Case Closed #4, page 8
Zip considers for a moment. “You’re right,” they finally say. “I trust you kids to keep the catacombs pristine, more than I trust the police. Is it silly to put so much trust in you?”
“Not at all,” I say.
They swivel the chair around, pull a key out of their skirt pocket, and dig through a drawer. Finally they find what they’re looking for—a blueprint map. “This is the real map—as far as I could go, anyway. You’re going to have to figure out the rest. I hope you find her.”
“Thank you, Zip,” I say sincerely. “Really. You saved the day.”
“And remember—touch as little as you can! Wear gloves! And walk in each other’s footprints, so you don’t disturb the ground. And hold your breath, so you don’t let too much carbon dioxide in there.”
“Yup! Got it!”
We move to the exit.
“Oh, and don’t bring food or water down there. Maybe you should consider wearing clothes that don’t leave any particle residue behind—perhaps a poncho.”
“Yup! Rain poncho—cool, cool!”
We escape the tent.
With Zip’s map in hand, we dash to the entrance to the catacombs.
“Here goes nothing,” I say, and we walk in. A chill goes through me. It’s still so dark in here, not a peek of sunlight. It’s suffocating, even with our flashlights.
I’m walking so fast that I’m nearly running. Every once in a while, we consult Zip’s map, which helps us avoid two booby traps. Then the path slopes downward, like we’re headed even deeper underground. I don’t love the idea of that, but it’s not like I have a choice.
“Mom?” I shout, crouching as the tunnel gets shorter and tighter. “Are you here? Can you hear me?”
“Ms. S?” Eliza calls.
“Detecto-Mom?” Frank yells.
But the only sound that echoes back at us is our voices.
At last, we reach a steep drop-off, and the catacombs open, just enough to let the three of us stand before a wall with very strange symbols on it.
“Ahhh, alchemy,” Eliza says. “We got this.”
“We do? Because last time I checked, you’re not an alchemist.”
“Yes, but . . .” She reaches into her backpack and pulls out a book.
Frank groans. “I thought we were crawling and sneaking, not studying!”
“We are—”
“I’VE BEEN TRICKED.”
“Shhhhh,” I say, just in case someone had any interest in following us.
Eliza flips through the book. “I knew we’d need a little extra alchemy knowledge as soon as we saw the archway outside. Remember how we saw that painted ouroboros snake—the symbol of infinity in alchemy? Of course, I didn’t have an alchemy book with me. But Mr. Bones did.”
I gasp.
“Wait, you stole a book?” Frank says with awe. “You are the COOLEST SISTER.”
“We needed to know about alchemy. He had the answers. I’m only borrowing it. I’ll reshelve it before he even realizes it’s gone.”
She holds her flashlight over the book, then moves her light to the wall. She goes back and forth quite a few times before I realize I should be helping her out—and I focus my light on the wall.
“Interesting . . . it’s a recipe.”
“Like for a cake?”
“It’s asking us for certain ingredients. And we’re supposed to put them . . .” She moves her flashlight across the wall, and so do I, and so does Frank.
Something catches my eye at the bottom left edge: a small square outline in the wall. I wonder . . . Is it a door?
But I don’t have much time to dwell on it before Frank cries out.
“There!” Frank says, shaking his light over a small divot in the floor. It looks almost like an offering bowl.
“Great job, Frankie,” Eliza says. “Now if we can just figure out which ingredients to put in the bowl, I bet something will happen.”
* * *
IF THE RECIPE CALLS FOR GOLD, AIR, WATER, AND POTASSIUM, CLICK HERE.
IF THE RECIPE CALLS FOR GOLD, EARTH, FIRE, AND SALT, CLICK HERE.
* * *
“YOU’RE STEALING THE artifacts, aren’t you?” I say.
Dr. Amanda Mandible’s stretched smile falters for just a second. Then she recovers. “You certainly have a lot of baseless accusations to make,” she says. “I think maybe you should fix that mouth.”
She leaps forward and puts sticky doctor tape across my lips. Then next thing I know, she’s running around and around me with a bandage. She moves on to Eliza . . . then Frank! And when we’re all mummified—covered completely everywhere except our eyes—she says, “Now that pesky accusation is under wraps!”
CASE CLOSED.
“WHY ARE YOU selling these items, Ms. Nadeem?”
She sighs heavily. “I never thought I’d be discussing my personal life with you, but . . . my husband and I are going through a very messy divorce. I’m about to be the sole caretaker of our three children. We’re supposed to get equitable division of the assets.”
“Huh?” Frank says.
“It means they’re supposed to split all their money fifty-fifty,” Eliza explains.
“But I know that my husband has a secret bank account, where he has hidden money away. The division won’t be equitable. That’s why I’m selling my engagement ring and all the jewelry and heirlooms. I’m just trying to make everything more fair, so that we actually get an equal split. And, well, I am already starting to worry about money. Childcare is expensive, especially when I’m on these digs. I’m overworked and underpaid . . . speaking of which—my meeting!” She picks up the phone. It rings and rings and rings. “Ugh, his voicemail is full. I can never reach Bones when I want to.” She hangs up and tries again, talking to us over the ringing. “Things have been awkward between us ever since I asked him to take a break from archaeology.”
