Free Mr Badger and the Missing Ape by Leigh Hobbs Page A

said: ‘Algernon is away but will be back shortly.’

    Better that the children believe Algernon had gone on holiday, thought Mr Badger, than they be upset by the truth, which was that he’d disappeared.

    â€˜That leaves us to do the worrying,’ whispered Mr Badger to Miss Pims. ‘I think we should plan our search.’

    During morning tea in the dining room, the most pressing topic of conversation amongst mothers and fathers, grandpas, grandmas and children alike was Algernon: ‘Where do you think Algernon has gone for his holiday?’ and ‘When do you think Algernon will be coming back?’ they said.

CHAPTER 4
A Big Mystery
    I n their tiny office crammed with bookshelves and filing cabinets, piles of notes, diaries, two desks and chairs, not forgetting all the official Boubles Grand Hotel records, Mr Badger and Miss Pims got to work.
    Firstly they listed all the places in the hotel where an ape might fit, or could be hidden.
    There were endless possibilities as the Boubles Grand Hotel was big and old, with many guest rooms large and small.
    As well, there were staircases, attics, a library, cellars, storerooms, cupboards, bathrooms, four kitchens, the Boubles Grand Hotel Ballroom and two dining rooms.

    There were also offices, including the one used by Mr Badger and Miss Pims.
    â€˜Well, that’s one place we don’t have to search,’ said Miss Pims, looking around. ‘We’d certainly have noticed if Algernon was hidden in here .’

    â€˜Yes, well, where should we start?’ said Mr Badger, scratching his furry head. ‘I searched the foyer thoroughly this morning, before any of the guests arrived, and didn’t find a single clue.’
    â€˜How could a big ape just disappear?’ asked Miss Pims. ‘Who might have carried him away and why?’
    â€˜And how could they have lifted him anyway?’ said Mr Badger. ‘How could they have moved him out of his glass case?’
    â€˜So many questions and, as yet, no answers,’ sighed Miss Pims.
    It certainly was a mystery. One which was completely baffling Mr Badger. Miss Pims made two lists: one for herself and one for Mr Badger. Miss Pims was to search the main hotel rooms, and Mr Badger the more out-of-the-way places.

CHAPTER 5
The Search
    M iss Pims moved from room to room.
    She peered behind curtains in the Boubles Grand Hotel Ballroom, then looked for clues beneath tables and sofas in the dining room where morning tea was being served. She even asked some guests if they wouldn’t mind lifting their feet.

    Miss Pims looked everywhere.
    â€˜Just housekeeping,’ said Miss Pims, with a smile, every time a guest appeared slightly alarmed as she ticked off her ‘rooms inspected’ list. Of course, she didn’t tell them what she was really looking for.

    Meanwhile, with his torch and magnifying glass, Mr Badger climbed up stairs, tapped on walls, probed in dusty storerooms, and opened long-lost doors. He was searching all the hidden, out-of-the-way places he could find.

    The Boubles Grand Hotel wasn’t just grand ballrooms and marble columns. There were lots of tiny rooms too, easily overlooked and sometimes even boarded up.

    The hotel was very large. In fact, there were many parts that Mr Badger hadn’t explored for years, parts he had not seen since he was little. At this time, he would follow his father about while he fulfilled his duties as Head Waiter at the Boubles Grand Hotel.
    There were rooms full of untouched Boubles Grand Hotel towels and tablecloths, and shelves of ancient Boubles Grand Hotel china jugs and glass vases. Mr Badger found a pantry with abandoned pots and pans from the hotel kitchens and another room full of nothing but broken clocks.

    Alas, nowhere was there any sign of … Algernon.

CHAPTER 6
The Secret Room
    A fter hours of searching, Mr Badger came across a door with a handwritten sign saying:
    â€˜TOP SECRET…DO