I Think My Dad Is a Spy (5 page)

I borrowed this spy book from the library and found these really cool tips, so I've started to use them. Theo said I shouldn't put too much faith in them as the book was written for kids, plus I found it in the fiction section.

So we found out that by the time Dad got to the international airport there was already an extremely beautiful European woman waiting outside the terminal for him. (Tony thought she could've easily been a model.) She had one small suitcase which she refused to allow anyone to carry but herself. She didn't want Tony to put it in the boot, so the shiny black case sat between her and Dad in the taxi.

From the airport they went directly to the Stirling Hotel, where they both got out and went inside.

These are some of the questions we asked Tony:

Q. “Did you notice if the case was handcuffed to her wrist?”

A. “No I didn't notice, but she was very protective of it.”

Q. “Were there any destination stickers on her case? If so where had she just flown in from?”

A. “The only tag read from ‘New York City to Australia'.”

Q. “Do you think they knew each other or was this their first meeting?”

A. “Yes and no…” Tony thought for a moment. “Joseph went to shake her hand but she pulled him in and kissed both of his cheeks, it was like they sort of knew each other.”

Q. “Did Mr George follow her into the hotel?”

A. “Yes!”

Q. “Did they say or do anything that made you suspect there was something more going on?”

A. “No, um, well, yes, sort of.”

Q. “Well which is it ‘yes' or ‘no'? This is very important Tony.”

A. “Okay yes! Joseph's…I mean your father's mobile rang several times and he kept ignoring the calls. Just as we pulled up to the hotel it rang again. She told him to answer it and he said, ‘Oh it's not that important,' and turned the ringer off. Then the woman, said in an accent which I think was Russian, ‘Darlink she is sure to suspect you have been up to no good, yah?'”

I heard the gasps of disbelief from both Janice and Theo and I must admit my heart sank a little bit as I heard what Tony alleged.

“Just one more question before we go please. Was Dad acting a little suspicious to you?” I asked.

Tony thought hard for a moment because his bushy grey brow had wrinkled.

“Not so much suspicious…but he was kinda' nervous and all jumpy, like maybe he was being watched,” Tony said walking over to his desk to answer the office phone that had started to ring.

We quickly thanked him and scurried outside the taxi station to discuss what we had learnt.

“Whoa, what do you make of that?” I said to my speechless friends.

“I-I don't know what to think of it,” Theo said slumping down on the taxi stand bench.

“I do, this just proves what I've been saying all along—your dad's definitely a spy Soph and now we have proof,” Janice said gleefully.

Journal entry:
Sunday, 11:03am

Janice is sleeping over and she is still trying to convince me my father could really be a spy, even more so now after what Tony told us yesterday. I don't want to believe her. There just has to be another explanation.

Why would my dad meet a strange woman at the airport and not want me or Chelsea to know about it?

BUT THAT WASN'T MY ONLY QUESTION ABOUT DAD'S BEHAVIOUR…

It all started this morning with Janice, who had hogged my bathroom for over twenty minutes. I needed to go to the loo really badly and tried hanging on as long as I could. But when I heard her starting to sing (out of tune) in the shower, I couldn't wait a minute longer.

Dad didn't like me using his bathroom without asking but he was too busy cooking breakfast and this was an EMERGENCY!

“Aaghhhhhhhh!”

Feeling so much better I was washing my hands in his teeny-tiny sink, when I saw Dad's shiny briefcase in the reflection of his bathroom mirror. It was just leaning there against the chest of drawers; I had never seen it just lying around before. I was drawn to it like I was under a magic spell. I knew I shouldn't open it but it was unlocked. I really didn't mean to snoop, but…I just couldn't help myself.

I already had so many unanswered questions, and if I could save Dad and Chelsea's relationship then I had no other choice than to take a look.

Oh heck, I'm shaking too much; I'm going to ask Janice to write the rest down for me…

Hi Janice here, Sophie's too hysterical to write at the moment. Anyway she found two tickets to Saint Petersburg in Mr George's briefcase. I just looked up Saint Petersburg on Sophie's computer and we found out it's a city in Russia. Sophie also found some pamphlets on famous buildings including
GOVERNMENT
buildings in Moscow!

(So now if this doesn't prove your father's a spy then I don't know what will convince you Soph!)

Janice Voyce (soon to be lawyer extraordinaire)!

Signing off,

P.S. I wasn't ‘hogging' the bathroom and my singing isn't that bad!

Okay Janice, you might have a point about my dad, but not about your singing,” I said re-reading what she'd written.

“Maybe we're going on a holiday and taking me with him!” I said enthusiastically.

“To Russia! I doubt it. No Sophie I see it all now, they are both spies and are going to Russia together on a mission.”

“Who Zoe?” I exclaimed, the thought of her going with him hadn't even crossed my mind.

“Yep Zoe, if that's even her real name. I bet you a million bucks it's not, it would be something more like Nadia Havarishnaokov.”

“Really?! I sort of like the name Zoe,” I whispered staring off into space.

“Anyway, all I'm saying is your dad's got two tickets to Moscow dated next month and I doubt he's taking you,” Janice said sternly.

Suddenly there was a loud knock at my bedroom door.

