Secret of the Skull (10 page)

Within a minute of each other, two people entered the restaurant who grabbed my attention. The first was a tall, neatly clipped man in a spotless black suit. Vernon indicated a table towards the
back of the room, but the man asked if he could sit closer to the entrance.

He grabbed my attention because I could have sworn I knew him from somewhere. I couldn’t quite work out why.

I nudged Izzy. ‘That guy over there, the one in the black suit,’ I whispered. ‘I’m sure I’ve seen him before. Does he ring any bells with you?’

‘Nope.’ Izzy shrugged. ‘He could just be someone you’ve seen in a shop, or something like that.’

‘Hmm,’ I muttered. ‘Dunno.’

The second person to grab my attention appeared. This was a much shorter man, wearing a light brown leather jacket. His face had more lines than a school exercise book and was topped with a
messy thatch of ginger hair.

This one caught my attention for a totally different reason. As Vernon approached him and asked if he was a hotel guest or just visiting the restaurant, the man replied that he was in room
217.

I nudged Izzy again. ‘That’s the smuggler. Moss.’

Izzy nudged Susan and whispered in her ear.

‘Ooooh,’ whispered Susan, leaning over to me. ‘Do you think his pockets are loaded with diamonds?’

‘No, I’m sure the diamonds will have been put in the safe in his room,’ I whispered, switching my gaze nervously between Moss, Black Suit Man and Beeks over in his office.
‘Otherwise, why book a room at all? He could simply meet his contact here in the restaurant. No, I expect he’ll be worried about being ambushed by rival crooks. The diamonds will be
locked away.’

Moss seemed to be deep in conversation with Vernon the waiter. He brandished a bright red slip of paper at Vernon, which Vernon took, read, handed back, took again and finally walked off with,
looking slightly puzzled.

‘What’s that paper?’ I whispered to Susan. ‘I’m sure I saw the hotel’s logo on it.’

‘That’s an ACV,’ whispered Susan, looking as puzzled as Vernon.

‘A what?’

‘Sorry, that’s just what Mum and Dad call them. Awkward Customer Vouchers. They get given out when hotel guests have had loads of things go wrong. Luggage missing, forgotten wake-up
calls, that sort of thing. It gives them a free dinner here in the restaurant. Goodness knows why he’d have one, he’s only just got here.’

‘He couldn’t have been given one by your mum when he checked in?’ I said.

‘No way,’ said Susan. ‘Dad says they can cost the hotel a small fortune because whenever someone gets given one they go mad and eat all the most expensive stuff on the menu.
Only the real moaners ever get one.’

Moss was busy giving Vernon the waiter a long list of main courses and side orders. Meanwhile, I noticed Black Suit Man, who’d been sitting quietly waiting for his starter to arrive, get
up and walk out.

I looked over at Beeks in his office, then back at Moss. Vernon was on to a second page in his waiter’s jotter.

Wait a minute! There
was
a reason Moss might have had that voucher. And it had nothing to do with having made a complaint.

Based on what I’d just been talking about with Izzy and Susan, and on what I’d been told was going to happen that evening, I could see part of a plan lurking behind that voucher.
There was a clear reason for Moss having it.

Can you work out what I was thinking?

Those diamonds were locked away in room 217. If someone was going to steal them, they would want to find a way to get Moss out of his room for a while. What better way than if
he had one of those vouchers? Beeks could slip it under the door of Moss’s room – a simple complimentary-hotel-welcome-thingummy. Moss would then be down in the restaurant while
—

‘— Beeks sneaks up to 217 and nicks the diamonds. He’s the maintenance man. He can easily over-ride the lock on the room safe!’ I hissed.

‘Sorry, did you say something?’ said Izzy.

I almost yelped. I whipped around in my seat, expecting to see the office across the courtyard empty. Beeks would be on his way upstairs right now!

But . . .

No. There he was. As before. Working away at his laptop. He turned to check through some papers and I could see his face clearly.

‘You OK, Saxby?’ Izzy asked.

I turned back to where Moss was giving Vernon the waiter a long list of food orders. Something was going on here. Something I couldn’t quite see yet.

Everyone at our table turned round as a distant crashing sound came echoing along the corridor from reception. One or two restaurant diners gave a miniature cheer.

‘Sounds like Mum’s having trouble at the front desk,’ said Susan.

I leaped to my feet. I was starting to feel nervous – something was
definitely
going on here. ‘I’ll go and check. Izzy, watch Mr Beeks over there. Don’t take your
eyes off him!’

I hurried out of La Splendide and along the corridor to the reception area. On the way, I passed Black Suit Man heading back towards the restaurant.
Where
did I know that guy from?

At reception, Susan’s mum had just finished re-filling the display stand that was propped up beside the welcome desk. It was one of those stack-up things which holds fold-out leaflets
advertising local attractions and places to eat.

‘What was that crash?’ I asked.

‘This display thing going over!’ said Susan’s mum. ‘Some clumsy clot comes along, asks if we’ve got a local map and he manages to knock all my leaflets flying.
Never mind, no harm done.’

‘A guy in a black suit?’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ said Susan’s mum.

Two things rang an alarm bell in my head. No, three things!

One: Black Suit Man hadn’t appeared to be carrying any map with him on his way back to the restaurant.

Two: That display stand was quite chunky. It would take a
really
clumsy clot to knock it over.

Three: The
Do Not Disturb
sign on the admin office door behind the reception desk was slightly askew.

Something was
definitely
going on here!

‘Has Mr Beeks come out of that office?’ I asked.

‘No,’ said Susan’s mum.

‘Are you absolutely sure?’

