Chapter 6

The Next-Door Neighbour

‘The Royal Princess of Norway is next door?’ whispered Melanie.

She and Friday were standing in their own dorm room.

‘That’s right,’ whispered Friday.

‘But I just bumped into another girl coming out of that room,’ said Melanie. ‘A short, dowdy girl with dark brown hair, wearing a misshapen blue cardigan.’

‘No, that’s the other new girl. They’re roommates,’ said Friday.

‘Well, I like the dowdy girl in the blue cardigan,’ said Melanie. ‘She reminded me of you, although her cardigan wasn’t quite as ugly as yours. It’s a nicer colour, for a start.’

‘The Headmaster put the princess in the room next door to ours so I can keep an eye on her,’ said Friday.

‘Hasn’t she got a bodyguard who can do that?’ asked Melanie.

‘Yes, but his room is on the boys’ floor,’ said Friday. ‘It wouldn’t be appropriate to have a great big man living in a dormitory full of girls.’

‘I can only imagine the giggling it would cause,’ agreed Melanie.

‘Do you think I would be invading her privacy if I pressed my ear to the wall and tried to hear what she’s doing in there?’ asked Friday.

‘Oh yes, definitely,’ said Melanie. ‘But we’re pre-teen girls. We’re supposed to have a cavalier disregard for the sensibilities of our peers.’

They both pressed their ears against the wall.

‘Can you hear anything?’ asked Friday.

‘No, the wall is not very forthcoming,’ said Melanie.

‘That’s the problem with attending an elite preparatory academy,’ said Friday. ‘The buildings are so well-built, the walls are proper insulated brick structures. If this were a state school with fibro walls, we’d be able to hear her breathing.’

‘If this were a state school,’ said Melanie, ‘the heir to the throne of Norway would not be living in the room next to us.’

There was a knock at the door.

‘That might be the princess,’ said Melanie. ‘Perhaps that’s why we can’t hear her through the wall – because she’s outside the door.’

Friday opened the door and she immediately guessed that this was the other new girl standing before her. She was wearing an eye-catchingly drab blue cardigan.

‘Hello,’ said the new girl as she nervously shifted her glasses higher up her nose. ‘I’m, um …’

‘The new girl?’ asked Friday.

‘Gosh, yes,’ said the new girl. ‘I heard you were good at deducing things. I didn’t realise you’d start doing it right away.’

‘This is Debbie,’ said Melanie. ‘Debbie meet Friday.’

‘I’ve never met anybody named after a day of the week before,’ confessed Debbie.

‘That’s because most parents are a great deal more sensible than mine,’ said Friday.

‘Would you like to come in and listen to the wall?’ asked Melanie.

‘All right,’ said Debbie.

The three girls pressed their ears against the wall.

‘What are we listening for?’ asked Debbie.

‘Your new roommate, the princess,’ said Melanie.

‘Oh,’ said Debbie.

‘But she’s disappointingly quiet,’ said Friday, stepping away.

‘I actually came over because I thought you might be able to help me with something, if it’s not too much trouble. I don’t want to bother you if you’re busy,’ said Debbie.

‘We’re listening to a wall,’ said Friday. ‘You can’t get any less busy than that.’

‘Unless you take a nap,’ added Melanie.

‘So what’s the problem?’ said Friday. ‘Lost property? Missing homework? Or has someone falsely accused you of a crime?’

‘Nothing that exciting, I’m afraid,’ admitted Debbie. ‘I’ve just locked myself out of my room. I’m not used to having a key to keep track of, you see.’

‘That’s easily fixed,’ said Friday, going to her desk and taking out her lock-picking kit. ‘Fortunately the school has cheap, substandard locks on all the dormitory doors. It will only take me a few minutes to pick it for you.’

‘And I’ll lend you a shoelace,’ said Melanie.

‘A shoelace?’ asked Debbie.

