The Ideas Pirates (7 page)

Chapter 9

‘So what's the worry with spiders?'

Half an hour later, they were back in their seats. Gloria perched on the armrest because private places to talk in a plane were limited.

People in seats alongside snoozed.

Occasionally a little snore from Dr Chung or one of the other passengers interrupted the twins' conversation with Gloria. Winston was determined to be included even though his attendant said he was in disgrace. So he found an empty seat on the other side of the aisle. He leaned across.

‘They could bring disease. Or multiply quickly and take over some local spider's role.' said Gloria.

‘When did you realise the spider was inside the casette? ‘Winston asked. ‘Did it show up on the security scanner?'

Gloria shook her head. ‘Sometimes we notice when something is NOT what it should be.'

‘What d'you mean?'

‘Suppose we get a kilo tin of biscuits going through. But if we shake the tin, it doesn't sound or feel like a kilo of biscuits. It might be much too heavy. Then we get suspicious.'

Amy picked up the casette cover. ‘But this looks ordinary.'

‘Yes.' agreed Gloria. ‘ But with a spider inside , it shows up differently on the scanner.'

‘Would you see the spider's skeleton?'

‘Doesn't have one! ‘ Winston wanted people to know that HE knew about spiders.

‘But we'd notice what's missing. That is the clue, not just what IS there. One of the Singapore Customs guys gives me tips. Like last week , when we caught that New Zealander.' said Gloria.

‘What was he doing?' asked Christopher.

‘SHE was smuggling Australian frilled neck lizards out. At $10,000 each.'

‘How many was she carrying?'

‘Twenty . In her makeup case. He noticed she wasn't wearing any makeup.'

‘Good clue.' Amy whistled. ‘Two hundred thousand dollars! Cool. Do you get paid a salary or a commission?'

Gloria laughed. ‘Just a weekly pay cheque and a few thanks. Sometimes it's hard for us to spot the smugglers. Airlines are proud of processing passengers clear of customs within thirty five minutes of landing. Considering some jumbos carry four hundred plus people, that's not easy- for them or us! That's why “tip-offs” are helpful.'

‘Have you had a tip-off this time?'

Gloria nodded. ‘Several. The missing hospital drugs are a worry. But so are ideas pirates. And we've had a tip about some wildlife smuggling.'

‘Are you chasing Fake-Fifis too?' asked Amy.

Gloria laughed. ‘That's one way of describing it. Yes. Fifi's been having trouble with copy-T shirts.

Others have been passing off cheap, poor quality T-shirts as Fifis. They're destroying the reputation of her business. Now she wants to catch the thieves. That's one reason why I'm on this flight. Finding the spiders was unexpected. Singapore security usually pick up everything. I thought they would have checked inside his video cassette case.'

Amy wondered how much Gloria knew about the shirts in Jason's case.

‘Do you check on all the baggage that goes underneath?'

Gloria nodded. ‘Especially if we've had a tip off. Last week a smuggler had a tiny turtle fitted in a box under his armpit. We named it B.O. afterwards.'

Christopher sniffed loudly. Everybody laughed, except Winston.

‘B.O. Body Odour, get it?'

Winston didn't, so he tried to change the subject.

‘What about Quarantine?' asked Winston. ‘That's for the spiders, isn't it?'

‘Quarantine want to stop diseases travelling between countries. Often friends give passengers plants, seeds, cuttings, meat, fish or eggs. They're all illegal, unless specially packaged. So is something like honey.'

Winston looked guilty. ‘Is there honey in a fruit cake?' he whispered to Amy.

‘Probably.'

Gloria continued. ‘Quarantine protect native endangered species like birds, eggs and certain flowers.'

‘Slipper orchids!' added Christopher with a sideways look at his sister. ‘Amy's got something to ask you about them, Gloria.'

‘Certain types of orchids. Yes.' Gloria nodded. ‘ An orchid smuggler got six months jail for trading in wild-collected slipper orchids.'

‘Is that illegal because they're protected plants. Like the tigers?' asked Amy.

‘Tigers aren't plants!' said Winston.

‘They're both endangered species.' Gloria said quickly.

‘Like Motor Mouths,' said Christopher warningly. ‘Shhh. You'll wake up the others.' Around them, passengers stirred in their sleep. Some grunted. Others gave little snores.

‘These were wild-collected in Southern China. Thousands of specimens were found in his apartment,' whispered Gloria.

‘I read that,' said Amy,' That's why when the mystery man said “slipper orchids …”.

‘What mystery man?' Gloria turned towards Amy. ‘Did someone give you something to carry on board?'

Amy's heart sank. Mum had warned her NEVER to carry anything on board for a stranger. And she'd forgotten. ‘ The e disc. At Changi Airport.'

‘Where is it now?'

‘Here, in my bag. ‘ Amy pulled out Edwina, and the disc was underneath. “We could play it on a portable player if anyone has one. But you couldn't fit anything like orchids inside. It's much thinner than Sebastian's cassette.'

