October (5 page)

8 OCTOBER

85 days to go …

We talked over our plans to coordinate the
surveillance
operation on Sheldrake Rathbone, dividing shifts between us, to cover both his house and his office. The small table was strewn with notes and piles of toast. In the corner, the TV flickered again with the sound off.

I picked up another piece of toast and
smothered
it in crunchy peanut butter. Boges nodded to me, indicating that he wanted one too.

Winter put down her toast and licked a drop of raspberry jam from her finger. ‘Cal, if we’re right about Rathbone—if he really is a crim—he could have some
big
secrets. Sligo-sized secrets. Look!’ she said, suddenly distracted by the TV. ‘Speaking of crims, look who’s just appeared!’ She hurdled over the couch to grab the TV remote, and turned the volume right up.

Oriana de la Force’s unforgettable face filled the screen. She was almost as red with fury as her towering hair.

Winter put a finger to her lips.

‘Police received an anonymous tip off,’ said the newsreader, ‘and are currently interviewing members of Ms de la Force’s staff. Ms de la Force vigorously denies the charges.’

‘This is outrageous!’ screeched Oriana to the mob of microphones that circled her. ‘I had nothing to do with the kidnapping of that Ormond child,’ she spluttered. ‘These ludicrous charges have been brought against me by a spiteful ex-employee. I am already mounting a counter-case against him for malicious prosecution and defamation. The child was kidnapped by her criminal brother, the infamous Callum Ormond. In fact, the police will most certainly be charging him with that offence as soon as he is brought back into custody.’

‘Spiteful ex-employee?’ asked Boges.

‘Kelvin’s dobbed her in,’ said Winter. ‘What’s wrong with him? Does he want to lose his head? Look at her! Now she’s so furious, she’s turning purple! Her lipstick almost matches her face!’

‘Kelvin?’ I said. ‘Could he be that mad with her? That bent on revenge?’

‘Hate to break up the party,’ said Boges, ‘but I have to go. I’ll organise a digital camera for you,
Cal, and I’ll catch up with you outside Rathbone’s office building after school.’

‘Cool, thanks. I’d better head out, too. Start the surveillance.’

Winter went to one of the drawers in her dressing table and took out a small camera. ‘Cal, for now you’d better take mine.’

I’d been watching Rathbone’s office building all morning, even though I was uneasy hanging around the city. I’d worked on my hair and clothes quite a bit and was counting on that being enough to escape detection. I’d also brought along a
clipboard
and a small parcel, hoping I could pass as a courier and get into the office.

Rathbone had entered the building around eight thirty, and he hadn’t stepped back out yet.

Just as I moved in closer to the foyer of the
building
, Rathbone appeared out of the lift. I quickly turned my head and pretended to look at the listing of business suites on the wall. ‘Rathbone and Associates’ was listed as being located in suite two, on level five. After a moment I turned
around and saw my subject walking into a small sandwich bar and café next door.

From back outside I watched as Rathbone eventually re-entered the building and vanished into the lift, clutching a paper bag. Clearly he was taking his lunch up to his office.

I was stoked to see Boges arrive on his bike.

‘How’s it going?’ he asked, pulling his helmet off.

‘Boring,’ I said. ‘Undercover work is not very exciting.’

‘I can take over from here. You should get out of here before five o’clock. The less you’re seen, the better. I know what Rathbone looks like and I know he drives a red Audi. I’ll wait for him to leave and try and follow him home. I’ll send you the address as soon as I can.’

‘And then you’d better get back to perfecting Oriana’s fingerprint.’

‘Yes, boss!’

 r’s address: 87 chesterfield ave, seaview heights. going home now.

Winter convinced me to grab a cab with her to Rathbone’s. I had a bit of ‘gold’ money that I was happy enough to part with, so after about twenty
minutes in front of the mirror—with Winter
fiddling
with my hair—we hopped in one from the closest rank and headed off.

The cabbie dropped us off a few blocks away from our destination and we made the rest of the way on foot.