About the Book ‘The dead can’t speak to us,’ Professor Madoc had said. That was a lie. 7 страница

‘Do you think I have a chance? ’ said Jackson.

Patrick sat back on his heels and thought about it. He wasn’t quite sure what Jackson was talking about, but horse racing had taught him that everything had a chance – of death and of glory.

The idea invigorated him, and suddenly he felt his determination surface again from the mud of betrayal. He was employed in solving a far bigger mystery than Number 19’s cause of death, so he shouldn’t let something as simple as that get the better of him! Patrick knew exactly where to get the information he was entitled to.

‘Yes, ’ he said. ‘I do. ’

Jackson said, ‘Thanks! ’ Then – in a rare burst of generosity – he added, ‘Your carpet looks great. ’

Not yet, thought Patrick, but it would. He got to his feet and dropped the brush into the bucket with a plop. He was newly filled with hope, and his head and nose felt suddenly clear again. He wondered briefly whether it was the bleach.

He lifted his bicycle off the wall and started down the stairs.

He wasn’t going to be beaten by a carpet or a corpse.