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Scandal at Six(62)

By:Ann Purser


Perhaps nobody would find them, and they would die. He saw again the little faces looking at him. Sod it! They were trapped, but then so was he. And he had more to lose. But what more could you lose than your life? If Uncle Robert did not ring him, he would think again, and the hell with it. At least he would not be responsible for animal murder.





Thirty-five





Greeted with the news of Pettison’s accident, Margie Turner stepped in and said she was quite capable of running things from her kiosk for the present, and she would ask her friend Dot Nimmo to help.

“Dot is a cleaner here,” she explained to the young policeman, who had turned up to see if there was any help needed. Inspector Cowgill had sent him, he said, and he was obviously dying to do something exciting, like cleaning out the tiger’s cage, or swinging around with the chimps.

“We’ve got a new keeper, and him and me can cope well enough, with Dot Nimmo alongside.” Margie had seen the constable’s face fall, and took pity on him. She said that he could help her handle the big bales of wood shavings used for bedding. When that was done, she sent him away, saying she would always ring if she needed further help.

“There’ll be some others coming from the police station,” he said. “Inspector Cowgill will be going up to the house later on.”

“That’s fine,” said Margie. “I know him well. He’ll probably have his lady friend in tow.”



*



Margie was wrong for once, as Lois was already down at the shop when Cowgill rang, and Gran forgot to pass on the message. Josie and her mother had made a start on the shed, and although it was a lot more empty than it had been, there were still a number of things to go into the skip, and others which Josie said she would take home to the cottage.

“Do you think you should check on Gran in the shop?” Lois said now. “Her arithmetic is not what it used to be.”

Josie laughed. “I’ll just make sure she’s okay; then we’ll tackle the rest.” She disappeared, and Lois looked round at the other items to be dumped. There was a very old pram, probably vintage, left by the previous, elderly owners, and also a ferocious-looking mangle, with a long iron handle and hefty wooden rollers. These things never wore out, thought Josie. Perhaps some collector might be interested in them. She had to wait for Josie to help her move them outside, where Derek could collect them. She took down the piece of cloth over the window. Surely Justin wouldn’t want that? It effectively shut out all the light. She threw it in the big bin outside the shed, and went back in.

A white bag on a high shelf at the back caught her eye. It had been torn and looked like rubbish. She put out a hand to grab it, but felt something inside. She removed the cage carefully, and something glinted at her from inside. It disappeared, and she blinked. A result of coming in from the sunlight outside, she thought. But then it happened again, and she moved to look closer.

Two pairs of eyes stared at her, and she saw two little animal bodies, frozen with fear.

“What the hell are these!?” she shouted, and Josie came running. “Oh Lor, Mum,” she said. “They must belong to Justin. Maybe he’s keeping them as pets? What on earth are they?”

“They’re not mice,” Lois said.

“Not gerbils or hamsters,” Josie said.

“They’re furry, but smooth with it. And they have tails like mice. And long trunky noses. They’re not baby rats, are they?” Lois asked.

“I can’t be doing with rats,” Josie replied, backing away.

“No, I’m sure they’re not rats. Best not tell Gran, or she’ll have hysterics. We’ll get Derek down to have a look at them after the shop’s shut. Have they got food and water?”

They found the foodstuff for them and pushed it through the bars at the back of the cage, and managed to fill up the water bottle upended and attached to the inside. Then they just stood and watched, riveted to the spot, as the creatures began to move, eating so neatly.

“Aren’t you finished yet, you two?” yelled Gran from the shop. “I have to go round to Joan’s soon. She said to come round and have a cup of tea.”

Josie yelled back that they would be finished in five minutes, and then she could leave. Lois put the bag back over the cage, and turned to Josie.

“And then we’ll lock up the shed, and ring Gran to ask Derek to come down as soon as he’s back from work,” Lois said. “Don’t worry, Josie dear. We’ll sort it all out. Poor Justin must have forgotten all about them, what with his father dying, and all that.”



*



When Derek came home from work, he was greeted by Gran, saying he was to go straight down to the shop, where Josie and Lois were still tidying up.