Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Author:Jenny Nimmo
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Fiction, School & Education, Action & Adventure, General
ISBN: 9780439488396
Publisher: Orchard Books
Published: 2003-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

CLUES AT LAST

That "old door's fallen in," said Dr. Bloor.

"Oh? Has someone been prying?"

"I doubt it. It's just the damp and old age."

"Mm. I wonder," said a familiar voice.

“All this junk Tolly sent us..." Dr. Bloor kicked at a metal arm, and it rolled across the floor toward the closet. "Tricks, all of it. Where's the real thing?"

"I told you, Dad. Miss Ingledew gave it to Charlie Bone."

"You can't be sure."

Olivia's grip relaxed and Charlie was able to drag his hand away from the painful nails. Billy had momentarily forgotten the skeletons hanging behind him and was now peering through the largest crack in the door.

"It's Manfred," he whispered.

Charlie had already recognized the voice. "Shhh!" he whispered. "Listen."

"Of course I'm sure," said Manfred. “Asa was watching.

He saw Charlie come out of Ingledew's with a large black bag. Who else would she give it to?"

Dr. Bloor grunted and lowered himself into an ancient-looking chair. Clouds of dust billowed around him as he sank into the cracked leather cushions. "Beats me how the boy knew where to go. How he knew it was at Ingledew's."

"It was the cats, naturally,” said Manfred. "You know what they do -knock things off tables, distract people. Somehow the boy got hold of that photograph and then, of course, he had to take it back to the Ingledew woman. I bet you anything one of those cats got into Kwik Foto when they were packing. A moment's distraction and -poof-wrong photo in wrong envelope."

"I'll skin those animals alive if I ever get hold of them!" Dr. Bloor punched the arm of his chair and another cloud of dust whirled out. "The very smell they leave makes me feel ill."

"Sulfur," said Manfred.

“Age," said his father. "Nine hundred years of sneaking and meddling."

“And stealing and burning," said Manfred.

In the eerie gloom of the closet the three children gaped at one another. "Nine hundred years," mouthed Olivia. Billy shook his head in disbelief. Charlie frowned and shrugged. Why not? he thought. Stranger things are happening every day in this place.

"Talking of burning," muttered Dr. Bloor. "Do we know for sure it was the cats?"

"I told you, I saw them under my window when I was trying to put out the flames."

“And you think the girl had something to do with it?"

"Of course. I'd just given her a good beating."

"You shouldn't have done that, Manfred," Dr. Bloor said sternly. “It won't help."

"I lost my temper. It makes me mad when she's not responding. She's waking up, you know I can't keep her out for much longer." Manfred gave a sigh of impatience. "It's not as if I haven't got enough to do, keeping an eye on Pilgrim."

“And how is that little problem coming along?"

"I'm not sure. I may be imagining it, but I think he's changed since the boy arrived. Perhaps we shouldn't have brought him here."

"We had to, Manfred. Couldn't leave him out there once we knew he was endowed."

"I know I know"

Inside the closet, Olivia made a face and pointed at Charlie.

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