Sami The Smuggler's Secret

1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-1-78895-380-1
Verlag: Little Tiger Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 4, 256 Seiten

Reihe: Agent Zaiba Investigates

Determined to be the world's greatest detective, Zaiba is always on the lookout for a crime to solve! Zaiba is excited to visit an historical shipwreck and attend the reveal of its mystery cargo! But the big event is ruined when the priceless artefact goes missing. With stories of smuggling rooted in the seaside town's past, Zaiba's investigative instincts are buzzing. Will she and her team be able to uncover the coast's secrets and find the treasure before it's lost again forever? The fourth book in a fun, fresh and exciting new detective series, for readers not quite ready for Robin Stevens, Katherine Woodfine, HIGH RISE MYSTERY and NANCY DREW.

Annabelle Sami is a writer and performer. She grew up next to the sea on the south coast of the UK and then moved to London, where she now lives. She studied English Literature and Drama and undertook an MA in English Literature at Queen Mary University. When she isn't writing she enjoys playing saxophone in a band with her friends, performing live art and swimming in the sea.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sami, Annabelle

Weitere Mitwirkende

Sosa, Daniela

Leseproben

“Zaiba! Look!”

“I can’t talk right now, Poppy. I’m on the verge of a great discovery!” Zaiba kept her gaze firmly fixed on the pieces of broken pottery in front of her as she searched for the last piece. As a successful detective, she knew it was important to be patient and methodical.

“But Zaiba – look at this.” Poppy held up a cape of rainbow colours. “I’ve finished!”

Zaiba turned to her best friend who was sitting at the table next to her. The two of them were in their classroom, though it was now well after school hours. They were at their new favourite after-school activity: History Club!

Every member of the club had been given a project, to recreate something from the past. Poppy had chosen the history of fashion and immediately set to the task, channelling her love of clothes. She’d reworked some old items from her wardrobe into a ninteen-seventies rock-star cape with big, multicoloured stripes and a high, sequinned collar. It looked spot on!

Zaiba was very impressed. With all the sequins and Lycra, it had taken Poppy ages to transform her old clothes into something worthy of a rock star.

“Wow, Poppy! You’re a genius. How did you make that?”

“Lots of hard work … and watching YouTube videos of some old TV show called Top of the Pops.” Poppy’s face gleamed with pride. “I had to get the style exactly right. It’s called glam rock. All the glam rock stars in the 1970s had big hair, platform shoes and these bright costumes. I wish I could wear it, but it’s a little small for me. I need a shorter model…” Poppy glanced hopefully at Zaiba’s younger brother Ali who was sitting across from her at a large desk, studying a massive book with dusty pages. “Ali?” She held up the cape, glittering with sequins. “I really think this would suit you.”

Ali didn’t even look up. “Not likely.”

Zaiba and Poppy laughed. One of the benefits of the younger years being allowed to join History Club was that they could occasionally tease Ali! And as their teacher Ms Talbot said, “People of all ages can appreciate the past!”

Poppy peered at Zaiba’s project. While Ali had chosen to study Ada Lovelace – “Basically the first computer programmer!” – Zaiba had chosen … teapots.

She scratched her head. “Remind me again why you picked this for your project, Zai.”

“Aunt Fouzia has an amazing collection of antique teapots. You know she loves her chai!” Zaiba explained, sorting through the pieces of pottery. “She has ones from Pakistan, China and India. Tea has such an interesting history – tied in with so many different historical events. Did you know that the East India Trading Company exported its first order of tea to the UK in 1664? I found out about the company when I was doing my research.

They were also responsible for a lot of looting, slavery and violence across India and beyond. That’s why it’s important to read history from lots of different sources. Like when we talk to lots of different leads investigating a crime!” Poppy was an excellent detective’s assistant.

“That is interesting,” Poppy agreed. “Who knew teapots could lead to you learning all that?”

Zaiba nodded and went back to fiddling with the fragments of pottery that she’d glued back together. They were reddish-brown and had a logo stamped into the base, but Zaiba couldn’t work out what it said until she found the last piece to fit the gap.

Poppy watched as Zaiba sorted through endless small shards of red ceramics until…

“There!” Zaiba beamed as she turned a small piece over and slid it into place. “Now I can finally see the logo.”

