Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt

Friday Barnes and the Case of the Disappearing Doctor

May 12, 2021 R.A. Spratt Season 1 Episode 64
Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt
Friday Barnes and the Case of the Disappearing Doctor
Show Notes Transcript

Friday is horrified when her Dad suddenly appears at Highcrest Academy and takes over a physics lesson. But she is even more shocked when he explains the reason for his unexpected arrival - her mother has gone missing!

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Speaker 1:

Hello,

Speaker 2:

Welcome to bedtime stories with me, RA Spratt. Well, it's mother's day here today. Uh, it's about four o'clock in the afternoon. So I had a lovely day with my girls. We went out to lunch and did all the usual mother's day things. But anyway, because it's mother's day, I decided I would do a podcast this week, which is a little bit on the theme of mums. Uh, I've been reading Friday Barnes three because I've just started work on Friday Barnes 10. So as research for the new book, I had to go back and reread the third book because one of the characters from that book is going to be reappearing in the latest one. Anyway, when I was reading the third book, you know, it's a long time since I wrote it, I hadn't realized that the first three or four chapters are all about Friday's mum. And then the next three or four chapters were all about Ian's mum. So I hadn't realized I'd written a book that was so much about mums. So it just seemed appropriate because today is mother's day. It's the week of mother's day that I would read the first few chapters of this book for you today. Okay. So here we go. This is from the third book, Friday bonds, big trouble. And I'm going to start with chapter one. The disappearing doctor Friday Barnes was running as fast as she could across the high crest Academy campus, which admittedly wasn't too fast because running was not her strong suit. She had just heard the shocking news that her father had turned up and taken over a physics lesson. And she was desperate to get to the classroom to minimize whatever public embarrassment he was undoubtedly causing Friday's best friend. Melanie ran with her and Ian Wayne Scott came along as well. He was either Friday's arch-nemesis or her love interest. Nobody was quite sure which least of all and, and Friday, but whenever there was a dramatic public confrontation involving Friday, he was always there. When they burst through the door, they saw the science teacher, Mr. Davis slumped at a desk, holding his head in his hands. All the students looked very brain addled and confused at the front of the room. Friday's father, Dr. Barnes was scrawling equations of every last inch of the whiteboard you see here. X is a photon and Zed bows on and here X and Y are two electroweak bows on such that the charge is conserved droned. Dr. Barnes. He had a white board marker and egg stains on his saggy Brown cardigan. And it didn't look like his hair had been brushed anytime in the last decade, dad, stop cried Friday. You're hurting their brains. Dr. Barnes looked up and adjusted his glasses. Ah, Friday. Yes. That's why I'm here. I've come to see you then. Why have you taken over Mr. Davies class as Friday? Oh, I was looking for you when I walked past that Dr. Barnes and I saw the lesson. He was teaching. He clearly needed help. His explanation was childlike. These are children said Friday. He was explaining physics to children. Dr. Barnes turned and looked at the class. He adjusted his glasses on his nose. Oh yes. I suppose. So. I hadn't considered that. The family resemblance is remarkable, said Ian, it's not just the Brown cardigan. It's the total ignorance of social normality Stoics at Friday. Before going over to her father, dad, why were you looking for me? You never have before. Not even the time you left me at the shopping center. Not realizing I wasn't in the car. What's the Dr. Barnes. I don't recall the data to which you're referring Friday side. Of course. You don't just tell me why are you here? Oh, so Dr. Barnes suddenly his eyes welled with tears and his chin wobbled. It's Dr. Barnes. Isn't that? You asked Melanie? No, the other Dr. Barnes said, Dr. Barnes mom asked Friday. Yes. So Dr. Barns, what happened to mom asked Friday she's disappeared. So Dr. Barnes, as he dissolved into sobs Friday, took her father outside so he could compose himself. She sat him at a picnic table with a strategically placed box of tissues in front of him, just in case he burst into tears. Again, Melanie and Erin stood by what do you mean? The mum's disappeared us Friday. She can't have ceased to exist. She must be somewhere. All I know is yesterday morning while I was eating breakfast, I looked up and noticed she wasn't at the table said Dr. Barns, that is a bad sign set. Friday, then turned to explain