help but notice how calm her friends had been in the face of danger, as if things like that happened all the time.

  Song guided the children along the dark streets back to number thirteen. He hesitated at the door.

  ‘Are you expecting someone?’ Max asked.

  The butler turned the key in the lock and the group walked inside. ‘I most certainly hope not,’ he replied.

  Max was still half asleep when he realised that his wrist was buzzing. He was having a spectacularly wonderful dream about his parents and Kensy and Fitz. They were all skiing together in Thredbo and he’d just beaten Kensy down the mountain for a third time. Max forced himself back to sleep – he wasn’t ready to leave them yet – when his watch buzzed again. It was the same annoying pattern …

  His eyes flew open. Could it be? Max threw off the covers and shot into his sister’s bedroom, picking a path through the clothes that were strewn across the floor.

  ‘Kensy!’ he whispered loudly, shaking her by the shoulders. ‘Is your watch vibrating?’

  His sister sat bolt upright. ‘So now you believe me,’ she said, and reached over to pick hers up from the bedside cabinet. She held on to it and waited but there was nothing.

  Max sat down beside her. He reached out and placed her hand over his wrist and the pattern replayed again.

  Kensy looked at him. ‘Is that Morse code?’ she asked, her eyes wide.

  Max nodded.

  ‘Quick, write it down! You’re better at it than I am.’ The girl could barely contain herself, and thrust a pencil and the notepad on her bedside table into his hands.

  Max darted over to her desk and waited for the cycle to start again. There were a lot of short shakes and staccato buzzes, but he managed to catch it all. Morse code was something Fitz had taught them – it was tricky at first, but after lots of practice Max had proved to be especially good at it.

  Kensy watched as her brother transcribed the dots and lines. ‘Well, what does it say?’ she demanded impatiently.

  ‘Alive,’ Max read aloud. ‘Tell no one. Trust only Fitz. Love M and D.’

  Kensy gasped and hugged her brother. ‘I knew it! I just knew it! What do we do now? We have to tell Song!’

  ‘No, Kens. Mum and Dad expressly said to tell no one and to only trust Fitz,’ Max cautioned. ‘And if you really did spot Fitz at the Beacon offices yesterday, I’m not even sure we can trust him.’

  ‘Don’t remind me about yesterday,’ Kensy said with a sigh. ‘I hardly slept last night. I kept thinking some one was going to come through the window and grab me.’ The girl shuddered involuntarily.

  When they’d returned home the previous evening, Song had made a call and just after dinner two plain clothes detectives arrived at the house. The children had given their statements and the officers said they’d be in touch, but considering their attackers had worn balaclavas and the number plate had been stolen, there was little chance of finding them. It seemed their attempted kidnapping was as much a mystery as everything else that had happened the past few days. The detective even tried to cast doubt on the idea that it was an attempted kidnapping, speculating that it might have been a robbery gone wrong. When Max pointed out that it was hardly likely that two schoolkids would have anything particularly valuable on them, the man had quickly closed his notebook and stood up to leave.

  Kensy picked up the piece of paper Max had scribbled the code on. ‘What do you think? Do we tell Fitz about this when he turns up from whatever he’s been doing?’

  Max shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. We know Mum and Dad are alive and there has to be a reason they’ve told us not to say anything. I wish we could get a message back to them.’

  ‘That’s a great idea! What if I try pulling my watch apart?’ Kensy suggested. ‘I mean, even if I mess it up, we’ve still got yours and that’s how we got the message anyway.’ She turned it over in her hand, trying to see how the back might come off, but there was no obvious panel. ‘I could ask Mrs Vanden Boom to help me work out how to get into it. She has a pretty cool toolkit.’

  ‘She might get suspicious,’ Max said, biting his lip.

  Kensy arched an eyebrow. ‘Of what? Stop being paranoid. If I tell her it’s not working properly, I’m sure she’ll help. She’s a Science teacher – a slightly strange one, I’ll give you that, but I don’t imagine she’s working for MI6.’

  Max grinned. ‘Does anyone really work for MI6?’ he said, thinking back to what Gary had told them.

  Kensy pulled some clean underwear from her top drawer and hurried into the en-suite bathroom, then poked her head back around the door. ‘Don’t just stand there, Max. We’ve got to get to school early and find Mrs Vanden Boom!’

