Free Charlie Bone and the Shadow of Badlock (Children of the Red King, Book 7) by Jenny Nimmo

Billy Raven inherits everything, remember. This house, the ancient castle, even the treasures hidden under old Ezekiel's bed."
    Manfred lost his smile and a look of icy cunning came across his face. Mrs. Tilpin found herself holding the mirror tight to her chest, as though the green figure swirling in the glass could protect her from the boy's deadly stare.
    "Lyell Bone will never return," said Manfred. "We'll see to that."

CHAPTER 5
    THE PETS' CAFÉ IS CLOSED
     
    Long after his friends had left, Charlie still wandered the house. Up and down the stairs, in and out of his room, and down into the cellar, where he would stare at Runner Bean's image, at the strands of white hairs in his yellow beard, his shiny black nose, and the reproachful brown eyes that gazed into Charlie's.
    "I'm trying to get you out of there, Runner," Charlie would murmur, but try as he might, he couldn't reach the dog trapped in Badlock, a place that might not even exist in the real world. Someone had created a barrier between Charlie and the poor creature he longed to rescue. Charlie had a very good idea who it was, for he met the same impenetrable wall whenever he tried to enter the Red King's portrait.
    Uncle Paton had retreated to his room to consider the problem. In his opinion, Billy Raven was the one to unlock the mystery of Runner Bean's incarceration, for there was a chance that the pale, white-haired boy might somehow communicate with the dog in the painting.
    But Billy was imprisoned in Bloor's Academy, and there was no likelihood of his being released at this late hour on a Sunday. They would have to wait for next weekend, when Charlie must make sure that Billy came home with him.
    "A week might be too long," Charlie declared, thinking of Oddthumb and his partiality for dog meat.
    Maisie, her usually cheerful face creased with worry, turned on the kitchen television. "There's nothing we can do for now, Charlie," she said, "so we might as well cheer ourselves up."
    Charlie couldn't agree. He was about to go back to the cellar when Grandma Bone came downstairs, dressed up for an evening out with her sisters. Charlie stood by the cellar door, watching the tall figure stride to the front door. Though knowing it would be useless, Charlie couldn't stop himself from calling out to her.
    "Grandma! Please, please, do you know why my friend's dog got locked in that painting?"
    Grandma Bone hesitated.
    Charlie walked toward her. "If you know why it's happened, can you tell me how I can get Runner Bean out of there?"
    "I hope you've done your homework," said Grandma Bone. "School tomorrow." She turned the door handle.
    "PLEASE, Grandma!" begged Charlie.
    Without another word his grandmother opened the front door and swept out, leaving the wind to slam the door behind her.
    "Thanks, Grandma!" Charlie muttered.
    He had only taken a few steps back to the cellar when the doorbell rang. Had Grandma Bone forgotten her keys? Charlie was tempted to ignore the bell, but it continued to ring in a rather frantic way. Whoever it was, with their finger glued to the bell, they weren't going to give up until someone answered.
    Charlie trudged back to the front door. He had hardly turned the handle when a small brown-haired woman in a man's tweed suit and cap burst into the hall. Charlie just about recognized Benjamin's mother, Mrs. Brown.
    "Charlie, where's your uncle?" Mrs. Brown demanded.
    "He's busy." Charlie knew that Uncle Paton hated to be disturbed at dusk, when all the lights came on. "If it's about Runner ..."
    "Of COURSE it is!" cried Mrs. Brown. "What have you done? Benjamin's distraught, inconsolable..."
    "I know ... ," Charlie began.
    "You don't know, Charlie Bone, or you wouldn't have done it."
    "But I..."
    "Paton!" Mrs. Brown called up the stairs. "I know you're there. I saw your candle in the window. I MUST speak to you."
    A door opened and Uncle Paton appeared at the top of the stairs. "What is it, Patricia?" he said brusquely.
    ""What is it?" You know