44

The Young Magicians stood facing the blue door. Behind them, a flock of Friday morning pigeons scrabbled about the wheelie bins along Stephenson Way, searching for a discarded crust – or even an entire crayfish, as had once been the case.

‘So,’ said Jonny. ‘One thing I’ve been wondering …’

‘One thing?’

‘… is how Alf knew where to find DI Caulfield.’

‘Oh,’ said Sophie, her fully packed rucksack ballooning out from behind – having checked out of the hotel and suitably undone any traces of hypnotic influence on the staff. ‘That’ll be because I told Alf where to find him.’

‘Naturally! And might we know how you knew?’ said Jonny with a smile.

Sophie mouthed something at him.

He paused. ‘No, sorry – no idea what you’re saying.’

‘I was saying,’ said Sophie casually, ‘that I can lip-read.’

‘Oh, right. Oh, right! Coooooooool!’

‘Ah, so when DI Caulfield whispered to that journalist the other day …?’ began Zack.

‘I knew exactly where he was taking the lady on a date, yes!’

‘Ha, brilliant! I bet he loved that!’ said Jonny.

‘Tell you what the inspector’s going to love even more –’ Zack was bouncing from foot to foot – ‘is when the Queen finds out he took a few bits and pieces from her bedroom!’

‘Oh, Zack mate, you didn’t!’

‘Well, I had to get back at him somehow, didn’t I? Don’t you remember the final points on our plan? And it was just too easy sneaking it all into his pocket. He didn’t notice a thing.’

‘Do … Do you think Henry and Ernest will go to … prison?’ Alex asked hesitantly, lowering his eyes when he saw Jonny instantly bristling at the mention of his granddad’s name.

‘I don’t know, Alex,’ answered Sophie. ‘I’m sure Henry will.’

‘We’re safe from him now – that’s the main thing,’ said Zack.

‘So,’ said Jonny, changing the subject, ‘shall we go and partay?’ He gestured towards the door.

‘Yeah – I mean, we could do that, Jonathan,’ said Zack mischievously. ‘But, you know – as we’re now members of the Magic Circle and all that – I was hoping we could have a proper wander about the place … I’d love to check out that second set of stairs past the library, for example.’

‘Oh, now, that sounds like a much better idea!’

And with that the Young Magicians raced through the blue door, slamming it shut behind them and causing the flock of nearby pigeons to fly high into the air, and straight into the path of a rapidly accelerating monarch who had categorically refused for the zip-line to be taken down in the end as it was plain and simply too much fun getting to soar above one’s country like this. Even in broad daylight!

SWOOSH!

SMACK!

*feathers*