‘That guy there,’ Miss Polly called out, and began bobbing her head towards the fellow.

  ‘That’s Mr MacGregor,’ Carlos said loudly, pointing at their headmaster, who suddenly wore a look of thunder. ‘But I don’t think he’s dressed up.’

  The man’s face got even darker.

  ‘Cool hair, man,’ Miss Polly cried, to chortles of laughter from the crowd.

  ‘Oh, Miss Polly, please,’ Sedgwick said, waggling his finger at the parrot, who began twirling around on her perch. ‘You told me you would be on your best behaviour this evening.’

  She lifted a wing to shield her face. ‘I’m sorry. Sorry, Mr MacGregor. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,’ the parrot said.

  ‘That’s better,’ Sedgwick said with a smile.

  The man and the parrot then staged a conversation about Singapore – all the things Miss Polly loved and those she didn’t enjoy quite so much. Her favourite fruit was strawberries though she couldn’t stand durian, pretending to gag at the mention of the word. ‘So stinky!’ Peals of laughter rang out from the audience. The thing she disliked most was the climate.

  ‘Singapore is like being in the belly of a whale who lives on the sun and drowns you every afternoon with her water spout.’ Miss Polly used her right wing to fan herself.

  ‘That parrot is really clever,’ Autumn said. ‘I’ve never heard of one that can have a proper conversation.’

  ‘Yeah, imagine how much the poachers would love to get their hands on her,’ Kensy said, her mind ticking over as she said it.

  ‘Well, Miss Polly, I think it’s time for us to go. Children, from what I have heard, today’s competition was nothing short of breathtaking and I expect tomorrow will be more of the same. Good luck, and I wish you well. As far as I am concerned there are no losers – you have all done yourselves proud. May the best team win!’ Sedgewick turned to the bird.

  ‘But you’re a loser, Sedgewick – chips, chips, chips, lose, lose, lose, sad, sad, sad,’ Miss Polly blurted.

  ‘Goodness me, Miss Polly, whatever nonsense are you spruiking now?’ He looked at the bird sternly, his face turning pink.

  ‘Watch out for the bad guys – and your friends,’ the parrot sang.

  ‘Miss Polly, that is enough,’ Sedgewick snapped.

  Kensy studied the man. His ears were turning pink, just as they had done when the parrot had talked nonsense the night before.

  ‘I’m sorry. I talk too much. I love you, Mr Koh,’ Miss Polly apologised. ‘But not as much as Vera does.’

  ‘Yes, well, I love you too, Miss Polly – most of the time. Now, I think it is time to get this party started,’ Sedgewick said.

  ‘Party, party, party!’ Miss Polly began dancing up and down.

  Kensy’s mind was ticking over. She didn’t know what Miss Polly had meant – but Sedgewick Koh clearly thought it was something to be embarrassed about.

  To everyone’s surprise, loud music started pumping and when the children looked back at the pool area they saw it had been transformed into a giant dance floor.

  Within a few seconds, the space was packed.

  ‘I need to find a bathroom,’ Autumn said, ‘and a way to modify this costume so I can breathe again.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Kensy offered.

  The pair trekked up to the house, where Mrs Vanden Boom gave them directions to one of two downstairs powder rooms set aside for the party. Apparently there was another facility in the cabana by the pool too.

  ‘Oh, it’s lovely in here,’ Kensy remarked as she felt the cool air wrap around her. She wasn’t only referring to the temperature. The house was every bit as impressive on the inside as out – although guests were confined to the hallway that led to the powder room. The other areas were roped off with signs saying ‘PRIVATE’.

  They quickly found what they were looking for. Autumn knocked and waited for a girl to exit before she headed inside.

  ‘If you need me, I’ll be out here,’ Kensy said, wandering down the hall to inspect a beautiful Chinese vase. Suddenly her stomach rolled and lurched, then cramped as if someone had grabbed her insides – from the inside! Not again. She must have a bug.

  Kensy hurried back to the powder room.

  ‘Autumn, are you going to be long?’ she called.

  ‘A couple of minutes, maybe more,’ the girl replied. She’d just taken off her dress and was standing in her underwear enjoying the cool while she worked out if it was possible to remove the dress’s sleeves.

