Half Moon Investigations - Eoin Colfer [49]
‘That’s right, Red,’ taunted Herod. ‘Off you go with your bestest buddy, Mr Nerd. The two nerds together. You two are made for each other. You should get engaged.’
We put up with this abuse for as long as it took to devour a bowl of home-made soup and pick up Red’s surveillance-equipment bag. It didn’t seem to bother anyone that two young boys were heading off with a sackful of spying gear. I know my dad would have wanted an explanation for every item in the bag, but then the Sharkeys were not a normal family. Whatever normal was. I wasn’t exactly normal myself. My own dad had told me so.
We came and went by the back door, as there was still a guard posted out front. Red was in a foul humour all of a sudden. He cycled like a robot, his legs pumping the pedals tirelessly. His shoulders were hunched to his ears as he hauled on the handlebars for more leverage. He spoke not a word.
I was getting used to being the passenger, rolling into the corners with the bike.
We crested Coalyard Hill and freewheeled down the other side. Red gave his legs a rest and leaned back against me.
He grunted, half in apology, half in annoyance.
I managed to stay on the bike. ‘Are you all right, Red? What’s bothering you?’
Red didn’t say anything for a long time, so long that I thought he had forgotten the question.
‘You saw Roddy back there,’ he said suddenly.
My brain had moved on to the case, and it took me a moment to remember what I had asked.
‘That’s what’s bothering you? Herod and his stash?’
‘He’s ten years old. And already he’s robbing the school blind. Mam didn’t want that to happen. Before she died, Mam asked me to watch out for my baby brother. I was only small myself, but I promised. I’m not doing a great job of it. I try to keep him on the straight and narrow, but I can’t even keep myself out of trouble. It’s like destiny or something. I can’t escape the life that’s waiting for me. Dad’s life. Genie’s life. Roddy’s too.’
I didn’t know what to say.
‘You can set Herod a good example,’ I ventured. ‘Give him someone new to look up to.’
‘You think so?’
‘Why not? Maybe he can be a detective when he grows up?’
Red chuckled. ‘Detective Herod Sharkey. Now that would be something. Criminals beware.’
‘You’re not his dad, Red. You can’t be. If you’re going to keep Herod out of trouble, you need Papa’s help. Does he know about this promise you made?’
‘No. Believe it or not, you’re the only one who knows. I don’t know how Papa would cope with Mam asking me to look out for Herod.’
‘You need to tell him. As soon as you can. Tonight.’
Nothing for a while. Then, ‘Thanks, Half Moon.’
April Devereux’s house wasn’t actually a castle, but it was supposed to look like one. The rear was adorned with stone cladding, vaulted arches, stained-glass windows, a mini turret, even a Romeo and Juliet balcony. April’s bedroom was behind the balcony. Two marble unicorns guarded her window. April was standing between them, waving down at a group of girls being dropped off. Land Rovers and BMWs scored long arcs in the gravel and swung back out between slate-grey pillars.
‘Looks like Les Jeunes Étudiantes are having a sleepover,’ said Red, peering through the railings.
We stashed the bike behind a hedgerow, then scaled a massive oak tree inside the walls. Red climbed like a monkey, seeming almost weightless. I too climbed like a monkey. A very old one with one leg and six fingers. I am not very nimble at the best of times, and my sore arm and swollen head slowed me even more than my natural inability. When I eventually scaled the trunk, we set ourselves up on a fork.
Even from that distance we could hear squeals and chattering from the hallway. The girls huddled and bounced, delighted to be together on a school night. They waved goodbye to their parents, then filed upstairs to the unicorn room.
Red pulled a pair of binoculars from his backpack, following the dozen or so girls.
‘Lotta pink,’ he commented. ‘Somewhere pink sheep are freezing to death.’
That was a pretty good private-eye-type comment.