Free The Top Secret Diary of Davina Dupree by SK Sheridan Page A

Fairchild’s shoe soon sorted her out.
    In a minute, our corridor became VERY busy. One minute there was just the five of us there in the dark and the next, lights were switched on and literally HUNDREDS of police officers wearing bullet proof vests swarmed in, followed closely by Carrie, who was arm in arm with a white haired man who I recognised as Hugh Broderick.
    Carrie rushed over and gave me the biggest hug. She was trembling. She hugged Arabella, then turned to look at Pike and Croaka, who were now both handcuffed and surrounded by burly, serious policemen. Pike still looked scared while Croaka looked fuming mad.
    ‘You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves,’ she said sternly. ‘Deceiving pupils and teachers, then trying to rob the nation of its art. You should have chosen an honest career like the rest of us. I remember now where I’ve heard your names, why they sounded familiar when young Davina first told me about you. You’ve stolen works of art from galleries and museums around the world, haven’t you? I remember seeing you on the news. The newsreader said you were two of the most wanted criminals in the world.’
    ‘Yes, I think we’ll have quite a few high up police officers from all over the globe on the phone when news of this arrest gets out,’ said a big, red man. He must have been an important policeman because all other ones kept asking him questions. He turned to look at me and Arabella. ‘Apologies for not believing you when you phoned.’ He spoke gruffly and looked a bit embarrassed. ‘It was me you spoke to. You’ve both done a sterling job, helping to catch this man and woman. There’ll always be a job here waiting for you on the force for when you’re older – you’ve already proven yourselves fine detectives.’
    ‘Thank you. But hang on a minute, did you say
man
and a woman?’ I asked, feeling puzzled. I looked at Pike and Croaka. ‘They are two
women
. Aren’t they?’
    ‘Of course I’m a man, you silly little worm,’ Croaka yelled. ‘Didn’t you notice? With my deep voice and broad shoulders? The way my sister Jacinta kept calling me Chris? It stands for Christopher, not Christine. You must be even more stupid than I thought. Those women’s clothes were so uncomfortable, I can’t wait to put my jeans on again.’
    ‘Here, don’t you talk to my Davina like that,’ Carrie said crossly. ‘And I think you’ll be wearing prison uniform, not jeans, where you’re going. Isn’t that right, Hugh?’
    ‘Absolutely correct,’ said the man with tufty white eyebrows, who’d so far been standing next to Carrie observing everything. ‘Davina and Arabella, you’ve done some top class detecting work. And with hardly any help, I hear.’ Mrs Fairchild and the important policeman blushed red at this point. ‘I thought you might want to know,’ Hugh went on. ‘That as soon as Carrie explained everything to me, I had some men go over to bunker thirty seven and pick up Katie Cherry and Harriet Wise. They’re both being looked after in hospital now.’
    ‘Oh thank goodness,’ I said. ‘Are they OK? Poor Harriet sounded very ill.’
    ‘Harriet is diabetic, she needs to have her medicine called insulin with her at all times,’ Hugh explained. ‘The little she had with her when they were kidnapped soon ran out and she became very poorly, but she is being very well looked after now. The doctor I spoke to says she’ll make a full recovery. They both send you two and Carrie their thanks.’
    I have to go now, Diary, because Mrs Fairchild – who hasn’t done any mad twirling or dancing since she got here so I think that might all be an act – says she wants to have a word with Arabella and I in private.
    5.30 AM on Tuesday 1 st October
    Yawn, Diary…
    Arabella, me, Mrs Fairchild, Carrie and Hugh (until he fell asleep on a chair in the corner) have just finished putting up the Annual Egmont Art Show in the National Gallery of Art and Design. And it looks pretty fabulous,