Friday Barnes and the Case of the Boy who was Kidnapped

When a boy is kidnapped from Highcrest Academy, Friday is astonished that no one is concerned. She soon finds out that he stages his kidnapping all the time, but Friday realises that this could be the perfect cover for a real kidnapping.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:36

Hello, and welcome to bedtime stories with me are rice spreads. Well for today's story, I'm going to read you chapter 17 of Friday bonds under suspicion it's, which is the second book in the Friday bond series. Here we go, Friday and Melanie we're again, sitting in a very boring school assembly. Melanie had been sound asleep for half an hour. She always nodded off. As soon as everyone sat down after singing the national Anthem Friday was trying to use her impressive and immense powers of concentration to tune out the vice-principals speech on the wickedness of chewing gum, but she was struggling because he spoke with such a strange and dramatic intonation that misled you into believing. He was about to say something much more interesting than he actually was Friday gave up and started counting the planks of wood in the ceiling. She'd just got up to 158. I was gaining a new found respect for the problems facing quantity surveyors. When the back doors of the hall burst open and a year nine boy rushed in Jen's been kidnapped exclaimed. The boy Friday was electrified by this announcement. Finally, something interesting was happening, but she was shocked by the response of the teaching staff and student body. They collectively groaned and went back to listening to the vice-principals speech. Sit down, boys snap. The headmaster will deal with Mr. Chin's. Amateur dramatics later Friday was a Gog. She had to sit there for another half an hour. Wondering what on earth was going on? Kidnapping was usually considered one of the most grievous categories of crimes in countries that have the death penalty. It was the type of crime you could get the death penalty for Friday elbow, Melanie and the ribs she had to doctor somebody about it, even if they could only whisper whispered Friday, this assembly over asked Melanie. No, but Jen has been kidnapped, said Friday. Remember him? He's the library monitor. I wonder if the librarian did it herself. She seems to overreact wildly to the most minor infractions. Perhaps he got a food smear on a book and she flew into a rage. His, that all that's happened. I'm going to go back to sleep then said, Melanie, closing her eyes and instantly dropping off Friday elbow during the ribs again. Why is no one concerned about what? Ask Melanie about Jen being kidnapped said Friday? Oh, because it happens all the time said Melanie, the poor boys repeatedly kidnapped us Friday. No, he stages his own kidnapping Zed, Melanie, with a yawn. He does it once or twice a term more often, if there's a traveling circus nearby or something good on at the cinema, they see a boy who pretends to kidnap himself would be the perfect victim for a real kidnapping set. Friday buds yelled the headmaster from up on the stage. I can see you talking. Stop it. See me. After the assembly, Friday went bright red with embarrassment. As every student in the school turned to look at her in quarter, Ryan wagged his finger at her. Like she'd been a naughty little girl, Friday turned to Melanie, but she'd already dropped off to sleep again. Friday, I could see one Melanie never got in trouble. As far as teachers were concerned, she was the ideal student. She never interrupted or asked difficult questions and they never had to Mark her assignments because she never handed them in Friday, waited by the back doors for the headmaster to come out and yell at her. But when he emerged, he was not alone. RADA. The boy had interrupted. The assembly was keeping pace with him and frantically talking. It's different. This time said up. That's what his note says. Every time said the headmaster, but he didn't leave a note said rodder, of course there's no name said the headmaster. I can just photocopy the last one, but you've got to do something said RADA. I shall said the headmaster I'll call Mrs. Flint at the sweet job and tell her to send him home immediately when he goes in for his caramel balls. But that's what I'm trying to tell you. You said RADA Chen already has a five kilos jar of caramel balls in our room. His aunt Stephanie said it to him yesterday. He's got no reason. And to stage his own kidnapping, going to town, I'll call the cinema events at the headmaster. The only film showing is a documentary said rodder. Really? So the headmaster that doesn't sound like Jen's cup of tea. It's got subtitles added rodder. Well, it definitely won't be there. Then said the headmaster. I saw his report. Mark for English. Comprehension is not his strength. Would you like me to investigate asked Friday the headmaster spun around bonds? I might've known you'd be eavesdropping. You asked me to wait for, you said Friday. Yes. There's always a clever excuse. Isn't there. So the headmaster grumpily, if 10 really has been kidnapped this time said Friday, it would be very bad for the school's image. Especially if your response in the first critical hour was to sit through the rest of assembly, then go back to your office and eat chocolate biscuits. How dare you blasted the headmaster before curiosity got the better of him? How did you know I was going back to my office to eat chocolate biscuits? Well, because you're under a lot of pressure from the parents association who were concerned about all the holes that keep popping up around the school. And the subsequent upswing in ankle injury said Friday, they're applying pressure through the vice principal and you've just had to listen to him, give a 30 minute speech. It must goal you that he has the audacity to talk at great length when he hasn't even headmaster, which must make you wonder if he will soon be headmaster, which must be upsetting. And given your waistline, your evidently a man who seeks comfort from emotional problems through 18, you are a principal. So it wouldn't do