Half Moon Investigations - Eoin Colfer [79]
I motioned to Red, and he tossed me his microphone.
‘One more thing, Mr Devereux. The minidisc.’
Devereux blew his fuse. ‘What about it?’ he bellowed. ‘Conjured it up out of thin air, have you? Give it a rest, you little freak! Haven’t you caused enough pain? Think of your parents.’
‘Those trousers you’re wearing, with the curious strap marks in the corduroy. Black with plenty of pockets. Big turn-ups too. I’m guessing they are your sneaky trousers –’
‘Work pants!’ spat Devereux. He rolled his eyes. ‘Why am I explaining myself to you? Can’t anybody shut this child up?’
I took a step closer. ‘If a minidisc were to fall out of a person’s pocket, it could easily slip into one of those turn-ups. You’re right-handed, so the right cuff turnup. If that disc were to survive the washing machine, it could still be there.’
Devereux’s laugh was short and sharp, like the warning bark of a territorial dog. ‘Get away from me, Moon. I’m not subjecting myself to a search from you.’
I met his wild gaze with a steady one of my own. ‘Just one second to bend down. One second and everyone knows I’m a lunatic.’
‘Shove your second, Fletcher. And shove your accusations. I am sick of being the polite responsible adult. I’ll say what we’re all thinking. Your parents need to take a firmer line with you.’
May moved towards her father. He smiled triumphantly and reached out a hand. She did not take it.
‘I’ll show him, Daddy,’ she said. She knelt by his right trouser turn-up and quickly found the disc tucked in there.
‘Oh, Daddy,’ she sighed, with a sorrow that squeezed my heart.
Devereux was flabbergasted. ‘That’s impossible. That can’t be. What?’
I hammered home my advantage. ‘There it is. The stolen disc. Explain that, Gregor, if you can.’
May’s father took the disc in a trembling hand. His face was wrinkled with incomprehension. ‘May, you have to believe me. I… this…’ The words wouldn’t come. His mouth churned uselessly for several moments until he finally blurted: ‘Don’t you understand? I wasn’t even wearing these trousers that night.’
The room was silent for an instant as everyone digested the import of this statement, then Red raised both arms to the crowd.
‘Confession!’ he roared, and the crowd went crazy. This was real entertainment.
‘You attacked me!’ I accused, through the commotion.
Devereux looked around desperately, as if he was expecting a rescue from somewhere.
‘I attacked a garden gnome!’ he shouted. ‘You came out of nowhere. I would never hurt anyone. All I wanted to do was destroy the gnome and leave Red’s hurl so that he would be blamed. That’s all. May, you have to believe me.’
In the eye of the hullabaloo, tears dripped from Devereux’s eyes as his daughter turned from him. The tears turned to ice and he took three quick steps across the stage, grabbing me by the shoulders.
‘You don’t know what you’ve done,’ he growled. ‘May is fragile. She is still recovering from her mother leaving.’
I wriggled but Devereux had me in his strong gardener’s hands. Red was the first to react. He hurtled across the stage, tackling Devereux below the waist. But he was only thirteen and Devereux was a six-foot-plus plank of fitness. Red bounced off like a bird off a window pane. All the impact did was remind Devereux where he was.
‘Stay back,’ he warned, hoisting me off the ground. ‘Let me think. Give me room.’
I don’t think now that Gregor Devereux was in his right mind on that evening. I don’t think he was aware that he was dangling my legs over the orchestra pit.
Cassidy took a few steps onstage, palms raised. ‘Come on, Devereux. God knows none of us are fond of Half Moon, pain in the behind that he is, but you have to put the boy down before you drop him.’
‘In a second, Cassidy,’ said Devereux calmly. ‘I just need to find the right words to explain things to May.’ He pulled a face. ‘Her mother will have a field day with this.’
My future at this point was uncertain, and I had only myself to blame. I’d pushed a man over the edge in uncertain circumstances.