Sewer Mayhem Page 6

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jacob struggled to open the door to Dave’s office, laden as he was with shopping bags filled with tins of Meow-Meow cat food.

  Dave watched him come in. ‘Are you moving house?’

  ‘Seems that way, doesn’t it? Spike’s going to eat me out of house and home one of these days.’

  ‘Your cat eats more than my dog.’

  Jacob put his shopping bags down and looked around Dave’s office. Only now he noticed that the place was a mess. ‘What happened here?’

  Drawers were open and the contents thrown out, the bin turned upside down. In the little kitchen the cabinet doors were opened, coffee mugs and teaspoons strewn across the floor.

  ‘It seems there was a burglary,’ Dave said. ‘I only just came in myself.’ He nodded towards the door. ‘Someone used a crowbar to come in.’

  The two men surveyed the mess.

  ‘But why would anyone break into your office?’

  Dave shrugged. ‘Perhaps they thought I keep money here?’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘No, just loads of paperwork and some tools.’

  ‘Maybe they were looking for computer equipment?’ They stared at the ancient computer terminal that stood on Dave’s desk.

  ‘Of course they left that one alone,’ Dave said. He sighed. ‘No chance of getting a new one now.’

  Dave walked through his office. ‘Funny thing is that there doesn’t seem to be anything missing.’ He opened a cupboard door. In the corner stood a heavy-duty tripod. ‘Even my theodolite is still here. And that’s easily the most expensive piece of equipment I have.’

  ‘Maybe it was some teenage prank,’ Jacob said.

  ‘Perhaps, but I better tell the police about it.’ Dave reached for the phone on his desk, but it started ringing before he could lift the receiver.

  As he answered it, Jacob looked around some more. Dave’s little warden’s office seemed like a very strange place to break in.

  He glanced out of the window and saw Spencer and Peggy crossing the road and making a beeline for Dave’s office. His scalp pricked. Was Peggy coming here? He didn’t want to be trapped with her in such a small place. He was still sweaty from lugging the cat food around. The door opened and Spencer and Peggy came in. Too late to escape now.

  ‘Whatever happened here?’ Spencer said, looking down his nose at the mess.

  Dave had finished the phone call and got up from behind his desk.

  ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘Just a little mishap.’

  Spencer stepped up to him. ‘ASBOW has decided to hold a street party to raise funds for the beautification of Woolaston Road.’ He flicked a speck of dust from his shoulder. ‘That way we have a better chance of winning the Most Beautiful Local Shopping Street in England competition. We need to apply for a permit.’

  Jacob couldn’t help snorting a little.

  Spencer turned towards him with an icy stare. ‘What was that?’

  ‘I can’t believe you are still sticking with that name.’ Jacob stared at Spencer. ‘Isn’t it time for a new one?’

  ‘What’s wrong with Association of Shop and Boutique Owners Woolaston Road?’

  Jacob waved his hand. ‘Never mind.’

  Spencer sniffed and turned back to Dave. ‘Now about that permit.’

  Peggy bent closer to Jacob. ‘He’s just ordered one thousand new letterheads with the ASBOW logo,’ she said behind her hand. She grinned and rolled her eyes. It made her look a lot less scary, Jacob thought.

  ‘I have a permit application form somewhere around here,’ Dave said, looking at the papers on the floor. ‘Let me look for it and I will drop one off.’

  ‘Make it quick,’ Spencer said. ‘We are on a tight schedule here.’

  ‘I will do my best.’ Dave walked back to his desk. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with? I’m rather busy and would like to get on.’

  ‘Yes. Have you heard anything about the sewers yet?’ Peggy said. She was all stern and scary again.

  Dave sighed. ‘No, not yet. I promise, you will be the first to hear when I do.’

  Spencer and Peggy left and Dave started picking up papers from the floor. ‘That phone call just now was from Gareth Johnson. But he didn’t have any news yet about the sewer survey.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Apparently his van was broken into yesterday when they were busy with the camera. Nothing was stolen.’

  ‘Really?’ Jacob scratched his chin. ‘That is very interesting. Coincidence?’

