Genius Squad (55 page)

Cadel already knew most of this; it had been explained to him several times. So he let his attention drift around the table, studying one face after another, as he wondered where he was going to end up. Obviously he wouldn’t be staying with Gazo – Fiona had made that quite clear. And it was just as well, too, because Cadel didn’t want to live with Lexi again. His heart went out to Gazo, who probably didn’t know what he was letting himself in for. Lexi was an awful lot of work, and Gazo didn’t respond well to sudden shocks. He might get jumpy if the twins were always fighting. He might lose control of his stench, and knock them both out by accident.

Gazo and Cadel exchanged another fleeting, embarrassed smile.
It would be nice to have a chat at some stage
, Cadel thought. Then his wandering gaze alighted on Sonja, who was having an especially bad bout of painful muscular contractions. Normally Cadel would have leapt to her aid. He would have tried to stop her from hurting herself, by supporting some of her limbs and intercepting others. But Judith seemed to have mastered that knack. She did it almost instinctively.

Watching her, Cadel decided that she was the right person to care for Sonja. The question was: had Judith volunteered to take him in, as well? Was that the option being ‘finalised’ by Saul? Or had someone else made an offer? Mr and Mrs Primrose, perhaps?

Surely Cadel wouldn’t have to live with the Donkins? Or, even worse, with
Chester Cramp
?

After Saul had finished his speech, there was a lot of discussion between the lawyers and social workers about evening shifts, supervision, reporting lines, and legal accountability. Meanwhile Lexi yawned, Devin added more graffiti to his desk, and Hamish played with his chewing gum. The three of them only perked up when the talk turned to specifics: to pay scales, for instance, or to their assigned duties as members of Genius Squad.

But according to Saul, it was too early for specifics. And the meeting ended soon afterwards, when it became clear that nothing could be settled until Garth Renmark had secured a ‘final go-ahead’ for the project. Cadel, who had observed Garth’s folded arms and sour expression, wasn’t hopeful. Especially disappointing was the fact that Garth slipped out early, having mumbled something to Saul and not bothered to thank anyone else. In Cadel’s view, Genius Squad was dead in the water.

Apparently, however, he was wrong.

‘That was great,’ Saul declared, as he shook hands with Mel. ‘I think we’re in with a good chance. Garth’s a hundred per cent behind us, now. He’ll push it through, I’m certain.’

‘But he looked like he hated us all,’ Cadel protested. ‘What makes you think he’s going to help?’

‘Because he told me he’d have an answer by tomorrow,’ Saul replied. ‘Which means he understands how important it is to get this thing kicked off.’

Mel nodded. He explained to Cadel that Mr Renmark always looked as if he hated everyone. ‘It’s a technique,’ Mel said. ‘To stop people pestering you.’

Then Mel offered Fiona a lift, which she politely declined. By this time everyone was leaving; the Primroses, in fact, had already gone, shepherding Hamish out of the room before he could do more than aim a quick thumbs-up at Cadel. Gazo slipped out as quietly as he’d arrived, with only a wave at Cadel to signal his departure, while Lexi had to be dragged away by her attendants, loudly objecting that she hadn’t had a chance to ‘talk to people’. ‘It isn’t fair!’ she complained. ‘I haven’t seen Cadel for ages! I want to ask him about what happened! Why does Sonja get to stay, and I don’t?’

‘Sonja’s not staying, stupid – where’d you get that idea?’ growled Devin, from inside the lift. And it was true. Judith wouldn’t linger, not even to oblige Cadel. She was afraid of overtiring Sonja, who hadn’t been sleeping. (‘Nightmares,’ Judith said succinctly, by way of explanation. ‘She still hasn’t got over that business with Prosper English.’) So Cadel had to kiss Sonja goodbye without exchanging more than a few words. He couldn’t even accompany her to Judith’s car, because Saul wanted him to wait behind.

‘There’s something we need to discuss,’ the detective informed him. ‘I know it’s hard, but you’ll be seeing Sonja again very soon, I promise. It’s just that we have one last decision to make.’

‘Is it about where I’m going to live?’ asked Cadel. ‘Is it about Chester Cramp?’

Saul frowned. Suddenly he turned to the surveillance team, and ordered them outside. To Cadel’s astonishment, they promptly obeyed, closing the door behind them.

Their withdrawal meant that only Saul, Fiona and Cadel were left in the seminar room.

‘I think that went quite well,’ Saul opined. He returned to where Cadel was slumped in a chair, and sat down opposite him. ‘I think Genius Squad will be operational in a couple of weeks. And if it is, we might have some solid leads on Prosper by the end of the month.’ He regarded Cadel intently. ‘What’s your view?’

Cadel shrugged. ‘Like I said,’ he replied, ‘I’ve got a few ideas. But Vee’s very good. And Prosper’s not stupid. It’s going to be hard.’

‘That’s why we need Genius Squad,’ the detective asserted, and began to argue his case in a well-reasoned, quietly impassioned way, while Fiona stood over him nervously. ‘You once told me that you could protect yourself on-line, way better than anyone else. I didn’t believe you, back then, because I didn’t know you. Now I do. And I can see that you’re the best hope we have, when it comes to locating Prosper English. When it comes to ensuring your own future
safety
, in fact.’