‘Yes! Why? Listen, you can hear him typing.’

It was true. I could, just about, hear the tapping of laptop keys.

‘I’m sure he won’t mind if I pop in and ask him something,’ I said.

‘Oh yes he would,’ said Susan’s mum, raising a warning hand. ‘He’s behind on paperwork and he’s asked that nobody interrupt him.’

‘Yes, but —

‘But nothing. Several members of staff need to book that office from time to time to catch up on things and we all respect each other’s catch-up time.’

I had so many alarm bells going off in my head, I could hardly think straight. I decided to take a look at room 217. I’d be taking a big risk. What if Moss came back to his room? But a lot
was at stake. What if the diamonds had already gone and I was too late? What if a robbery was going on right under my nose?

I ran up the wide staircase which led to the upper floors, the thick carpeting absorbing every footstep. The silence around me as I ran made the anxious thumping of my heart feel all the more
severe. Although that may partly have been down to how unfit I am. By the time I got upstairs, I was out of breath. I really
must
get more exercise.

Without the slightest pause, I flung open the fire door at the top of the stairs and hurtled along the tastefully lit –
WHUMP!

I ran into Bryan Beeks so hard that we both bounced backwards. I landed with a thud on my bottom. For a fraction of a second, we stared at each other in a daze. Beeks slapped both hands to his
leg.

‘Owwww! My leg! Oww! Watch where you’re going, young man! That hurt!’

‘S-Sorry!’ I stuttered. Then I came to my senses and thought,
What am I saying? It’s an act!

Beeks staggered to his feet, rubbing at his leg and wincing. ‘Holy moley, what are you doing running around like that? You’re one of Susan Lillington’s friends, aren’t
you?’

‘Yes. Sorry. Er, rushing to the loo. About to burst. Got my best trousers on.’

I picked up his heavy walking stick and handed it back to him. Then I turned and ran back the way I’d come.

My mind felt as if a swarm of bees had been let loose inside it. Bryan Beeks was upstairs! Bryan Beeks, the guy I’d been warned was planning to steal the diamonds! What had he just been up
to? Where was he going? Where had he been?

I’d just seen Bryan Beeks.

But . . . wasn’t Bryan Beeks in the admin office?

I scuttled past reception. (‘Hi!’ I waved to Susan’s mum. She smiled flatly. She obviously thought I was a bit strange.) I scooted back into the restaurant, just in time to see
everyone at my table finishing their soup.

‘Saxby, there you are!’ cried Susan. ‘Where have you been?’

‘Getting my mind boggled,’ I muttered.

As I sat down, a phone started warbling. Black Suit Man snapped open a tiny handset from his top pocket.

I turned to look out of the window, across the courtyard. Bryan Beeks was working away in the office, just as he had been before.

‘Did you watch him?’ I whispered to Izzy.

‘Yes,’ said Izzy. ‘He hasn’t budged.’

I felt slightly feeble at the knees. ‘You’re sure? You’re absolutely, one hundred per cent sure?’

Izzy shrugged. ‘Well, I saw him open a drawer and take a pen out, but apart from that, no, he hasn’t budged.’

Black Suit Man slotted his phone back into his top pocket. Then he walked out of the restaurant again.

I sat gazing at the getting-a-bit-cold-but-really-nice-looking tomato soup in front of me. I dug out my notebook.

Was I going mad, or had I just witnessed the impossible? Time: seven thirty-eight p.m.

C
HAPTER
F
IVE

M
Y NOTEBOOK SCRIBBLING WAS INTERRUPTED
by a second crashing sound coming from reception. Several more diners gave another
small cheer.

A plate of delicious-smelling curry and rice was placed in front of me by Vernon the waiter, along with a naan and a tiny pot of chutney. He took away my bowl of barely-touched-but-very-tasty
tomato soup with a sniff.

Finally taking note of Black Suit Man’s absence again, I began to put two and two together, made three, added one, and arrived at the correct answer. An important element of the
evening’s events was at last becoming clear to me!

I had a quick go at the curry. It tasted even better than it looked, but there was no time for that now. I told Izzy to watch Beeks like a hawk and I hurried back to reception.

As I expected, there was Black Suit Man. He had an armful of leaflets and Susan’s mum was, once again, putting the display stand back into place.

‘I’m so,
so
sorry!’ declared Black Suit Man. ‘Trust me to forget that map and then knock the whole thing over
again
. I’m being a total pain in the
neck tonight. I do apologise.’

‘No problem, sir,’ said Susan’s mum, with a look on her face which said, ‘Yes, you
are
being a total pain in the neck’. She slotted the last few leaflets
back into the stand. ‘Right now, sir, do you have your map?’

‘Yes!’ said Black Suit Man, waving a leaflet. ‘I’m going back to the restaurant, and I promise I won’t come near this stand again!’

‘Not a problem, sir, really,’ said Susan’s mum, in a tone of voice which said, ‘Yes, it’s a huge problem and if you knock this stand over one more time I’ve
going to knock
you
flat on your face’.

Black Suit Man sauntered casually back in the direction of La Splendide. I scooted over to the reception desk.

‘Honestly,’ growled Susan’s mum under her breath. ‘Some people!’ The faint sound of Bryan Beeks tapping at his laptop came from inside the office. The
Do Not
Disturb
sign was still hanging a bit off-centre.

I smiled to myself. This whole weird evening was rapidly sorting itself out in my mind.

It’s here that you need to cast your mind back to that magician I told you about. The one on TV who fooled me for a while into thinking he’d predicted those lottery numbers. I
remembered how I’d worked that one out – how the magician had done some very simple things, but in a very roundabout way, to produce an apparently impossible result.