  Song peered up and down the street, tapping his foot impatiently. The three of them were standing outside the townhouse, waiting for their taxi.

  ‘We can walk,’ Kensy grumbled, although there was a small part of her that liked the idea of not being on the street after what had happened the previous afternoon and her near miss with the cab the day before.

  ‘That is out of the question. The policemen recommended I deliver you door to door, so that is what I intend to do,’ Song replied. ‘Mr Fitz has left you in my care and I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.’

  The door to number fourteen across the road opened and Derek Grigsby walked out. His eyes were red-rimmed and his gangster clothes looked as if they were covered in dust. Max wondered what sort of job he was doing for Mrs Brightside. She must have been having a lot of renovations done.

  ‘I’ll be back later, Esme. I gotta look after the shop for me mam this mornin’,’ the young man called, pulling the door shut. He looked up and noticed Song and the children on the steps. ‘Mornin’,’ he said with a wave.

  Song waved back. ‘Good morning, Derek.’

  ‘You waitin’ for someone?’ Derek asked, crossing the road to his car.

  ‘A taxi to go to school, as silly as that sounds,’ Kensy said stroppily. She checked her watch. They could have been there by now.

  Derek looked confused. ‘Don’t you just go to Central London Free? Is there somefin’ wrong wiv your legs?’

  Kensy and Max shook their heads. ‘Song wants us to get a lift this morning – he’s a bit overprotective,’ the boy explained. ‘I’m Max, by the way, and this my sister, Kensy.’

  The butler had just dialled the number to find out where their tardy driver was.

  ‘I can take you,’ Derek offered. ‘I have to go that way to get rid of some stuff in me boot.’

  Song’s ears pricked up. ‘No!’ he shouted, then calmed himself. ‘I am sure that our vehicle is not far away.’ The butler went back to tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for someone to answer his call.

  Max glanced at his watch. It was getting late. If they wanted to see Mrs Vanden Boom, they had to get to school before the bell. ‘I think Derek’s okay, you know,’ he whispered to his sister, who had looked a little uncertain about the offer. After everything Kensy had been through in the past few days, it was understandable that she was wary.

  ‘Well, are you comin’?’ Derek asked.

  Song jiggled on the spot and beckoned the children over to him. They huddled together like a football team having a pep talk. ‘Derek is an idiot,’ Song said quietly. He flashed an overly enthusiastic grin at the young man, who was standing outside the open driver’s door. He hoped the idiot hadn’t heard him.

  ‘Please, Song, we really do need to get to school,’ Kensy begged. ‘It’
s important.’

  ‘I promise I’ll drive slow, Song – you can pay me back by makin’ those dumplins for me old lady,’ Derek said with a wink. ‘She won’t be round for much longer, so you’d better ’op to it. And I would much prefer to ’ave ’er in a better mood. She’s been snappin’ my ’ead off every day these past few weeks.’

  ‘It is very kind of you to offer, but I would rather we wait for the cab,’ Song said, turning towards the other end of the street.

  The twins looked at one another and nodded.

  ‘Sorry, Song, I don’t know why you can’t just get another taxi – it’s not as if there aren’t a gazillion of them around here, but your guy is late and we have to go,’ Max said, as the twins clambered into Derek’s blingy hatchback.

  Song rushed towards the car and tried to pull the door open, but it was stuck. ‘Miss Kensington, I really must insist. You and your brother will get out of that vehicle immediately.’

  Kensy put down the window. ‘We’ll be fine.’

  Before the butler had time to say another word, Derek had fired up the sputtery engine and pulled out into the roadway. The children gave a wave just as a taxi turned off the main road into Ponsonby Terrace. True to his word, Derek drove very carefully indeed. He used his indicators and kept well below the speed limit.

  The twins soon found out that he was quite the talker too, firing questions at them about school and what they liked to do in their spare time and how long they were staying at Song’s house. Fortunately, the children were as good at evading them as he was at asking. It turned out that Derek used to love school because it meant six hours away from his mum.

  ‘Is your mum moving?’ Kensy asked. After his earlier comment about the woman not being around much longer, she was keen to know why.

  ‘Who’d want to live in England if you could be in the Caribbean, eh?’ Derek smirked, revealing a gold front tooth that Kensy hadn’t noticed before. She wondered if it was real.

  ‘Has she sold the shop?’ Max asked.