The Greatest English Detective Club #1

By Forest Jones

The Greatest English Detective Club #1 tells the story of stolen money and gold from an old exhibit hall which holds the history of diving and local shipwrecks, and ultimately how a young brother and sister solve it. For Phil Marsden, an eleven year old boy, his one and only mission is to solve mysteries like his mum who is both a history professor at Southampton University and a psychic who helps the Weymouth, England police on certain cases. For Kate Marsden, a ten year old girl, she desperately wants to keep up with her brother, not only to help him solve mysteries, but also to follow in her mum's footsteps.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 16, 2005
• ISBN: 9780595805518

Forest Jones

Forest Issac Jones was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and brought up in Salem, Virginia where he now lives. A part-time writer since 2000, he has written a short story for Detective Mystery Stories called, The River Clyde Mystery. He graduated from Roanoke College in 1995 with a BA in History and Education. In 2001 he graduated from Hollins University with a MALS in History. In 2004 he graduated from Radford University with a certification in Educational Administration and Supervision. He is a world geography teacher at Andrew Lewis Middle School.

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Contents

C H A P T E R 1

THE NUTTER BEHIND THE WHEEL

C H A P T E R 2

NICKED AGAIN!

C H A P T E R 3

GET YOURSELF SORTED!

C H A P T E R 4

GOLDEN DOWN UNDER

C H A P T E R 5

THE CHASE HEATS UP

C H A P T E R 6

WHAT S BEEN NICKED?

C H A P T E R 7

YOU RE NlCKED!

C H A P T E R 8

A SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT

C HAPTER 9

A NEW LOCAL DERBY

C H A P T E R 10

A PUNDIT’S DEFT SEARCH

C H A P T E R 11

THE PAYOFF

C H A P T E R 12

A DODGY DISAPPEARANCE

C H A P T E R 13

A FLASH SIDE

C H A P T E R 14

ADMISSION TIME

C H A P T E R 15

HUNTING IN THE EXHIBIT HALL

C H A P T E R 16

BOB’S YOUR UNCLE!

C H A P T E R 17

KEY TO A TILL

C H A P T E R 18

GOBSMACKED AGAIN!

C H A P T E R 19

GOLD!

C H A P T E R 20

WHITE KNUCKLE MOVE

Glossary-Sayings in England

C H A P T E R 1

THE NUTTER BEHIND THE WHEEL 

Phil and Kate Marsden steadied the front of their bicycles and screamed in disbelief at the speeding car. It was weaving back and forth on the tight road.

He’s gonna ram us! Get up that hill as fast as you can! Phil bellowed, as the siblings stopped the bicycles quickly and jumped off.

Let’s go! Kate yelled as they began up the steep hillside.

In a surprising move, the haphazard driver turned his car suddenly to the right and pulled into a dirt road on the side wheels. The kids thought the car would flip over, but it came back on all fours and raced off into the distance.

Blimey! said Kate. Let’s make a move before that nutter returns. That road ends remember.

The kids got back onto their bicycles and pedaled as quickly as possible to get pass the busy roundabout. They rode quietly for a few minutes, checking out what was ahead of them.

To the right of them was a downward slope full of mangled rocks and some broken trees that led to a lake at the bottom. At the opposite side was a steep hill. The often-traveled road was narrow, and the winding of it made it difficult for drivers.

I wouldn’t want to be down at the bottom of this, Phil said. That has to be a long way down.

Aye, Kate agreed. We’d be goners for sure if we fell off. She gave a grin. Be careful, Phil, or Mum will have your hide if you don’t get those letters out in the post.

Phil felt inside ofhis jumper pocket to make sure the number ofletters which he was ordered to deliver for Mrs. Marsden were still safe. Thankful that they were still there, Phil laughed and said, With all the help we gave Mum on her last case with the old bill, she should form an agency called Marsden and Kids.

Aye, Kate answered with a generous smile. She’s one of the most well known professors and psychics here in England, right? And we’ve been right there with her. Then, thinking seriously, she went on, It’d be nice to have a mystery of our very own to crack.

Phil and Kate, students at Weymouth Primary, were mixing work with pleasure this Saturday morning by doing the favor for their Mum.

Although the boy was fair and the girl was dark haired, there was a striking resemblance between the two of them. Eleven year old Phil was short and had light brown hair. Kate, a year younger, was a brunette with brown eyes. They were the only children of Dennis and Sharon Marsden. The family had lived in Weymouth, a small but touristy city of thirty thousand people, located on the English Channel, on the southwest coast of England.

The two bikes swerved around the narrow road that ran against the channel and led to Wyke Regis, the kids’ eventual destination. The siblings went around the next curve carefully and began up a steep, but wider hill. Now the road was simply gravel and needed to be paved badly.

At the top it will be a lot better, Phil said, as they slipped across the rough terrain. The road is better going into Wyke Regis.

Suddenly, way above their huffing and pedaling up the hill, the kids heard the engine of a car coming from behind them at a high speed. They looked back immediately.

I think that’s the same bloke we saw before! Kate exclaimed. Blimey!

Just then the Marsdens stopped and went as close to the side as they could. Phil and Kate jumped off and were prepared to flee out of danger’s way if needed.

