– let me know. If we can find out who borrowed them and cross-reference a few key titles to look for the same name, we might well be on to something.’
‘The library won’t tell you who’s previously borrowed their books though, Kev,’ Gerry insisted. ‘I took out a book on fly fishing last month and some thug had drawn these doodles in the margins. I asked for the names of all previous readers so I could go and box their ears but they said it was confidential.’
My heart beat a little faster. I was sure I’d erased those doodles (drawn accidentally when I went over the edge of my scrap paper while spending an idle evening trying to list my top 50 Bryan Adams songs. Listen, there’s not a lot to do here in deep space).
‘Probably just someone with too much time on their hands,’ I said accurately. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it.’
An hour or so later, Rodway and Barrington12 had returned, their arms straining under the weight of the books they’d picked out. I’d stayed in the restaurant area for a coffee but obviously my brain was doing a lot of heavy lifting of its own as I devised a plan.
‘Where’s Gerry?’ I asked.
‘Still searching, I think,’ Rodway said. I rolled my eyes.
‘Fine, we’ll start without him,’ I said. ‘Let’s get those names.’
I headed over to the counter to see a familiar face, engrossed in her computer screen.
‘Hiya,’ I said, rapping my knuckles amiably on the desk. ‘Remember me?’
Caroline looked touchingly pleased to see me as she lifted her glasses from her nose and perched them on her forehead.
‘I do indeed!’ she said. ‘Kevin Keegan, who definitely didn’t have a bit of a meltdown on TV that time.’
‘Bang on,’ I said.
‘For a while there I didn’t think we’d be seeing you again,’ she said, lowering her voice. ‘There were some ugly headlines in the Compound Chronicle this past week.’
‘The General stitched me right up,’ I said, annoyed by the memory. ‘I’m totally innocent, they just took their time realising it.’
‘Well, that’s a relief,’ she said, and it seemed like she really meant it, which in turn meant a lot to me.
‘How is your…’ I trailed off with a wince.
‘Sister?’ Caroline suggested. I nodded, relieved that she hadn’t left me hanging. ‘She’s… well, I have no idea. Leigh rejected my application to leave and with the lockdown in place, very little information is coming in or out of the Compound. I’d like to think I’d have heard if… the worst had happened. But for now, I just have to sit here and stew. It’s so difficult, it really is. I’m itching to be with her.’
‘He’s an absolute bin of a man,’ I said sadly.
‘It’s great to see you anyway,’ Caroline said, changing the subject. ‘Can I help you look for anything in particular?’
‘Well, not exactly. I’m here on other business.’
‘Oh…? Like what exactly?’
‘I can’t tell you that,’ I whispered, tiptoeing around the subject, ‘but let’s just say the reason I was imprisoned… well, I want justice to be done. I really can’t elaborate more than that; I’m sorry to be so cryptic.’
‘You want to find the real spy,’ Caroline said immediately. Christ, was I really that transparent? I thought I was being so enigmatic, when in fact she’d seen right through me like I was Gordon Strachan on a sunny day.
‘How did you…?’ I trailed off and glanced hurriedly behind me to make sure no one was listening in.
‘Hey, believe me, I won’t blow your cover,’ Caroline said reassuringly. ‘I want the spy found too – it’s the only way I’m going to see Angela.’
I stared at her blankly.
‘Who’s Angela?’
‘My sister.’
Bugger.
‘Oh, right, yeah, of course. Well, good. Because I might need your help. I mean, if that’s okay.’
‘Count me in,’ she replied in a determined voice. ‘Let’s just catch the bastard.’
‘That’s exactly the advice I used to give to David James before a match,’ I said. She frowned in confusion but I waved a hand to say it didn’t matter. ‘My associates here have some items we’d like you to look at.’
Rodway and Barrington12 placed the books on the counter and the hunt began.
CLUES
Mustering all my reserves of patience I watched and paced while Caroline scanned the barcode of each book onto the system.
‘Right,’ said Caroline. ‘That’s all of Rodway’s books done. We’re getting there. Now let’s cross-check them with… I’m so sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.’
‘HELLO, CAROLINE KELLY. I AM BARRINGTON12. I AM FLUENT IN OVER SIX MILLION FORMS OF FOOTBALL FORMATIONS AS WELL AS—’
‘All right, put a cork in it, she doesn’t need to know your life story,’ I said, a little more grumpily than I’d intended. Barrington12 paused while he processed this request.
‘KEVIN KEEGAN, PLEASE REPEAT AND SPECIFY WHERE THE CORK MUST BE INSERTED,’ he said quizzically. ‘ALSO, BARRINGTON12 DOES NOT OWN A CORK. PLEASE ADVISE.’
‘Just be quiet a minute,’ I said with a sigh. Immediately, he stood frozen in place staring at the bare wall opposite, as though a switch had been flicked.
‘Wow, a 12-series model,’ Caroline said, staring at him with great interest. ‘I thought they’d been scrapped years ago.’
‘They were,’ I muttered, ‘and he most definitely should’ve been.’ But then I felt bad. Barrington12 had given up his Friday to help us find the spy – I owed him better than that. ‘He’s just tired,’ I said, more sympathetically. ‘He’s not been charged up all day, so his batteries will be running on air.’
‘Actually I saw him using one of the library charge points while we were book-hunting earlier,’ Rodway said.
‘There’s normally a fee for that,’ Caroline muttered under her breath. Little wonder she and Gillian got on so well – both such sticklers for the rules. Mind you, I’m one to talk. I once heard a commentator describe a relegation scrap as ‘a real six-pointer’. I was disgusted – it’s three points for a win; you cannot just go about changing things like that so late in a season. The FA never even replied to my letter about it, which tells you everything you need to know about that shower.
‘Right,’ Caroline said when she was logged in. ‘What’s the next title?’
Rodway handed over one of the books Barrington12 had found – The Unexplored Country by Bartholomew Modge. I frowned.
‘What’s this when it’s at home?’ I asked.
‘It is at home,’ Rodway said. ‘It’s about our home. Part of it, anyway. It details the geography of several planets in this nebula, including Palangonia. Good call, Barrington12.’
The robot didn’t respond as he continued staring into space as instructed.
‘Professor Modge’s speciality is documenting the more forgotten and overlooked areas of the galaxy,’ Caroline explained. ‘And prior