Charlie Bone and the Shadow (The Children of the Red King, Book 7) Part 6 ppsx

"Will do. Thanks, Mrs. Brown." Charlie ran

back to number nine.

Maisie was up and another fine breakfast

awaited Charlie: sausages, eggs, and

mushrooms.

"I'm sorry, Maisie. I don't think I can eat

much." Charlie explained what had

happened.

"I thought I heard barking," Maisie ex￾claimed. "Oh, Charlie, what wonderful

news."

"Except that Billy has disappeared," said

Charlie.

Maisie's face fell. "Charlie, are you sure? He

must be in the house somewhere. Or he

could have run up the road for something.

Check his clothes."

Charlie went up to his bedroom. Billy's

clothes were piled neatly on a chair, exactly

where he had left them. His shoes were

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under the chair, his slippers by his bed. "So

he can't have gone far," Charlie said to him￾self, and once again, he tried to dismiss the

thought that had persisted in entering his

head

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ever since he had searched the cellar. Billy

has to be in Badlock.

No. A wave of nausea made Charlie sit down,

quickly, on his bed. He was far more

frightened for Billy than he had been for

himself. What chance did Billy have, with his

white hair and poor eyesight? The shadow's

army was bound to catch him. But what pos￾sible reason could the count have for taking

Billy and letting Runner Bean go?

Unless it had been the shadow's plan all

along? He had known that Billy could never

resist a cry for help from a dog. Charlie re￾membered Manfred's insistence that Billy

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should come back to number nine, where the

painting of Badlock waited like a trap.

Charlie tore downstairs. "He's gone, Maisie.

And I know where. He's in that painting."

"I can't believe it, Charlie," said Maisie. "If

he's gone, I'm going to call the police, there's

no two ways about it." She went into the hall

and began to dial.

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Knowing it would be useless to try and stop

her, Charlie waited in the kitchen. He

listened to Maisie's voice, insisting that a

child named Billy Raven was missing, and

then her angry response to something she'd

been told. "Bloor's Academy. Mr. Ezekiel

Bloor, or perhaps the headmaster, Dr. Bloor.

But the boy disappeared from here, not

there."

There was a pause while Maisie sighed heav￾ily and tapped her foot. "Thank you. And will

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you let me know?... I'll call you, then. Good￾bye." She slammed down the phone and

came back to the kitchen, looking flushed

and angry.

"They can't proceed until they're authorized

to do so by the child's guardian," said Maisie.

"I suppose it must be Dr. Bloor, since Billy's

an orphan. What a mess!"

Charlie said nothing. He was now utterly

convinced that Billy had been captured by

the painting. How pleased Grandma Bone

had been when she saw Billy arrive. It was

obviously she who had locked the cellar door

after Billy had "gone in."

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Charlie sat by the kitchen window waiting for

Uncle Paton to arrive in the white camper

van. He saw Benjamin and Runner Bean

walk down to the park. He saw Mrs. Brown

go to the mailbox; she was wearing a skirt

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and high-heeled shoes, for a change. It was

no use telling Mrs. Brown that Billy was still

missing.

Maisie brought Charlie a mug of hot cocoa.

"Your uncle might not come back till next

week. Don't look so forlorn, Charlie. I'm sure

little Billy will turn up."

"He won't," muttered Charlie.

He discovered that the cellar door key was

still in his pocket. When he'd finished his co￾coa, he went down into the cellar and stared

at the painting of Badlock. He scrutinized

every inch of it, looking for a way in. He

didn't care if he was caught again, if only he

could find Billy. But the shadow had no use

for Charlie Bone at present. It was Billy he

wanted.

"Why have you taken him?" Charlie shouted

at the painting. "Have you made a bargain?

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