Blink and You Die. Lauren Child

‘Yeah, he does like to mess with people’s heads; once he’s planted an idea, you just can’t shake it. He knows how these thoughts grow, how they take off in different directions – you don’t exactly know what they mean or even what you’re scared of, you just keep running with it.’

      ‘So what has he got you thinking?’ asked Clancy.

      Ruby paused before speaking. ‘What he’s got me thinking is, what if Bradley was not all that he seemed; what if he were the so-called bad apple?’

      ‘You suggesting he wasn’t the super talent everyone thought he was?’ asked Clancy.

      ‘No, I think we can accept that Baker was the super talent that everyone drones on about, but if he was such a talented agent then he may also have had a talent for espionage.’

      ‘Huh?’

      ‘What I’m suggesting here is, was he leading a double life?’

      Clancy was looking at her, his expression one of puzzlement.

      Ruby spelled it out: ‘Do we know which side he was really on?’

      ‘Oh,’ said Clancy, ‘that … that wasn’t something I was even thinking about.’

      ‘So let’s just say he was a double agent, LB woulda had to kill him for the sake of Spectrum, for the sake of this country –’ she stretched her arms out wide – ‘the world even.’

      Clancy let out a heavy sigh. ‘I’d feel a lot better if that’s how it was.’

      ‘It could have been that LB knew what nobody else knew: that he was a phoney, a fraud, an imposter.’

      ‘Like some kind of mole, you mean?’

      ‘Yeah,’ nodded Ruby.

      ‘Boy, it sure makes you think,’ said Clancy. ‘Imagine finding out that your best friend, most loyal ally, is a total fake, not to mention murderer.’ He looked at Ruby. ‘Though I have to say, Rube, if you turn out to be an evil genius, I can’t see myself killing you. I kinda like your company.’

      ‘I appreciate that Clance, I really do.’

      ‘Still, I think LB had guts to do what she did,’ said Clancy. ‘If Baker was a bad egg, she did the right thing.’

      ‘Yeah,’ said Ruby, contemplating this for a moment, ‘but what if he wasn’t? What if it was the other way around?’

      ‘Jeepers, I was just beginning to relax,’ said Clancy.

      ‘Yeah, well, don’t, cos what if it was Bradley Baker who was the good news in this story and LB eliminated him so she could get on with her plot to take over the world or steal the moon or whatever?’

      ‘The moon?’ said Clancy. ‘Can you even do that?’ He was on his feet now, as if he needed to be ready for what might be coming.

      ‘Geez, Clance, it was just an example, how should I know what she’s got planned?’ Ruby paused, sorting through the thoughts that were flickering in her brain: the cyan, the indigo, the ruby eyes of the Buddha, the 8 key, the yellow snake. ‘If I could figure that out, and how it all links together, the thefts and the murders, the mole within Spectrum, well, then I might know what to do.’

      ‘Yeah, right,’ said Clancy, ‘if you knew all that then you could just amble downtown and knock on Sheriff Bridges’ door and hand him the evidence.’

      Ruby sighed. ‘Like that’s gonna happen.’

      ‘But meanwhile, you figure one of them has to be a bad seed?’ said Clancy. ‘Either it’s Baker or it’s LB?’

      ‘Or it’s neither?’ offered Ruby. ‘Unless of course,’ – she looked at him out of the corner of her eye – ‘they were both bad apples.’

      Clancy made a face like he wished she wouldn’t say these kinds of things.

      ‘Look, could you give me a break here Rube? I can only cope with one double agent at a time.’

      She thumped him lightly on the arm. ‘Take it easy,’ she said. ‘Yeah, I think it’s probably either Baker or LB, and let’s hope it’s Baker, right?’

      Clancy nodded. ‘Because if it’s Baker then LB is on the level.’

      ‘Only thing is,’ said Ruby, ‘if LB isn’t the bad apple then who is, who’s the one pulling the strings?’

      Clancy gave her the pained look again. ‘I don’t want to think about that right now.’

      ‘Yeah, well, time’s running out. Whoever is behind this whole series of events has a master plan and I get the feeling we’re heading towards the end game.’

      ‘So what’s your next move?’ asked Clancy.

      ‘I guess I need to find out more about Bradley Baker. I mean I know precisely zero about him other than what a great guy, what a smart agent, how we all wish he’d come back, but if I could dig down to what made him tick, what thoughts were whirling round that super-brain of his, and of course exactly how and why he died, then I might know more about LB.’

      ‘So ask around,’ said Clancy.

      ‘What, are you kidding? People don’t talk about Bradley Baker. They sorta mention him, how brilliant he was, but they don’t actually really say anything.’ Ruby shook her head. ‘No, if I started in asking a lot of questions then I would have to explain why I wanted to know, and then I would have to get into the whole bit about LB maybe being a murderer and I get the feeling that’s not gonna go down too well.’

      ‘You mean it might get you dead. If she’s a cold-blooded murderer, is that what you’re saying?’ said Clancy.

      ‘That is the worst case scenario,’ said Ruby, ‘and me dead is something I’m trying to avoid.’

      ‘You could tell Blacker?’ suggested Clancy. ‘You trust him, right?’

      ‘Sure, but this is not the same, this is me telling him not to trust his boss, and if you were asking, do I trust him not to go right ahead and speak to LB about my concerns? That would have to be a no. Blacker is loyal to Spectrum, loyal to the core, and I would have a pretty hard time convincing him that his boss is a bad egg or apple or whatever. People generally don’t like to believe they have been putting their trust in, and generally assisting, a dangerous psychopath.’

      ‘But her name was inside a bad apple,’ Clancy reminded her. ‘Blacker can’t ignore that.’

      ‘And who put it there?’ said Ruby. ‘The biggest bad apple of them all. Everyone knows the Count would be happy to see Spectrum destroyed.’

      ‘You have a point,’ said Clancy.

      ‘I know,’ said Ruby.

      ‘So you need to find someone who will talk.’

      ‘Who exactly?’

      ‘What about Froghorn?’

      ‘What about him?’ said Ruby.

      ‘Do you trust Froghorn?’

      ‘I trust him not to push me off a cliff or under a bus, but that’s about it.’

      ‘But do you trust him to tell the truth?’ asked Clancy.

      ‘Froghorn? Oh, he just loves to tell it like it is,’ said Ruby. ‘He’s like a regular truth trumpet.’

      ‘So ask him,’ said Clancy. ‘I bet you he’ll talk. He’s dying to rub your nose in the whole Bradley Baker legend, I bet you anything he’ll tell you whatever you wanna know, just to make you feel small.’

      ‘You know what Clance, that’s not such a terrible idea.’

      He