  But Kensy didn’t have a couple of minutes. She really needed to get to a toilet – or die of embarrassment for the rest of her days.

  Kensy raced back along the hallway, wondering if there was another loo somewhere close, but knew it wasn’t likely. From what Mrs Vanden Boom had said, the second powder room was near the front entrance of the house. Kensy spotted a roped off staircase. All houses had toilets upstairs, she reasoned, and if this wasn’t an emergency she wouldn’t have even entertained the thought of trespassing.

  Kensy bolted to the top where she was faced with another long corridor. She opened the first door into a modest bedroom that didn’t appear to have an ensuite.

  ‘Oh heck.’ She clenched every muscle in her body and ran to the next door. This bedroom was huge and there were two doors on the far side. She bolted across the room and found what she was looking for. Kensy quickly locked the door and lifted the toilet lid, relief flooding her body.

  ‘I am very sorry, Mr Koh, but that could have been a whole lot worse for everyone, especially me.’ Kensy flushed the toilet then washed her hands. She was about to head out when she heard a voice.

  ‘It is all arranged,’ a man said. ‘The jaguars will be available tomorrow as discussed.’

  Kensy pressed her ear to the door.

  She was almost certain the voice belonged to Sedgewick Koh. What jaguars? What was he talking about?

  There was a knock further away.

  ‘Come in,’ the man called.

  ‘Good evening, Mr Koh,’ a woman said.

  ‘Vera,’ the man replied.

  ‘I am sorry to bother you, sir, but the police have just arrived. I told them you were hosting a party but the Deputy Commissioner said that it was vital he speak to you now. They have some information on the disappearance of Ah Meng,’ the woman said.

  ‘Please show them to my study. I will be there in a minute,’ Sedgewick replied.

  Kensy’s heart was pounding. People usually said that when they had to go to the loo. She needed to get out of there.

  Kensy unlocked the door and opened it just a smidge. She could see Sedgewick Koh standing with his back to her. She closed it again and spied the window. It was small but she was agile. The trouble was she had no idea what it overlooked and climbing out in full view of the party wasn’t a good idea. Kensy quickly pushed the frame up and realised that the room she was in was on the far side of the house. Like a spider monkey, she wriggled though the opening and closed the pane just as Sedgewick Koh entered the room.

  Kensy let out the breath she was holding and inched along the narrow ledge. She needed to locate Mr Koh’s study and hear what the police had to say about Ah Meng.

  Autumn emerged from the downstairs powder room having successfully removed the heavy sleeves from her dress, which were now in the bin. She felt much cooler, for the moment.

  There was no sign of Kensy.

  She assumed the girl had grown tired of waiting and headed back outside. At least that’s what she hoped. Autumn could hear the clanging of pots and pans coming from the kitchen, which she glimpsed down another short hallway at the back of the house. Waitstaff were dashing about with trays of empty glasses and plates, loading them into a giant commercial dishwasher while someone shouted instructions.

  She was on her way out when a woman wearing a grey maid’s uniform dashed through from the front of the house, the two of them almost colliding.

  ‘Sorry,’ Autumn apologised, then stopped and stared. For a few seconds she felt as if the words were caught in her throat.

  ‘Mama,’ Autumn wheezed. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Mae Lyn looked at the girl. ‘Not another word. Meet me at the guesthouse behind the cabana in ten minutes. Alone.’

  Another woman, similarly dressed, appeared from the same direction. ‘Mae Lyn, you need to get tea for Mr Koh and his guests,’ she barked.

  Autumn composed herself. ‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have been rushing.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Mae Lyn smiled at her. ‘Enjoy the rest of the party.’

  ‘They shouldn’t be taking this long,’ Max said, wondering where the girls had got to. If he knew his sister, there was every chance she was up to something. ‘Come on.’

  Max and Curtis walked towards the house. Autumn spotted them and, using a waiter as cover, dashed along the path towards the guesthouse, glad that they didn’t see her.

  Meanwhile, Kensy had climbed down from the second storey and was peeking through shutters on the ground floor, hoping that one of the rooms was Sedgewick Koh’s study.

