The Last Murder at the end of the World

FORTY-SIX

Clara’s inside the lab, peering around the edge of the door. Hephaestus and Thea are sitting shoulder to shoulder outside, their backs against the wall. He’s twice her size and width, talking frantically with his hands, as if trying to snatch meaning out of the air.

Thea’s perfectly still, her chin tilted slightly downwards, her eyes narrowed against the glare.

Clara glances towards the lane her grandfather will soon appear from, finding it mercifully empty. On quiet feet, she returns to the microsampler, which is analysing the soil she found on the farms.

‘Are you sure this plan will work?’ she asks, in her thoughts.

‘You’ll need to be convincing.’

She stares at the machine, willing it to go faster. Every second brings her grandfather one step closer to the lab.

The scanner delivers the results with a cheerful beep.

As she’d suspected, the crops at the farm were poisoned by chemicals, but she doesn’t recognise any of the compounds.

‘Your grandfather’s reached the school,’ I inform her, as she hurriedly copies down the formulas onto a piece of paper. ‘Be quick.’

She rushes across the room, composing herself before she steps outside.

‘I’ve analysed the soil sample,’ she says, holding it out. ‘There’s something strange about it.’

‘Leave it on my desk,’ says Thea, waving it away.

Clara tries to keep her gaze from the lane. She’s never had to deceive anybody before, and it’s exhilarating. So much adrenaline is flooding her system it’s a struggle to simply stand still.

‘Can you look at it now?’ she presses. ‘I’ve never seen these chemicals before. I don’t know how much damage they’re doing.’

Hephaestus gestures for the report impatiently, then hands it across to Thea.

‘You wanted a pet,’ he tells her.

Thea runs her eyes down the list of chemicals, her normally implacable features wavering.

‘This can’t be right,’ she says, handing it to Hephaestus.

They share a bewildered look, before Thea hops up.

‘Where are you going?’ asks Hephaestus, startled.

‘To check every entrance into Blackheath,’ she replies.