Half Moon Investigations - Eoin Colfer [8]
I trudged back through the school field towards the main building. The euphoria I had felt earlier drained down through the soles of my feet. Yes, I had solved the case, but I had broken Bernstein’s first rule: Never become a piece of the puzzle. A detective should not be afraid of the outcome of a case, as this fear will affect his work. The victim, witness and perpetrator had all known where to locate me if my findings went against them. The Sharkeys had tried to use me, but it had backfired on them and now Herod was a marked man. I was a marked man too, or I would be. Several marks probably, if Red had his way.
The school ‘bell’ rang. It was a computer bell that used a sample of Mrs Quinn’s own voice. ‘Line up, students,’ the bell said. ‘Don’t make me ask again.’ Of course it did ask again. Over and over again. Jimín Grady had been expelled recently for sneaking into the office and replacing Mrs Quinn’s voice sample with his own. His voice sample had not been quite so polite.
I was just picking up my bag when Red Sharkey appeared from inside the porch shadows. He emerged from the darkness one limb at a time, like a cartoon villain.
‘You think you’re very smart, don’t you, Half Moon?’ he said, his eyes blazing with unpredictable anger.
‘My name is Fletcher,’ I said, feeling pretty proud of myself for not allowing my shaking knees to fold underneath me.
‘Well, Fletcher, I better not hear any more about this organizer thing. I have enough trouble without a toy detective stirring things up.’
There was something new in Red’s voice as he said this. The anger was still in there, but there was desperation too. And I got the feeling that the anger was not all directed at me.
‘As far as I’m concerned, it’s a closed case, but I’d advise your brother to steer clear of Bella for a while.’
Red nodded, accepting the advice, then remembered that he was supposed to be angry with me. He leaned in close, brushing against me.
‘Roddy will steer clear of Bella, and you’ll steer clear of us. As of now, Half Moon, you are retired. Got it?’
I stared him down. I wasn’t retiring for him or anyone else. I thought I was being really brave holding his gaze like that, but five minutes later I realized that this was just what Red Sharkey wanted. It gave him the opportunity to steal my shield.
MOON GETS A STICK MAN
I sat on one of the baby seats outside Mrs Quinn’s door, waiting for the red light to turn green. Red meant do not disturb; green meant knock. This was a code that even the infants could follow.
I felt sick to my stomach. My shield was gone. Just like that, I was back to being a normal boy. Of course, I knew in theory that the shield was just a hunk of metal, and that I was just as much a detective without it. But I had studied for two years to win that shield, and for the past six months it had made me feel special, extraordinary. Without it, I was just another kid who thought he was Sherlock Holmes.
I had to get my shield back, that’s all there was to it. I knew where it was, or rather I knew who knew where it was, but I had zero evidence and less chance of a confession. But where there was a theft, there was evidence. I would find that evidence and present it to Red. Then either he could give me back my shield or I would take my evidence to the police.
Someone sat beside me. I was amazed to find it was April Devereux. She grinned, and I could see a lump of neon-blue chewing gum behind her perfect teeth.
‘Hi, April. Are you in trouble too?’
April shook her head, setting rows of pink beads in her hair rattling like snakes. ‘Hardly. I don’t do trouble. Just delivering a message for Fitz.’ April pronounced ‘message’ the French way.
Mr Fitzgerald was our teacher. He thought allowing us to call him Fitz would make him cool and trendy. He had about as much chance of being cool as I had of winning Olympic gold in the high jump.
‘I just stopped to