“Your husband?”
“No, Bones.”
Oh. That makes more sense. “You wanted him to quit?”
“He’s been off lately. Distracted by the lure of treasure. I think he thinks it’ll bring him fame and glory—” We hear Bones’s voicemail again. Nadira growls and slams the phone down. “No use! I suppose he’ll think I stood him up. Where were we?”
“Nadira,” Eliza says, “can I ask you a question without you getting mad?”
Nadira bites her lip thoughtfully. “You know, it’s really hard to promise that before knowing what the question is.”
“Perhaps you wanted to steal the Necklace of Harmonia and sell it for extra money?”
She laughs. And not a fake laugh like Dr. Mandible—but a deep belly laugh. “Oh, that’s a good one! You really think someone would be able to walk off this dig carrying the most valuable artifact in history? And then be able to sell it online?”
“Well, not online necessarily,” Eliza says. “There’s a secret market for this sort of thing.”
Nadira shakes her head. “There’s no market secret enough to contain one of this magnitude. Maybe you can get away with selling an artifact or two in a market like that. But if anyone on this dig thinks they’re stealing and selling the Necklace of Harmonia, they’re an idiot. I am no such idiot.”
“Thank you,” Eliza says, standing up. “I think that’s all we need.”
“No, it’s not!” I say sharply. What is Eliza doing? “Ms. Nadeem, have you seen my mom?”
“Not for a while,” she says without hesitation. “Do we have reason to be alarmed?”
“No, I’m sure it’s okay,” I say, but my voice is shaky and my throat wobbles. I’m convincing no one.
But we leave the tent anyway. Frank immediately runs to the bathroom. And then it’s just Eliza and me. Standing out in the sun, I try hard not to feel as hot on the inside as I do on the outside. But I can’t help it.
I’m confused. Really confused.
Here I thought we each had a role on our team. Eliza’s the brains with puzzles and theories, Frank dives into all the small spots and finds all sorts of random clues, and I’m the one who talks to suspects and determines if we’ve gotten enough information out of them.
Eliza has been spending this whole case trying to go against every decision that I make, ending conversations before I’m ready to have them end, and refusing to help when I need her. She even stole the brochure from Dr. Mandible, which is usually Frank’s job.
So why is Eliza trying to shake things up? Why fix something that isn’t broken? What is she trying to prove—that she can do all three jobs by herself?
Eliza puts a gentle hand on my back. “Are you okay, Carlos?”
* * *
TO LIE TO ELIZA, CLICK HERE.
TO TELL ELIZA THE TRUTH, CLICK HERE.
* * *
“ELIZA, WHAT DO you mean there’s something actionable we can do? I don’t know what to do with this!” My voice rises in panic. “I keep trying to see a message within a message, like you said, but I don’t see anything!”
“We’ll figure it out,” Eliza says softly. “Together.”
“Yeah!” Frank says. He pauses. “Wait, what are we doing?”
Eliza points to the end of the first line, then moves her finger down the page. “Look at this. I keep asking myself why the lines end where they do. The line breaks are very strange. What if . . . we only read the last word of each line?”
Dear Carlos,
There is nothing I can say that will make this any easier, but someone
here knows the location of the missing artifacts and has
been lying to you from the start. All I can say is that I am very taken
with your detective skills, your determination, and your
independent mind. Perhaps Eliza, Frank, and your mother
don’t appreciate your genius. But I do. I know you’ll dive into
danger. I know you’ll do what’s right to save the
artifacts, help protect the catacombs,
and save your mother—yes, don’t be
surprised. She needs your help. But there
is no way I’m telling you where she is, in
no universe can I write it down. Because I fear for
my life. The years are flashing before my eyes: childhood, teen,
adult years. But I’m doomed. The culprit is on to me. I have only minutes.
—A friend
* * *
IF YOU THINK THE NUMBER IN THE MESSAGE IS FOURTEEN, CLICK HERE.
IF YOU THINK THE NUMBER IN THE MESSAGE IS TEN, CLICK HERE.
* * *
WE HAVE TO get to the exit! We have to get away!
Running as fast as we can, we reach the snakes in record time. We rub more garlic bread on our ankles and clear a path to a rope that Bones left dangling there.
We scurry out of the snake pit, run from the catacombs, and climb up the ladder of the excavation site. Then we weave through the tents, shrieking for help.
Suddenly my phone buzzes against my leg. Mom?
Nope—a text from a number I don’t know. It’s a picture of Bones, smiling, wearing the robe and the necklace.
Thanks for leaving the rope for me.
I turn to Eliza. “You didn’t pull up the rope?”
“You were the last one out of the pit! I thought you were doing it!”
I get another text.
And thanks for my two treasures. Double or nothing!
“We have to catch him!” I say.
“How?” Eliza says. “He could be anywhere!”
My phone buzzes again. One last time.
I win. Game over.
CASE CLOSED.
“MR. BONES, HAVE you seen my mom?”
