CHAPTER FORTY

Behind the door was a hidden room.

And it was empty.

I stepped cautiously inside the secret room. It was small and square with stone walls. Lying in the middle of the stone floor was an envelope, caked in dust. Gingerly I picked it up and dusted it off. The faded ink on the front said:

To the Treasure Seeker

I tore open the envelope with shaking hands and gently unfolded the delicate paper inside. In a slightly trembly voice I read the words aloud.

“You mean, it was a trick?” Maxwell Dangerfield’s cry fractured the heavy silence. “All this for . . . nothing?! The years of research. . . All this planning! The scheming!” He began to laugh hysterically until fat tears were rolling down his cheeks.

“Yes,” I said quietly. “It was all a trick. One that was meant for cruel, greedy people like you. It serves you right.” I turned to the crown. “This man is Arthur Scroggins.” I pointed to him. “He started the fire at the town hall and he tried to kill Penny Farthing . . . twice. All to get his hands on the Scrimshaw gold.”

“Don’t you call me that name!” he screeched, lurching towards me once more. “I’m Maxwell Dangerfield and I’m a star!” He turned to face his horrified audience. “I’m a star,” he repeated in a whisper, falling to the ground.

“Yes, Mr Scroggins,” Inspector Hartley agreed. “I’m sure you’ll be the star of many an amateur production in prison. Which is where you’re headed, for a long time,” and with that Inspector Hartley dragged him to his feet and led him away while the crowd cheered.

I stood with the dusty letter in my hand and felt dozens of eyes on me.

Looking up I saw Pym watching me with a broad smile. She held her arms up and I ran into them. It was a long hug and the rest of my family soon joined in. Phineas Scrimshaw’s letter twirled around my head and I realized suddenly that it wasn’t words like “mum” or “dad” that mattered. Families might look completely different but having people that love and care for you is what is really important. A lot of people didn’t have that, but I did. Phineas Scrimshaw was right, at that moment I felt like the richest girl in the world.

“Well,” said Miss Baxter, dabbing at her eyes with a hankie, “I should say we could all do with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit. Ladies and gentlemen, if you’d like to follow me to the dining hall.”

“Ah. Small problem there, Miss B,” said Marvin with a guilty smile. “Think I may have left my hat open again,” he said nervously, “and those little fluffy fellows caught the scent of the biscuit buffet. There was no budging them after that.”

Pym looked like she was about to strongly disagree, when she was interrupted by Fanella. “Coward Marvin surrender dining hall to guinea pig army,” she smirked with her arms folded across her chest. “He no listen to me when I tell him retreat is showing them weakness.”

“But Fanella,” said Luigi reasonably, “you know it was the only way to reach a peaceful solution.”

“Bah!” said Fanella.

“Right, well, I think you’d better go and sort it out, hadn’t you?” Pym gave Marvin a stern look.

“Yes, yes,” he spluttered. “Come on then, troops!” and he led the crowd of performers, parents and students off to face down their ferocious enemy.

Pym caught me by the arm so that we stayed behind, alone, in the great hall.

“Another case closed.” She looked at me with a funny expression in her scrunched-up eye. “But . . . perhaps . . . there’s another mystery for Poppy Pym to solve?” She pulled the brown envelope out of her pocket. In all the excitement I had almost forgotten about it. Almost.

“If anyone can solve it, you can.” Pym gave me a big squeezing hug, and without another word she left to join the others. I loved that she knew just when I needed to be by myself.

From the dining hall I heard faint cries of, “Stop the guinea pigs! Attack!” and with shaking hands I opened the envelope again.

I tipped the envelope and the necklace fell into my hand. I looked again at the delicate chain with tiny pearls threaded on to it, and the dainty silver heart-shaped charm with a feeling of shock growing in my belly. I pressed the heart to my cheek and felt the cool metal there, just as I had felt it only a few minutes ago. With a sob, I realized where I had seen the necklace before.

Around Miss Susan’s neck.