for a man of your stature to eat a normal plain biscuit. Therefore I deduced a chocolate biscuit was more likely. You'd probably have a large supply in your desk. Draw from parents, bribing you to turn a blind eye to their children's appalling behavior. The headmaster rolled his eyes. Why can't someone kidnap you? You I'd love it. If they did admitted Friday, I've always wondered what it would be like. Trying to escape would be more of a challenge than most things we do in PA. I haven't got time to deal with this now. So the headmaster looking at his watch, I have a phone conference with the school council. We've only got a half hour window of opportunity when the time zones work. So I can't delay. The president of the council is in New York. The treasurer is in Tokyo and the secretary has hiked out of the Amazon rain forest to use a payphone. He hurried away. What about Chen? Friday called after him? He'll turn ups at the headmaster. He always does. Unfortunately, the headmaster disappeared into the administration. Building Radha, sobbed crying asked Friday sniffed rodder. You're about to said Friday. I don't want Jen to be kidnapped said rodder because you're such good friends and you'll miss him guests Friday. Sympathetically. Yes, but mainly because I'd have to get a new roommate said rider. I'd never get another one with access to such a large amount of candy and accurate maths homework that I could copy. I don't suppose I could pay you to come and have a look. How much last Friday as many caramel balls, as you can find said, rodder deals at Friday lollipops were her preferred sweet, but she was prepared to be broad-minded. Did someone say caramel balls said, Melanie, who just got up with Friday? Can I come too? And so they hired off in the direction of the boys dormitory. What are you expecting to find in their room? Ask Melanie as they hurried to the boys dorm? Well, Chen is a boy set Friday. So I'm guessing the room will be messy, smell funny and have obsessive iconography blue tack to the walls. What exclaim rudder? Why did you say that? All pubescent boys have two things in common set Friday, number one, their feet smell bad. Number two, the developing neural pathways caused them to think obsessive early about something that is totally unimportant. For example, some boys obsessed about football, others obsessed about music, but Jan was not like that. He was a library monitor. I'm guessing the object of Chan's irrational, obsessive devotion was in the field of science fiction or perhaps fantasy role playing games. They stopped at the door room. How did he know ask broader Friday, Melanie stepped inside. There were star Wars posters on the walls. Lego models of fictional spacecraft and an extensive library of books relating to the plane of Dungeons and dragons. All exactly as Friday had predicted, have you been in here before us broader? Thankfully, no said Friday as she sniffed the air and noted that she was right about the smell as well. Jen's desk was covered with textbooks and notebooks all covered with repetitive mathematical scrawl in the center of it all in pride of place stood an enormous half eaten jar of caramel balls, which has Chan's bed as Friday. Although, as she looked at the bed, she immediately knew one bedspread was bait. The other featured a life-size picture of a time. Lord Friday walked over and checked under the bed and it seemed silly. But experience had taught her that eliminating a silly was an important part of any investigation. And she started sending off samples for DNA testing while Chen who was merely a slim boy was taking a deep nap under a thick feather Dooner then would feel very foolish indeed. But Jen was not to be found in the bed under the bed or in the wardrobe. How does he escape? When he usually finds a kidnapping asked Friday, well, escape. Isn't really, the words had RADA. There's no barbed wire or electric fences. He just leaves. So how does Jen usually leave us Friday? Penn said Radha. Sometimes he jumps into a Bush and runs off when we're out in the field doing PE. But if we're here in the dorm, he just climbs up window. But the windows closed said Melanie Friday, they went over to look. The windows showed a beautiful view. There was a gravel driveway, which trucks used as an access road to make deliveries to the dining room. Beyond that there was a pristine green lawns around it, a huge maple tree that was bright red with autumn color. And through the half naked branches Friday could see the hockey field and the baseball diamond. She shoved the window open. Hang about, you might need this set RADA holding out a rule for Friday. Why asked Friday taking it? Sasha is a bit tricky, said rider. Sometimes it falls shut when you least expect it. If the ruler isn't there, any vibration can make it drop suddenly interest in set Friday, which in the rule of between the sill and the sash, she stuck her head out the window and looked right and then left closely inspecting the gravel driveway. There wasn't much to see except for some tire tracks, which could have been made at any time. Friday was just drawing her head back inside. When she noticed something on the window frame, above her, she awkwardly twisted around almost into a limbo position so that she could look up at it. Oh dear exclaimed, Friday clapping one hand over her eyes. As she used her other hand to steady her blind re-entry into the room. You found something else RADA. Yes. I have proof that Jen was indeed taken away. So Friday you'd better fetch the headline. What is it? Asked RADA safe yourself said Friday. She stepped away from the window and did not turn to have another look. Herself. Rod appeared at the reddish Brown stain on the sash, which had a strand of something sticking to it. What is it he asked? I take you, the Chen had black hair asked Friday. Yes. Said Radha. Then that is a bloodstain with a little bit of hair stuck in. It said Friday, rod, his eyes bold then rolled up into his head and he fainted ODS at Friday. He's even more squeamish about blood than may. I'll go and get the headmaster volunteered. Melanie. You