The Complete Ruby Redfort Collection. Lauren Child

into one voice in a group of chatting people. But there’s no way you can tune into one voice in a crowd of a thousand.’

      Kinda fascinating, thought Ruby. Could someone be using something like this to block mayday calls and cargo signals, and reroute shipping? There was a good chance.

      It was three o’clock and Ruby grabbed her swim bag out of her locker and hurried out to the waiting bus. Swim practice was going to be at the municipal pool due to the Dillon Flannagon Twinford Junior High pool incident. Ruby went to get changed, stuffed her bag in the locker and walked towards the Olympic-size pool. She could hear Coach Newhart shouting instructions and generally bossing the team into shape.

      Ruby got into the water and did a couple of lengths to warm up. She had her swimming goggles on and couldn’t see too well, but she was aware that the lifeguard was blowing his whistle. Someone had committed some pool misdemeanour and she looked up to see who the culprit was. Through the blur of the water she saw the lifeguard frantically signalling to her to get out of the pool. ‘Man! What have I done!’ she muttered to herself. These municipal pool lifeguards were a royal pain in the behind. Ruby swam to the side and immediately began to remonstrate with the whistle-blowing bozo.

      ‘What? I didn’t use the verruca footbath with enough due care and attention, or was I splash…?’ Her voice tailed off as she lifted her goggles and found herself staring at a familiar face.

      ‘Oh brother! It’s you.’

      ‘Hey kid,’ said Hitch. He was wearing the blue shorts and logo-printed T-shirt just like all the other lifeguards and with his suntanned skin he blended in perfectly and no one gave him a second look.

      ‘What are you doing here?’

      ‘I’m here to suggest that you go tell your coach that you need to get the nurse to take a look at that bump on your head.’

      ‘What bump on my head?’ said Ruby.

      ‘The bump you need to convince Coach Newhart is giving you so much grief that you have to see the nurse about it.’

      ‘Oh man! You know Del Lasco is going to actually kill me – you want that on your conscience?’

      He threw her a towel.

      ‘I’d be more worried about Coach Newhart if I were you.’

      ‘Thanks, I appreciate your concern,’ said Ruby.

      ‘You signed up for this kid – I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen; this job can play fast and loose with your social life.’

      ‘It’s not my social life that I’m concerned about; Del can punch man, I mean really punch.’

      Hitch pulled Ruby out of the water and she staggered off to try and act her way out of swim practice. Ruby Redfort was a first-rate actress and she did a good job of persuading Coach Newhart that she would be dead in the water if she so much as doggy-paddled. Then she made for the changing rooms; she could feel Del Lasco’s eyes boring into her back as she limped away.

      Hitch and Ruby met in the corridor, both now changed, Hitch in a suit and tie and Ruby in jeans, jacket and bozo T-shirt. Hitch raised an eyebrow when he saw it, but didn’t comment.

      He led her through a door marked Maintenance, which housed various pieces of equipment and pipes and tanks and all kinds of things which presumably kept the swimming pool clean and warm and full of water. Almost invisible behind one of the largest pipes was another door. It looked like it hadn’t been opened in quite a while and several dead flies were clustered on the floor in front of it.

      He took out a keychain holding several identical-looking keys.

      ‘This is a door to Spectrum? You’re kidding me,’ said Ruby. She was well aware of Spectrum’s ability to create tunnels and entrances to the agency HQ – and all seemingly at a moment’s notice – but this was the Twinford City swimming pool.

      ‘You know Spectrum, always like to keep you on your toes,’ said Hitch, as he unlocked the door. It was made of thick steel and it closed with a satisfying clunk. They were at the top of a pure white spiral staircase, not an open-tread iron one. This staircase was completely enclosed and made of a material like moulded stone. Without a word Hitch descended.

       Chapter 19.

      Strange and old-fashioned

      THEIR FEET SOUNDED LIKE TAP SHOES on the hard steps. The staircase seemed to be endless, almost dizzying, and Ruby had to concentrate so as not to lose her footing. Hitch was already out of sight.

      ‘I hope you’re not gonna ask me to return the same way,’ shouted Ruby, her voice spilling after him.

      ‘Don’t worry, there’s an elevator,’ he called.

      ‘What? So why are we using the stairs?’ Ruby whined.

      ‘All part of the training,’ said Hitch. ‘You never do know when running downstairs really fast is going to save your life.’

      ‘Or kill you,’ said Ruby flatly.

      They finally walked through a small white curved door so discreet that you might never discover it if you didn’t already know it was there. It opened into the vast Spectrum atrium, the white floor covered in black concentric circles.

      While Ruby waited for Hitch to sort out her authorisation band, she tiptoed along the lines, pretending to herself that her life depended on keeping her balance. And then she noticed something she had never noticed before: a tiny mosaic right in the centre of the final circle. She bent down to take a closer look; it was a perfect little housefly.

      In the far corner sat a woman who seemed to be growing up through the middle of a round desk, rather like a mushroom. The desk was dotted with telephones of every colour. Ruby called out to her.

      ‘Hey there Buzz.’

      The mushroom paused mid-dial and peered over the top of her ugly glasses. For such a young woman she really did dress very dowdily. She raised her hand, a lazy attempt at a wave, as if she could hardly be bothered with the effort of it and continued to make her call. Buzz was sitting doing what Buzz was supposed to do, answering brightly coloured telephones and speaking down the receivers in every possible language. Hitch strode over and announced Ruby’s arrival.

      ‘He’s not here yet,’ said Buzz, her voice nasal, her tone unapologetic.

      ‘You’re saying he’s late?’ said Hitch.

      ‘I am,’ said Buzz. The orange phone rang and she picked it up and began speaking Portuguese.

      ‘Who’s he?’ asked Ruby.

      ‘You’ll see,’ said Hitch.

      ‘Great, now you’re being covert about a meeting I’m about to have in two minutes,’ muttered Ruby under her breath.

      ‘Let’s go see Blacker while we wait,’ said Hitch. ‘He’ll be glad to see you. I told him I was bringing you in.’ He beckoned Ruby to follow him. ‘Looks like you might be here a while; seems like you’re in demand today kid.’

      They headed off in the direction of the blue corridor, passing doors in varying shades of cyan until they got to the one he was looking for. Hitch knocked, but didn’t wait for an answer.

      Blacker was sitting in a large round room, its ceiling curved, its floor flat glass, and under the glass the room continued its curve. Blacker flicked a switch and the sphere they stood in was suddenly covered in coastal maps, and now they were inside a giant sea globe.

      ‘Hey there Ruby, nice to see you again. I thought you were going to Department 7 first?’ said Blacker looking at Hitch.

      ‘He’s late,’ said Hitch.

      Ruby looked at Hitch. ‘You mean I could be at swim practice after all?’

      ‘I was told to get you here