  Dave shrugged. ‘No idea.’

  Jacob picked up his shopping bags. ‘I’d better get going. I wish I could give you a hand with this, but I’ve got to teach in half an hour.’

  ‘No matter.’ Dave looked up a Jacob. ‘Why did you come here, by the way?’

  ‘To be honest, like Peggy, I was curious if you’d heard anything from Gareth yet.’ He walked to the door. ‘See you later.’

  Coming out of Dave’s office, Jacob saw Lorenzo Jr walk by on Woolaston Road.

  ‘Wait!’ he shouted. ‘Can I have a word with you?’ He started jogging as fast as he could, weighed down as he was with the cat food. But coming around the corner he saw Lorenzo stepping into a car and drive off. Well, perhaps he could speak to him this afternoon.

  Jacob turned around and made his way back down Upper Tile Street. Better get rid of the shopping first, then quickly get to school, he decided. His students would no doubt be eager to learn everything about physics on this bright Monday morning. Ha! He shook his head. Well, at least he’d earn some much needed money.

  * * *

  Standing on the corner of Woolaston Road and Upper Tile Street, Ricky was staring at the door of Dave’s office. The poncey craft shop owner and reedy woman of the food place had just gone into the office of the stupid warden, who thought he ruled the roost in this neighbourhood.

  Ricky’s hands, shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans, balled into fists. What a fruitless few days he’d had. His search of the maintenance van yesterday had not given him any sign of his loot, neither had his search of the warden’s office. It was just too frustrating for words… He wished he had never told his mother about his lucky break at the jewellers. Now she wouldn’t stop nagging him about that fur coat. Besides, he needed to get some new trainers, as his descent into the sewers had damaged his other one’s something bad.

  He had been so sure yesterday that the warden and the sewer guy were in league about his loot. Why else had the warden hung about the manhole, checking up on the maintenance guys? It had to have something to do with his loot. But the warden’s office had turned up nothing.

  And now two more people had come into the picture. Was it possible that it was one large conspiracy? Maybe all the shop owners were in on it and his loot already divided? How would he know if that was the case? Ricky’s brow furrowed. And how would he ever get it back?

  The office door opened and the two shop owners came back out. Ricky ducked into a porch and let them walk past. Then he started following them, making sure that he kept about a thirty feet distance. Ricky studied their backs.

  It looked like the craft shop owner was wearing a new suit. An expensive new suit. Ricky’s mind raced. Had the man already sold his part of the loot and bought new clothes with the money? Not impossible.

  On Woolaston Road, the woman disappeared into her shop with a wave of her hand. The craft shop owner kept walking up the street. Ricky followed. This guy was his new target. He’d better act quickly, before the man had a chance to sell any more of Ricky’s precious loot.

  * * *

  Paddy

  Leo and I walked down the sewer in the direction of Dunnington. I’d never been this far away from home and it was somewhat unsettling to realise that this tunnel, with all its side-pipes and drains, just kept on going.

  Every time we’d heard a sound, we’d hidden away, checking if it was perhaps the Mob coming around the corner. But it was a false alarm every time. So far, we’d had an
uneventful patrol.

  ‘Shall we turn back?’ Leo said, after we’d walked for quite some time. ‘It doesn’t seem that the Bambini have made it this far yet.’

  ‘Good idea,’ I said, and shivered slightly. ‘Can’t wait to be back in the sewers under Woolaston Road.’ I looked over my shoulder. ‘Somehow they’re different here.’

  Leo nodded. ‘That’s because there’s more two-leggeds around Woolaston Road. Makes it all a bit more lively.’

  We walked for a bit in silence.

  ‘Did Gus manage to find a good spot in the old building to hide his treasure?’ I said, brushing a cobweb off my whiskers. I hadn’t spoken to Gus since the evening before, as when Leo and I left for our patrol he’d only just returned from his and was now guarding the hole in the wall.

  ‘Yes, he did,’ Leo said. ‘I will show you when we get back.’

  Water clattered down from a drain and we jumped aside to avoid getting wet.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking,’ I said, ‘but is there a reason that Gus is the way he is about his treasure?’