‘Seeds fit in small places.' warned Gloria. ‘Don't ever accept anything to carry on board. Don't become a courier of illegal goods, even by mistake.'

Gloria examined the disc. It was dark in the cabin now so she switched the light button on Amy's seat. A beam of light hit the disc.

‘What about the business card? The one for the radio station?' suggested Christopher turning over the original card. That was the only clue they had.

Just then, an attendant stopped beside Gloria with a message. ‘Excuse me, you're needed up front. A radio message.'

‘I'll be back later. They'll be turning on the lights soon, so settle down and get some sleep.'

Amy couldn't sleep. She felt miserable. She knew she shouldn't have taken the disk but she didn't have a choice. He just pushed it at her. But she could have told someone like Gloria, earlier.

‘Cheer up,' whispered Christopher. ‘It was my fault too.'

“Yes, it was. A dumb thing for you two to do.' Winston just had to have the last word.

‘Shut up, you Fruitcake!' muttered the twins. Winston decided to return then to his proper seat but he went the long way around. Amy watched him go up the aisle past Fifi and that gave her an idea. She slipped out of her seat and tapped Fifi on the shoulder.

‘Excuse me....'

‘Yes darlingk.' Fifi turned.

‘Would you have a portable player in your hand luggage?'

In her hurry, Gloria had left the e disk behind.

‘Of course darlingk.'

‘Would you mind if I borrowed it to check something? I'll only play it while we're cruising. And I'll return it before we start to descend.''

‘Help yourself darlingk. I'm going to have a snooze.'

‘Thank you.'

Amy took the player back to Christopher. It was time for the sleuthing twins to act.

Later, Gloria confirmed the twins' findings. They turned the sound down, so other passengers couldn't hear.

‘Yes. It's a master disc which can be copied by pirates. Well done twins.' Gloria looked pleased.

‘Now all we've got to find out, is who it was intended for?'

‘It is more than just music?' asked Amy.

‘Yes.'

‘It is the Slipper Orchid pop group, isn't it?' asked Christopher.

‘Yes, but it's more than just one song. It's the entire soundtrack of their new film ‘Slipper Orchids' which hasn't been released overseas yet. It's worth millions to thieves who want to sell copies illegally. Describe the man who gave it to you.'

Amy tried, but it had been so fast. ‘He looked sort of ordinary. Average height. Ordinary voice.

Christopher, you're the artist. You draw him .'

‘I hardly saw him, except later when he was running.” Christopher flicked on his overhead light and pulled out his sketch pad. ‘But I did take a photo of him, from behind with my old camera. Not the digital one. I've got the film here. I've just finished it.' He felt in his pocket and brought out a film.

Gloria took it.' We'll get that developed for you. Why do you think he gave the e disc to you?'

‘I don't know. I've never seen him before in my life!' Amy replied.

‘D'you think it was something to do with your aqua and purple backpack?' suggested Christopher. ‘Not many people would have one of them.'

‘Jason has.'

‘That's true. His is underneath with the baggage. But he was carrying it in the ticket queue.'

‘Maybe the man gave it to you because you had the purple bag? Maybe he should have given it to Jason?'

‘That's a thought. I bet it's got something to do with Radio 3-DISC,' Amy checked the business card in her overhead beam of light.

‘Jason said he was a disc jockey.'

‘That's a clue.' agreed Christopher.' But there are many kinds of discs. What kind is it? If I say ‘disc' what do you think of?'

‘Discs in your back,' said Dr Chung who'd just woken up..

Gloria left to talk with one of the crew up front.

‘Computer discs,' said Winston. ‘CD discs. Discs to tie Puma shoe laces.'

‘But which one is it?' Christopher looked thoughtful as Winston vanished to go to the toilet. He detoured past his own seat and picked up something.

Meanwhile, Amy turned to Christopher. ‘That film you gave Gloria to develop.'

‘Yes.'

‘That was from your old camera. Didn't you have the lens cap on when you ‘shot' the mystery man?”

Each hour or so, one of the crew checked the toilets to make sure everything was clean. This time, the attendant found a suspicious package in the bin. He called Gloria to investigate. She found a red wrapped parcel in the bin behind the toilet door. Males and females used the same toilet. So anyone could have left it.

‘D'you think it's a bomb?' The attendant kept well back.

‘Send the passengers to the other toilets down the end, I'll have a closer look.'

Gloria opened the door cautiously, trying not to knock the bin. It was such an awkward door. It went sideways and you had to slip around the edge.

‘What's happening?' Noticing the activity and the worried crew members gathering, Amy had hurried up too.

‘Get back,' cautioned Gloria. ‘ It's a round parcel in the bin. Might be dangerous.'

‘A red parcel?' asked Amy. Gloria turned and looked over her shoulder . ‘ How did you know? Is the red something to do with Chinese New Year?'

‘I think I know what it is.'