  The boys did a reconnaissance of the indoor areas that were open to the students before heading back outside.

  ‘If she’s in there somewhere, Dad will kill her,’ Max shook his head as the boys started a lap of the house.

  Curtis tugged on his friend’s shirt and pointed. Kensy was crouched beneath the open shutters, clearly listening to something.

  The boys hurried towards her, a twig snapping under Max’s foot and causing the girl to jump before she spotted them and calmed herself.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she whispered.

  ‘We could ask you the same question,’ Max said.

  Kensy quickly explained what had happened upstairs, and that the police were now in Mr Koh’s study – with news about Ah Meng.

  ‘All right, I agree. It won’t hurt to listen,’ Max said.

  ‘I can’t believe we don’t have any equipment with us,’ Kensy said, then noticed a smirk on Curtis’s face.

  ‘Maybe,’ he said, and quickly produced his school-issue tie clip from his pocket.

  ‘Why did you bring that?’ Max asked.

  ‘I used to be a scout – I guess I’ve taken “be prepared” to heart,’ the boy replied.

  ‘I could hug you, Curtis Pepper,’ Kensy whispered. ‘But I won’t because I’m so sweaty.’

  Curtis blushed and Max took the device apart. One of its best features was an amplifier – they just needed to get it within twenty metres of the subjects and then use the tiny earpiece to pick up the conversation.

  Max peered inside and spotted Sedgewick Koh, who had his back to them, facing a man and woman across a large desk. The woman was taking notes.

  Curtis activated the device and nodded. He could hear every word.

  Autumn hid behind the guesthouse door, her heart pounding. She hoped she had the right place. If she didn’t, she could always say that she was lost.

  ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ she heard her mother’s voice say.

  The woman walked inside. Autumn waited until the door was firmly shut and locked before she launched into her mother’s arms.

  ‘Mama, I’ve been so worried about you and Baba,’ Autumn cried softly. Tears streamed down the girl’s cheeks.

  ‘Oh, darling, I’ve missed you so much.’ Irene Lee held her daughter tightly. ‘I’m afraid what your father and I thought would be a relatively short investigation has become quite a long one.’

  ‘What’s going on? Why did that woman call you Mae Lyn?’ Autumn asked, though she knew why. Her mother was clearly undercover and probably had been for months.

  ‘You know I can’t tell you anything, darling,’ Irene said.

  ‘What about Dad?’ Autumn asked. ‘Or should I say Heston Fong?’

  Irene blanched. ‘How did you know?’

  ‘I saw him last night at the zoo – he pretended that he didn’t see me, but I knew it was him even though it is a convincing disguise. Kensy saw him with some policemen. She thought perhaps something had happened to him, but she wasn’t sure. Has it?’

  Irene took a deep breath. ‘He’s fine,’ she said, but truthfully she didn’t know either – and after what Autumn had just said, she was worried. She’d been trying to contact him all afternoon with no luck.

  ‘Did you know I was here?’ Autumn asked.

  Irene nodded. ‘I saw the news of your win in the Beacon but I didn’t think I would see you. Then Mr Koh sprung this event on us a couple of days ago. It was actually meant to be at the Newton Hawker Centre but there was a problem, so he decided to recreate the hawker experience here. It meant the contestants could all spend some time with Miss Polly too, who is his pride and joy. I’ve been looking out for you, though I must confess I was doing my best not to be seen. I didn’t want to upset you.’

  ‘Mum, Kensy saw who stole Ah Meng at the zoo,’ Autumn said.

  ‘What?’ Irene Lee’s eyes widened.

  ‘It was Cameron Lu,’ Autumn said.

  Irene’s blood ran cold. Lu was one of the most dangerous women in the world. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘We didn’t know until tonight. Kensy tried to tell Mr Koh what she’d seen at the zoo, but he fobbed us off and said that the information he had didn’t tally,’ Autumn explained, then realised she’d told her mother everything that Ed had said they needed to keep to themselves. ‘I wasn’t supposed to share any of that.’

