Her mother’s voice drifted away as Ruby slipped out of the door.
Ruby could see Froghorn: his car was parked across the street and he was watching the house. Or at least he should have been watching the house, but instead seemed to be involved in some chitchat with Consuela.
He was leaning, his hand on the hood, trying to look cool. What a potato head, thought Ruby. Unnoticed, she climbed on her bike and set off for the east district. She almost instantly regretted that she hadn’t swapped the sparkly red clogs for some practical sneakers — they made pedaling difficult.
A few miles from home, she found herself in the industrial district, and after riding up and down several wrong streets she finally came upon the one she was looking for. The light in the window of Crisp ’n Clean was on, but the back of the shop was dark and after several minutes of knocking it became obvious that everyone had gone home for the night.
Drat!
Ruby parked her bike in the alley that ran alongside the building, and looked for a way to get in. About ten feet above her head was a little window. It was small, but then so was Ruby; if she could reach it there was a good chance of her wriggling through.
She looked around and saw at the far end of the alley a mass of old crates and cardboard boxes — she began to drag them underneath the window. It wasn’t long before she had constructed a sort of cardboard tower. But was it going to take her weight?
Lucky I skipped dinner.
Ruby took a deep breath. The box construction was very unstable, but strong enough for her to climb; however, as she pushed herself through the opening, the makeshift staircase gave way and toppled back into the alley.
Don’t worry about that now, thought Ruby as she tumbled onto the hard linoleum floor. Just find that dumb jacket and get outta here. The room was full of sewing machines and reels of cotton, clothes piled up waiting to be mended. It seemed likely that the cleaned items would be downstairs near the front of the shop. It wasn’t easy to see; the lights were off and she didn’t want to alert anyone by switching them on. She did, however, have her mini flashlight — it would have to do. She would need to be careful — she didn’t want to draw a crowd.
Ruby trawled through the racks of clothes. There were quite a few powder-blue ladies jackets. Must be a fashionable color. She had to look at the label in the back of each one before finding her mother’s — the Oscar Birdet.
This is what all the fuss is about?
She slipped it from its hanger and peered into the tiny fitted pockets. Empty? But there had to be something; surely she hadn’t been wrong about this.
She slipped her fingers into the left-hand pocket — nothing — and then the right.
Something.
Something cold and flat.
She drew it out.
And almost invisible.
She could scarcely feel its weight in her palm. So that’s what they’ve been looking for — no wonder no one found it. It looked like a letter K, a K with holes punched through it. What was it? And where to put it? She instinctively felt like she should keep it with her — not in her bag. And not in her jeans pocket: it looked delicate, made of glass.
Ruby thought for a moment, then, taking the barrette from her hair, she slipped the glass K on to it and clipped it back in place. It was barely visible in her thick dark hair. She had always felt that the most obvious place was often the safest place to hide something. RULE 3: PEOPLE SO OFTEN DON’T SEE WHAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES.
Then she folded the jacket and stuffed it into her bag. Might as well make my mother happy. Now, better get outta here.
She looked at the back door — it would be a lot easier to leave that way than by the tiny upstairs window. She turned to go and then she remembered the watch. She didn’t want to leave it here, not when she was so close.
Better be quick. The mending room was upstairs — she headed back up to the second floor and let the flashlight dance around the room. It wasn’t obvious where to start looking. She thought for a moment. The cleaners were bound to have a drawer for found items.
What was that?
Ruby froze.
Was that a car pulling up at the back of the building? No, it was nothing. Boy, Ruby, get yourself out of here before you have a heart attack. Just get the watch and get out!
There was a desk in the corner — maybe there. She tiptoed over to it and began opening the drawers. And there it was, a brown envelope with Redfort scrawled on it. She opened it and took out the watch.
“Got ya,” she whispered, fastening it around her wrist. Suddenly, Ruby heard the sound of breaking glass. She stood stock-still — and then she heard a door opening. Someone was coming in and it was high time she got out.
She slung her bag over her shoulder, then pushed herself back out through the small window. She leaped headlong into the pile of cardboard boxes. She was glad she had watched all those episodes of Crazy Cops — they had taught her how to land. Now her adrenaline was really pumping — the fall had dislodged her left contact lens, and her right eye had begun to stream. For a few seconds she found herself practically blind. Why wasn’t she wearing her glasses? Somehow, she stumbled into her bike, got on, and pointed it in the direction of town. She rode fast, not wanting to tempt fate by looking behind her.
Just pedal, Ruby!
As she rode, her right eye began to clear and she could see enough to know she wasn’t far from home. She began to laugh, the slightly hysterical laugh of one who is both relieved and a little surprised to be alive. No one had seen her, and she had gotten away free as a bird — luck was on her side.
Ruby had many hiding places, all of them good ones. As soon as she got back she would choose the best . . .
But she had forgotten something. Clancy! She had promised she would help with his assignment.
Drat! OK, Clance my old pal, I’m coming. She made a detour at Rose and turned left up Birchwood.