to her friends, mum never misses breakfast. She has an alarm set on her wristwatch to remind her when to eat. When I reflected on the available data, I realized I had no memory of her sitting at the table for dinner the night before either said Dr. Barns. So I investigated further and discovered she was nowhere in the house. Wow. Said Friday. And you notice this in under 24 hours. I'm impressed. So I rang her office at the university. Actually wasn't there either. I said Dr. Barnes, I'm worried that she's being kidnapped, who would want to kidnap? Mom asked Friday, theoretical physics has all sorts of practical applications that Dr. Barnes, she might've been kidnapped by an arms manufacturer or an amusement ride operator said, Ian, that's more realistic set. Friday, carnies have even lower morals than arms manufacturers. Have you called? The police asked Melanie, why do you think they arrested her? Asked Dr. Barnes, no, to file a missing person report, et cetera. Today. I hadn't thought to do that. So Dr. Barnes is that the type of thing the police do? I'd hate to trouble them. If it's not their field. Of course, it's their fields at Friday. I think your father is even vaguer than me. He said, Melanie, you should call the police right now said Friday. All right. So Dr. Barnes, do you know the phone number? Don't tell me you don't know the number for the emergency services said Friday. Why I stuck to bars? Is it my birth date or something? It's triple zero said Friday. That's not my birthday. It said Dr. Barnes. Okay. We should just pause there because if you're not in Australia, it's obviously not triple zero. If you're in America, it's a nine one one. And I think in, uh, in England, it's it's triple nine. So anyway, don't get confused and ring triple zero, unless you're in Australia. Anyway, back to the story. It's triple zero said Friday. That's not my birthday said Dr. Barns. I'll call them set Friday, and then we can meet the police at your house. They'll want to search for evidence before the trail goes cold. I don't follow the ambient temperature is pleasantly bombed. He said, Dr. Bombs, I can't see why a trail would go cold. It's a figure of speech. Dad said Friday. I'm not literally talking about a low temperature footpath. Really fascinating. So Dr. Barnes, it was a two hour drive to the Bond's family home. Melanie went along with Friday, supposedly for emotional support, but really so she could get out of classes for the rest of the day. Friday tried questioning Dr. Barnes, her father, as he drove, but she had to give up because he was a terrible driver and it was distracting him too much. He nearly drove into an oncoming ice cream van while trying to remember what his wife had been wearing. When he saw her last, when they pulled up at the bonds family, ordinary suburban home, the police were already there. They'd marked off the whole front yard with crime scene tape. Oh my goodness. Exclaimed, Dr. Barns what's happened here. Mother has gone missing Friday, reminded him. We called the police about it two hours ago. And they've already done all this at Dr. Barnes. He was a university academic. So he was not used to anyone taking action with any degree of rapidity. Come on, said Friday. Let's talk to the officer in charge. They all got out of the car. Melanie and Dr. Barnes hung back while Friday ducked under the tape and started walking towards the front door. Stop right there. Snapped an angry looking woman in a beige pantsuit. If you take one more step I'll arrest, you Friday froze one foot hovering over a paver. This is a crime scene said the pantsuit woman with every step you take, you are contaminating the evidence. This is also my family home said Friday. And the missing person is my mother. If you allow me to put my foot down and continue walking into the building, I'll probably be able to assist the officer in charge. I am the officer in charge said the pantsuit woman. My name is detective summers. And my past experience with children is that they are anything but helpful. Well, you could have my father come in and have a look around to see what's missing or misplaced said Friday, but he is a theoretical physicist with tenure. So he's about as aware of his physical surrounds as a dead geranium. That's ridiculous said detective summers he's the victim's husband allow me to demonstrate, said Friday, turning to her father who was still on the other side of the tape. Dad. What day of the week is it? What is the Dr. Barnes? Do you know what day of the week it is repeated Friday? Oh, I suppose it's one of them. So Dr. Barnes, I don't know. It'll say on the calendar. I presume. Can you narrow it down as Friday? If you concentrate really hard, can you work out whether a weekday or a weekend? How on earth can I be expected to know that as Dr. Barnes, you just picked me up from school and classes were in