The Vanishing of Billy Buckle by Sally Gardner

Author:Sally Gardner
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781627793575
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Chapter Sixteen

“But a minute ago you said Johnny Carmichael’s murder had nothing to do with Wings & Co.,” said Emily to Buster as he buttered the toast.

The magic lamp poured boiling water into a complaining teapot.

“I’ve changed my mind,” replied Buster. “I’m beginning to think this is one of the most interesting cases we’ve had in a long time.” Emily followed him as he carried the tea tray upstairs. “You wouldn’t understand, seeing as you are a girl and new to the business of being a detective.”

Emily wondered—as she often did—whoever had thought up boys, for they hadn’t done a very good job. She opened the door to the drawing room, glad to find that it was still where it had been last time. The curtains blew gently in the sea breeze. Edie was seated on the green-velvet sofa. Next to her perched Morris.

Morris wasn’t very good at sitting still. He looked twitchy, and even the tea and toast didn’t do all that much to anchor him to the furniture.

Buster pulled up a chair and took out his notebook.

“Best,” he said, “that you start at the beginning.”

And Morris did.

It was a rather long beginning, and by the time Morris Flipwinkle had reached the middle, Emily’s mind had wandered to another problem. What on earth was keeping Fidget and Primrose? Fidget could usually be relied upon to escape from any sticky situation.

Emily stared absentmindedly at what Buster had written in his notebook:

Pink jumper.

One wing.

Face an unopened Christmas present.

Then he had doodled a picture of a roller coaster, and beside that was a rather good drawing of an odd-looking seagull. Below it, he had written the word diamond surrounded by wiggly lines.

Why diamond? wondered Emily.

“Was there anything unusual about that afternoon?” Buster asked Morris.

“Yes,” interrupted Edie, who had been listening to all this. “The Wurlitzer was out of tune.”

“The C note was a bit flat,” said Morris. “And I thought once I’d finished my set, I would see what was wrong with the old girl.”

“Old girl?” asked Emily.

“The Wurlitzer,” Morris explained. “That’s what I call her.”

“Oh,” said Emily.

“But you didn’t, did you?” said Buster.

“I didn’t what?” asked Morris.

“You didn’t look inside the Wurlitzer.”

“No,” said Morris. “The minute the Wurlitzer and I arrived below stage, there was Johnny Carmichael, prowling back and forth like an over-boiled tiger. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me to push off if I knew what was good for me.”

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