Sherlock Sam and the Seafaring Scourge on Sentosa Read online

  “I love all the wonderful discoveries Sherlock Sam and the Supper Club have and would have loved to be there when they learnt what a cassette tape was. It makes me want to find out more about outdated technology!”

  ANNELI, 8, WANTS TO BE A ZOOLOGIST

  “My favourite character is Jimmy because he is just like me. He names all his pets Benjamin while I name all my pet fish Bob, and he likes animals such as the white-bellied sea eagle. He's also pretty funny.”

  CHRIS, 8, WANTS TO BE A MARINE BIOLOGIST

  “We love the Sherlock Sam books we’ve read so far they’re real whodunnits! The fun bit in this mystery was island-hopping for clues with Sherlock Sam, Watson and the super sleuths of the Supper Club. It was very funny when Mr Lee yelled ‘Hantu!’ And we love the amazing facts about Pulau Hantu (Ghost Island) and burung hantu (ghost bird or owl)! But the best part is discovering Watson’s new hidden talent!”

  ELLIOT, 9, WANTS TO BE AN ASTRONAUT AND ELIZABETH, 7, WANTS TO BE A WRITER-ILLUSTRATOR

  ALSO IN THE SERIES

  Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong

  Sherlock Sam and the Ghostly Moans in Fort Canning

  Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah

  Sherlock Sam and the Alien Encounter on Pulau Ubin

  Sherlock Sam and the Vanished Robot in Penang

  Sherlock Sam and the Cloaked Classmate in MacRitchie

  Sherlock Sam and the Stolen Script in Balestier

  Sherlock Sam and the Fiendish Mastermind in Jurong

  Sherlock Sam and the Obento Bonanza in Tokyo

  Sherlock Sam and the Comic Book Caper in New York

  Sherlock Sam and the Quantum Pair in Queenstown

  Sherlock Sam’s Orange Shorts

  Sherlock Sam and the Fiendish Heist in London

  Sherlock Sam and the Mysterious Mastermind in Seoul

  Sherlock Sam and the Burgled Book in Kampong Glam

  Copyright © 2020 by Adan Jimenez and Felicia Low-Jimenez

  Illustrations copyright © 2020 by Epigram Books

  All rights reserved.

  Published in Singapore by Epigram Books.

  www.epigram.sg

  Illustrations by Drewscape

  National Library Board,

  Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

  Name(s): Low, A. J. | Drewscape, illustrator.

  Title: Sherlock Sam and the Seafaring Scourge on Sentosa / by A. J. Low ; illustrations by Drewscape.

  Other titles(s): Sherlock Sam ; 15.

  Description: First edition. | Singapore : Epigram Books, 2020.

  Identifier: OCN 1193004675

  ISBN : 978-981-49-0116-1 (paperback)

  ISBN : 978-981-49-0117-8 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: 1. Piracy—Juvenile fiction.

  2. Child detectives—Singapore—Juvenile fiction.

  3. Sentosa (Singapore)—Juvenile fiction.

  Classification: DDC S823—dc23

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, October 2020.

  “Benjamin, Benjamin, Benjamin, Benjamin and Benjamin!” Jimmy called out, dashing around the living room with his hands full of colourful treats. “It’s breakfast time!” He ran out of sight to the sheltered garden area where some of his beloved pets were kept.

  “Jimmy, don’t forget the Benjamin in the house!” Auntie Kim Lian said. She was Jimmy’s grandmother. He lived with her, his four sisters and Auntie Gina, their helper, in a house in Katong. Jimmy’s mom, Auntie Vivian, lived there too, but she ran a successful import/export business and often travelled for work. She was in Penang this week.

  Auntie Kim Lian was in the kitchen with Auntie Gina and Moran the robot, whipping up a delicious breakfast feast for the rest of us. The highly anticipated menu for today included congee, nasi lemak with rendang, and soto ayam. Moran used to be a detective with the Supper Club, but he retired so he could learn to be a chef. He lived with Jimmy and his family, and Auntie Kim Lian was teaching him to cook Peranakan food.

  Jimmy reappeared, smacking his forehead. “Oh, right, Mama! Benjamin gets mad if she doesn’t get her snack before her morning nap. Thanks for reminding me!” he said, before dashing off again.

