thank goodness you’re not me, Clance, because both of those questions are dead ends. For one: who’s actually going to believe any of this? And for two: if LB is really his killer then how far am I gonna get before I end up going the same way as Baker? I mean think about it, Clance, she runs a team of highly trained agents, secret agents who are capable of –’ she drew her finger across her throat, before adding – ‘secretly.’
Clancy opened his mouth to speak, but could not think of anything cheerful to say.
‘So what you gotta look at,’ said Ruby, ‘is the whole big picture. My boss might well be a traitorous killer: she has the means, the power, possibly a motive, but before we absolutely totally conclude she is a traitorous killer, we need to examine the evidence. For example, what do we know about Bradley Baker?’
Clancy shrugged. ‘He was the youngest spy Spectrum ever recruited, super respected and well-liked, and he was the most talented code breaker and agent they ever had.’ He stole a sideways look at Ruby. ‘No offence, Rube.’
‘Don’t sweat it bozo, I hear it all the time.’
‘And,’ continued Clancy, ‘he was killed in a plane crash.’
‘Which it seems was no accident,’ said Ruby. ‘Nor was it at the hand of the enemy, but rather by the hand of his most loyal ally.’
‘And let’s not forget fiancée,’ added Clancy.
‘So now what we got to look at is who exactly is feeding us this information,’ said Ruby. ‘Who is the deliverer of this sad and bad news?’
‘The Count,’ said Clancy. ‘At least, it was his apple.’
‘Yeah,’ said Ruby, ‘it was his apple, and he wanted me to find the note.’
‘So,’ said Clancy, ‘so you’re asking, do you think we should consider him a reliable source? Maybe he just wants us to believe LB is a murderer. He could be just making the whole thing up?’
‘Yeah, and the truth is, I can’t say I know him well enough to know,’ said Ruby.
‘You do know him well enough,’ said Clancy. ‘You know him well enough to know that you can never know him.’
‘What?’
‘I’m saying he likes to move the goal posts, he sorta enjoys playing with people, creeping them out, just for fun and also, you know … killing them.’ Clancy shivered.
Ruby stared into the distance. ‘Yeah, he does like to mess with people’s heads; once he’s planted an idea, you just can’t shake it. He knows how these thoughts grow, how they take off in different directions – you don’t exactly know what they mean or even what you’re scared of, you just keep running with it.’
‘So what has he got you thinking?’ asked Clancy.
Ruby paused before speaking. ‘What he’s got me thinking is, what if Bradley was not all that he seemed; what if he were the so-called bad apple?’
‘You suggesting he wasn’t the super talent everyone thought he was?’ asked Clancy.
‘No, I think we can accept that Baker was the super talent that everyone drones on about, but if he was such a talented agent then he may also have had a talent for espionage.’
‘Huh?’
‘What I’m suggesting here is, was he leading a double life?’
Clancy was looking at her, his expression one of puzzlement.
Ruby spelled it out: ‘Do we know which side he was really on?’
‘Oh,’ said Clancy, ‘that … that wasn’t something I was even thinking about.’
‘So let’s just say he was a double agent, LB woulda had to kill him for the sake of Spectrum, for the sake of this country –’ she stretched her arms out wide – ‘the world even.’
Clancy let out a heavy sigh. ‘I’d feel a lot better if that’s how it was.’
‘It could have been that LB knew what nobody else knew: that he was a phoney, a fraud, an imposter.’
‘Like some kind of mole, you mean?’
‘Yeah,’ nodded Ruby.
‘Boy, it sure makes you think,’ said Clancy. ‘Imagine finding out that your best friend, most loyal ally, is a total fake, not to mention murderer.’ He looked at Ruby. ‘Though I have to say, Rube, if you turn out to be an evil genius, I can’t see myself killing you. I kinda like your company.’
‘I appreciate that Clance, I really do.’
‘Still, I think LB had guts to do what she did,’ said Clancy. ‘If Baker was a bad egg, she did the right thing.’
‘Yeah,’ said Ruby, contemplating this for a moment, ‘but what if he wasn’t? What if it was the other way around?’
‘Jeepers, I was just beginning to relax,’ said Clancy.
‘Yeah, well, don’t, cos what if it was Bradley Baker who was the good news in this story and LB eliminated him so she could get on with her plot to take over the world or steal the moon or whatever?’
‘The moon?’ said Clancy. ‘Can you even do that?’ He was on his feet now, as if he needed to be ready for what might be coming.
‘Geez, Clance, it was just an example, how should I know what she’s got planned?’ Ruby paused, sorting through the thoughts that were flickering in her brain: the cyan, the indigo, the ruby eyes of the Buddha, the 8 key, the yellow snake. ‘If I could figure that out, and how it all links together, the thefts and the murders, the mole within Spectrum, well, then I might know what to do.’
‘Yeah, right,’ said Clancy, ‘if you knew all that then you could just amble downtown and knock on Sheriff Bridges’ door and hand him the evidence.’
Ruby sighed. ‘Like that’s gonna happen.’
‘But meanwhile, you figure one of them has to be a bad seed?’ said Clancy. ‘Either it’s Baker or it’s LB?’
‘Or it’s neither?’ offered Ruby. ‘Unless of course,’ – she looked at him out of the corner of her eye – ‘they were both bad apples.’
Clancy made a face like he wished she wouldn’t say these kinds of things.
‘Look, could you give me a break here Rube? I can only cope with one double agent at a time.’
She thumped him lightly on the arm. ‘Take it easy,’ she said. ‘Yeah, I think it’s probably either Baker or LB, and let’s hope it’s Baker, right?’
Clancy nodded. ‘Because if it’s Baker then LB is on the level.’
‘Only thing is,’ said Ruby, ‘if LB isn’t the bad apple then who is,