said Friday and try to bring him along without the vice-principal. This could get very embarrassing and impressive. Three minutes later, which shows that both Melanie and the headmaster must've been walking quickly. I think neither of them liked to do the headmaster burst into the room. The trouser leg above his left knee was torn and dirty. What's the meaning of this. He demanded, expecting to confront Friday and full detective mode crawling along the floor with a magnifying glass. Instead he discovered her kneeling on the floor and holding Roy in her arms. What's going on? Ah, headmaster said Friday, you fall into another hole. I see that's beside the point. So the headmaster, explain yourself, rod a fainted set Friday, standing up and let him rot a drop on the floor. I found blood and hair on the window. Sash consistent with the injury you would get. If you banged your head very hard on the timber. So you're saying said the headmaster, the chin actually has been kidnapped. Headmaster said Friday, there is no need to alarm yourself. Jen does apparently have a serious head injury and he has been taken away, but he has not been kidnapped. Now is not the time to talk in riddles at the headmaster, you will find Chen unconscious and laying on the green waste pile at the local tip said Friday, what are you talking about? Demanded the headmaster. Let me explain what happens at Friday. Please do snap. The headmaster Chen is a silly, but academically able boys had Friday from his desk. We can see that he was studying for a maths exam. Next week, his family are supportive of his academic goals. His aunt even sends him his favorite sweets to help him focus. Studies show that a high sugar diet AIDS short-term memory. If you want to improve the school's academic standing, you should think about handing out candy bars for exams. Don't wander off the point. Chided the headmaster. Sorry. Where was I said Friday? Oh yes. Jen was at his desk studying Judah flee. When he went over to the window, opened it and stuck his head out. Why would he do that? Perhaps? He wanted fresh air, said the headmaster. Jen likes playing Dungeons and dragons said Friday. He clearly has no interest in fresh air. I don't know. Then did the headmaster. Let's ask ourselves what is a window set? Friday plays, just get on with it. So the headmaster rolling his eyes a closed window is an entrance for light into a room continued Friday. But when you open a window, it becomes a porthole for communication for goodness sake, just tell us what happened. Demanded the headmaster Chen opened the window to yell at someone outsides at Friday. How can you know that? Asked the headmaster Friday, stood back, look out the window yourself. What do you see? The driveway? The tree, the lawns said the headmaster exactly said Friday. There's something missing. Chen said Melanie, something missing. In addition to chance at Friday, where are the autumn leaves? The maple tree has shed. Half of its leaves. Thousands of them would have been dropping off every day for the last few weeks. Where are they? The groundskeeper was working on this side of the school. This morning said the headmaster. He would have collected them. It's his job to keep things tidy. And how do men like to keep autumn leaves tidy in this day and age set Friday, not with a quiet dignity of a rake. No. They use leaf blowers, a device powered by petrol motor with no muffler to dead in the sound. So poor Chan sat here trying hard to study while the groundskeeper was out there going on and on with his leaf blower in the Sisyphean task of collecting up autumn leaves in a school with over a thousand deciduous trees. What are you saying as the headmaster? I'm saying that chin delirious with study and empowered by the large amount of sugar pumping through his bloodstream, stuck his head out the window and yelled at the groundskeeper said Friday, Mr. Pilcher report, anything said the headmaster, of course not said Friday. He was using a leaf blower. He couldn't hear anything. In fact, he would have been wearing ear protection, occupational health and safety would require it frustrated. Jen withdrew his head just as the slippery window dropped down. The speed of his retreating head combined with the speed of the frame. Moving down would have been quite a blow fours equals mass times acceleration his head, bounced away from the window frame. He toppled forward and landed down there on the driveway, asked the headmaster, knows that Friday because there was something else there. The grounds keepers truck full of autumn leaves from his morning's work. Since the truck was full, he would've taken it straight to the tip, which is where you will find chin. Oh my goodness. Cried. The headmaster taken out his mobile phone and dialing. I hope you're wrong. Being dumped unconscious at the tip is almost worse than being kidnapped. At least if he was kidnapped would be somebody else's fault. I'm sure he's fine. Said Friday. As long as I haven't put the load through the mulcher yet I did Melanie. Oh, I hadn't thought of that said Friday. Oh, I've got to get down there. Cried the headmaster. And for the first time in 20 years, he ran out of the room and to his car as quickly as possible. Jen returned to the school two hours later with a bandage wrapped around his head and a second even larger jar of caramel balls when asked, he claimed he could not remember what had happened, but from the autumn leaves tucked down the back of his collar Friday knew she had been entirely. Right. And so the case was solved. Thank you for listening to support this podcast just by a book by me, RA spread. There's lots to choose from, from across the Friday barns, nanny Piggins and pesky kids series. And now there's the audio books of Friday bonds, gold detective, and the adventures of nanny Piggins as well. You can get any of these things from your local bookstore by ordering them in. Or you can go to my website, RA spratt.com and click on the book, depository banner. They have all my titles and free international shipping. That's it for now until next time. Goodbye.