The Case of the Captive Clairvoyant by Anthony Read

Author:Anthony Read [Read, Anthony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, detective, YA, Sherlock Holmes
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: 2012-02-01T23:00:00+00:00

“Was I all right?” Rosie asked as Marvin closed the door behind her and turned the key in the lock. His face was tense and pale.

“Never mind about that,” he snapped. “We gotta get outta here. Fast.”

To Rosie’s bewilderment he began grabbing his belongings and shoving them into a bag as though his life depended on it. There was a loud knock at the door. Rosie was about to open it, but Marvin grabbed her by the arm, dragged her across the room and started opening the window.

“Leave it!” he hissed. “C’mon – we’ll leave this way.”

In the dressing-room corridor, Mr Trump knocked on the door again. Getting no reply, he tried the door, then shrugged and walked away. At the end of the corridor he met Sparrow and asked him if he had seen Marvin since he came off-stage.

“Yes, sir,” Sparrow told him. “He went straight to his dressing room. Looked like he was in a real hurry.”

“Are you sure? He doesn’t appear to be there now.”

“He’s gotta be.”

“Hmm.” Mr Trump thought for a moment. “He must have departed for one of his private engagements. Pity. I wished to congratulate him – and, of course, your, er, cousin. Perhaps you will tell her when you see her?”

“Right, sir. I will.”

Mr Trump went on his way, humming happily to himself. But Sparrow was not happy. Sensing that something was wrong, he ran down the corridor and banged on Marvin’s door.

“Mr Marvin!” he called out. And when there was no reply, “Rosie! Rosie, are you there?”

He was sure he heard a sound from inside the room, but no one answered. He turned the knob and pushed, but the door would not open. Bending down, he tried to peer through the keyhole but could see nothing. Something seemed to be blocking it. Then he realized what it was: the key was in the lock – on the inside of the door. He stood for a moment, wondering what to do, then turned and charged down the corridor and out of the stage door, past a startled Bert.

“Oi! Oi!” the doorkeeper yelled after him. “Where’s the fire?”

But Sparrow didn’t stop. Outside, he looked around frantically for Wiggins and Beaver. He finally saw them strolling round the corner from the front of the theatre, and dashed breathlessly to them.

“Quick! Quick!” he gasped. “This way!”

“Whoa, whoa!” Wiggins said. “Hold your horses, Sparrow.”

“What’s up?” Beaver asked. “Rosie did good, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, but somethin’s wrong,” Sparrow blurted out, and quickly told them about the locked door and getting no response from inside the dressing room.

“The window,” said Wiggins, leading the way down the alley behind the dressing rooms. “We can see in through the window. Now, which one is it?”

“That one,” Sparrow said, and pointed. “The one what’s wide open.”

They hurried to the window and looked in. Inside the room a dark figure in a heavy overcoat was crouched over a bundle of something on the floor. Wiggins let out a shout, and the man looked up. It was the bearded man who had tried to follow them in the street.

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