‘Mitchell, I’m sure there is a simple explanation. I want this sorted out quickly. Mr Bronsen came to collect the inter-school football trophy, which is kept right here, in the library’s trophy cabinet. It wasn’t here. In its place was this soccer ball, with your name on it. Is this your ball, Mitchell?’ Mrs Waite was talking in a controlled, yet scary way.

‘Yes,’ I whispered.

‘Did you put it there, Mitchell?’

‘No, Mrs Waite.’

‘Do you know where the football trophy is, Mitchell?’ she asked.

I shook my head. ‘No, Mrs Waite.’

‘Mitchell.’ It was Miss Javros speaking. ‘Look!’

She was pointing to the far end of the library – the sporting end where the school year boxes were kept. Where the entrance to the secret room was. Books, magazines and boxes lay scattered everywhere. The place was a mess.

‘Do you know anything about this mess, Mitchell?’ she asked.

I looked Miss Javros in the eye and said firmly, ‘No, Miss Javros.’

All four teachers looked at me for a moment without speaking.

Then Mr Bronsen shook his head.

‘I think we should be looking elsewhere.’

I was just about to tell them about the secret room, the tunnel, and everything else, when Travis Fisk opened the door. He waited, standing nervously by the door. I think he feared we were discussing a certain soccer quiz result.

‘Yes, Travis?’ Mrs Waite asked, looking at him curiously.

‘Travis, my soccer ball. Who were the last kids to see my soccer ball?’

He looked at me in surprise.

‘The Hoods,’ he said. ‘Some Hoods kids, me and Gr – me and Mitchell bumped into. They took it from us.’

‘Well, it appears they have brought it back. In the last hour. And exchanged it for a football trophy. And done it, what’s more, while the library has been locked. Now,’ Mrs Waite continued, ‘who is going to explain that?’

Travis Fisk looked at me, totally bewildered. It obviously wasn’t going to be him.

It was a crazy situation to be in. How had the soccer ball ended up there? More to the point, how had the inter-school football trophy disappeared?

It was a puzzling problem, and it was causing a lot of bother for a lot of people. The teachers were in a frazzle. This was something big.

I was looking forward to the next sport. The Legend of Basketball was supposed to be the most popular competition of the whole series. Someone new, who hadn’t figured in any of the previous Legends events, was bound to make a statement. It wouldn’t be long before I’d find out who.

But first there was a football trophy to find . . .