  “Which Benjamin gets mad?” Wendy, my older sister, leaned over and whispered to me. We were seated around the large dining room table, which was located between the living room and kitchen. She had her brand-new pink-and-green notebook on her lap. She’d been carrying it around with her everywhere, never letting it out of her sight. I have photographic evidence of her snuggling it to sleep at night.

  “It-cannot-be-the-hamster-who-is-Benjamin-the-original,” Watson replied. “He-is-the-hamster-version-of-Jimmy-who-never-gets-angry.” He was seated on my other side. Mama had already prepared a plate of recycled batteries that he consumed as a power source.

  “I thought Benjamin the original was a guinea pig?” Nazhar scratched his head.

  “I think it’s the other one the rabbit he rescued,” I replied, distracted. I could smell the delicious scents wafting over from the kitchen. I was extremely excited. Jimmy’s mama’s cooking was legendary.

  Nazhar shook his head, pushing his glasses up. “No, it’s the black and white cat. She’s very grouchy. She keeps trying to steal my socks.” He winced.

  “You’re all wrong. It’s the terrapin, obviously,” Eliza said, flipping her braid behind her shoulder. “Jimmy found it in the storm drain in school last month, remember?” She crossed her arms, unsmiling.

  Wendy turned her head to Nazhar; they both looked slightly worried. Eliza, Wendy and Nazhar were in the same class. I wondered if something had happened in school.

  “So, wait all his pets are named Benjamin?” Dad had his confused face on.

  Jimmy’s sisters—Rose, Martha, Donna and Amy—nodded vigorously. They were seated at the dining area as well. Auntie Kim Lian and Auntie Gina looked after them too, when Auntie Vivian was away.

  Dad shrugged. “Hmm. Well, if it works for Jimmy...”

  “It’s so nice when Friday is a public holiday,” Mom said, stretching her arms above her head. She was seated next to Dad. “I love long weekends.”

  “But that just means I have to wait until Monday to get the new rainbow coloured pencil I really wanted. The one Parrot Ink sells is perfect for sketching the lead isn’t too hard or too soft.” Wendy slumped in her seat. She hugged her notebook tightly against her chest.

  Parrot Ink was the new stationery shop that had recently opened in our school canteen. The auntie and uncle who ran the original store (called The Stationery Shop) had had an unexpected windfall and had retired. They had been working in the school for most of their lives and were sad to leave, but they were also happy they could now travel the world. There were other Parrot Ink shops all over Singapore, but the one in our school had special student prices, and Wendy had become fast friends with the new lady who ran the shop. My sister was their best customer and first unofficial member. Literally. She had designed and made her own Parrot Ink membership card (member number 001).

  “You-have-been-buying-stationery-and-notebooks-everyday-Wendy,” Watson commented. “I-cannot-fit-all-of-your-purchases-and-Sherlock’s-snacks-in-my-secret-compartment.”

  Mom turned to my sister. “Exactly how much stationery have you been purchasing, young lady?”

  Wendy's eyes darted around frantically as she grinned bigger than I would have thought humanly possible. “Erm...I’m an artist! I need my tools! And I’m only using my allowance, nothing more! Sam, tell Mom!”

  Before I could help my sister proclaim her innocence, Auntie Kim Lian, Auntie Gina and Moran walked into the dining room carrying trays filled with piping hot bowls of congee, pandan leaves heaped with rice, chilli, rendang and big bowls of soto ayam. I had made a special request to have my soto ayam with ketupat instead of yellow noodles. I thought the spicy chicken broth tasted even better with warm rice. I noticed Auntie Kim Lian had extra bundles of ketupat on the side. She knew me so well.

  Right on time, Jimmy dashed back into the dining room and plopped down into the empty seat next to Eliza.

  For a while, the only sound that could be heard was us slurping the heavenly soto ayam, munching on the rendang and spooning congee into our mouths. I don’t know why we didn’t have this for breakfast every day.

  “You’re not eating, Eliza?” Auntie Kim Lian asked. “Are you not feeling well?”

