Evolve or Die! 18.

We arrived at Marks and Spencer in Kensington High Street ten minutes ahead of time. Scruff doesn't do any preening at all (you might have noticed), and I dress simply as well. I parked the faithful grey Jag safely and set the electric security device to deliver nasty shocks to would-be thieves. Emily, now totally invisible, followed us.
I like Marks and Spencer. When I was a student, I had a job there (not the one in Kensington), and I rather enjoyed it. Some of the things they sell are another matter, of course...
Taking Scruff into a smart clothing store is rather amusing. well-dressed people give her funny looks. And I don't just mean old people. I mean everyone. Scruff, of course, doesn't care, though she stuck her tongue out at a couple of people who stared at her.
We sat down in the cafe. Emily sat next to me, and Scruff sat opposite. She lay back in her chair and smiled.
"So, what do you think?"
"No idea, I'm afraid," I replied. "Diana's working at the Natural History Museum, and there's a lot of people on the staff there."
"Do you think one of them could be Toxic?" Scruff leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. The sleeves of her baggy sweater slipped down.
"Could be. But why? You know as well as I do that even the most insane serial killers have a motive. There's no such thing as a motiveless killing."
"I know that, sis - you taught me that. Gosh, before I thought there was."
"It all depends on how you define motive," I pointed out. "For example, there was one case where a councillor was killed walking down Hammersmith High Street. The police were baffled, he was popular, a good man. I discovered that the killing had been an initiation test for entry to the Guild of Assassins. In other words, the motive was nothing to do with the selected victim. But there was still a motive."
"You're a pretty good detective."
"I know. I just wish they wouldn't call me 'The World's Cutest Detective', it sounds... well, like I'm not very good at the detective part."
"That's a lie." Scruff looked at the clock. "Diana's late."
I looked too. She was. Five minutes late.
"It's probably nothing," I said.
But ten minutes passed. Suddenly my 'phone rang. I answered it in a flash. It was Diana.
"Jane!" she cried. "I'm in trouble! It's Toxic! I found..."
Then she was silenced.
Diana was in serious trouble!

Evolve or Die! 17.

I got up some time after ten to find Scruff and Emily (Scruff still in her pyjamas) sitting on the sofa watching morning television together while Emily polished her sword.
"Anything about 'Spiv' yet?" I asked. Scruff shook her head.
"No. I think it's being covered up, same as all these deaths of drug addicts. I bet the police haven't a clue what's going on, and it terrifies them."
"I bet you're right," I replied. I was going to go and take my morning shower when the 'phone rang. I picked it up.
"Hello, Jane Hill speaking."
"Jane! It's Diana!"
Diana Dickson, my old friend from university!
"Diana! Hi! How's things?"
"Jane, I can't talk now. I need to see you as soon as possible. I'm in the Natural History Museum..."
"One hour, in the Cafe at Marks and Spencer, Kensington High Street," I suggested. "I'll bring Scruff along too."
"Of course! she lives with you now!"
"She does. I rather like our arrangement. Well, most of the time."
"Hey, Scruff's a nice person, Jane. I like her."
"Thankfully, so do I. Okay, Diana, Marks and Spencer, in an hour. 'Bye!"
"'Bye!" she cried cheerily. I put down the 'phone.
I was worried, and so was Diana. Something scared her, and she wanted to talk to me about it. Most people, who think of Jane Hill as a quiet, but ultimately rather dull heiress, would be surprised to hear Diana ask ME for help. But I've been up the Amazin with Diana, and I saved her life twice then. She knows I'm smart, fast and athletic, and that I can be relied on to keep a secret. She DOESN'T know I'm the Girl in Grey, but that's a good thing.
"Sis?" Scruff asked.
"Diana Dickson. She's in trouble. She knows something she can't talk about over the 'phone. Get dressed, we'll be meeting her in Kensington..."
"I heard that bit. How about Emily?"
"Good point. Emily, will you come with us? Stay invisible and act as a bodyguard."
"Okay," she agreed, red eyes gleaming.
I wondered what it was Diana had discovered, and I hoped she would be able to tell me.

Evolve or Die! 16.

"The water supply!" Scruff gasped in horror. I nodded.
"Of course. How else do you ensure every drug user in London gets the second half of the poison? It'll be harmless to everyone else - and according to the Sparrow that part of the poison passes through the body in a matter of days if it doesn't react with the first part. Gosh, it's so simple - and so utterly devastating."
"But that doesn't make sense. I mean, who'd pay to save the lives of thousands of drug-users?"
"You're assuming this criminal's after money, Scruff."
"You don't think Toxic is?"
"No. The plan's all wrong for that. See, it must have cost millions to buy the drug shipments, doctor them, then sell them cheaply. Now, why such an expensive plan when there are dozens of cheaper methods of extortion? Besides, once the threat was made it would be all but impossible to get into the water treatment works and introduce the second half of the poison to the water supply."
"So you think this is just murder on a massive scale? But why?"
"Jack the Ripper targetted prostitutes. Toxic targets drug users. There's a definite method to this madness - there always is in true cases of criminal insanity."
"So what do we do? Watch the water treatment works?"
"We go to bed. I don't think Toxic's ready to move yet."
"Why not?"
"Why kill witnesses if the plan was going forward tonight? If the second chemical was about to be added, Toxic wouldn't bother about killing off cogs in the plan. The very fact that Toxic still cares about what these people might say means we still have a chance."
"Why didn't you say 'him' and 'he'?"
"Because for all we knows, Toxic could be a woman, and I want to keep my options open," I answered. "Now, I need my beuty sleep, and you need to sleep as well."
We went off to rest, not knowing what the next day would bring. It was probably just as well.