session said Friday, you should be able to deduce that it is a weekday. Oh yes. That does follow agree. Dr. Barnes, I hadn't really thought about it. What color? A mum's eyes continued Friday. Her eyes are Dr. Barnes. Well, the, I call it, I suppose, think hard. Dad. It's Friday. You've been married for 28 years. In that time. Have you ever looked at mum and noticed what color her eyes were blue or maybe Brown's that? Dr. Barns? One of those two colors. I should think behold, my father's power of observation said Friday. There must be an adult family member I can talk to. So detective summers, yes, I do have four adult brothers and sisters said Friday, quantum quasar, Holly and Ryan bonds. You could get in touch with one of them. Oh no, you can't do that. So Dr. Barnes shaking his head. Why not ask Friday? I tried already. I couldn't get hold of any of them this morning. So Dr. Barnes, none of them answered the phone when I rang. That's why I had to go and get Friday. Friday was a little hurt. I should have known. I wouldn't be the first person you'd contact. So your four older children are missing as well as detective summers. And you didn't think to mention this before, could it be relevant to us? Dr. Barnes, detective summers looked like she wanted to slap Dr. Barnes. She took a deep breath, then turned to Friday. Perhaps you had better be the one to come inside Friday. Wasn't allowed into the house until she was decked out in a full crime scene suit, which included white paper, coveralls, white booties, a face mask and shower cap. You do realize that my fingerprints, hair and skin cells will be all over the house already said Friday. I did live here for 11 years. When it comes to evidence, you can never be too careful. So detective summers leading Friday up the front path, when she reached the front door, she stopped and turned to Friday. For the first time. Detective summers had a look of compassion on her face. Before we enter, I should warn you. What you see will be upsetting. Whoever took your mother, made a real mess. The house has been completely turned over. They must've been searching for something your mother's research notes. Perhaps I know it can be distressing to see your family home violated a lump formed in Friday's throat. She nodded because she didn't think she could trust herself to speak it wasn't until now it occurred to her that the kidnapper might've handled her mother ruffly. Her mother might not have been the world's best mother, but she wasn't a bad person. It's just that Dr. Barnes lived in the world of theoretical physics. She spent all her time inside her own mind. So to trick her into get into a stranger's car would have been the easiest thing in the world. All you'd have to do is say, get in the car, Dr. Barnes, I'm here to take you to a conference and she'd be halfway to malicious before it crossed her mind to wonder where she was going Friday. Hope the kidnappers hadn't hurt Dr. Barnes apart from being one of the world's leading scientists, she was Friday's mum. And she only had one mum. And she'd rather have a distracted self-absorbed mother than no mother at all. Detective Sam was held up in the front door and Friday stepped inside. She walked down the short corridor to the living room and then stopped three white suited crime scene. Investigators were taking samples in the room, which was strange enough. It looked like aliens were painting an afternoon, visit to her home. But it's right. I looked about, she noticed the total dishevelment. There were papers and periodical strewn, everywhere, cupboards hanging open a broken mug on the kitchen floor, breakfast cereal, trodden to the carpet and a chair was overturned. Friday. Took it all in. Are you all right? Asked detective summers. Of course I am set Friday. This is what the house always looks like. It is asked detective summers. Well, not always said Friday. When I lived here, I used to tidy up after mum and dad as much as I could, but if I ever went away on a school camp or stayed with uncle Bernie for a couple of days, the house would always look like this when I came back. But it looks like it's been ransacked said, detective summers, I know agreed Friday, mum and dad don't have very good life management skills. I really should have arranged some sort of care worker to look after them. When I moved out, what they really need is a nanny. Someone to tell them when to eat, when to brush their teeth and when to get a bed, will your mother's still missing said detective summers, plus your brothers and sisters, there must be something going on. If five of the nation's leading physicists have been kidnapped, that's going to be a huge deal. Are you sure she has been kidnapped asked Friday, perhaps there's another explanation. Yes. We're sure. So detective summers, I didn't want to distress you or your father, but there was a note from