It would be nice to see Clancy — although she wasn’t in the mood for French. However, she wouldn’t say no to a tall, cool glass of lemonade. She was just turning the corner onto Ambassador Row when she saw a dark silver car pass by. She watched as it drove a little beyond the Crews’ house and came to a stop just in front of the neighboring wall, its engine idling. She wasn’t sure but wasn’t that . . .
Hitch? She smiled. Just in the nick of time too!
She pedaled fast up the road toward the car. Boy, was Hitch going to feel pretty stupid for ignoring her now! Maybe she would confess about blabbing to Clancy — how she had had to tell him all about Spectrum. After all, Hitch was going to be so impressed by her detective work, he probably wouldn’t even get mad. She had her line all worked out, as soon as that butler guy opened the car door she was going to deliver her smart remark.
Ruby hopped off her bike and propped it against the huge brick wall, skipping toward the car. She had her hand on the door and was about to open it when she noticed something strange. This car that looked silver in the moonlight was not silver, it was gray.
It was not a convertible.
And the man who had just wound down the window was not Hitch.
Ruby froze as she looked into the friendly green eyes of Baby Face Marshall.
And the words of Agent Blacker came shooting back to her.
If you see Baby Face, don’t bother calling for Mommy — run!
Clancy watched as Ruby rode toward a silver car parked in front of the Smithsons’ luxury home. He saw her jump off her bike and lean it against their wall.
What are you doing, Ruby?
He saw her skip over to the driver’s side as whoever it was wound down the window. Hitch! thought Clancy. Then Ruby got in a little awkwardly and the car zoomed off into the darkness.
“Darn it, Ruby, you promised!” said Clancy, slamming his bedroom window. “Now I’m really in trouble!”
He sank back onto his chair and stared at the blank piece of paper in front of him. Now the only thing to look forward to was getting a
n F from Madame Loup.
THE NEXT MORNING Hitch walked into the kitchen.
“Well, hello there, stranger,” said Sabina warmly.
“Nice to have you back on board,” said Brant. “Things haven’t been the same without you.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Hitch. “Now where’s that short kid? She not bothering to get up these days?”
“Oh, you know how it is,” said Sabina, rolling her eyes. “Trying to get Ruby out of bed early on a Saturday morning is next to impossible.”
“I’ll offer her French toast,” said Hitch. “She’ll be down those stairs before you can say ‘maple syrup.’”
Hitch knocked on Ruby’s door and was not surprised to be met with silence.
He knocked again, a lot louder, and when there was still no answer he opened the door a crack and let Bug bound over to her bed.
“Hey, kiddo, rise and shine, it’s a big day for . . .” his voice trailed off.
It was clear to anyone who knew Ruby that she had not slept in her bed — it being perfectly made and Ruby being no maker of beds. That’s strange, he thought. He picked up Ruby’s donut phone and dialed the Crews’ number. The maid answered and put him through to Clancy, who was brushing his teeth.
“Clancy, it’s Hitch — I don’t suppose Ruby is with you, is she?”
“No,” replied Clancy. “And the weasel can collect her own bike — thanks to her I’m sure to be getting a big fat F.”
“Her bike?” asked Hitch. “She didn’t ride her bike home last night?”
“You know she didn’t. She left it leaning against the wall — didn’t lock it or anything.”
“Why would I know that?”
“You picked her up in the car, remember?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yeah, you did — I saw you with my own two eyes.”
“It wasn’t me, kid.”
“Look,” said Clancy Crew, “one thing I know about Ruby is she wouldn’t have just gotten into some stranger’s car, and one thing I know about me, I got pretty good eyesight.” But there was no answer from Hitch because Hitch had already hung up. He pressed the tiny button on his wristwatch phone and was instantly connected to LB.
“We have a situation.”
LB took a deep breath, “What kind of situation?”
“I think Ruby has gotten into the wrong hands.”
“The wrong hands? What do you mean by that?” asked LB.
“Someone has taken her.”
“But why? How would anyone have caught on to the kid? No one knows she’s been working for us — I made sure of that.”
“I think it could have something to do with the redhead she was talking about. We knew the kid was smart, but I think she might have even better instincts than we credited her with — I think she found something out and I think she got clocked doing it,” said Hitch.
“Where was Froghorn when all this was happening? I specifically asked him to keep Ruby safe.”
“Beats me, but wherever it was, he certainly wasn’t keeping an eye on the kid.” Hitch was feeling horrible — the kind of guilt that causes nausea. Why didn’t I listen? I never should have let LB assign that numbskull.
“Get ahold of him,” said LB. “And tell him to get his wretched behind in here before I start thinking about using him as shark bait.”
“I think shark bait should be my fate,” said Hitch. “I’m the one who should have been looking after her.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself — it was Froghorn’s responsibility. He was assigned to keep her out of trouble.”
But Hitch couldn’t agree.
“Please tell me Klaus Gustav is safely in Twinford?” said LB.
“He is — Blacker flew him in yesterday. I hear he’s not exactly all things nice — no wonder he’s a recluse. But at least he is secure and all tucked up at the Grand Twin.”
