Read Online The Impossible Clue by Sarah Rubin - Free Book Online Page B

always problems with camera delay. But the kind of suit Dad was talking about – one that could actually bend light – no one had even come close.
    â€˜Why can’t it be real? What about that invisibility cube the lab assistant showed you? That looked real enough to me.’
    â€˜That’s different.’ I said. ‘The pen lid had to be inside the box to disappear. If you used that technology to make a person invisible, he’d have to stand still inside something the size of a refrigerator. And you heard how much noise it made. What’s the use of being invisible if people can hear you coming from a mile away?’
    Dad laughed. ‘OK, OK. So maybe it isn’t a suit yet . Maybe they’re still trying to figure it out. Maybe Dr Learner has invented a way to make pen lids invisible outside of the box? Have you thought about that?’
    I started to tell Dad he was being worse than Della, but stopped. If you’d told me before breakfast I would see a pen lid vanish before my eyes, I never would have believed you.
    â€˜Maybe,’ I said slowly, drawing out the word. If Dr Learner had made that kind of breakthrough it was no wonder Mr Delgado wanted him and his research back. It would be priceless.
    Dad banged his hands triumphantly on the steering wheel.
    â€˜But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s true,’ I said quickly. I didn’t want Dad to get carried away.
    â€˜It doesn’t mean it’s not true either.’
    Dad’s phone bleeped, saving me from any more of hiscrowing. He shifted in his seat so I could pull it out of his back pocket.
    â€˜Seriously?’ I asked.
    â€˜It could be important.’
    I rolled my eyes and got the phone with as little butt contact as possible.
    â€˜It’s from Della. The audition is running late. She wants you to bring her some lunch.’
    â€˜No problem,’ Dad said, so I sent Della the good news. I put the phone in the cup holder on the dashboard, just in case anyone else called.
    â€˜So, Dr Learner had another job offer?’ I said. Dad nodded. It made sense. If there were even hints that Dr Learner’s research might make a real invisibility suit possible, everyone would want him to work for them. And if he didn’t come willingly, they might even take him by force.
    â€˜What was the name of the company?’ I asked.
    â€˜Chronos R&D.’
    I’d have to look them up.
    We stopped at Logan Square, double parking outside the Franklin Institute, the greatest science museum in the world. Dad gave me a twenty and I ran across the street to get in line at one of the small metal food carts in front of the museum. The banner hanging from a lamp post showed an impossible staircase: Math and the Art of M.C. Escher . Tickets were probably expensive, but maybe I could talk Dad into taking me when this Delgado businesswas over. We used to love going to the Franklin Institute. It was one of the few outings that the whole family enjoyed.
    The man in front of me finished paying and took his food and the smell of fried onions with him.
    â€˜Three soft pretzels with mustard, two cherry Cokes and a Sprite,’ I ordered quickly, craning my neck to check on Dad to make sure a traffic warden hadn’t forced him to move the car.
    The Plymouth was still there. I gave a little sigh of relief and stopped halfway. The silver Mercedes was there too, waiting patiently behind my dad instead of trying to go around. Other drivers honked angrily as they forced their way past both cars. I felt a small shiver, but brushed it away. The driver was probably from out of town. Somewhere small and polite where you didn’t drive on the wrong side of the road no matter what.
    The vendor handed me three piping hot brown paper bags and three cans of soda and I struggled not to drop them all as I jogged back to where Dad was blocking traffic. On my way, I took a look at the people inside the