mother asked Friday. Yes. Said detective summers, whoever took her, allowed her to leave a brief message. May I see it as Friday? Detective summers looked doubtful. You're a child. I don't want to do anything that might traumatize you. Police departments are forever getting sued for that kind of thing. I went, Sue said Friday for a start. I'm not in touch enough with my emotions to be traumatized. The Barnes is a big on suppressing all emotion. Just show me the note. I promise. I'll be fine. At least for the foreseeable future. If I have any psychological repercussions, I'm sure they won't become apparent for years. All right. So detective summers taking a plastic evidence bag out of a notebook. It looked like a sandwich bag, but it did not contain a sandwich. It contained a crumpled handwritten note. Friday took the bag carefully by the corner and inspected it closely. As you can see, the handwriting is barely legible said detective summers. She was clearly extremely distressed when she wrote it. Perhaps you had to do it hardly while her kidnappers weren't looking Friday, peered closer. The letters barely looked like the standard Roman alphabet. It was as if they'd been furtively stamped into the page, literally tearing up the paper, fibers and blotting inkers she wrote, can you make out what it says? Ask detective summers. Our cryptographers have been working on it, but they haven't had much luck yet. Yes. Said Friday, it reads. They are taking me away. Now I tried to argue, they leave me no choice. I am being forced farewell. The poll woman said detective summers. Hmm. So Friday, may I have a look around to see if anything is missing? Of course, at detective summers, she followed Friday into the bedroom. The bed was unmade. The drawers were hanging open and close were strewn about. You'll never be able to tell what's missing and all this mess. The detectives on this Friday, I'm in the wardrobe. There were very few clothes hanging inside. There. Just a couple of shirts. The wardrobe was mainly full of old scientific periodicals, which had been untitled stacked on the floor up to waist height. That's interesting said Friday. What asked detective summers? Her dress is missing set Friday, which dress asked detective Samas. Her only dress said Friday, mother has no interest in clothes or fashion. She owns one Navy blue dress for weddings, formal dinners and things like that. And that one dress is not here. What does that mean? Ask detective summers. I'm not sure said Friday. Let's have a look in the kitchen. Friday led detective summers to the kitchen was she opened a cupboard and took down a canister that said sugar in blueprint. What's sugar got to do with this ask detective summers. My mother doesn't believe in process sugar said Friday. She never has it in the house. Friday, open the canister and looked inside. It was empty. This is where she keeps her passports at Friday. So the kidnapper took a passport. So the detective, this is serious. If she's been missing since yesterday, she could be anywhere in the world. By now, Friday was staring into the canister. I've got a suspicion where my mother might be. Whereas detective summers, what's the data as Friday, 16th of October. Why asked detective summers Friday side? Because the 10th of December is Alfred Nobel's birthday and their traditional pre ceremony lecture tour of Europe takes about six weeks. What's that supposed to mean? Ask detective summer's looking baffled Friday Strode across the front yard to confront her father. He was still waiting on the other side of the tape with Melanie dad. Dad, can you remember mom mentioning something about her winning the Nobel prize last Friday, the Nobel prize as Dr. Barns, it doesn't ring a bell. She hasn't been planning a trip to Sweden. Has she asked Sweden? Why would you go there? I stocked the bonds because the Nobel prizes are presented each year in Sweden. On the 10th of December. The anniversary of Alfred Nobel's birth said Friday, but the winners are announced much earlier in mid October. Is there any chats? Mum has not been kidnapped, but has in fact simply flown out to Europe for a lecture tour ahead of her acceptance of the Nobel prize for physics and that quantum quasar, Holly and Orion have gone her. Now that you mentioned, it said Dr. Barnes, if your mother did say something about wanting me to go with her to some awards night, I must have missed the taxi. When they all left. What's the taxi to, to pick you up at seven 45 last night, as Melanie said, Dr. Barnes. That's right. I remember now, how did you know? Yes. How did you know us Friday? It says seven 45 on the back of Dr. Barnes hands said Melanie, Dr. Barnes looked at his hand. Oh yes, my secretary must've written it on there to help me remember. She writes down all my important scheduling on my hand in permanent marker. But what about the note asked