The Impossible Clue by Sarah Rubin

they were ‘an independent research facility working with the world’s top scientists to solve the world’s top problems.’
    The Google news feed said they weren’t very nice.
    I found three lawsuits against Chronos R&D, and that was just on the first page. The lawsuits were still ongoing, so no details were published, but from what I could seeChronos was accused of misappropriating research. Which is a fancy way of saying they stole it. Chronos would find out what project a competing company was working on and then they’d start working on the same thing. And they’d usually get results first. If they were doing all the work on their own, well, there was nothing you could do about it. But if they were getting ahead by ‘peeking’ at the other research first? Then they were in big trouble.
    If Chronos R&D were emailing Dr Learner, did that mean they were after his research? Did they really want him to work for them, or did they just need to get close enough to steal his results? Dr Learner’s invisibility suit would have to be pretty amazing if they were willing to take that kind of risk. If they got caught there’d be huge fines. They might even end up in jail. Dr Learner and Mr Delgado were friends, so I didn’t think Dr Learner would leave and take his invisibility suit to another company. Still, it was hard to tell what people would do for the right amount of money. I should know. I once saw a kid eat a worm for ten dollars.
    I should have asked how much those diamonds in Dr Learner’s office were worth. Graham Davidson said they were industrial, but they were still diamonds. It made me wonder if the ten I saw were the only ones there.
    The front door slammed.
    I turned off the computer and followed the sound of chaos. Della thundered past me and ran up the stairs, herarms full of sheet music. I heard my bedroom door slam, then open again. Dad came in behind her. He looked a bit like he’d been hit by a cement mixer.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ I asked.
    â€˜Della got a callback. They want her to see her again. She’s trying to decide if she should dye her hair.’
    â€˜A callback is good news, isn’t it? Why does she look so upset?’
    Della came back downstairs, looking around like she’d forgotten something.
    â€˜All the other girls who got called back have red hair,’ she said. ‘I want them to know I’m committed, but I don’t want them to think that I’m . . .’
    â€˜Desperate,’ I finished her sentence.
    Della looked hurt.
    â€˜I don’t mean you are desperate, I just mean it would look like it if you went and dyed your hair for a callback.’ I’m no good at pep talks. I tend to say the first thing that comes to mind. And apparently the first things that come into my mind aren’t very tactful. I wondered if Della was always like this at auditions, or if it was just because Mom wasn’t here to hold her hand.
    â€˜Well, to be honest, I am a little desperate. I’m twelve. It’s probably the last year I can play Annie.’
    â€˜But you’re a young twelve,’ Dad said soothingly. ‘You could pass for ten.’
    Della must be the only twelve-year-old in the world whowas happy to be told she looks younger. But Annie was a dream role, even I knew that much.
    â€˜I think you should stay blonde,’ Dad said. ‘If everyone else has red hair, it will make you stand out more. You can always dye it later if they want.’
    â€˜I think so too,’ I said quickly.
    Della tilted her head to one side, to emphasize the fact that she was thinking it over.
    Dad snuck a look at his watch. It was one in the afternoon, that meant he had five hours before they put the paper to bed. He was probably worried about getting his follow-up story on Dr Learner’s disappearance finished on time.
    It didn’t look like Della was going to make up her mind any time