The car sped towards them like a bullet. And when it appeared that it was headed straight for them, the driver spun the steering wheel mercilessly and the Fiat went past.

Crikey! That was a near miss! Phil cried.

The car had been going so fast that the kids were not able to get the registration or even a second’s glance at the driver’s appearance. However they had noticed that he was alone and had a bald head.

IfI ever see that bloke, Kate mumbled, I might...maybe... The girl was too upset to finish her sentence.

Phil calmed down. He must be offhis rocker, he said, as the bright red Fiat disappeared around the next curve.

The kids continued their ride. As they went past the curve they could see Wyke Regis and the village that was the focal point of the area, and there was no red Fiat in sight.

He’s in a hurry to go somewhere, Kate said.

Or he’s run out of petrol on the side of the road somewhere, Phil added.

The kids arrived in Wyke Regis and Phil sent the papers off in the post while Kate kept an eye on the bicycles. When her brother appeared, Kate wondered, Why don’t we take the other way back to Weymouth? I don’t fancy that rocky patch of road again.

Aye. We can stop by Gary’s.

Gary Trueman, who was a school mate of the Marsdens, lived in a small cottage about half a mile outside ofWeymouth. Gary’s true love in life was a shiny golden moped which he had named Goldie. He tended to it constantly to keep up its fab appearance.

Phil and Kate went back on the same road for a little while, then took a different turn which led to a backway to the Trueman’s cottage. As they approached Gary’s home, Phil quickly braked on his bicycle and looked down into a thick wooded area located on the side of the road.

Kate! Either that nutter or someone else had a bust-up!

Under the wooded area was a red Fiat that had flipped. The vehicle was gutted, and wheels were scattered, it was a mangled mess.

Let’s check and see if there’s anyone in there, Kate said urgently.

The kids carefully made their way in the woods, with their hearts racing. Would there be anyone in there?

After looking carefully in the Fiat there was nobody to be found.

This car may have been here for awhile, said Kate, and anyway

Phil went to the front and put his hand on the hood. Kate, the engine is still warm, he said. This didn’t happen too long ago. I’d put my Man U jersey that this is the bald headed guy’s motor.

But where did he go? Kate asked. He didn’t just disappear? Did someone pick him up or what?

Phil shook his head. Who knows? But I can tell you this. The registration is gone, so either he or someone else made sure to lift it for some reason.

The kids were absolutely frazzled by the entire episode. Because they were not needed at the place, they scrambled out of the bushes and back onto their bicycles. Soon they could see the Trueman’s place, a quaint cottage with a lake in the back. When they pedaled closer they could see Gary at the shed’s door.

Oi, mate! Kate yelled.

Gary ran down the road to meet them. He was a chubby black boy who enjoyed food and disliked sports of any kind. His plump face always had a large smile on it. But today the Marsdens detected that something was not right. When they came closer and stopped their bicycles, they saw that their mate’s toothy grin was not there.

What’s up with you? Phil asked.

I’m gutted, Gary answered. And you came just in time to help. Did you see a bloke on Goldie?

Phil and Kate stared at each other curiously.

Your moped? No, we haven’t seen it, said Kate. What on earth is the matter?

Someone’s nicked it!

Nicked?

Aye. I came out to the shed to get it a few minutes ago and now it’s gone, Gary answered angrily.

Didn’t you have the keys with you?

That’s what doesn’t make any sense. I had the keys inside with me like always, but the shed was open. Still I can’t understand how it happened.

Someone who knew what they were doing, Phil replied. Professional criminals know how to get mopeds going with their own tools. Do you have an idea of the time all this happened, mate?

It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes ago because that’s when I got back with the moped and put it in the shed.

We’re not accomplishing anything here, Kate said. Let’s find that bloke.

I have no idea where he went, Gary cried.

We didn’t see Goldie so he must have gone the other way, Phil added.

Get on with me, Gary, Kate said. The moped doesn’t go that fast. We’ll catch up to it eventually.

Well, there wasn’t much petrol in it, Gary said urgently as he jumped on Kate’s bicycle. Hopefully it’s on the side of the road somewhere.

Minutes later the kids were heading down the road looking for the nicked moped!

C H A P T E R 2

NICKED AGAIN! 

Gary Trueman’s moped was such a golden colour that the kids were sure that it would not be hard to catch a glimpse of the thief’s location.

Goldie is known all over Weymouth, Phil said. I’m sure someone saw it somewhere.

It’s all very odd, said Kate, especially that someone would nick a moped. You’d think they’d nick a motor or something. Change the registration and look and you have a new motor.

I see what you’re saying, Phil added, but, maybe the baddie didn’t nick the moped for money. It could be he did it quickly to get away for some reason and he may leave it on the side of the road somewhere.

Oi, look! Gary yelled, pointing to a fruit stand where several people were busy buying and selling. They might have seen something.

I’ll check, Phil said, and pulled his bicycle to side of the road.

He headed for the wooden stand with the canopy over it to talk to the old man behind it.

You didn’t happen to see a gold moped come through here recently? Phil asked him.

The frail old man stopped his fruit coordination and leaned over to Phil. Huh? he said.

A man on a gold moped, did you see it recently? Phil said with a heavier base.

The old