Read Online The Case of the Exploding Brains by Rachel Hamilton - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Hamilton
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“First I have a couple of questions about one of the young men in your group – Alexander West.”
I hold out the iPod. “Then you definitely want to listen to this.”
“That’s Smokin’ Joe’s iPod!” Holly hisses. She subtly waggles her head towards PC Eric before adding, “I’m sure you haven’t been listening to it,
because that would be illegal or something.”
PC Eric puts up a hand to stop me replying. “Perhaps you found it on the ground and, not being sure who it belonged to, you listened to it briefly before handing it to a passing
policeman?”
I nod, embracing my inner big fat liar, and hand the machine to PC Eric. “Remarkable Student Alexander is responsible for the Space Rock’s disappearance. This proves it.”
PC Eric strokes his chin. “I had my suspicions after reading your witness statement, but the CCTV footage, fuzzy as it is, suggests he’s innocent.”
“Put the film footage on again,” I say. “Maybe I’ll spot something.”
But PC Eric’s right. Even though the images are blurred after Smokin’ Joe’s hairspray attack, it’s clear Remarkable Student Alexander is too far away to have taken the
Space Rock. However, when we freeze the frame, he seems to be deliberately blocking the camera. When he moves, the Rock is gone.
“He’s involved,” I insist. “I know he is.”
PC Eric shrugs. “Perhaps. But we have no real evidence to prove it.”
“Yes we do.” I plug Smokin’ Joe’s iPod into the speaker. Holly and PC Eric listen quietly until we get to the bit about Smokin’ Joe’s reward.
“A date with me?” Holly retches. “Over my dead body!”
PC Eric keeps replaying the iPod message. Holly gags each time it reaches the end, which gets annoying pretty quickly.
After the fifth re-play, PC Eric says, “Notice anything about the boy’s voice?”
I ignore Holly’s fake-puking and focus on Alexander’s words. “He’s reading!” I realise. “Is that what you mean?”
CLUE 22
Remarkable Student Alexander is reading from a script.
PC Eric beams. “Clever girl!”
“And you think he wasn’t the one who wrote the words?”
PC Eric gives me a proud nod. “Even cleverer girl!”
So who did write them?
“Are there lots of people who might want to steal a Space Rock?” I ask, keen to clear Dad’s name for this crime – in my own head at least.
“I suppose so. Moon Rocks are worth a lot of money. But they’re hard to sell. And now we know the dangers I don’t understand why anyone would still want to keep this
one.” PC Eric gives me a policeman look – jaw set, chin high, no blinking. “Do you have a reason for asking?”
“No. Just curious.”
I love PC Eric but there are some suspicions I want to keep to myself for now.
13
Schnookums
“What about the dodgy camera?” Holly asks PC Eric. “We heard a security camera blacked out in ‘Investigating Alien Worlds’. Do you have any
footage of what was happening before it went blank?”
“Only on the computer we set up back at the station for the officer from the London Metropolitan Police. I can’t get you access to that.”
“Don’t worry, PC Eric.” Holly jumps to her feet. “I have a plan.”
PC Eric didn’t look worried before. But he does now. Especially when Holly grabs him and bundles him into a taxi, ordering the cabbie to take us to “Butt’s Hill Police Station,
please.”
“Are you expecting me to give you a guided tour?” he asks as we clamber out of the taxi and enter the police station
“Won’t be necessary.” Holly pushes past PC Eric and launches herself at the desk sergeant. “I need to see my darling boyfriend,” she announces. “And I need to
see him
now
!”
My mouth drops open. What
darling boyfriend
?
“My little Joey was dragged to this police station against his wishes,” Holly stamps her foot. “That’s kidnapping. I want to make a complaint against that nasty police
officer from London.”
The desk sergeant gives an
I hold out the iPod. “Then you definitely want to listen to this.”
“That’s Smokin’ Joe’s iPod!” Holly hisses. She subtly waggles her head towards PC Eric before adding, “I’m sure you haven’t been listening to it,
because that would be illegal or something.”
PC Eric puts up a hand to stop me replying. “Perhaps you found it on the ground and, not being sure who it belonged to, you listened to it briefly before handing it to a passing
policeman?”
I nod, embracing my inner big fat liar, and hand the machine to PC Eric. “Remarkable Student Alexander is responsible for the Space Rock’s disappearance. This proves it.”
PC Eric strokes his chin. “I had my suspicions after reading your witness statement, but the CCTV footage, fuzzy as it is, suggests he’s innocent.”
“Put the film footage on again,” I say. “Maybe I’ll spot something.”
But PC Eric’s right. Even though the images are blurred after Smokin’ Joe’s hairspray attack, it’s clear Remarkable Student Alexander is too far away to have taken the
Space Rock. However, when we freeze the frame, he seems to be deliberately blocking the camera. When he moves, the Rock is gone.
“He’s involved,” I insist. “I know he is.”
PC Eric shrugs. “Perhaps. But we have no real evidence to prove it.”
“Yes we do.” I plug Smokin’ Joe’s iPod into the speaker. Holly and PC Eric listen quietly until we get to the bit about Smokin’ Joe’s reward.
“A date with me?” Holly retches. “Over my dead body!”
PC Eric keeps replaying the iPod message. Holly gags each time it reaches the end, which gets annoying pretty quickly.
After the fifth re-play, PC Eric says, “Notice anything about the boy’s voice?”
I ignore Holly’s fake-puking and focus on Alexander’s words. “He’s reading!” I realise. “Is that what you mean?”
CLUE 22
Remarkable Student Alexander is reading from a script.
PC Eric beams. “Clever girl!”
“And you think he wasn’t the one who wrote the words?”
PC Eric gives me a proud nod. “Even cleverer girl!”
So who did write them?
“Are there lots of people who might want to steal a Space Rock?” I ask, keen to clear Dad’s name for this crime – in my own head at least.
“I suppose so. Moon Rocks are worth a lot of money. But they’re hard to sell. And now we know the dangers I don’t understand why anyone would still want to keep this
one.” PC Eric gives me a policeman look – jaw set, chin high, no blinking. “Do you have a reason for asking?”
“No. Just curious.”
I love PC Eric but there are some suspicions I want to keep to myself for now.
13
Schnookums
“What about the dodgy camera?” Holly asks PC Eric. “We heard a security camera blacked out in ‘Investigating Alien Worlds’. Do you have any
footage of what was happening before it went blank?”
“Only on the computer we set up back at the station for the officer from the London Metropolitan Police. I can’t get you access to that.”
“Don’t worry, PC Eric.” Holly jumps to her feet. “I have a plan.”
PC Eric didn’t look worried before. But he does now. Especially when Holly grabs him and bundles him into a taxi, ordering the cabbie to take us to “Butt’s Hill Police Station,
please.”
“Are you expecting me to give you a guided tour?” he asks as we clamber out of the taxi and enter the police station
“Won’t be necessary.” Holly pushes past PC Eric and launches herself at the desk sergeant. “I need to see my darling boyfriend,” she announces. “And I need to
see him
now
!”
My mouth drops open. What
darling boyfriend
?
“My little Joey was dragged to this police station against his wishes,” Holly stamps her foot. “That’s kidnapping. I want to make a complaint against that nasty police
officer from London.”
The desk sergeant gives an
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