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The housekeeper gave him such a stern look that Victor immediately felt like a little boy. But in the end off she went. When she returned she opened the door wordlessly and waved the three of them inside.

Victor was curious about Ida Spavento. “She’s a bit weird,” Riccio had told him, “and she smokes like a chimney. But she’s really nice.”

Victor wasn’t too sure about that. Going out in the lagoon with three children in the middle of the night to follow a mysterious man who had sent those little thieves into her house in the first place — no, that didn’t really sound nice to Victor.Crazy, maybe.But nice? No.

But when he saw Ida kneeling on her living room carpet, wearing a sweater that was far too large for her, he liked her. However much he wanted not to.

Ida was leaning over a lineup of photographs. She was pushing them around, swapping them, and sorting some of them out. “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise!” she said as Victor and the boys entered. “I didn’t expect a visit from you quite so soon. What’s in those boxes, and where did you suddenly get an uncle from?” She pushed the photographs together and got up.

Oh dear, Victor thought, she’s wearing gondola earrings.

“We’re in a lot of trouble, Ida,” said Mosca. He put down his carton. Sighing, Riccio did the same.

“Are the fat lady’s dogs here?” Riccio asked.”Because Victor has got some kittens in his coat.”

“You mean Lucia’s dogs? No, we locked them out in the garden because they ate my chocolates.” Ida frowned as she looked at the boys. “What kind of trouble? What’s happened?”

“Someone told the police about our hideout!” Mosca answered. “And the Carabinieri have taken Hornet and Bo. Prosper is desperate because …”

“Hold on.” Ida put her photos on a little table. “I’m still not quite with it this morning. Let me see if I’ve got this right: You had a hideout, and the police have found it. Were they searching for you? I mean, because of the thefts?”

“No!” Mosca cried.”Because of Bo. His aunt’s looking for him. But Bo wants to stay with Prosper. So they both ran away. And we took them in. And it was all OK until last night, but now someone has given our hideout away and Victor has found out that Bo has been taken by his aunt and the police have taken Hornet to the home of the Merciful Sisters and …”

“… and the Conte gave us fake money,” Riccio reached into his jacket and held up a wad of cash. “It’s allfake .”

Ida sank into the second best chair. “Oh, my lord!” she muttered.

Victor couldn’t hold back any longer. “These children were in enough trouble already, Signora Spavento,” he said firmly, “and you’ve made it even worse! You had to drag them into this harebrained adventure of yours. A nighttime trip to the Isola Segreta …”

“Victor, shut up,” Mosca interrupted.