Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle by Paula Berinstein

Author:Paula Berinstein [Berinstein, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: boarding schools, detective, sherlock holmes, mystery, uk
ISBN: 9781942361022
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

23

The Lockbox

The kids might not have seen a zombie in Penrith, but things were getting verrrry interesting all the same. Secret tunnels, a strange church, gold leprechaun coins, crazy rainbows, a lockbox, killer bees, a dead farmer, wretch societies, romance for Fern, Gordon full of surprises, and now another rainbow, although this one was coming out of the ground. Amanda desperately hoped that these discoveries would help her cross some of Thrillkill’s tasks off her list. Certainly finding the lockbox, if indeed it was Wink’s, would contribute. She wasn’t sure about the rest, especially the rainbow.

When they returned to the school, Amanda, Simon, Ivy, Fern, and Gordon, who had texted Eustace to say he was riding back with the others, reported the dead body and the local police were dispatched to examine it. Thrillkill was overjoyed at what he called “a break in Wink’s case.” He went to get the notorious key, attempted to clean the honey off the box, and stuck it in the lock. It turned! They had indeed found the answer. Crowding around Thrillkill’s desk, the kids watched as he lifted the lid with gloved hands.

The lockbox, which had gotten a bit sticky on the inside as well as the outside, contained a pile of letters and a small silver coin in a little bag. Thrillkill changed his gloves, which were thick with honey, and picked up the coin. It looked ancient. It lacked writing, but as worn as it was it was possible to make out an image of a man with a crown on his head. Thrillkill whistled, dropped the coin into an evidence bag, and labeled it.

Then he turned his attention to the letters, and that was when the group got the shock of their lives. They were love letters from Mavis Jamm (Mavis Moriarty before she married Blixus) to Wink Wiffle! Thrillkill shook his head and buried his face in his hands.

“OMG,” said Amanda. “Mavis with Mr. Wiffle? This doesn’t make sense.”

“It was a long time ago,” said Thrillkill. “Look at the postmark.”

Sure enough, the letters were fifteen years old.

“Interesting,” said Simon.

“I’d say it’s a little more than that,” said Ivy.

“I wonder if David knows,” said Gordon.

Amanda and Ivy gasped. “This isn’t good,” said Amanda. “He’s been through enough already. To think that his dad was once involved with that woman . . .”

“This explains the ring we found in Mavis’s room,” said Thrillkill. Everyone had been aghast when David had identified the ring in the criminal’s jewelry box as belonging to his father. “I think she’s been nursing a grudge all this time. Look at this letter.” He read aloud, “’I can’t believe you’d leave me. You said you loved me, and now you go and do this, all over nothing. Please, Wink. I love you. Don’t go.’”

Amanda almost couldn’t listen. The idea of Thrillkill saying mushy things like that, even if the words were someone else’s, was embarrassing. He didn’t seem bothered though.

“Hoo boy,” said Simon. “That clinches it, doesn’t it?”

“It

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