Read Charlie Bone And The Red Knight (Children Of The Red King, Book 8) for Free Online Page A

box. The box she gave to Rufus. The box she believes Rufus entrusted to his dearest friend. And he was Lyell Bone."
    Tancred and Emma peered closer at the family tree. There were notes scrawled across the bottom.
    Maybeile gave the mother-of'--pearl inlaid box. to Evangeline. EuaMgeii*ie gave it to HimU, and Sally on their wedding day. Hugh aud Sally gave it to Kufeos a*id ElleK on their wedding day. Rulws gaAW it to Lyell Bone for safekeeping.
    Va*viei Raven's first wife, Niamk, died in childbirth. He then, married Jatte Hill.
    Tancred gave a low whistle. "What a tangle." He was about to hand back the family tree when Emma restrained him. She was scrutinizing the paper intently.
    "There's a line that goes nowhere," she said, pointing to a name on the far left side of the tree. "N-I-A-something, and then Ita, and then Eamon."
    "Irish," said Paton. "I intend to follow it up, but it may be impossible. Sally told me that her husband had a half sister who lived in Ireland with her grandparents. Her mother died when she was born. But we're only interested in the line that ends with Billy. If Sally is right, then Billy Raven is the heir to Septimus Bloor's fortune."
    Tancred rolled his eyes. "No wonder they want to get rid of him. Does Charlie know about this, Mr. Yewbeam?"
    Paton nodded. "I managed to fill him in before he left for school on Monday."
    The telephone on Miss Ingledew's desk suddenly gave a sharp ring and everyone jumped. Miss Ingledew picked up the receiver. The voice at the other end could be heard quite clearly and Tancred leaped off the sofa, crying, "It's Dad. Oh, no, I forgot to call him."
    Miss Ingledew had to hold the receiver well away from her ear as Mr. Torsson's voice thundered into the room, sending pens and papers flying off her desk. Paton took the receiver from her and shouted "Torsson!" into the phone. "Tancred's here, as you no doubt suspected. He's quite safe, but he'd better spend the night in the bookstore. There's a lot going on. We'll talk about it later."
    Mr. Torsson's reply was loud but reasonable. He'd managed to get his thunder under control. Tancred took over from Paton and told his father he would be home in the morning. He replaced the receiver with a sigh of exhaustion.
    "It's all right to stay the night?" he asked Miss Ingledew, darting a look at Emma.
    "We'll make up a bed on the sofa," Mss Ingledew said with a smile.
    Paton decided it was time for him to leave. He wished everyone a good night and reminded Miss Ingledew to lock and bolt the door as soon as he had left.
    He waited outside the shop while she did this, and then she waved at him through the glass in the door, and he set off.
    When he left Cathedral Square, Paton heard a low muttering of voices that grew louder as he approached the turn to Piminy Street. A group of people were coming up the road toward him. They were an odd bunch, with their long coats, their furs, their leathers, and their strangely dated hats. One of them wore a white undershirt. Paton backed up a few steps and slid into the shadows behind a narrow porch. He watched as they all turned onto Piminy Street. There must have been at least a dozen of them. When they had passed the first few houses, Paton felt confident enough to step quietly into the street, but one of the group turned, suddenly, and stared at him, her eyes glinting in the dark; she was very small, her face ancient in the streetlight, her hair a deep red. Paton averted his eyes and hurried on.
    Not for the first time he wished that Julia Ingledew didn't live so close to Piminy Street. "On the doorstep of another world," he said to himself as he walked briskly through the city, avoiding streetlamps where he could. The salty tang on his lips reminded him that Lord Grimwald was in the city once again. At Ezekiei's invitation, no doubt. And Paton thought of Lyell Bone, out on the wild ocean.
    As Paton strode down Filbert Street, a black car rolled past him and stopped outside number nine. Grizelda