know that. Go on.â
India didnât believe him, but she kept reading anyway.
âThe inscription appeared priorâ¦that means beforeâ¦â
âGo on!â
â... to the reading of the writerâs will. On the same day, an emerald and diamond ring was stolen from the writerâs house.â
âWho did the ring belong to?â Art twisted the ring top from the Coke can around his little finger.
âI donât know. It doesnât say. You can make that bit up,â said India. âItâs meant to be a sort of play.â
âSounds hard. âArt didnât understand all those words. âBut I might give it a go. Whatâs the prize?â
âA computer.â
âReally.â Art imagined all the game he could play.
âThe team gets it.â
How many in the team?â
âSevenâ
âOne day each to play.â There was nothing wrong with Artâs maths. âOkay.â
âMeet you in the General Purpose Room after school.â
India didnât say the computer was given to the school. Art would find that out soon enough.
âGive me a ring,â said his mum as Art raced out the door, carrying his sleeping bag.
âWhat sort?â he called back over his shoulder. His mind was full of diamonds, detectives and dastardly deeds problem.
âA ring. A call at work. So Iâll know what time youâre coming home. If Iâm not here, leave a message on the answer phone.â
Art smiled. âOkay Mum. Thanks a lot.â
Sometimes mums were useful.
Chapter 2
TOM Problem
Mars Bar was a dog expert, or so he said. His grandfather raced greyhounds. But Mario couldnât handle Indiaâs dog Tiny. Tiny was a bitser. He had lots of dog relatives. Some of them must have been BIG.
Hanging onto the dogâs collar, Mars Bar was dragged by Tiny into the General Purpose Room. He tried to use his sneakers as brakes. They didnât work against the dogâs weight. The dog leash dragged on the ground behind him.
Mario yelled at India.
Hey! Dogs arenât allowed in the schoolyard. I found yours drinking at the taps. Whatâs wrong with him?â
âHot dog,â muttered India. âSit down, Tiny. â
Tinyâs tongue lolled out of his mouth in a dog smile.
âHe just likes people.â
âTo play with or to eat?â
Just then, Mrs. Tasker swept into the General Purpose Room, her arms full of notes, boxes and cardboard sheets.
âIs this animals yours, India?â
âUnfortunately.â
Indiaâs dog wasnât tiny at all. He was a giant.
âHe should be a horse in the presentation, âpanted Mario.â Someone could ride him. Go on, Art.â
Art shook his head.
âYouâre too scared. Look. Like this.â
Mario tried to scramble onto Tinyâs back. But Tiny objected and ran round and around Mario, wrapping him up with the leash. Everybody laughed.
âSomeone, take him outside,â ordered Mrs. Tasker.
For a moment, Art wasnât sure whether she meant the dog or Mario. âOkay, Iâll take him,â he offered.
He unwound Tiny. But Tiny went the other way. The leash was tangled. So was one of Indiaâs crutches. Then Mario stepped forward, tripped on the crutch and fell flat on his nose.
âAWWWW!â
âAre you all right Mario? â
Then Mrs. Tasker checked his nose. âYouâll live, âshe said.
âIt hurts,â complained Mario, but everybody was untangling the dog.
âAs coach, I must warn you. No real animals, firearms or naked flames allowed in TOM presentations,â stated Mrs.Tasker firmly. Mars Bar always made a fuss.
Who is TOM? Art wondered.
âTiny wonât be coming on the day. Iâll take him outside now.â India hobbled on her crutches. âCome, Tiny.â
But Tiny ran away. âTiny!â warned India. But Tiny liked playing .he jumped on