Murder Fit for a King by Larry McCloskey

Author:Larry McCloskey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV028000
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2007-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

14

Strength in Numbers

Two hours and four waffles later the girls stepped off the bus at the corner of Bank Street and the Sparks Street Mall. The statue of Bert Harper was two blocks away in the shadow of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. The bright sunshine was particularly welcome after the storm of the night before. A strong northern wind created ripples in the leaf-choked puddles dotting the street. Dani bounced over one puddle and then dragged her running shoes through another as she became absorbed in the details of the case. Caitlin stepped around every puddle as she became engrossed in the elements of her next waffle breakfast.

“Mr. King thinks he actually saw the NCC guy being poisoned with a cup of tea,” Dani said, “so he must know something we can use as evidence, only he doesn’t know it ’cause he’s not a detective like us.”

I’ll bet applesauce would be good with waffles, Caitlin thought. Then she said, mostly to herself, “Why would he know anything? He was only the prime minister of Canada.”

“Exactly,” Dani said, successfully leaping over an enormous puddle and landing in another smaller one. “Excellent!”

“Yuck!” Caitlin cried, spying the mud on her friend’s shoes and overalls. “You know, Dani, it is possible to just walk around the puddles.”

“And what fun would that be?”

As the girls crossed Wellington Street, Dani pulled out her map and compass. “Should be just east of here.”

“Oh, east,” Caitlin said absentmindedly, “and I thought you just turned right.”

Dani stopped suddenly, and Caitlin ploughed into her with a grunt. Now she decides to step around puddles, Caitlin thought.

“There he is!” Dani declared.

“Who?”

“Bert Harper. Well, I mean his statue. And look, he’s so important there’s a crowd gathered around him. Mr. King was right about ol’ Bert.”

“Dani, that’s not a crowd. It’s only three people.”

“Exactly. A crowd.”

When the girls arrived at the statue, the three people who stood in front of it turned and registered disapproval. As it became clear that the girls weren’t moving on, a tiny white-haired woman asked, “Can we help you?”

“Oh, no, thank you,” Dani said. “We’re just looking at ol’ Bert here.”

“Well, could you come back later?” the tallest, heaviest-set member of the trio suggested. “We’re holding a meeting just now.” He adjusted his beige scarf and flattened it against his beige shirt. Then he pulled a pen from behind his ear and a notepad from his beige shorts. “I’ll take the minutes of the fifteenth convening of the WLMK Society.”

“Sure is cold for shorts, mister,” Dani said, who wore long-legged denim overalls year-round.

“Say, mister, are you an adult Boy Scout or do you just like dressing like one?” Caitlin asked. “Dani and I once disguised ourselves as Girl Guides, only that was in the summer and ... oh, I get it, you’re dressed for Halloween early.”

The Boy Scout curled his lip and stood ramrod straight. “Certainly not.”

“Mister!” Dani shouted at the third member of the group. “Your beard moved. Look, it’s doing it again!”

The bearded man laughed and pulled a ferret from his collar.

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