Читать книгу The Complete Ruby Redfort Collection: Look into My Eyes; Take Your Last Breath; Catch Your Death; Feel the Fear; Pick Your Poison; Blink and You Die - Lauren Child - Страница 100

RUBY COULDN’T BELIEVE HER DUMB LUCK – was she really going to have to suffer the company of the silent G?

His name was Froghorn, but the G was silent – something Ruby chose to ignore, which was just one reason their relationship was so bad. The other being that Froghorn was a petty-minded bully. At twenty-three he had been the youngest agent currently in Spectrum employment, but then Ruby had come along and spoiled all that and he was not happy about it.

‘You should be grateful little girl – I’m actually handing you some real work on a real case. This is your lucky day.’

‘Oh, I’m really stoked,’ said Ruby. ‘Being shut in a tiny room with you is my definition of a lucky day.’

‘Oh dear, now you’re getting your hopes too high. I won’t be babysitting, I have important things to work on, and I think even you can manage to listen to tape recordings by yourself.’

Ruby looked at the desk, covered in batches of tapes.

‘What are they?’ she asked.

‘You have to listen to them.’

‘What are they?’ said Ruby again.

‘Tapes – of radio shows, the kind of shows that people with very little musical taste might tune into.’

Ruby considered this for a moment. Was he talking about what she thought he was talking about?

‘I guess you’re referring to Chime Melody?’

Froghorn wrinkled his nose, evidently surprised that she was aware of the Chime situation. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, no insult intended,’ he said, not the merest hint of apology in his voice. ‘Apparently, you’re a listener?’

‘Sure, I listen,’ said Ruby. ‘It’s important to have an open mind, otherwise one walks around like one knows it all when one is actually a total potato head, no insult intended.’

Froghorn’s mouth went very small, but he chose to ignore Ruby’s jibe.

‘There seems to have been some interference of some kind, highbrow music playing on a lowbrow show – it could be accidental, just two radio frequencies clashing. However, due to all the other unusual activity, LB assigned me the job of listening to each and every tape just to make sure there isn’t some underlying voice message or communication.’

‘She assigned you? So what am I doing here?’ said Ruby.

‘You’re here because I’ve delegated to a junior agent.’

‘Are you palming this work off on me Froghorn?’ she said. It was clear he thought it was a dead-end job.

‘Not at all, it’s just the kind of chore a less able person should be doing, and your name came to mind. All you have to do is listen, though I realise this is not something you’re skilled at.’

‘Jeepers Froghorn, did your mommy not love you enough? You got some serious ego issues man.’

Froghorn pursed his lips so his mouth went even smaller. He didn’t like this Ruby Redfort girl undermining him. Who did she think she was marching in with her big mouth, mocking him, making him feel stupid?

‘Next time, don’t be late.’ The door slammed as he left.

‘That’s the best you got? Don’t be late? You need to brush up on your insults potato head,’ said Ruby to no one but herself.

She stared at the piles of tapes.

She felt not unlike one of those fairy-tale characters who ends up left with some impossible task – to weave straw into gold or peel 1,500 carrots before dinner time.

Might as well knuckle down. She inserted the first tape in the machine, put on the headphones and sat back in the chair.

It was going to be a long, long night.