The Chaos Code by Justin Richards Read Free Book Online Page A

them from his skin.
    â€˜Hello, Jane, is it lunch time?’
    â€˜Yes,’ Jane said levelly. ‘I see you two have met.’
    â€˜We were just chatting,’ Matt said cautiously. Aunt Jane’s tone made him feel like he’d done something wrong.
    â€˜Matt’s a nice boy,’ Robin said. ‘Arnold must be so proud of him.’
    â€˜I’m sure he is, Robin,’ Aunt Jane said. It took Matt a moment to realise that by Arnold she meant his dad. ‘Do you call everyone by their first name?’ he asked.
    â€˜Just my friends,’ Robin replied. ‘Matt.’ Her mouth quivered as if she was about to burst into laughter again. But she nodded, and waved, and started through the trees towards the driveway. ‘I’ll see you later,’ she called as she went, without looking back.
    â€˜What a strange girl,’ Matt said to Aunt Jane when Robin was out of earshot.
    â€˜Yes,’ Jane replied.
    â€˜Still, she seems nice enough.’
    Aunt Jane looked at him sadly. ‘Oh Matt,’ she said quietly, and sighed.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Nothing. Just … It’s just that I’d rather you didn’t spend too much time with Robin.’
    She avoided his eyes as she said it. Matt almostlaughed, it seemed so out of character for her to be warning him off like this. ‘Afraid if I hang around with Robin then people will call me Batman?’ he joked.
    Aunt Jane forced a laugh. ‘It’s for your own good,’ she said. ‘How many times have you heard that? And yes, Robin’s a lovely girl. But trust me, she’ll bring you nothing but trouble.’
    Without further explanation, she turned and walked back to the driveway, leaving Matt standing in the damp woods with the breeze tugging at his coat.

Chapter 4
    Matt spent some time looking round the little cottage. He had hoped to find a computer. No chance Aunt Jane would have any decent games for it, but a broadband Internet connection seemed a good bet.
    Aunt Jane had a small study in what was supposed to be the third bedroom. From the cables and wires, Matt guessed Aunt Jane had a laptop, and she’d taken it with her up to the manor house.
    It left Matt with little to do. He inspected Aunt Jane’s shelves for something to read. Agatha Christie seemed the least worst choice. He wasn’t desperately interested in the other titles – books on gardening, accounting, how to manage your personal space, a few ‘ancient mysteries’ books that purported to reveal the secret of the pyramids or the truth of a lost ancient civilisation. And a lot of romantic historical novels with painted covers showing women in big dresses swooning in the arms of men in tight suits.
    â€¢ • •
    It didn’t seem likely the village would run to a bookshop or a library, and anyway it was raining more heavily now. Then he remembered that Aunt Jane had mentioned Julius Venture had a library he could use for homework. It wasn’t likely to be the sort of library Matt was interested in, but he might at least have a computer Matt could use. And maybe Robin had some decent books.
    Matt thought again about the way Aunt Jane had been with Robin. Polite, but a bit distant – not like her at all. And then her words to Matt: ‘She’ll bring you nothing but trouble.’ Well, he thought, maybe she’ll bring me something to read or a DVD first. She was a bit weird, but at least she was his age.
    The main door was set within a stone porch jutting out from the middle of the house. Matt welcomed the fact that it sheltered him from the rain. There was an old-fashioned bell-pull – a metal rod down the wall with a handle at the end. But before he could try it, the heavy, dark wooden door swung open.
    â€˜I saw you coming up the drive,’ Aunt Jane said. ‘Come on in. I’m sorry, you must be bored silly.’
    â€˜Well, a bit,’ Matt admitted.
    The door