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which he stored a treasure trove of confiscated items.
    â€˜Check it out,’ Davey said, holding up Duncan Carver’s water pistol.
    Sunil found Luca Panas’s game cards and Mariana Larkin’s comic books.
    â€˜I know that hat!’ Kevin picked up an old battered footy cap.
    â€˜It’s Mo’s,’ Sunil said.
    Kevin shook off the dust and punched the cap back into shape.
    â€˜Correction,’ he said with a cheeky grin, as he put the cap firmly on his head. ‘ Was Mo’s.’
    Sunil laughed. ‘I’d like to say it suits you, but Mo isn’t known for his good taste.’
    Max barked his agreement.
    The boys rifled through all the stuff, but didn’t find the cricket bat.
    George opened Mudge’s desk drawers and a small leather-bound book caught his eye. He picked it up and scanned the pages.
    â€˜Mudge writes poetry.’
    Davey looked over George’s shoulder at the book. It was love poetry. A name caught Davey’s eye. Lavinia. The name Lavinia was repeated on almost every page. Lavinia? Did that mean Trundle?
    An image of Mudge and Trundle kissing popped into Davey’s head. ‘Urgh!’ he exclaimed and immediately stopped reading.
    â€˜You’re up, Max.’ Sunil gave the dog a scratch. Max sat on his haunches, eager to take part in the adventure. Sunil held Davey’s shirt out for Max.
    â€˜Take a good whiff of Pong de Warner,’ he instructed the dog.
    Max obliged by taking a good sniff and wagging his tail. He jumped up on his hind legs and did his dance. I know that smell! he seemed to say.
    â€˜That’s right, Max,’ Sunil said encouragingly. ‘We need you to find Davey’s bat.’
    Max ran around in circles and let out a series of short sharp barks. He jumped on Davey.
    â€˜Sshh, dog!’ Davey hissed. ‘Not me, the bat!’
    Max tilted his head and froze. He had a whiff of something. He jumped down and began following his nose, zig-zagging around the room. He came to a tall coat cupboard in the corner and scratched at the door.
    â€˜He’s got something!’ Kevin exclaimed.
    â€˜Bingo!’ Davey said.
    George hastily shoved the notebook into his back pocket and joined the others. The boys clamoured to open the cupboard. Inside were three black umbrellas and a pale blue duffel bag with a wooden handle sticking out one side.
    â€˜Kaboom!’ exclaimed Davey.
    He reached for his beloved bat . . . just as a familiar voice spoke.
    â€˜I see you’ve found your bat, Warner,’ Mudge said in barely more than a whisper. He stood planted in the open doorway, his magenta ears illuminated against the early morning light like a pair of wings about to take flight.
    â€˜Y-yes, S-Sir,’ Davey stammered.
    Mudge came over to the cupboard and slammed the door shut, narrowly missing Davey’s fingers.
    â€˜Don’t worry . . . I’ll find a new hiding place for it,’ he told them.
    â€˜Sir!’ Davey said, crestfallen.
    Mudge looked like the cat who’d eaten the cream. ‘Your detention just got extended by another term!’ He glared at Max. ‘And how many times do I have to say GET THAT DOG OUT OF HERE!?’
    They had been so close, but it looked like operation Kaboom was a no-go.

CHAPTER 9
A HAT-TRICK
    The morning couldn’t go quickly enough for Davey. Mudge lorded it over him by dangling Kaboom before his eyes. By the time the bell rang for lunch, Davey was desperate.
    This can’t be happening, he said to himself when he joined the others outside the classroom.He didn’t have Kaboom and every minute of his life was taken up with Mudge, Mudge, Mudge.
    â€˜You lot better be waiting when I get back,’ Mudge threatened as he went to the staffroom to get a coffee. He’d given them ten minutes to eat their lunch before rubbish pick-up duty began.
    Kevin put on a battered old peaked cap.
    â€˜What’s with the