  Irene Lee went quiet. If what Autumn said was true then things were about to get a whole lot more perilous. ‘Thank you for telling me and don’t worry, it stays between us,’ Irene said. ‘I have to get back to work and you need to rejoin the party. And, darling, you mustn’t tell anyone that I’m here – it will jeopardise everything. Please, Kensy and Max and all your friends cannot know a thing. And Kensy must not say another word to Sedgewick Koh – it’s incredibly important.’

  Autumn nodded. ‘Is Mr Koh in trouble?’

  ‘There are a lot of things that aren’t quite adding up,’ the woman said. ‘We believe . . .’

  There was a knock on the door.

  ‘Mae Lyn, are you in there?’ a woman screeched.

  ‘Hide.’ Irene ushered Autumn into the bathroom and flushed the toilet. Then she walked to the door.

  ‘You are still on duty,’ the woman at the door snapped, craning her neck to see inside the guesthouse.

  ‘Yes, I’m sorry,’ Irene replied. ‘I just needed a quick break.’

  ‘Is there someone in here with you?’ the woman asked.

  ‘No, Vera, I’m not hiding anyone,’ Irene said.

  ‘I think I would like to see that for myself.’ The other woman barged past Autumn’s mother into the sitting room.

  ‘This is really not necessary,’ Irene said. ‘I am not harbouring anyone – certainly not the imaginary boyfriend you’re always accusing me of having.’

  ‘You are up to something, Mae Lyn,’ the woman said. ‘It breaks my heart to think of you here with Mr Koh after I am gone. He is a good man. I cannot abide the thought that a gold digger like you will trick him and take all his money.’

  Autumn had climbed into the shower cubicle and pulled the curtain across, hoping that the woman wouldn’t make too thorough a search. How dare the other maid accuse her mother of being a gold digger? If only Vera knew who she really was . . . but that was just the point. If Irene Lee did her job properly, the woman never would.

  ‘You can think whatever you like, Vera. Mr Koh is a grown man and he can take care of himself.’ Irene Lee rolled her eyes.

  ‘Don’t be so sure of that,’ Vera muttered and turned on her heel.

  Irene followed her, leaving Autumn to make her escape.

  The party had finished right on eight o’clock as scheduled, with the contestants leaving via a long queue of buses on Nassim Road.

  ‘I need a shower,’ Alfie moaned. Having danced up a storm, the boy’s hair was plastered to his scalp and his clothes were wringing wet, but he’d made friends with just about everyone. Alfie was now the proud owner of at least twenty of the pins the contestants had been swapping as souvenirs of the event. And he was happily regaling the rest of his team with stories of his outrageous dance moves – a favourite being the sprinkler, which had been going well until he hit one of the German team members in the head with his elbow and the poor kid went down like a sack of spuds.

  The atmosphere on the minibus was celebratory, if a touch on the sticky side.

  ‘Where did you get to?’ Kensy asked Autumn.

  ‘I was going to ask you the same thing.’ Autumn turned to her friend. ‘I couldn’t find you after I did the modifications to my dress. Then I just went and looked around the garden and watched a bit of Alfie’s mad dancing.’

  Kensy lowered her voice. ‘We heard some interesting things – about Heston Fong.’

  Autumn’s eyes widened. ‘Did you tell the boys?’

  Kensy shook her head.

  Autumn desperately wanted to say something about seeing her mother, but she’d promised. The knowledge sat like a stone in her stomach.

  Romilly Vanden Boom announced that as soon as they arrived at their hotel, the children were to go to their rooms, shower and then it was lights out by nine at the latest. She outlined what was happening tomorrow – breakfast at 7 am, the bus would pick them up for the convention centre at 7.45 am and the competition would commence at 9 am. At 3 pm they’d come back to the hotel to get changed for the dinner and presentation, which was taking place at the ArtScience Museum – the lotus-shaped building just by the convention centre. Romilly had wondered why the teams were spread across hotels all over the city – it was a bit tricky with Central London Free staying all the way uptown – but they weren’t paying so she couldn’t really complain.

  Max yawned. He suddenly felt as if he’d been run over by a bus. Maybe his father was right – they should just enjoy the day tomorrow and then their last opportunity for sightseeing before they flew home on Thursday night. Although what Curtis had heard in Sedgwick Koh’s study was another troubling piece of information he couldn’t quite let go of.