CHERUB: Class A - Robert Muchamore Page 0,32

best target would be Keith’s bedroom,’ Zara said. ‘He’s the kind of guy who gets phone calls at all hours, so you can be sure he takes important calls in bed. Have a good snoop and put in a listening device.’
‘Why can’t you tap the phones from out in the street?’ James asked.
‘They’ve been tapped for years and Keith knows it,’ Ewart said. ‘A serious villain like Keith Moore uses mobiles or face-to-face meetings. He’ll pick up a pay-as-you-go mobile and use it for a day or two, then switch to another one before we know he’s got it. He also speaks using code words, and uses something to disguise the sound of his voice, so you could never go into court and prove it was him saying what he said. Our only chance of getting useful information is to have a microphone in the actual room where Keith is talking.’
‘So, Nicole,’ Zara said. ‘That’s your target. Get a microphone in Keith’s bedroom and maybe a few others around the house. The risks are low, because nobody is going to suspect that a twelve-year-old girl is planting a microphone, but you should still be careful.’
‘OK,’ Ewart said. ‘Good work, Nicole, keep it up. Do you want to go next, James?’
James nodded. ‘Me and Junior are top mates, bunking off and going to boxing and stuff.’
‘How much do you think Junior knows about his dad’s business?’
‘He comes out with stuff,’ James said. ‘He’s curious about what his dad does. If any one of Keith’s kids knows anything worth knowing, I’d bet on Junior.’
‘And the deliveries,’ Zara said. ‘How are they going?’
‘Good,’ James said. ‘It’s mostly nice houses and offices I’m going to. I was worried at first, but it’s like having a newspaper round, only with decent wages.’
Ewart spoke. ‘The mission briefing mentioned that kids around here aren’t just delivering small amounts of drugs to individuals, but are getting deeper into the organisation and delivering in bulk to dealers from other parts of the country. Have you seen any sign of that?’
James shrugged. ‘Some kids are making serious money, so it wouldn’t surprise me.’
‘Your number one job is to find out how they’re making that money,’ Zara said. ‘Make friends, ask questions and keep pestering until you get an answer. Remember to keep safe when you’re out on deliveries. If you think a situation is dangerous, pull out and we’ll clean up the mess afterwards. We’d rather abandon the whole mission than risk one of you guys getting hurt.’
‘Kyle,’ Ewart said. ‘Your turn.’
‘Ringo’s a bust if you ask me,’ Kyle said. ‘He’s a straight-up guy, though he smokes a fair bit of cannabis. I’m getting in with his crowd. There are drug dealers at their parties and plenty of kids using all kinds of drugs. I might get some information from one of them, but I’m not hopeful.’
Ewart and Zara looked at each other.
‘Just keep trying, Kyle,’ Zara said. ‘That’s all you can do until we think of something else.’
‘So,’ Ewart said. ‘Last but not least, Kerry.’
‘Me and Erin can’t stand each other,’ Kerry said. ‘She’s weird and immature and her friends sit in a group and don’t talk to anyone else.’
‘What did you do to try and get in with them?’ Ewart asked.
‘We’re just so different,’ Kerry explained. ‘I don’t think we’ll ever get on.’
‘The thing is, Kerry,’ Ewart said, ‘you’ve been trained to work out what type of person your target is and then act in a way that makes them your friend. If Erin mucks about and upsets teachers, then that’s what you should do, even if you think it’s silly and immature. If Erin swears and bunks off, you should do that too. I know you can’t guarantee forming a friendship with a target, but I don’t ever expect to hear a cherub say they’re too different from someone to get along.’
Kerry looked angry. ‘You’d need a world-class psychiatrist to work out Erin. She’s part of a weird little clique and they shut everyone else out.’
Zara spoke. ‘If you haven’t hit it off with Erin by now, I doubt it’s ever going to happen. I can’t see much reason for you to stay on this mission. We can send you back to campus and say you’ve moved back to live with your real parents, or something.’
Kerry looked close to crying. ‘I don’t want to be sent back. I’m trying to get involved with someone else, like it says in the briefing.’
‘I can’t see much point,’ Ewart said.