The Society of Dread Read Online Free

his stomach.
    ‘We know who you are,’ Finley said at last.
    Theo blinked. He gulped. He opened his mouth but no words would come out.
    ‘Yes,’ Finley continued. ‘We’ve finally worked it out. Despite the attempts by Special Detective Cripps to hide your identity under a smokescreen of confusing and misfiled reports.’
    ‘Or,’ added Crane wryly, ‘by using something we in the police call “lies”.’
    Theo looked at Chloe. The game was up.
    ‘You’re the Candle Man,’ Finley stated.
    For an instant, it seemed to Theo as if every frosty tree in the graveyard was suddenly listening to their conversation.
    ‘Some of the villains from the Society of Good Works who we arrested recently have beenblabbing. Your name kept coming up,’ Finley explained.
    ‘You can melt people,’ blurted out Sergeant Crane with a strange relish.
    Theo had gone white.
    ‘Are . . . are you going to put me in prison?’ he asked.
    For a moment there was a surprised silence. Then, to his astonishment, Sergeant Crane laughed. This was followed by a kind smile from Finley.
    ‘Certainly not,’ Finley said.
    ‘You’re a hero!’ Crane added with a grin.
    ‘We’ve been reading the old Wickland file in Scotland Yard’s Black Museum,’ Finley continued. ‘We know that the original Candle Man worked closely with the law, especially with a certain Inspector Edward Rooke. Dark days. Most of the files don’t make pretty reading.’
    Theo’s eyes lit up.
    ‘You’ve got files – real stories about the Candle Man?’ he gasped. ‘Can I read them?’
    ‘Told you,’ muttered Chloe, looking away.
    ‘Maybe,’ replied the inspector. ‘But we need to get one thing clear. Like your ancestor, you must use your power in cooperation with the police.’
    Theo looked away from the inspector, down at his feet.
    ‘I – I don’t want to,’ he said quietly.
    ‘Don’t want to?’
    Theo looked up, his eyes clear, his voice calm and decided.
    ‘I’ve told everyone,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to go around melting people and making enemies. I just want to help people – if I can.’
    Inspector Finley looked grave. ‘The original Candle Man helped Scotland Yard,’ he said, ‘during an evil time for this city. Now, I’m afraid to say, those dark days are returning.’
    ‘Hold on a minute,’ Chloe said, hopping from one foot to the other, trying to keep warm. ‘Why are we having this conversation in a freezing graveyard at midnight when we could be arguing in your cosy office?’
    Finley looked grave. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘That’s just it.You see, we might have a spot of Candle-Manning for our young friend here,’ he said. He turned to the other officer.
    ‘Sergeant Crane, how are our teams doing?’ he asked.
    Crane exchanged swift radio messages with the police teams that were stationed elsewhere throughout the cemetery. ‘This way,’ he said.
    Theo was uneasy. What did the police have in mind? Suddenly all the efforts of his day caught up with him and he felt almost faint. Chloe seemed to sense this and grabbed him by the arm.
    ‘I wasn’t expecting this, Theo,’ she said. ‘If you don’t like it, just say so. I’ll stand up for you.’
    ‘We . . . we’d better see what the inspector wants,’ said Theo.
    ‘We’ve got a signal!’ hissed Crane. ‘Come on!’
    Now everyone was running along a narrow track. Torch beams flashed in the darkness. Crane shone his torch on a great stone casket, with a headless angel standing at one end.
    ‘Stop here,’ Crane ordered. They stood in a little grove about a hundred yards from the tomb. Theo could see a police officer pointing a scanning device, not unlike a metal detector, towards the foot of the grave.
    ‘Ground-penetrating radar,’ explained Crane with a nod.
    ‘What’s going on?’ Theo asked anxiously. He could feel the trap closing around him, his grim fate taking over from the quiet life he sought.
    ‘Bones,’
said Sergeant Crane. ‘Bones disappearing from