“And you?”
“I’ve been working with the security squad and everything looks as locked down as it’s ever going to be,” replied Hitch.
“Well, that’s something,” said LB. “So this kid Clancy — do you think Ruby might have confided in him, told him everything?”
“There’s a good chance,” said Hitch. “Ruby can keep a secret, no doubt about that. But Clancy is her closest friend; if she’s going to tell anyone it’s going to be him.”
“Speak to the kid, find out everything he knows.” With that she was gone.
Hitch got in his car and drove the short distance to Ambassador Crew’s elegant residence.
He swung the car through the main gates and parked. As he climbed the carved stone steps he smelled the fresh scent of blossom and felt the warm sun on his back; it was hard to believe anyone was in peril on a morning like this. The housekeeper answered the door and asked him to sit in the hall while she went to fetch Clancy.
Hitch perched uncomfortably on a delicate French chair and gazed around at the imposing portraits of ambassadors and dignitaries — they all looked back at him with accusing eyes. He was feeling bad. OK, so it wasn’t his fault that Froghorn was an incompetent idiot and had let Ruby slip through his fingers, but the truth was he should never have left her with him in the first place.
Should have listened to her. Someone else could have gone to brief the security staff. And it had to be said that as far as working with thirteen-year-old kids went, you could do worse than Ruby . . . She was one cool customer, funny too. But now she was gone and he could only blame himself.
Kid, if you’re still out there, I’m gonna find you. You can count on it.
Hitch was pulled out of his circular thoughts by the appearance of Clancy, his face displaying considerable mistrust.
Hitch stood up. “Shall we go outside?”
The two of them sat down on the warm stone steps facing the twisty gates, Ruby’s bike visible through the bars.
Hitch looked at Clancy. “So what do you know?”
“What I know is that Ruby was meant to be coming over last night. She arrived OK but then you showed up and now I am wondering where she is.”
“You don’t believe me when I say that didn’t happen?”
“I got no reason to believe you — a lot of weird things have been happening since you showed up.”
Hitch shrugged. “So what do you know about HQ?”
“I know HQ stands for headquarters,” said Clancy.
“OK, let’s try another one. How about Spectrum, you know anything about that?”
“Well I know about the color spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green . . .”
“Smart, very smart — how about the Jade Buddha?”
“Well,” said Clancy, “I know that the Museum is having a big launch because the Jade Buddha of Khotan is coming to Twinford, everyone’s talking about it.”
“Kid, cut the choirboy act would you and just tell me what you know.”
“I’m sorry,” said Clancy, shrugging, “but I am not sure what you are getting at.”
“What I am getting at, is what do you know about this case, about Ruby’s undercover work?”
“I guess we have our wires crossed because I don’t have a clue what you want me to say and I don’t know anything about any undercover stuff.”
The boy’s face was a mask. It was hard to believe that Clancy knew more than he was letting on. “You got a problem with me, kid?” asked Hitch.
But Clancy said nothing.
Hitch looked the boy square in the eye. “Your dad has security cameras trained at the house and the road in front. Why don’t we take a look at the tape — see if that car was mine?”
Clancy Crew got up slowly and led the way into the office where the security monitor was kept. He clicked the tape and rewound to about eight o’clock the previous night. The image was grainy but it was easy to see the figure of Ruby riding into the frame, and seconds later Hitch’s car pull up. He saw Ruby happily walking toward it, saw the window wind down and a hand appear. He couldn’t see the driver,
nor could he make out Ruby’s expression, but . . . was that a little step back she took?
Clancy paused the tape and looked hard at the car.
“Does that look like my car? Look closely,” said Hitch.
Clancy looked closely; the car was parked at an angle and the vehicle plates were not in the shot but even so there were things about it that did not seem very “Hitch-like.”
“Do you honestly think that I would drive a car with those hub caps?” said Hitch. It was true, they were a little flashy, and now that he came to look closely, Clancy could see this car was no convertible.
Suddenly he felt very cold and very unsure.
Hitch turned to go. “When you’re ready to talk, kid, call this number.” He placed a card on the table and walked out of the house. All Hitch came away with was the knowledge that as far as Clancy Crew was concerned, Ruby had told the truth — the boy would take a secret to the grave.
AS SOON AS HE HEARD HITCH’S CAR drive away, Clancy grabbed his sweatshirt and the card and ran toward the front door. Then he turned and shouted, “Just off to meet Ruby, OK?”
“Make sure you are back in good time for the museum party!” called his mother. But Clancy was already out of the house. Climbing on Ruby’s bike, he rode off toward Amster.
He made a right at Everglade until he got to the little green opposite the Double Donut Diner. He propped the bike against a fence and walked over to the oak tree. Clancy hadn’t checked it for a while but today he just had a feeling — call it a hunch.
He looked around — no one was about, so he swung himself up onto the first branch and then climbed high into the tree. He reached into one of the hollows and felt around — something was there. When he withdrew his hand he was holding a little paper crane. It was the symbol for loyalty, and when he unfolded it the note translated as:
If anything happens to me,