LITMIR.BIZ

      Most of the words used were connected with electronics – Mr Winchester’s work! Terms like ‘television’, ‘microwave’, ‘power’ and ‘electric lamp’ were words you might expect to crop up when writing about electronics.

      I sat in my Thinking Chair, brain zipping along faster than a bike with no brakes on a very steep hill. This case was coming together!

      OK, so whoever painted that inscription – this person who couldn’t speak Japanese – copied the words from something written in Japanese, that was probably all about electronics.

      This was what we detectives would call ‘circumstantial evidence’. It wasn’t actual proof.

      Here’s an example: Proof is when you have a photo of that low-down rat-of-the-classroom Harry Lovecraft stealing your pencil case, and you have three witnesses who saw that low-down rat Harry Lovecraft steal your pencil case. That’s proof. In a case like that, there’s no way that low-down rat Harry Lovecraft could wriggle out of it, or pretend it wasn’t him. You’d have proof.

      Anyway, what I’d been able to deduce about the mask was not proof. The mask could still have been an el cheapo touristy souvenir. But it didn’t seem likely. The writing on the mask could simply have been copied from the instruction manual of someone’s new camcorder. But it didn’t seem likely, not when you add all the other clue-type ingredients into the cooking pot. The mask was very fishy. Fishier than a fish shop that’s just had a fresh delivery of fish!

      The next morning, at school, Jasmine hurried over to me. She looked very worried.

      ‘Saxby!’ she said. ‘Have you made progress on the case?’

      ‘Yes, some,’ I replied, hoping that some was enough. It wasn’t.

      ‘My dad’s in huge trouble now,’ said Jasmine. ‘Microspek’s rivals, PosiSpark, have just announced a new range of mobile phones with built-in printers. That was what my dad was working on. PosiSpark have stolen his idea again! Dad’s boss went purple with rage. He’s told my dad that if this leak of information isn’t stopped by Friday, he’s being suspended from his job.’

      ‘That’s not very fair,’ I said.

      ‘Fair or not, it’s happening,’ said Jasmine. ‘Saxby, you’ve got to do something, and fast!’

       A Page From My Notebook

      Fact: The mask is a fake. It’s not old, it’s not even Japanese.

      Question: How did it get into a souvenir shop in Tokyo? And why?

      Fact: It’s LIKELY (not certain, but likely) that the mask was made by someone with access to lots of stuff written about electronics (including stuff written in Japanese).

      Question: Can I get to the bottom of all this by Friday?