Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 431

“Just bring a torch, a camera, some long string, a long rope, some binoculars some mints, and a hook.” “Why the
mints?” “They’re something to eat when we wait!” “Okay. I will.” That evening at 6 pm, Josie and Kylie met
up outside the museum. “Have you got everything?” Josie asked. “Yes, even the mints. Let’s go” They went into
the museum and looked around. Half an hour before the museum closed, the went and hid in the bathroom, and
they got the things ready. They tied the rope to the hook, and they set their torches. “I’ll tie the rope to myself,”
said Josie. “Why?” Asked Kylie. “I don’t know… I saw it in a movie I watched the other day. It’s something
cool detectives do!” She said, taking herself very seriously. Then they heard the loudspeaker saying that the
museum was closing right that minute. When they had heard the clanking of the gates drop in front of the
entrance, and the jangling of keys, they crept out and hid behind a statue which was near the other Leonardo Da
Vinci painting, namely ‘The Last Supper’ (It’s very precious; you can see it in the Santa Maria Delle Grazie
church in Milan, Italy). They waited there for almost 40 minutes! Then they heard footsteps. They readied
themselves, and Kylie took out her binoculars and the hook and rope. “Wait a minute… There was someone,
but then I think he saw me, and he disappeared!” Then they heard an “Ahem” behind them. They whipped
their heads around and saw a guard. He must have been the night security guard since there were valuable
paintings in the museum. “What are you two doing here?” he said in a stern voice. “Erm... We were…” Kylie
stuttered. “We were thinking that we could catch the burglar if we waited here. We thought for a moment that
you were the burglar.” Josie said. “Well, that was a silly thing to do. When the museum closes it means it’s
closed. Especially for kids like you. Now get out!” the guard remarked. “Sorry.” Kylie and Josie muttered. They
walked out but Kylie turned around to the other end of the museum. A window was open! “I did this before
you came. I figured that we’d be caught. With one burglary, the museum is being extra protective.” “Wow.
That’s really clever.” Josie exclaimed. They climbed into the museum and found a place near the painting, a
place where the guard could never find them. Behind two plant pots with thick palms in them. Then they heard
footsteps once more. They looked out, and saw a man in black! It was the burglar. He came close enough for
Kylie and Josie to see him well. “How did he get past that guard?” Josie whispered. “I don’t know… You know,
he looks really familiar,” Kylie remarked. “Yeah… I’ve got it! He looks exactly like the guard!” “Yeah, you’re
right! And look, he has the guards’ keys!” Josie whispered excitedly. “Give me the hook and rope, I’m going to
catch him.” “Look, he’s going to get the painting! I’m going to take a picture, and you catch him with your
hook!” Kylie whispered. So Kylie took a picture of the burglar stealing the painting, and Josie threw the hook
around his ankle so that he fell. After a lot of struggle, the two girls had tied him with lots of rope around a pillar,
and Kylie took off his mask. It was the night guard! Josie took a picture and Kylie found a phone nearby and
called the police. When the police came, a policeman asked Josie and Kylie, “How did you catch him?” “Well,
we decided to stay after the museum closed so we could catch the burglar, so we hid. He caught us, but we got
in again, and we found him about to steal the painting, so I threw a rope and hook around him, and we tied him
to this pillar!” Josie said. The next day, Josie and Kylie were all over the news, with the headline; ‘TWO GIRLS
CATCH MASTERMIND THEIF’. They were awarded a medal by the government, and they went home very
satisfied with themselves.