Undercover Read online

  About the Book

  How do you keep your head in the game when someone wants you gone? When those dearest to you are far away and the future is so uncertain …

  Kensy and Max are back in London for no time at all before things begin to heat up – quite literally. As a result, Granny Cordelia ships them off to Australia on an undercover mission. The twins find themselves planted in a posh Sydney school where first appearances prove to be deceiving. What seems like a straightforward assignment turns into something so much bigger. Kensy and Max must employ all their spy skills – the fate of their parents, and who they’ve been searching for, depends on it.

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Cast of Characters

  Maps

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  A note on the Atbash cipher

  About the Author

  Books by Jacqueline Harvey

  Jacqueline Supports

  Imprint

  Read more at Penguin Books Australia

  The Grey household

  Kensington Méribel Grey

  Agent-in-training, 11-year-old twin to Max

  Maxim Val d’Isère Grey

  Agent-in-training, 11-year-old twin to Kensy

  Anna Grey

  Dormant agent PA S2694, Kensy and Max’s mother

  Edward Grey

  Dormant agent PA S2658, Kensy and Max’s father, eldest son of Dame Spencer

  Fitzgerald Williams

  PA S2660, Kensy and Max’s manny, nephew of Dame Spencer

  Song Li

  PA U2613, Butler

  Sidney Li

  PA U2614, Dame Spencer’s butler in Wilton Crescent

  Pharos

  Dame Cordelia Spencer

  Head of Pharos

  Rupert Spencer

  PA X2672, Dame Spencer’s son

  Magoo MacGregor

  PA P2659, Headmaster of Central London Free School

  Romilly Vanden Boom

  PA P2646, Science teacher at Central London Free School

  Monty Reffell

  PA P2667, History teacher at Central London Free School

  Autumn Lee

  Agent-in-training

  Carlos Rodriguez

  Agent-in-training

  Wentworth Grammar staff

  Thaddeus Thacker

  Headmaster

  Stella Black

  Assistant to the headmaster

  Divorah Skidmore

  Receptionist to the headmaster, choir stylist

  Harriet Sparks

  Choir manager

  Mrs Strump

  Choir pianist

  Jaco De Vere

  Head cricket coach

  Wentworth Grammar students

  Curtis Pepper

  Year Five student, neighbour

  Donovan Chalmers

  Year Six student, son of Dash and Tinsley

  Ellery Chalmers

  Year Five student, daughter of Dash and Tinsley

  Dugald McCrae

  Year Six student, talented tenor

  Lucienne Russo

  Year Six student, talented soprano

  Other

  Dash Chalmers

  Owner of The Chalmers Corporation, father of Donovan and Ellery

  Tinsley Chalmers

  Wife of Dash, mother of Donovan and Ellery

  Derek Grigsby

  Shopkeeper

  Rosa

  Housekeeper to the Chalmers

  Simone Stephenson

  Stonehurst College choir mistress

  Lucy Dowsett

  Executive assistant to Dash Chalmers

  Nick

  Cherry Tree Farm manager

  George Kapalos

  Investigative journalist

  Hattie Pendleton

  Central London Free School student

  For Ian, who makes things happen, and for Dot and Zoe, who are fabulous and some!

  Case Note 17

  Author: Fitzgerald Williams,

  Pharos Agent (PA) S2660

  Subjects: Kensington Grey, PA A2713;

  Maxim Grey, PA A2714

  Kensington and Maxim Grey were admitted as Pharos agents-in-training at the age of eleven years and one month.

  FIELDWORK

  On a recent school History tour to Rome, Kensington, Maxim and three of their friends and co-agents-in-training – Autumn Lee, Carlos Rodriguez and Misha Thornhill – were instrumental in solving two major interlinked crimes: the first being the opportunistic kidnapping of Nico Vitale, son of the Prime Minister of Italy; and the second, a plot holding the Prime Minister to ransom over the control of the wheat and pasta industry by the highly elusive crime syndicate known as the Diavolo.

  Misha Thornhill had been tasked with befriending Lola Lemmler, a fellow student at Central London Free School, in order to gather intelligence on the girl’s father (alias Steve Lemmler, real name Sergio Leonardi), a known kingpin of organised crime. Through the children’s efforts, Sergio Leonardi was revealed as the head of the Diavolo, working alongside the President of Italy and a gang of thieves led by a woman disguising herself as a nun. The Diavolo is notorious for a wide range of criminal activities, including petty theft, extortion, money laundering and arms dealing. Their crimes and misdemeanours run to practically all areas of life in Italy.

