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doorway, followed by Rainbow Wig and the thin-faced woman with the glasses and the big hat. It didn’t beep for any of them.
    â€˜This way please, madam. Go through the metal detector, please.’
    Amy liked being called madam. She stepped up the ramp and into the weapons detector doorway. It wasn’t really a door because there were no walls. She stepped through.
    Beep! Beep! Beep!
    Startled, Amy looked up.

Chapter 7
Wanded Down
    â€˜Over here, please Madam.’
    In his hand the uniformed man held a wand. It looked like the hair dryer Aunty Viv used on poodles.
    â€˜I’m just wanding you down. Are you carrying any keys? Or perhaps it’s the buckle on your belt,’ he said to Amy.
    â€˜My jeans don’t have a belt,’ said Amy, lifting up her jumper to prove it. Behind her, the watching queue was growing longer and longer. They looked at her as if she were a criminal.
    â€˜I’m not carrying a gun ... or a knife or, wait a minute!’
    Amy fumbled in her jeans pocket. She liked extra, tight jeans, but not now. Mum always said to travel in a track suit, but Amy loved her jeans.
    Beep! Beep! Beep!
    The wand started to get excited near her front jeans pocket..
    â€˜Aunty Viv gave me a fruit knife. To use on apples.’
    â€˜That’s it.’
    As Amy tugged out the knife, Christopher’s metal ruler set off the scanner.
    Beep! Beep! Beep!
    â€˜Our job is to stop weapons going on board,’ explained the guard as he looked very carefully at the ruler in Christopher’s top pocket.
    â€˜Do I have to undo my jeans belt?’ asked Christopher anxiously. He didn’t want his jeans to fall down here! Especially when he was wearing his red superhero underpants!
    â€˜No, that’s okay. Off you go.’
    The children took their bags off the end of the rubber roller.
    â€˜Here’s your bag, Amy.’ Christopher grabbed her backpack.
    â€˜Thanks.’Amy checked the name tag,as Mum had warned her to do.
    â€˜Wrong bag! ‘
    Someone else had a purple and aqua backpack too!
    Just then, Rainbow Wig grabbed the bag. ‘That’s mine, I think.’
    The Mouth turned around. As soon as he saw Rainbow Wig behind him, he hurried away.
    What was up with those two? They did seem to know each other. But they weren’t talking!
    This time, Amy found the right bag. She checked the name tag. It would be easy to mix up things. Several camera bags moved through as a thought struck her. Everyone thinks camera bags have photo things in them. What if a bank robber was smuggling notes in a camera bag?
    â€˜If someone stole half a million, like that Westpac bank robbery, it would be in Australian dollars, wouldn’t it?
    â€˜Suppose so.’ Christopher was tightening his strap.
    â€˜Australian dollars wouldn’t be much use overseas. They’d have to exchange it.’
    â€˜Right.’
    â€˜What if the thief wanted to smuggle the money overseas? Amy loved looking for mysteries even when they weren’t there. ‘They could be hidden in a camera bag.’
    Christopher looked up. ‘Why would the Westpac bank robbers be at the airport? They could have gone anywhere. And why would they be on our flight?’
    â€˜Airports are one way to leave the country. And lots of planes leave from Sydney for overseas. Perhaps the Singapore plane was the first one after they’d finished their robbery.’ Amy was beginning to like this cluey idea.
    â€˜They’d have to book tickets ages ahead. Perhaps they planned their robbery ages ago. To fit in with their tickets.’
    â€˜Like a holiday booking?’ Christopher gave a big laugh. ‘That’d be fun. Sorry I can’t rob your bank today. My getaway plane is delayed.’
    â€˜There are last- minute seats. Remember the mystery tours sign. People can join a flight if there are any spare seats.’ Amy didn’t want to let go of her idea. But she knew that what