“Sophie you haven't taken anything out of my briefcase have you?” Dad asked through the door. My heart pounded loudly.

I couldn't speak because I was too scared to open my mouth. I looked over at Janice with panic; her usual pale speckled face had instantly turned a sickly green colour.

“Sophie!…Janice! Are you two still in there? Dad asked thumping harder on the door.

I could feel my own face turning green. Somehow I managed to yell the words out, “No, I haven't Dad!”

Technically I wasn't lying; the truth was I never took anything out of his briefcase, I just looked inside it.

“Hmm, I was sure I had some really important paperwork in there and now I can't seem to find where I put the darn thing?”

“Sorry, we can't help you,” Janice shot back nervously.

“Oh…um…that's all right, I just thought I'd check,” he replied sounding distracted. Janice and I stood like statues for a few seconds until his footsteps faded off down the corridor.

“OMG! Do you think he knows I was in his briefcase?”

“A-ha, it sure sounds like it. Did you touch anything?” Janice asked with a serious stare.

“Of course I did. Why?” I asked swallowing hard.

“Did you wear gloves?”

“NO! Of course not, where would I have got gloves from?” I blurted nervously.

“Well maybe you should have thought of that before you touched everything. I bet he's going to test his briefcase for fingerprints to see if you're lying to him.”

“NO WAY!” I gasped, “He wouldn't…could he?”

I paused…

“Oh you nearly had me there for a minute Janice,” I giggled nervously, “how could he test me, the police don't even have my fingerprints on file?”

“Duh! The police aren't the only ones who can take fingerprints Soph. It's a well known fact that spies are way smarter than the police. I'm sure your dad has a record of all our fingerprints on his laptop,” she said with certainty.

“But h-how could he and without us even knowing?” I asked confused.

“Well, he probably took your fingerprints while you slept, and probably got Theo's and mine from a drinking glass—oh and you know what else I just thought of?” she exclaimed excitedly, “he probably has samples of our DNA on file too!”

“DNA samples!” I repeated horrified. I didn't want to admit it but she was starting to freak me out. I mean this was MY DAD she was talking about, good old boring Joseph George. Janice has it all wrong he's not an international spy, he just can't be. I kept thinking that over and over in my head but it wasn't making me feel any better.

Rat-ta-tat-tat.

Janice a
nd I jumped with fright. Dad had banged hard on my door for a second time.

“It's okay girls! There's no need for alarm, I've found it. It was safely tucked away in my jacket pocket all along.”

“Oh…that's g-good to hear, Dad,” I stammered feeling relieved I was off the hook.

“Thank goodness too because I would've died if I had lost that,” Dad said murmuring to himself as he walked away.

Janice and I shot a look of curiosity to one another.

“Whatever that folded piece of paper was, it must be of utter importance; enough for someone to kill for it, perhaps?” Janice whispered to me. We knew we needed to come up with a cunning plan to get our hands on this important document, but how?

We were soon ready and joined Dad in the kitchen. Our plan was a simple but difficult one: Janice was going to distract him, while I sneaked back into his bedroom and took another look in his briefcase.

While Janice started a conversation about our new political leaders and the future of our economy, I picked at my soft fluffy eggs with my fork. It all sounded like mumbo jumbo to me but it obviously excited Dad because he was so occupied he didn't notice me leave the table.

Inside Dad's bedroom I noticed the briefcase wasn't there anymore. I began looking for it all over but without any luck. I checked in all the obvious places like behind his shower curtain, in his sock drawer and even under his bed, but still without any luck. It was strange; the briefcase had just disappeared into thin air.

I snuck back into the kitchen and sat myself down at the table without Dad noticing. Luckily Dad was really into the conversation (which I thought was the most boring conversation in the world).

“The younger generation are going to be the ones left cleaning up the mess of the generation before them,” said Janice.

“Too true Janice, too true,” said Dad impressed. He stood up from the table and offered us both a second helping of eggs.

Janice said ‘yes' with an exaggerated smile.

“Well did you see it?” Janice quickly whispered as Dad's back was turned.

“No, I couldn't find the briefcase anywhere,” I answered softly. “Maybe it's not in the briefcase at all, he could still have it in his jacket pocket,” Janice whispered.

We turned our gaze to Dad and watched him closely as he piled another serving of eggs onto Janice's plate.

“Maybe, but how do you expect me to get a look at it, while he's still wearing it?” I muttered.

“I dunno, try hugging him,” said Janice quickly.

“Here you go, another helping of eggs,” Dad said turning back towards the table.

As he lent over me to serve Janice the eggs I threw my arms around him. “Oh Daddy, have I told you how much I love you?” I said as I began feeling the outside of the jacket and listening for any crinkly paper noises.

“Oh that's nice dear, but…but please can I at least put this plate down before we both end up wearing scrambled eggs?” he asked peeling my arms from around his waist.

“Sorry, Daddy but aren't you hot in that jacket? Would you like me to take it off and lay it on your bed for you?” I asked.

“No need, but you're right it is it getting a little warm in here, I'll just put it here,” he said taking it off and laying it over the back of his chair.

Oh pooh, now I had to come up with another plan to feel inside the jacket.