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Authors: Tanya Landman
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time?”
“I can see why one of the protesters might want to kill Mr Monkton. But why attack Charlie – or the vet?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I suppose it depends on how much they hate this place. Might they have killed Charlie because he was a keeper? And the vet because he worked for the zoo?”
“I gather that people can get very passionate about such causes,” Graham said slowly. “But you’re forgetting the writing. It seems to me that if the protesters were behind it, they’d daub something different on the walls. F REE THE C APTIVES or something – a slogan from one of their placards. Besides, the zoo’s been closed to the public for the past two days. Surely no one could have got in without being spotted?”
“Yes, you’re probably right.” I sighed. “So it all comes back to Sandy Milford. We need to know more about his death – not just what was in the papers. There must be more on the zoo’s computers. Reports or something. It’s no good, Graham. We’ll have to get into their system. Quickly, before Mum finishes in the spa.”
“I don’t think it will be possible from the computers in our rooms.”
“No, but we could try the education centre. Zara won’t be there, will she? She must have fed the cockroaches by now. It’s not like there’ll be any kids in today. I bet she’s gone off home again.”
With one of his blink-and-you-miss-it grins Graham pulled his library card from his pocket. “I think we might be needing this.”
Graham could open locked doors with his library card, but on this occasion we didn’t need to make use of his special talent. When we crossed the courtyard to the education centre the place was already open.
The ground floor was deserted, but as soon as we entered we could hear footsteps above us. Climbing the stairs to the office we found Zara, apparently cleaning out the cupboards. She looked up, surprised, when Graham and I came in. “Hello, you two. What are you doing here?”
If Mum hadn’t been about to drag us off home, I don’t think I’d have said anything. We’d probably have made up some lame excuse and sneaked back later when the place was empty. But we were both desperate to find out more about Sandy Milford, and this was the last chance we were going to get. We had to grab it with both hands.
“Could we use your computer?” I asked. “We want to look something up.”
“Erm… I don’t know, really,” she said, taken aback by the request. “Can’t you use the one in your room?”
“The maids are cleaning in there,” Graham lied, surprising me once again with his capacity for low cunning. “They’re doing mine, too. It won’t take a minute.”
“I don’t know if I should… It’s probably against the rules.” She chewed her lip anxiously for a second but then her shoulders drooped despairingly and she said, “I don’t suppose it matters now. Everything’s been turned upside down. All these deaths! I wish I’d never come to work here. It’s been horrible from day one.” She shrugged and, gesturing towards her desk, added, “Go on. Help yourselves.”
Graham switched on her computer and sat down in the swirly-whirly chair before she changed her mind. But it was going to be extremely awkward doing any research while she was in the room. Frantically, I tried to think of a way to get rid of her.
I glanced at her from beneath my fringe. Took in the lost and miserable expression on her face. She looked out of her depth; like she wanted to go to bed and hide under the duvet for a week.
“Why don’t you go home?” I said soothingly. “There won’t be any kids visiting today, will there?”
“No, there won’t.” She sighed. “I don’t know why I bothered coming in at all. Just wanted to show willing, I suppose.” She blew her nose.
“We won’t be here very long,” I wheedled. “We’ll shut the door behind us when we go.”
The idea of escape was too tempting for her to resist. “Yeah. Maybe
“I can see why one of the protesters might want to kill Mr Monkton. But why attack Charlie – or the vet?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I suppose it depends on how much they hate this place. Might they have killed Charlie because he was a keeper? And the vet because he worked for the zoo?”
“I gather that people can get very passionate about such causes,” Graham said slowly. “But you’re forgetting the writing. It seems to me that if the protesters were behind it, they’d daub something different on the walls. F REE THE C APTIVES or something – a slogan from one of their placards. Besides, the zoo’s been closed to the public for the past two days. Surely no one could have got in without being spotted?”
“Yes, you’re probably right.” I sighed. “So it all comes back to Sandy Milford. We need to know more about his death – not just what was in the papers. There must be more on the zoo’s computers. Reports or something. It’s no good, Graham. We’ll have to get into their system. Quickly, before Mum finishes in the spa.”
“I don’t think it will be possible from the computers in our rooms.”
“No, but we could try the education centre. Zara won’t be there, will she? She must have fed the cockroaches by now. It’s not like there’ll be any kids in today. I bet she’s gone off home again.”
With one of his blink-and-you-miss-it grins Graham pulled his library card from his pocket. “I think we might be needing this.”
Graham could open locked doors with his library card, but on this occasion we didn’t need to make use of his special talent. When we crossed the courtyard to the education centre the place was already open.
The ground floor was deserted, but as soon as we entered we could hear footsteps above us. Climbing the stairs to the office we found Zara, apparently cleaning out the cupboards. She looked up, surprised, when Graham and I came in. “Hello, you two. What are you doing here?”
If Mum hadn’t been about to drag us off home, I don’t think I’d have said anything. We’d probably have made up some lame excuse and sneaked back later when the place was empty. But we were both desperate to find out more about Sandy Milford, and this was the last chance we were going to get. We had to grab it with both hands.
“Could we use your computer?” I asked. “We want to look something up.”
“Erm… I don’t know, really,” she said, taken aback by the request. “Can’t you use the one in your room?”
“The maids are cleaning in there,” Graham lied, surprising me once again with his capacity for low cunning. “They’re doing mine, too. It won’t take a minute.”
“I don’t know if I should… It’s probably against the rules.” She chewed her lip anxiously for a second but then her shoulders drooped despairingly and she said, “I don’t suppose it matters now. Everything’s been turned upside down. All these deaths! I wish I’d never come to work here. It’s been horrible from day one.” She shrugged and, gesturing towards her desk, added, “Go on. Help yourselves.”
Graham switched on her computer and sat down in the swirly-whirly chair before she changed her mind. But it was going to be extremely awkward doing any research while she was in the room. Frantically, I tried to think of a way to get rid of her.
I glanced at her from beneath my fringe. Took in the lost and miserable expression on her face. She looked out of her depth; like she wanted to go to bed and hide under the duvet for a week.
“Why don’t you go home?” I said soothingly. “There won’t be any kids visiting today, will there?”
“No, there won’t.” She sighed. “I don’t know why I bothered coming in at all. Just wanted to show willing, I suppose.” She blew her nose.
“We won’t be here very long,” I wheedled. “We’ll shut the door behind us when we go.”
The idea of escape was too tempting for her to resist. “Yeah. Maybe
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