  The impromptu mission was sanctioned by Dame Cordelia Spencer while the children’s teachers and agents – Monty Reffell, Romilly Vanden Boom, Elliot Frizzle and Lottie Ziegler – were also mobilised. The other agents-in-training on the trip were not involved and the civilian students among the group remained completely unaware of the events that unfolded. I was able to assist the children in the final phase of their assignment with the help of Lottie Ziegler and the twins’ uncle, Rupert Spencer. Alessandro Grimaldi, Head of the Italian Secret Service, was in charge of the arrests at Quirinal Palace, where the President of Italy and his associates were intercepted and taken into custody. Following the completion of their mission, Kensy, Max, Autumn, Carlos and Misha continued their school History tour.

  SKILLS, STRENGTHS AND VULNERABILITIES

  Maxim consistently astonishes his teachers with his photographic memory. While it was his ability to remember maps in exceptional detail that initially caught everyone’s attention, Maxim’s visual recall capabilities have excelled in all manner of situations. Meanwhile, Kensington has recently been honing her skills in robotics in addition to her interest in mechanical engineering. This has led to some surprising and slightly alarming inventions, which have proven both interesting and useful. Her knowledge of machinery was extremely help
ful when the washing machine at Ponsonby Terrace recently broke down.

  TRAINING

  In the week before Christmas, Kensington and Maxim participated in intensive training exercises at Alexandria, the countryside headquarters of Pharos. During this time they were given instruction on tactical strategies via a range of stealth, combat and marksman-ship activities. The children were trained in the use of firearms and other weaponry, such as crossbows and regular bows and arrows. Kensington and Maxim learned to drive with Esmerelda, the computerised vehicle responsible for teaching all Pharos agents. Despite both children displaying impressive skills, an unfortunate mishap rendered Esmerelda almost completely destroyed. The twins were lucky to survive the fiery incident.

  The children have also continued developing their proficiency in code-breaking and orienteering with Maxim emerging top of the class in both areas, although he tied with Autumn Lee in code-breaking. Kensington’s ability to pick locks is unsurpassed and her use of the regulation school hairclip to assist her in this area has been creative, to say the least.

  Several new gadgets have been revealed to them, including the Blunderbus Bubble Gun, which was used to remarkable effect by Rupert Spencer during a car chase in Rome; lasso shoelaces, which both twins have access to; and poison-dart glasses currently being trialled by Maxim.

  EMOTIONAL STATE

  While Maxim has maintained a stable emotional state, it has become apparent that Kensington is struggling to deal with recent events. A sudden growth spurt is likely not helping either. She has been prone to outbursts and has fallen behind in some areas of her studies, which has landed her in a spot of bother with several of her teachers. One notable incident occurred in an Art lesson, where Kensington absent-mindedly painted over a canvas that Elliot Frizzle was partway through completing for the London Landscape Prize. Despite Kensington’s somewhat erratic behaviour, both children have done a very good job of adapting to their new and unusual life and are keeping busy with school and training.

  UPDATE ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANNA AND EDWARD GREY

  Anna and Edward Grey made contact with Kensington and Maxim in Rome, appearing briefly inside a confessional booth in St Peter’s Basilica. While it came as a shock to the children, they were both overjoyed and are still confident their parents will soon return. I plan to brief the twins more fully on their parents’ self-directed mission to recover their maternal grandparents, who, while presumed dead in a botched robbery and subsequent fire in Paris 12 years ago, have recently been revealed to be alive. Kensington and Maxim have deduced considerable insights about this themselves. Having discussed the case with Anna and Edward, we have come to the conclusion that, rather than leave the children to speculate further and inadvertently say something they shouldn’t, they must be privy to the information available. Anna and Edward have given consent to brief Cordelia as well, though the information is Status Grey, for her eyes only. The possibility of a mole within the organisation remains high, and although Kensington is convinced it is Shugs, a gardener at Alexandria, I am not of the same opinion.

  OTHER INFORMATION

  Kensington and Maxim will continue to live at Ponsonby Terrace with Song and myself until their parents return and a decision is made whether they will remain as agents-in-training. Given their obvious skills and knowledge of Pharos, I believe it will be near impossible to convince them to give up their new life. I cannot imagine Maxim’s knife-throwing prowess would be sought after in many vocations outside of the circus, and Kensington is proving herself to have excellent intuition, despite her impetuousness. The children have both expressed a great desire to continue with the family firm.

  Kensy measured the powder into the beaker, then added an extra spoonful for good luck. ‘What’s next?’ she asked, drumming her fingers on the benchtop. It hadn’t escaped her notice that numerous pairs of students had already ignited their mixtures.