He chuckles humorlessly. “I guess my poker face isn’t as good as I thought. That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about.” He pauses ominously, and it’s like suddenly I forget how to breathe. “I saw your mom headed into the tunnels.”
I instantly stand up. We have to go. We have to go now and get her.
Eliza puts a hand on my arm and slowly pulls me back to the table. When everything is telling me go, go, go, I have to remind myself to trust her hunches.
“When did you see her?”
“Yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” I choke.
Frank wiggles his tooth back and forth like he didn’t even register what Bones said.
But Eliza’s eyes narrow. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”
“Surely an accomplished professional detective doesn’t need me to wait at the archway for her to emerge! She’s supposed to be an ace.” He adjusts his fedora and stares at me. “Look, when the chips are down, we find our courage. I figured you’d want to go after your mother, Mr. Serrano.”
“Of course we do!” I say passionately. “But we need the disk.”
Bones looks aghast. “No, you don’t!”
“Yes, we do!” Frank says. “GIMME.”
Eliza nods in agreement. “You found it on a podium inside the catacombs. It’s clearly important—”
“You can go in without it. You really don’t need it.”
Why would he even show us the disk with the snakes and the Greek letters if he wasn’t going to let us use it? I get that he’s being protective of his artifacts, but this is my mom, and she’s way more important.
There’s no way that Bones will give it to us willingly. He’s been clutching it like it’s a life raft. But we need it. So we’re going to have to get a little clever. . . .
The plan hinges on Frank. Somehow it always does.
Ten minutes after we leave, Bones gets up from the picnic tables.
“Go now!” I whisper to Frank, but he’s already on his way. Just like we planned, Frank runs smack into Bones. Nearly bowls him over.
“Watch it!”
“WHOOPS!” Frank says.
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the catacombs now?”
“Yup! Bye!”
Frank runs back to us . . . with Bones’s phone in hand.
Perfectly executed.
Eliza takes the phone. “Nadira told us there are tensions between her and Bones—and we’ve already observed that on Bones’s side. So all we have to do is place the perfect text. . . .”
You skipped our meeting today. I’m not going to bankroll you if you’re going to be irresponsible. You aren’t getting paid for today. I’m doubling down on this.
She presses send and grins at me. “Let’s hope it works.”
Moments later, Nadira comes storming out of the bosses’ tent. “Bones!” she fumes, marching over to the picnic tables. “I can’t believe you would have the audacity to call me irresponsible, when you’re the one who can never be reached.”
“What are you talking about?”
Their commotion is gathering a crowd. I see our suspects: Dr. Mandible, Professor Worthington, Smarty Marty. They’re all watching this spectacle gleefully.
“Your voicemail is always full—I can never get you. Are you punishing me for suggesting you take a sabbatical?”
“Why’d you say that in the first place? You’re the one who turned the dice cold!”
As much as I would love to hear them air all their grievances, we can’t stay. We have to take advantage of this moment. We need to get the disk from Bones’s desk.
We head toward the bosses’ tent, but Frank starts running the opposite way.
“What are you doing?” I hiss at him.
“Potty!” he says, but he’s running in the opposite direction from the bathrooms. . . .
“Carlos, we don’t have time!” Eliza says, pulling me into the tent. We drop Bones’s phone off at his desk. Then I turn to the cabinet with the disk.
My heart is pounding. I open the doors and . . . and there is a second door inside, which of course is protected with a digital lock. It’s some kind of touch screen with a bunch of boxes and numbers.
“Oh, this is a nonogram!” Eliza says excitedly. “It’s basically like a paint-by-number puzzle. See the numbers? They tell you how many boxes in that row or column are filled in. So, if it says ten above a column, it means that ten of the boxes going down are colored in.”
“Why are there two or three numbers sometimes?”
“Because it’s telling you there’s a bunch in a row, then a gap, then another few. So the one at the bottom there—seven, one, seven. It means there are seven filled in. Then a gap. Then one filled in. Then a gap. Then seven.”
“Uh-huh . . . ,” I say, straining to hear Bones and Nadira’s fight, very much aware that it could end at any second. “How do you know which box to color in?”
“You don’t. Not at first glance. That’s the puzzle of it! Sometimes it takes a little trial and error.”
“And if we complete the nonogram correctly?”
Eliza smiles. “It’ll reveal an image. And open up the cabinet—I’m sure of it.”
* * *
IF THE IMAGE IS A DIAMOND, CLICK HERE.
IF THE IMAGE IS A SPADE, CLICK HERE.
TO ASK ELIZA FOR A HINT, CLICK HERE.
* * *
WE CAN’T SNEAK around Zip’s desk with Smarty Marty right here. I think it’s safer to talk to her.
But when we walk up to her desk, she doesn’t acknowledge us. She’s staring straight at her computer.
“Smarty?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer. Her headphone music must be really loud. We have to get her attention somehow.
I walk over to her phone and unplug her headphones. She looks up at me with a death glare—with fury and hatred stronger than the sun.
“I was in the zone!” she snaps. “Do you know how hard it is to get in the zone? How much concentration it takes?”
“Uh . . . no?”
“And do you know what happens to people who break me out of my zone before I’m ready?”