It was a large, curly ‘A’ with the words Admaston, 1820 underneath.

“Wow!” Zaiba breathed. “You can learn a lot from a logo. Admaston must be the place where this teapot was made all those years ago.”

“Zaiba! Check this out!” a voice called from the other side of the classroom.

It was Zaiba’s cousin Mariam. Zaiba and Mariam hadn’t always got on so well, but since Mariam had helped Zaiba and her team – officially known as the Snow Leopard Detective Agency – solve a mysterious poisoning case at their school summer fete, they’d become friends.

Mariam had chosen to work on filling out a family tree that already stretched back generations! But before Zaiba could check out her cousin’s latest family discovery, Ms Talbot’s voice rang out. “Fellow historians! Gather round! Do you remember I told you that an old sunken shipwreck was discovered off Chesil Bay on the south coast?”

There was excited chatter from the History Club as everyone gathered to sit on the carpet.

Ms Talbot paused to clear her throat. “I have some exciting news. The headteacher has agreed…” Ms Talbot left a short pause. Zaiba could hardly bear it any longer, the suspense was too much! “… that the History Club can take an expedition to Chesil Bay – next weekend!”

The class cheered and some of them even leaped to their feet!

“And there’s more!” Ms Talbot glanced around, her face flushed with excitement. “Yesterday, divers recovered a priceless artefact from the wreckage! Its identity is being kept secret because it’s so valuable. All we know is that the artefact originates from the Assam region of India.” Her face turned serious. “Of course, it’s important to return historical items to their place of origin … which is why this item will be returned to its rightful home very soon.”

Zaiba raised her hand and wiggled it in her teacher’s direction.

“Yes, Zaiba?”

“Where is the artefact now?” she asked. As a detective it was always important to gather all known information about a mystery – and the unnamed artefact was certainly mysterious.

Ms Talbot smiled. “It’s being kept safely at a local museum in Chesil Bay until it’s returned to India. But the museum is going to have a big reveal of what it is on Sunday – and the History Club are invited!”

Cheers rang out! This is what they’d all been waiting for – to be some of the first people to lay eyes on a real-life detail from history.

“We still need to secure a couple of chaperones but I’m sure that won’t be a problem.” Ms Talbot’s eyes glinted. “I’m also very excited that we will be going on a glass-bottom boat trip to see the shipwreck up close ourselves. So, fellow historians, I set you this challenge.” Ms Talbot raised a finger in the air. “Who can discover what the mystery artefact is before the reveal on Sunday?”

Zaiba smiled and squeezed her hands together. Uncovering a mystery was the perfect challenge for her!

Dinnertime was abuzz with talk of the class trip.

“So, our mission is to find out what the mystery artefact is. And we get to go on a glass-bottom boat to look at the shipwreck – so I’m sure I’ll find some clues there!” Zaiba mumbled through a mouth full of keema naan.

“That’s very exciting, honey,” said Jessica, Zaiba’s stepmum, pointing to her own mouth. “But I don’t need to see your dinner.”

Zaiba wiped the grease from her face with a unicorn-print paper napkin. “I’m sorry.” She’d always been told how important it was to be polite at the table, but the lamb and onion filling was delicious! “It’s just so exciting!”

A priceless artefact surely meant that crime could be just around the corner. Zaiba secretly imagined what it would be like if she personally was asked to guard the artefact. An agent’s job was varied – who knew what might happen?

“So, is this the Snow Leopard Detective Agency’s latest case?” Zaiba’s dad Hassan asked, looking from Zaiba to Ali. They nodded furiously.

“I can’t wait!” Ali announced happily. “Chesil Bay is on the Jurassic coast, which gets its name because of all the fossils there! I wonder how old the rock formations are…”

Zaiba could see the cogs in Ali’s head whirring, as he got ready to absorb lots of facts about fossils.

“Wait a minute,” Hassan asked. “What’s the name of the town again?”

“Chesil Bay,” said Ali.

Hassan’s face lit up! “Chesil Bay? That’s where the famous cricket club is, isn’t it?” He carried on talking without waiting for a reply. “The third oldest in the country. Queen Victoria even...