  Autumn looked up from the sheet of paper, where she had been reading through each step of the experiment. ‘It says here that the powder has to go in there,’ she said, pointing to the small bowl filled with sand that had been soaked in lighter fluid.

  Kensy picked up the beaker and tipped the mixture onto the granules.

  ‘Now you can set it on fire,’ Autumn instructed.

  ‘Well done, Max and Carlos, that’s fantastic!’ Mrs Vanden Boom exclaimed from the other side of the room. She swiftly moved on to congratulate Inez and Yasmina.

  Kensy glowered. She flicked on the lighter and thrust it into the bowl of powder. She and Autumn watched closely as it sizzled and flashed, the flames rising higher and higher.

  ‘I don’t think it’s supposed to do that,’ Autumn said, anxiously glancing around at her classmates. Everyone else’s flames had died down once the chemical reaction had trans formed the powdered mixture into a charcoal snake. Theirs, however, was only intensifying.

  Kensy gulped. ‘We need to put it out.’ She grabbed a small beaker of water and poured it over the bowl, which instantly exploded into a fireball. Kensy leapt backwards just in time to avoid losing her eyebrows.

  ‘Fire!’ Inez shouted as the flames shot towards the ceiling.

  Several of the children screamed.

  Romilly Vanden Boom spun around from where she’d been running through the experiment for the third time with Dante and Sachin. ‘Good heavens! How on earth did that happen?’ She sped to the front of the room, sidestepping the benches and launching herself at the fire blanket that was hanging from a hook.

  By now the ceiling had begun to ignite. Max ran for the extinguisher and wrenched it from the wall while Mrs Vanden Boom pulled the blanket from its pouch and hurtled back to the inferno. She threw it on the bowl just as Max pulled the pin and aimed the nozzle towards the burning ceiling. Thankfully, the flames were snuffed out in seconds and there were only a few scorch marks to show what could have been so much worse. But it was already too late. The fire alarm had been triggered.

  ‘Oh no, this is bad.’ Kensy turned to Autumn, biting her lip. ‘I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.’

  Romilly sighed. ‘Right, everyone, walk sensibly to the front entrance – there’s to be no running,’ she ordered.

  Kensy and Autumn joined the rest of the students in the hallway, where the sirens were still blaring.

  ‘What were you girls doing?’ Mrs Vanden Boom demanded when she caught up to the pair.

  ‘It was my fault,’ Kensy said. ‘I think I might have added too much baking soda.’

  ‘Hmm, that shouldn’t have turned your snake into a flamethrower. That doesn’t make any sense at all,’ Romilly said, shaking her head. She ushered her class through reception and out onto the tiny patch of front lawn, where she began to count heads. Kensy and Autumn fell into line alongside the rest of the school population. ‘I want to see you in my office at lunchtime, Kensy. We need to t–’

  ‘But, Mrs Vanden Boom,’ Kensy interrupted, ‘I have to see Mr Frizzle first, then I’ve got detention with Miss Witherbee.’

  Romilly frowned at the girl. ‘I’ll send a message to the others. This is serious, Kensy. We’ve been back at school for almost six weeks and in that time you’ve deleted the programming for your robot, you almost lost a finger in a vat of acid and you just set fire to the lab – and that’s only in your Science lessons. I hear there have been other mishaps too. We need to have a chat to find out what’s going on with you, okay?’

  Kensy nodded, feeling sick to her stomach.

  ‘My office in twenty,’ the woman said. ‘Downstairs.’

  There was much speculation among the student body about what had happened, with murmurs ranging from burned toast in the staffroom to someone smoking in the toilets, until Sachin set everyone straight, telling them loudly that Kensy was to blame. A blast of heat rose to the girl’s cheeks.

  ‘Good one, Kensy,’ Hattie Pendleton moaned. ‘We were in the middle of an exam. Now we’ll have to stay in at lunchtime to finish it.’

  Kensy’s eyes
narrowed. ‘Oh, put a sock in it, Hattie,’ she snapped.

  Her twin brother, Max, caught her gaze. ‘Don’t worry,’ he mouthed, touching his left ear ever so quickly – their secret signal that everything would be all right. But, truthfully, he was worried about her. Kensy hadn’t been herself since their trip to Rome. He’d tried talking to her, but she was either touchy or fobbed him off with a joke.

  Monty Reffell emerged from the building last of all. He wore a bright orange hard hat and matching hi-vis vest, which didn’t go well with the rest of his outfit, given that he’d been teaching his Lower Sixth formers about World War II and was currently dressed as Winston Churchill, in a tweed suit and bow tie, complete with a pillow down his front for extra bulk.