Evolve or Die! 15.

We faced no resistance from 'Spiv's' men. They were too shocked by the death of their leader. As for me, I was glad to have a name for the mysterious killer - even if it was a code-name. It was more than the Sparrow had from her high-tech methods. Which goes to show that old-fashioned detective work can still pay off.
We got home after midnight. I was exhausted, and so was Scruff. She just took off her cape. mask, gloves, boots and belt and crashed on the sofa in her Robin costume. I got as far as my bedroom before collapsing on the bed in an untidy heap. Late night work can take a lot out of a girl, especially seeing two men murdered in front of you in one of the nastiest ways I know of.
We had to get a sample of the contaminated drugs, I thought. Find out where it was coming from, find Toxic and shut down the operation.
But who was Toxic? Not an ordinary drug-runner, that was for sure. Too many different drugs. Yet Toxic was channelling them through the usual underworld drug-dealers. If 'Spiv' was dead, that meant he was expendable. Toxic had another man unknowingly feeding hidden death to dug- addicts. Don't get me wrong, I'm opposed to drugs as much as (and probably more than) the police. But killing drug addicts, particularly the way Toxic did it, is NEVER right.
I knew why Toxic was using the two-part poison. The addicts would change their suppliers pretty quickly if users started dropping dead. But this way thousands of people, not just hardcore addicts but students, office workers, clubbers, people who experimented then never took anything again, would be in danger. Then the second part wsould be administered. But how? If by mixing it with the drugs, then people could and would switch. So how?

I heard a tap that Scruff had not turned off properly dripping. Why, I thought as I got up, do sounds like dripping taps sound so much louder when you're trying to get to sleep?
"Scruff!" I called as I went back into the living-room. She groaned.
"Sis? It's really late and I'm tired."
"You left the tap dripping. Do you know how much water...?" I paused. It was as if a lightbulb had gone on. You know, like those old cartoons.
"Sis?"
"Water!" I cried in horror. "That's how Toxic's going to administer the other half of the poison - through the water supply!"

Evolve or Die! 14.

I raised my hands and sighed.
"All right, I surrender." I said. My belt was swiftly taken off, and I was roughly manhandled down the stairs to where a very annoyed Scruff was waiting, also captive, and without her belt. She was struggling in the grip of a large ape-like thug (I think villains have a secret captive breeding programme for them).
"Robin!" I cried. Scruff stopped struggling.
"Grey! What happened?"
"Bloke pushed a gun in my back, I decided to surrender."
"Same thing happened to me, but I'm the sidekick. I'm allowed to be captured. You're supposed to be too clever for that..."
"So sue me," I answered. "Even Batman gets captured. And at least I get hit over the head less often."
"Yes," Scruff smiled. " That's one good thing. You know, I guess all those superheroes who get hit on the head all the time do get.. less smart over time."
Funny, I thought. But when you're captured by a baddie, what can you do except joke about it?
"Ah! The Girl In Grey!"
We had company. A large, bald man who looked like Lex Luthor after eating about a ton of lard.
"Hi," I smiled. "This is Robin, my assistant. She does other superheroes if you ask nicely. And if the other heroes wear enough clothes. You're Spiv Barrick, I'd know that mug anywhere."
"And I'd know you, you cocky little girl! So, you're poking your nose in where it's not wanted again!"
"Sure. It's what I do. Like you sell drugs. I just came from one of your dealers who was murdered. Care to tell me why? What did he know that meant he had to die?"
"I'm asking the questions, girl!"
"That doesn't mean I can't ask something," I replied. "Spiv, junkies are dying in this city. YOU know something about it."
"Junkies die all the time."
"Not like this. These people have been deliberately poisoned with something that dissolves every blood-vessel in their bodies. It's disgusting and incredibly painful. There's something in the stuff they're taking - and your dealers are selling it."
'Spiv' looked at me in horror.
"No! It can't be!" I saw the blood drain from his face, and I knew.
"You take the stuff too, don't you?"
"Yes! I get it from..."
Something buzzed through the window and hit him. I knew what it was before I saw the feathers of the dart.
"Toxic!" Spiv gasped as the poison took effect. "buy it from... Toxic!"
blood bubbled in his throat, then he fell. We could do nothing for him. But we knew his killer was called Toxic.
A menacing name if ever there was one!