Book 1
Fourteen-year-old Bun Hare is on a mission. Armed with a photographic memory, a few mysterious clues, and plenty of determination, he is about to set off on an international journey to discover what happened to his biological mother. His only guidance comes in the form of an American passport, a birth certificate, and a Niello necklace inscribed with the code “MMA585.” Now, with his feisty best friend, Katie, by his side, he is ready to leave his home in New South Wales behind for an unforgettable trip to the United States, where he hopes for a happy reunion with the family he never knew existed.
The teens’ mission takes a dangerous turn, however, when they learn a powerful force is trying to stop them from discovering the truth. As soon as they land in New York, Bun and Katie find themselves facing unimaginable threats as they race to solve this fascinating mystery. As they travel from coast to coast, deciphering clues and facing danger at every turn, the true story behind Bun’s parents begins to come together—but will the pair reach their destination before it’s too late, or will they become victims of those who would rather keep the family’s secrets hidden? Find out in The Niello Necklace Mystery, the first book of the riveting new Niello Mysteries series.
Chapter 1
“Mum! Mum!”
“Bun? Is that you?”
Bun took out the letter from the school informing him he’d been appointed captain of the New South Wales junior debating team. Excitedly, he threw his school bag under the hall stand, pushed open the door to the front room and called again.
“Guess what? I’m going to Sydney next w-” His words tailed off and he felt his insides shake.
His mother was lying at the foot of the stairs. One leg was twisted under her body and her head lay on the bottom step. A mark on the side of her face bled where her head had hit the stairs, and a fiery red mark stained her left cheek where the carpet had burned her skin.
“Mum!” His mind was racing. “I’ll ring the ambulance.”
“Come here, Bun.”
“I have to get help.”
“No, no.” She lifted her hand and pointed towards the kitchen. Bun heard a familiar voice. Mrs Rankin, the Hare’s neighbour, was on the phone, speaking rapidly.
“I’ll get a blanket.”
“NO!”
His mother was so pale. The yell had weakened her. Her eyes were closed and she struggled to breathe.
“Mum!” he screamed. He knelt beside her, taking her hand. “Mum?”
Her eyelids fluttered open. She looked at Bun, her eyes sweeping his face. “Listen.”
Bun leaned towards her. “Your mother loves you,” she said.
“I know, mum, I love you too.”
His mother shook her head. “N-no,” she groaned, “your mother – the flour bin.”
His mother was clearly confused. Shock, Bun thought. “I don’t understand. Mum? – Mum!” His mother’s eyes closed. Her breathing seemed to be worse. Why wasn’t the ambulance here by now? Bun took a deep breath. He was not going to panic.
“Mrs Rankin!” he screamed. “Mrs Rankin.” He ran into the kitchen.
“Your dad,” Mrs Rankin mouthed, pointing at the phone. She nodded her head.
“Yes, Mr Hare,” she said. “The ambulance is on its way. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
She put the phone down and gathered Bun into a hug. “It’s all right – the ambulance will be here any minute.” Right on cue, the sound of a wailing siren filled the quiet country street. “See,” Mrs Rankin said, “that’s it now. You go out, luvvy, and sit with your mother. I’ll get the door.”
His mother’s eyes were still closed. He picked up her limp wrist and felt for a pulse. Her usually rosy cheeks were white and her comfortingly plump body seemed shrunken. Usually she was always on the move – bustling, is how he described her to himself. Now she was still. Even the smells which usually surrounded her - scents of cinnamon and warm loaves of bread - were replaced by a strange odour.
A kookaburra chortled its trademark chuckle from the gum tree in the back yard, seeming to mock Bun as he fell to his knees. “Mum,” he called again, feeling a tear run down his cheek. It fell onto his mother’s face and she opened her eyes. “The flour bin,” she said again, quite clearly. “Don’t tell your father.” Her eyes closed just as two ambulance men rushed into the room with a stretcher.