  Leo pawed the fur on his chin. ‘There probably is. Our family has always been pretty poor, but that was never really a problem. There are many poor rats in Hull and we all lived together and helped each other out. When our mother Lunetta was young, however, she always dreamt about getting rich. She collected artefacts she found in the sewers and on the streets and would pretend it was treasure.

  ‘But you know, the only way to get rich in Hull is to associate yourself with Antonio and Donatella’s Mob and that is not something you want to do. They’re much too dangerous, those rats. Our mother was smart enough not to get involved with the Mob and instead got together with our father Mike, who was also from a poor family. That didn’t matter, though, as Gus and I were always very happy as little’uns. But I do think that some of our mother’s “get rich” genes rubbed off on Gus, as they were often together, showing each other new finds for their collections.’

  ‘That makes sense, I suppose,’ I said. ‘But why didn’t the drive to get rich rub off on you?’

  ‘Oh, that’s easy,’ Leo said. ‘I’m more like my father and we’re only interested in food.’

  I smiled. ‘I think you would get along really well with my second-cousin Pete. He’s quite a connoisseur of food as well.’

  We’d made it back to the familiar surroundings of Woolaston Road. All was quiet.

  ‘Do you want to walk a little bit in the other direction?’ Leo said, pointing down the main sewer.

  I shrugged. ‘Yes, why not?’

  It didn’t take us long to pass the infamous manhole, after which the alligator egg appeared.

  ‘Will you look at that,’ I said, looking up at the gelatinous blob that was stuck to the ceiling. ‘Looks like it’s grown again.’

  Leo nodded. ‘I guess that the baby alligator is growing fast.’

  We studied the blob.

  ‘Did I ever tell you the ratlore story about the alligator?’ Leo said.

  ‘No, I don’t think you did.’

  ‘It goes like this. One day there was a silly two-legged who had a little alligator as a pet. At first it was only small, but soon it grew and got bigger and bigger. It wasn’t long before the two-legged was too scared to look after it and one night, he set it free in the sewers under Woolaston Road. The alligator was very happy to be free and grew some more. Then, it started to lay an egg. This egg hatched and now there is not only an alligator under Woolaston Road, but also one under Milbury Road. So the best thing a rat can do when walking through the sewers is to look over his shoulder a lot. Only that way can he spot the back ridges of the alligator as they stick out of the water. Then he can trip it and escape.’

  ‘Trip it?’ I said. ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Leo shrugged. ‘That’s how I heard it.’

  ‘But if the alligator is so big, how could you trip it?’

  A movement caught our eyes, and we jumped. It was just Vinnie walking towards us.

  ‘Hey, guys,’ he said. ‘Had a good patrol? You must be hungry.’ He waved with his paw. ‘There’s food near Gus and Leo’s digs.’

  ‘What sort of food?’ Leo said, his mouth open and tongue hanging out.

  ‘I don’t know, Gus organised it with Daisy.’

  My stomach rumbled. ‘Let’s go.’

  As we hurried back, I forgot all about Leo’s weird ratlore story.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  What was the time? Jacob glanced at his watch as he hurried down the stairs in the school. Quarter past twelve. Just enough time to make it to the allotment to check on his computer and get back before the next lesson started. Hopefully the calculations were going as expected.

  ‘Woah!’ He rounded a corner and nearly bumped into a young woman, also on her way out. ‘Sorry, I didn’t see you there.’

  ‘No problem. I wasn’t actually looking where I was going.’

  Together they walked down the hall towards the doors.

  ‘You’re the new supply teacher, aren’t you?’ Jacob said.

  ‘Yes. I’m Colleen Frost. I started a week ago and am filling in for the English teacher. She’s going to have a baby soon.’

  ‘Ah, yes. I remember now.’

  They exited through the doors into the large playground. Students were hanging about; some of them chatting, but many of them with their eyes glued to their phones.

  Colleen checked out Jacob’s lab coat. ‘Are you the science teacher?’

  ‘Science and physics. I’m Jacob Hicks.’