  Eliza’s head lifted. I hadn’t noticed before, but I now saw that her bowl of soto ayam was still almost full, and she seemed to just be using her spoon to push the food back and forth.

  “Oh no, Auntie. I’m okay. I’m just...I’m just not very hungry.” She smiled slightly, then looked down, carefully scooping a spoonful of soup and taking a sip.

  Nazhar put his utensils down. “It’s because—”

  “Nazhar!” Eliza snapped. “Don’t.”

  Mom and Dad stopped eating.

  “What’s going on?” Mom asked. She reached over and put her hand on Eliza’s shoulder. “You know you can tell us anything, right?”

  “Some of the kids in the other class said Eliza is the reason her parents got a divorce,” Wendy said in a rush, her face flushing with anger. She turned to E
liza. “There. Be mad at me if you want, but I can’t stand it when people are bullying you and you won’t say anything!”

  Eliza turned to my sister and started to say something but fell silent instead. Her hands were clenched on her lap.

  “What?” Dad said. “That’s a very mean thing to say.” Dad seldom looked serious, but he did now.

  “It’s also not true!” Jimmy said, frowning. “It’s not true at all. Just like it’s not true that Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy and I had anything to do with our dad leaving. My mom said sometimes these things just happen, and it’s not our fault. Right, Mama?”

  “Yes, sayang, your mom is right.” Auntie Kim Lian’s voice was soft as she rested a hand on the top of Jimmy’s head. “It’s not your fault, Eliza. Those children were being very unkind.”

  I saw Mom hesitate for a moment before she spoke. “Did you tell your parents, Eliza?”

  “No, of course not.” Eliza rubbed her eyes. “My dad is...” She trailed off. “And I can’t tell my mom these things. She’s upset enough with everything.”

  Dad and Mom exchanged a look.

  “I can come with you to talk to her,” Mom said, her tone gentle. “We can do it together, all right? But only if you want to, of course.”

  Eliza continued to stare at her still-full bowl. For a second I thought she would refuse, but then she nodded. Wendy immediately reached over and gave our friend a tight hug. She whispered something which made Eliza laugh out loud.

  “Thanks, but I really don’t need another purple pen, Wendy.” She took a deep breath and hugged my sister back.

  I had no idea any of this was happening to Eliza and that made me feel bad. I needed to pay closer attention. What was the point of being a detective if I couldn’t protect my friends? I was glad Eliza had Wendy and Nazhar in her class, and that she trusted Mom enough to let her help.

  Suddenly, Watson jumped off his chair and stared blankly into space. I recognised that look in his one eye The Wonderful Watson Online Detective Agency had received an email. It had to be an important one for my robot to react the way he had.

  “What’s going on, Watson?” I asked.

  Watson turned to face me. “I-am-sorry-to-interrupt-but-Charles-Lee-wants-to-hire-The-Wonderful-Watson-Online-Detective-Agency,” he replied. “He-claims-Pirates-Inc-have-stolen-his-priceless-treasures.”

  “I’m very upset.”

  Officer Siva was frowning.

  I gulped. I knew exactly why we were in trouble. But it wasn’t my fault.

  Officer Siva had met us right outside Sentosa Cove. He was there as a civilian. Charles Lee's house was along the bay area, which was crowded with yachts and speedboats belonging to the residents. Just like our first visit, we had to go through two security checks before we could enter.

  “You guys had soto ayam and didn’t call me?” Officer Siva reached out to press the doorbell of Charles Lee’s mansion a second time. Right next to the doorbell was an expensive-looking touchpad, which I deduced was part of the security system.

  “I’m sorry, Officer Siva!” Jimmy said, looking just as guilty as I felt. “We thought you’d be busy on a Friday, even if it was a public holiday!”

  Officer Siva smiled. “I’m just kidding, Jimmy. I was working.” He reached out and pressed the doorbell for the third time.

  Nazhar sighed. “It’s not like he doesn’t know we’re coming. He replied to Watson’s email saying he was expecting us.”