detective summers? Your mother obviously wrote it in desperation. The handwriting alone shows that no, actually that's mom's regular handwriting said Friday. The cliches about mad scientists. Don't just come from nowhere. And you've got to realize that my mother is very clinical and ordered in the way she thinks and speaks. So her words, they are taking me away. Now I tried to argue, they leave me no choice. I am being forced. Farewell could simply mean the taxi is here. She had an argument with my brothers and sisters about sending the taxi away and waiting for dad. She lost the argument and they're setting out for the airport. I can't believe it's a detective summers all the time and resources wasted because some crazy academic is too vague to notice that his wife has gone to collect a Nobel prize. This can't be happening to me. Are there hidden cameras somewhere? Is this a prank show? Detective summers looked as if she was expecting a camera person to jump out of a Bush. No, I'm afraid. It's just regular day to day. Life in the bonds household said Friday. I ought to have you both arrested for wasting police time said detective summers, Hey, I'm the one that sorted it out for. You said Friday. And shouldn't you be relieved that my mother hasn't been kidnapped. I have real crimes. I'm supposed to be investigated and said detective summers. And I've just wasted four hours. And goodness knows how much of our department's crime scene investigation budget on this, those shower caps and paper booties are expensive. Are they as Melanie, detective summers took out her phone and started dialing. My boss is going to love this. She muttered sarcastically. She walked away. I suppose we'd better get back to school since Friday, but what about maybe your stock to bonds? What do you mean? What about me said Friday? We've established that mothers. All right. Quantum quasar, Holly and a Ryan will look after her. She's only going to be gone six weeks, but who's going to look off to me for six weeks. Asked Dr. Barnes, what do you expect said Friday? Do you want me to hire a babysitter to look after you? Do you know anyone who'd be interested? Oz, Dr. Barnes optimistically. I was being sarcastic said Friday. You're a grown man. He should be able to take care of yourself, but I never have before said Dr. Barnes, you can't expect me to take on a new role without a discussion written instructions and a training program. Dr. Barnes was done to get very agitated. He looked like he might start crying again. I think he might have to find a babysitter. After all said, Melanie, this is ridiculous. Said Friday. I'm 11 years old. I can't be responsible for your wellbeing. I've got to get back to school. What about your uncle? Bernie suggested Melanie VAT, but foun exclaimed. Dr. Barnes. He's not staying here. They can't stand each other said Friday, but aren't they brothers said Melanie. Exactly. That's why they can't stand. Each other said Friday. Well, we could take your dad with us said Melanie. If he was at high Christie Academy, he'd get his meals and accommodation taken care of. I think dad's a little too old to enroll as a high school students at Friday. Of course agreed Melanie, but I'm sure the headmaster would be happy to give Dr. Barnes a job. You know how much he hates the head of science and it would really irritate Mr. Brezhnev. If the headmaster hired someone much more qualified to come and be a guest teacher, I suppose that might work considered Friday. But frankly, I'd rather not have my father hanging about at school. Why said Melanie? Because you know, said Friday awkwardly he'll cramp my style Friday. I hate to break it to, you said Melanie, but you have no style. True dry day. Besides continued Melanie, you've never been close with your parents. This could be a good opportunity for you to get to know your father better. That's a nice thoughts said Friday, but I think I know him just well enough already. The only other alternative is that you take six weeks off school and come and live here with him, said Melanie Friday looked at her father. He was staring at his own shoes. No doubt lost in his own thoughts about physics, me and dad together in the house for six weeks, Friday shuttered at the mental image. This generated I'll call the headmaster.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for listening to support this podcast. Just buy a book by me, RA SPRAT. You can buy this one. It's called Friday bonds, big trouble. And it's the third one in the series. Or you can buy a book from one of my other series, like the nanny picking series or the pesky kids series. All there's the audio books of Friday Barnes girl, detective, and the adventures of nanny Piggins as well. All these things can be ordered through your local bookstore, or you can go to my website, RA sprat.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.