  ‘Nice to meet you.’ Colleen smiled. ‘Those must be hard subjects to teach.’

  Jacob nodded. ‘It’s true that many of my students are less than enthusiastic.’

  ‘Well, if it’s any consolation, not that many like English either.’

  ‘I suppose teenagers never really like education, whatever it is.’

  They came to a halt on the corner of Milbury Road and Jacob pointed with his thumb.

  ‘I’m going left here.’

  ‘Ah,’ Colleen said. ‘I’m going to the shops. I want to buy a present for my son. He lives with my parents in Leeds during the week, while I’m in York.’

  ‘Do you know your way to the shops?’

  Colleen nodded. ‘Just straight down Milbury Road, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes. Woolaston Road is only a ten-minute walk away.’

  ‘It’s nice to be in a neighbourhood that has all the shops you need,’ Colleen said. ‘In Leeds most of the local shops have disappeared.’

  ‘We are indeed lucky here in Milbury.’ Jacob pointed towards the allotment. ‘I’m running off now. See you later.’

  As Jacob walked up Milbury Hill, he was a bit baffled with himself for actually having been able to talk to a woman. It was not something that was normally his strong suit. Was he finally getting over that ridiculous phobia, or was there some other reason for it? Perhaps he had been able to talk to Colleen because she was still young and closer to Emily’s age? He had no problem talking to Emily any more, so did it have anything to do with age?

  He shook his head. In any case, it seemed Colleen was a bit of a chatterbox, so he’d better not bump into her too often.

  One glance at his computer told him that everything was running smoothly. Good. He stroked the front of it. This baby was his life’s work and he couldn’t wait to find out if the test was a success. He needed patience and perhaps something to keep his mind off things for a while.

  It was time to get back to the school, and while Jacob closed the door of the shed behind him, his phone rang.

  ‘Hey, Jacob,’ Emily’s voice came. ‘Mrs Jefferson was just in the shop and she told us that Kenneth Field has been arrested by the police.’

  Jacob arched an eyebrow. ‘Kenneth’s been arrested? That surprises me.’

  ‘Well, he was. Mrs Jefferson herself saw how he was bundled into the back of a police car and that McDermott looked very smug.’


  ‘Yes, McDermott’s good at that. Specially when he’s actually wrong.’ Jacob made his way off the allotment and back down the hill. ‘Listen, I can’t believe that Kenneth would actually kill his own son. What would his motive be? And what about McDermott’s idea that the burglar did it?’

  ‘I don’t know about that,’ Emily said. ‘But can we talk about it later? The shop is full of customers and Aunt Peggy’s looking daggers at me.’

  ‘No problem. I’ll talk to you later.’ Jacob put the phone back into his pocket. He highly doubted that Kenneth Field was the murderer. This was just McDermott’s high-handed way of operating. He was such a bull in a china shop. Things were either black or white. There was nothing subtle about the man at all.

  Jacob shivered. He was glad he wasn’t Kenneth right now. Better keep it that way and stay away from McDermott.

  * * *

  Emily was hovering near the entrance to the playground. She wasn’t sure if she was allowed to enter it, so she decided to wait for Jacob here. Trevor had climbed on to her shoulder and Mike had nestled himself in the crook of her arm. She stroked his back. She didn’t care that the students leaving the school stared at her. She knew many of them were scared of her, and she liked to keep it that way. Although it was of course a pity that Aunt Peggy had forced her to get rid of her black hair, when she had started working at Posh Nosh. At least she had retaliated with dying it blue. She grinned to herself.

  Jacob approached her from across the playground, holding in his hand a very teacher-ish brown leather bag.

  ‘If it wasn’t for that eternal lab coat you’re wearing, professor, you would almost blend in,’ Emily said, falling into step with him.

  ‘I don’t want to blend in any more than you do with your blue hair,’ Jacob said.

  Emily rolled her eyes. ‘Never mind that now. I’ve got some news. I went to Sant’Ambrogio’s to see how Sam was doing and to find out if Lorenzo was in. Neither of them was, but that cute waiter told me something interesting.’