  When we read the email Watson had received, we called Officer Siva. He agreed to meet us there, though not in his official capacity as no crime had been reported to the police. Yet. Mom and Dad left us strict instructions to stay with Officer Siva during our investigation. They were very worried because Pirates Inc. was involved, and they were a global crime organisation. The first time we had encountered them was during the Case of the Burgled Book in Kampong Glam. Somehow, the Pirates had located us and warned us to stay away from them. Meeting their envoy in person was scary. The second warning came via The Wonderful Watson Online Detective Agency’s official email account.

  We knew we could not afford to take any chances.

  “Shall-I-attempt-to-hack-the-security-system-to-let-us-in?” Watson asked.

  “No!” we shouted.

  “Ha-ha-ha,” Watson replied in a completely deadpan tone.

  “Did you...did you just make a joke, Watson?” Jimmy looked stunned.

  “I-am-full-of-surprises,” my robot replied.

  Jimmy looked even more confused, which made Nazhar laugh. Watson had been reading Dad’s old joke books recently and had been experimenting with humour. Wendy said we did not need any more dad jokes in the world.

  The door suddenly swung open. A blast of cold air hit us. The entire house was air-conditioned. Standing before us was the same elderly lady who had let us in the last time. She was wearing a stiff white shirt and black skirt like before and was just as unfriendly, staring down her nose at us. Without a word, she stepped aside and gestured for us to enter. We removed our shoes and placed them neatly at the shoe rack by the door.

  We walked into the large mansion, its walls lined with expensive-looking murals and paintings. There wasn’t a single surface that did not have an ornate vase or statue on display. The scent in the air was artificial and cloyingly sweet. I saw Wendy wrinkle her nose and sneeze, earning her yet another frosty look from the lady.

  “Do not touch anything. Do not even breathe on anything,” the woman said. Her tone gave me goosebumps. It was full of scorn she didn’t bother to hide.

  “None of it is even real,” Eliza snarked, rolling her eyes.

  The woman froze, her head turning towards my friend. I heard Nazhar gulp, but Eliza just met the elderly lady’s gaze with her equally menacing one. I knew it wasn’t possible, but I really thought I heard the air crackle, sizzle and pop.

  “Wow,” Officer Siva said, watching the both of them. I could hear the respect in his tone for Eliza’s daring.

  The lady was the first to back down, but not without a loud, rude huffing noise and a toss of her head. She stalked farther into the mansion without a word. Eliza gave Wendy a satisfied sideways smile. Nazhar grinned. We trailed after the lady, trying not to touch anything.

  Eliza’s observation was most likely accurate. Based on our previous investigation and dealings with Mr Lee, we knew he only displayed recreations or replicas, and not original art. The real pieces were squirrelled away in secret locations. We had also found out that he had an underground vault full of hidden treasures, but we never saw it. I suspected very few people were allowed to enter.

  We came to an abrupt stop, stunned by what we saw before us.

  “Is-he-sitting-on-a-throne?” Watson asked.

  My robot was changing and growing. He now had the ability to upgrade and remove his own programs and parts. Until recently, I seldom heard emotion in his usually stoic voice. He seemed incredulous.

  “Wow,” Officer Siva repeated.

  Mr Lee had somehow managed to fit a giant throne-like chair in the middle of his study. It was covered in gold embellishments and garish multicoloured jewels and was so huge his feet could barely touch the ground. A cloud in the sky must have passed on the outside because suddenly, sunlight streamed into the room from the large windows. It hit the glittering chair at precisely the right angle, blinding us.

  “Oww,” Wendy said, bringing her pink and green notebook up to shield her eyes.

  Mr Lee smirked, pushing up his now-tinted glasses.

  He hopped off his throne, landing on what looked like a Persian rug.

  He spread his hands wide. “Welcome to my lavish abode.”

  The elderly lady bowed slightly, gave us another sneer for good measure, and departed.

  “My-sensors-tell-me-that-is-not-an-antique,” Watson said. “It-is-a-newly-made-chair.”

  “Wow,” Officer Siva said for the second time.

  Mr Lee sauntered over to Watson and hunched down. “You seem shorter than I remember but never mind. I expect the best, most professional level of service my money can buy. And don't forget, I have a lot of money.”

  “Please stop saying things like that,” a curt voice said from behind us.

  We spun around.

  “Ah, Lemon Cheng,” Mr Lee said, his expression turning sour. “I was wondering when you would show up.”