‘So when you find your key you can tie it around your neck.’ Melanie pulled a shoelace with a key on it out from under her jumper. ‘I have a problem with that sort of thing, too. Before Friday became my roommate I once slept in the corridor for three nights because I lost my key and didn’t want to bother anyone about it.’

‘I’ve already got one,’ said Debbie, taking a length of leather string out from under her shirt. It had a pebble with a hole in the middle strung on it. ‘Technically it’s not a shoelace but a leather necklace. Same idea, though.’

‘What type of stone is that?’ asked Melanie.

‘It’s just a pebble,’ said Debbie. ‘My family aren’t big on fancy jewellery.’

By the time Melanie and Debbie wandered out into the corridor Friday had the tension wrench inserted in the lock and was working on the first tumbler.

‘Where did you learn how to do that?’ asked Debbie.

‘At home,’ said Friday. ‘I came home from school one day and found the house locked up. My parents had gone to a conference in Kuala Lumpur and had forgotten to tell me. But I was able to fashion a tension wrench out of a screwdriver and a pick out of a hair pin, and in just two short hours I taught myself how to pick a lock.’

‘Excuse me,’ said a heavily accented voice.

Friday looked up to see Princess Ingrid glaring down her nose at her. She was even more beautiful close up, even from that angle. Most people don’t look their best when you’re staring up their nose. But this princess looked stunning. She also looked deeply unimpressed.

‘Yes?’ said Friday.

‘You are in the way of my access,’ said the princess.

‘Sorry,’ said Friday.

‘I am guiding the entrance of my possessions,’ said the princess.

Friday looked around the princess, and saw another gorgeous blonde behind her. Ian Wainscott was holding one end of her massive travelling trunk.

‘Hello Friday,’ said Ian. ‘Fancy meeting you here, on your hands and knees, trying to break in. What a surprise.’

‘Is this some miscreant?’ the princess asked Ian. ‘Should we inform the police officers?’

‘The police are already aware of her movements,’ said Ian, shaking his head sadly. ‘Hers is more of a mental health issue rather than an actual crime.’

‘Ah,’ said the princess, ‘I understand. She is, how you say … bonkers?’

‘Quite right,’ agreed Ian.

‘Hello there, Mel,’ said a voice.

‘Binky, is that you?’ asked Melanie.

Binky Pelly bent sideways so they could see his head around the side of the trunk. He was holding the other end. ‘Yes, it’s me. Wainscott needed something carried. And when you need something heavy lugged, I’m your man.’

Binky was Melanie’s older brother. He was a very affable if dim-witted boy. He was also very large and muscular.

‘You will move now so that my trunk, she will be installed,’ the princess said to Friday.

‘As it is your first day and English is your second language I shall overlook your misuse of pronouns and do as you ask,’ said Friday, getting up and standing back.

The princess unlocked the door with her key and the boys moved forward with the trunk. The princess stopped them at the doorway. ‘You may go now,’ she announced, before grabbing the handle of the trunk herself, rolling it into the room and slamming the door.

‘Nice girl,’ said Binky, happily.

‘Do you think so?’ asked Ian.

‘Well, obviously not in manners, or the way she talks, or treats people,’ said Binky. ‘But very nice to look at.’

‘One out of four isn’t too bad,’ said Friday.

‘Exactly,’ said Binky. ‘Much better than none out of four.’

Debbie tried the door handle. ‘It’s unlocked, I can get in.’

Then, in a very odd move, Debbie slid into the room she shared with the princess, keeping the door as closed as absolutely possible so that the others only got the smallest glimpse of the room behind her.

‘Thanks for your help,’ said Debbie, her lips only just visible through an inch-wide crack in the door. ‘I’d invite you in, but there’s a lot of dirty underwear lying around.’ She shut the door firmly.

‘That was odd, wasn’t it?’ said Friday, turning to Melanie. ‘How can there be dirty underwear lying around? She only just got here.’

‘Maybe she brought some from home,’ said Ian.

‘It certainly seemed odd to me,’ agreed Melanie. ‘And I’ve got a high benchmark of oddness to compare it to.’