A. N. T. I. D. O. T. E. Read Free Page B

get her into trouble.’
    ‘What kind of trouble?’ Nosh’s ears pricked up at once. That’s the thing about Nosh. He loves to know everyone’s business.
    ‘I’m not sure,’ I admitted.
    ‘This isn’t another of your worry-wart ideas, is it?’ Nosh asked suspiciously.
    ‘What d’you mean?’
    ‘Well, you must admit,’ Nosh said, ‘sometimes you’ll get an idea in your head and worry it to death.’
    ‘Rubbish!’ I said indignantly. ‘My mum’s up to something – or at least she might be.’
    ‘I’m still waiting for you to tell me what kind of something,’ said Nosh.
    I took a deep breath. ‘Well, it’s like this …’ I began.
    And I relayed the whole of the conversation I’d heard between Mum and Uncle Robert the night before. By the time I’d finished, Nosh looked just as perplexed as I felt – which, I must admit, did make me feel a bit better.
    ‘Is that all true?’ Nosh asked.
    ‘Of course it’s true,’ I snapped. ‘I wouldn’t make up something like that.’
    ‘ANTIDOTE … Halle’s always going on about them,’ Nosh mused. ‘So what does it mean?’
    ‘I wish I knew. But I’m worried. I don’t know what went on after I had to go to bed. Maybe Uncle Robert managed to persuade Mum to help him get into the Shelby building and film the experiments on those animals, after all?’
    ‘Wow! Your mum?!’ Nosh was as stunned by the idea as I was.
    ‘Maybe I’m worrying about nothing,’ I said hopefully.
    ‘It wouldn’t be the first time,’ Nosh pointed out.
    Before I could argue, the doorbell rang. At my look of query, Nosh sniffed with disgust. ‘It’s probably one of Halle’s butt-ugly boyfriends!’
    I’d heard all about Nosh’s sister’s boyfriends. According to Nosh, his sister Halle always chose to go out with boys who Nosh was guaranteed to loathe! Halle’s current one scored zero out of ten for patting Nosh on his head the first time they’d met!
    ‘Elliot, could you come here for a moment?’ Nosh’s dad called out from the hall moments later. It’s strange but looking back, that was the moment that changed my life. I can see that now. I only wish I could’ve seen it then, but I didn’t.
    I did as requested, followed by Nosh. I thought it was Mum, back already from wherever it was that she’d had to go. I was wrong.
    It was the police.
    A man and a woman stood at the door, both of them in uniform. The man had light-brown hair and the woman was a blonde who looked past Nosh’s dad straight at me.
    ‘Elliot Gaines?’ said the blonde policewoman.
    I nodded, swallowing hard. My mind went blank – completely and totally blank.
    ‘Mrs Carlisle, your other next-door neighbour, told us we might find you here. Can we talk to you for a moment, son?’ the woman continued.
    I walked forward slowly, my legs suddenly filled with lead weights.
    ‘Do you know where your mother is, Elliot?’ asked the policeman seriously.
    I shook my head.
    ‘Has there been an accident?’ asked Nosh’s dad.
    My head snapped round. Even though I’d been thinking the exact same thing, it was still shocking to hear it put into words like that. At that moment, I almost hated Nosh’s dad.
    ‘Do you know where your mum is?’ the policeman asked me again, ignoring Nosh’s dad completely.
    ‘No, I don’t.’ My voice was little more than a squeak.
    ‘What’s this all about, officer?’ asked Nosh’s dad.
    I’ll say one thing for him, he was persistent.
    ‘Can I talk to you alone for a moment, sir?’ said the policewoman.
    Nosh’s dad frowned. He stepped out into the front path, pulling the door partially to behind him. Nosh and I immediately moved forward to have a listen.
    ‘Are you any relation to Lisa Gaines?’ asked the policewoman.
    ‘No, but we’re the best of friends. Elliot’s staying here with us until she gets back,’ Nosh’s dad answered.
    ‘I see.’ Now it was the turn of the policeman to speak. In hushed tones, he said, ‘Well, Mrs Lisa Gaines and