Cadel was bemused. ‘Yes, I know. You already told me this,’ he said.

‘We’re just trying to explain why we haven’t mentioned our idea before,’ Fiona chimed in. ‘The idea we’re about to run past you, I mean. And we didn’t want to get your hopes up. Not until we’d done a bit of research – ’ ‘There are security issues,’ Saul interjected. ‘This whole arrangement won’t be possible until we’re feeling a bit more confident about Prosper’s movements.’

‘What whole arrangement?’ Cadel looked from Saul to Fiona and back again. He was utterly lost. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Cadel . . .’ Saul took a deep breath, both hands resting tensely on his knees. ‘Chester Cramp isn’t particularly interested in you. I guess you realise that.’

‘Yeah,’ Cadel said flatly. ‘I’m supposed to be a genius, remember? I managed to work
that
out.’

‘Of course.’ The detective licked his lips. He was choosing his words with enormous precision. ‘What you probably don’t realise is that Cramp’s currently being investigated, and he’s
terrified
of Prosper English. The last thing he’s worried about at present is making any sort of parental claim.’

‘Which he’d be
completely unjustified
in doing, anyway!’ Fiona added, before she was silenced by a warning look from her fiancé.

‘The thing is, Cadel,’ Saul continued, ‘now that we know Cramp’s your father, and that you can claim Australian citizenship . . . well . . .’

A pause.

‘Well what?’ said Cadel.

‘Saul’s trying to say that it’s up to you,’ Fiona stressed. ‘We don’t want to pressure you into anything – ’

‘Pressure me about
what?
’ Cadel was fast losing patience. He didn’t need all this ambiguity and circumspection. He was anxious enough already.

Sensing this, the detective finally made his announcement – in a hoarse and hesitant voice.

‘As you know, Ms Currey and I are getting married next month,’ he said. ‘And once that happens, we’d like to adopt you.’

Cadel stared at him.

‘If you’re agreeable,’ Saul amended, rather nervously.

‘You can think about it as long as you like,’ Fiona was quick to point out. Whereupon Saul backed her up, with clumsy haste.

‘Oh – uh – yeah, sure,’ he stammered. ‘That’s right. Don’t rush your decision.’

‘You can talk to someone about it,’ said Fiona, obviously flustered by Cadel’s speechless regard. ‘There are special counsellors. You can even talk to Mel if you’re worried.’

‘We wouldn’t want you to change the way you act, or . . . I mean, I wouldn’t expect you to think of me as your father. Or Fiona as your mother.’ Saul was almost squirming with discomfort. ‘We just want to give you a home, and make sure there’s always someone to look after you. Once it’s safe enough for you to leave police custody.’

‘Oh.’ Cadel swallowed. Suddenly he felt as if his thawing heart had been snap-frozen. ‘So you’re doing this . . . just to keep me out of the Donkins’ house?’ he mumbled, and saw the detective start.

‘Hell, no!’ Saul exclaimed, almost with horror, and his fiancée enveloped Cadel in a fierce hug.

‘Sweetie,’ she said, ‘I can’t
tell
you how much we want this. This is so important to us.’

‘You see, Fiona and I . . . we’re looking forward to a great life together,’ Saul carefully explained. ‘But you can’t start that sort of life while you’re missing someone, and worrying about them, and always feeling that things aren’t right because – well, because someone’s not there who should be.’

‘You were in this from the beginning,’ Fiona remarked, her breath warm on Cadel’s ear. ‘Without you, Saul and I would never have met. We’d never have ended up on the same side. You’re part of this family already. We just have to make it formal.’

‘If that’s what
you
want, of course,’ Saul finished, so awkwardly that Cadel had to smile. It was a joke, really. How could there be any doubt? How could such a clever man be so foolish?

But Cadel wasn’t foolish. He knew what he wanted.

‘Oh, yes. Yes please,’ he gasped, his eyes shining.

Then he returned Fiona’s embrace. And though he did it clumsily, without the skill that comes from long years of practice, he displayed the sort of enthusiasm that makes up for everything else.

‘Really smart and clever.’
Philadelphia Inquirer

‘Catherine Jinks is a brilliant builder of narrative firewalls, and just as you think you have it all figured out, you don’t. To match the dynamic intricacy of the plot, Cadel’s character develops from that of a put-upon child to a morally searching adolescent.’
Chicago Tribune

‘Catherine Jinks pulls out all the stops in
Evil Genius
, making Cadel not just smart, but brilliant, devious, loyal, inventive, creative, focused, and oddly good at cross-dressing.’
The Georgia Strait

‘Jinks has created an intricate, well-constructed and layered reality in this hefty novel, and as the complex deceptions that have shaped Cadel’s life come to light, his emotional unraveling and awakening will likely engross readers.’
Publishers Weekly

‘Imagine Harry Potter’s Hogwarts in reverse . . . this book will appeal to younger teens who can see the possibilities for adventure through the eyes of the bad guys. Although Cadel himself will in the end deny evil, he learns that no one remains untouched by it.’
Voice of Youth Advocate

‘Like Cadel this is a clever book . . . [with] brilliant moments and thrilling episodes . . . ’
Viewpoint