Orphans.

Chapter Seven

On the Friday night of the first week, Lir called an impromptu conference in the library.

The children gathered eagerly, anxious to hear what Lir had discovered. Francisca bustled in and out, bringing them food and drinks. Mac loitered within earshot, an uneasy expression on his face. He didn't like people who broke the law, nor did he like murdering hounds. Lir had filled him in earlier. Tim sipped a mineral water for a change, near the windows, his gaze thoughtful. He too had heard about Chen's findings.

Lir said nothing to the other children about what Chen had found. He didn't want to frighten the girls, or Ismael for that matter. He knew they had their suspicions of course, otherwise they wouldn't have hired him, but there was a world of difference between suspicion and hard facts.

What he did warn them about was that they were up against very unscrupulous people, people who wouldn't allow adults, let alone children, stand in their way. He warned them that he suspected these men were foreign government agents. He set up a board on which he pinned the photofit and computerized images of Quique and Julio. His entire evening had been taken up with Mac, manipulating the photoshop software on his computer. Discarding image after image until they both agreed that there was a likeness with the two Cuban agents they had met the other night. Lir raised the question of the dossier again when he spoke to the assembled children. He addressed Tim directly.

"Tim," he said, "I've spent hours going over your computer. I can find nothing that your sister-in-law might have emailed about this Cuban situation. I've spoken with many of her friends. None of them know anything about a dossier either."

"Perhaps it does not exist," said Tim, his voice tired, moody.

"I can't accept that." Lir was adamant.

"What would it look like?" Yelina asked.

Lir shrugged. "A file...papers of some kind...a floppy disc or a CD. Did your mother give you anything like that?"

"No," Yelina replied.

Ismael shook his head. "No."

Yan said nothing.

Lir was about to change the subject when the youngest in the room caught them all unawares. "Mummy, hid it with Judy," she said.

Lir stared. They all stared.

Lir recovered his composure fast. He approached the little girl and hunkered down until he was eye level with her amazing blue eyes. "Who's Judy, Yan?"

"I'll go and get her," Yan said, jumping up. Lir waited, puzzled. A slow dawning was beginning to appear in Ismael and Yelina's eyes. She raced out of the library and returned in seconds with her doll.

She showed it to Lir. "This is Judy," she said.

Lir took the doll from Yan's hand and examined it. Ismael couldn't contain his excitement. Neither could Yelina.

"Check inside it," they cried in unison.

Lir turned the doll over. Tapped it. Gingerly removed the lace bodywork. Tapped it again. It sounded hollow. He fumbled with the latch. His fingers were too big.

Yan reached forward and opened the slot on the doll's back with her nimble little fingers. "Mummy showed me," she said proudly.

Inside the slot carefully wedged were two floppy discs.

Lir could hardly breathe. Tim was leaning forwards in his chair staring intently. Mac was no longer loitering near the fireplace. Instead his eyes were blazing intently. Francisca stared at the little girl in amazement. Yelina and Ismael gazed at their sister in open-mouthed astonishment, and more than a little pride.