Lois looked. Two grey rats stared at her. “Not too keen on these, Dot. I was hoping to see one particular species. Very rare. Perhaps too rare for this small zoo.”
“What are they called, Mrs M?”
“Baby elephants,” said Lois. “Come on, they’re not here. Let’s go and have a coffee before Cowgill gets here. I’ve arranged to meet him. Lead me to the café, Dot. Coffee’s on expenses.”
*
When Cowgill arrived, he and Lois walked up to the house, where Dot appeared, duster in hand, having got there before them.
“I’ve unlocked, Inspector,” she said. “Mrs M told me you were coming.”
“Right. Well, Mrs Nimmo, I’d be glad if you remember that no one is to be admitted to the house at any time.”
“Except you and Mrs M?” said Dot.
“Perhaps you’d better give me the key,” said Cowgill. “There’ll be no need for you to stay. Perhaps get back to muck spreading! Thank you, Mrs Nimmo, very kind of you to help.”
“I’m paying her, actually,” said Lois, after Dot had gone. “But she’s a very useful person to have around. She misses nothing that goes on.”
“Talking of which, Lois, my dear, what is it you want to ask me?” He walked through to the hall, where there were still signs of Pettison’s fall.
“It’s something my mother said, as a matter of fact. Now, if I asked you about endangered species, would you think I was mad?”
“No, never that, Lois. So what are you going to ask me?”
“Gran said she reckoned there was something funny going on. I am sure there is, and it’s something to do with baby elephants.”
“Now you are mad! There are no elephants here.”
“No, but listen. Josie and me were cleaning out the shed at the back of the shop, and found a couple of baby elephants in a cage on a shelf.”
Cowgill groaned. “Lois, my dear, please!” Lois took pity on him, and told him the whole story, including her call to Justin and his sad family news. “So we’re looking after them,” she said finally. “But I don’t know. They’re not the sort of pet you usually have. If they’re going to stay on our premises, I need to know if they are kosher, bred in captivity and that, or trapped in the wild and smuggled into this country.”
Cowgill was silent. He sighed, and said that Lois was right. There had been suspicions for a long time that Pettison was up to something of the sort. But they’d never managed to catch him at it, or found any endangered species in the zoo.
“We think he has a network of contacts, including places where he can hide the illegal animals until he moves them on. He doesn’t keep them in the zoo, as they’d soon be identified. So, shall I pick you up around two this afternoon?” he said. “I’ll bring an expert, and we’ll have a chat, then go down to the shop and take a look at them. In the meantime, please keep this to yourself, if possible. It could be the very lead we have been looking for.”
“Right,” said Lois. “Mum was in the shop when Josie found them, and I think she’s been snooping, so I reckon you’d better act quickly. Yes, of course I’ll be there at two this afternoon. Thanks, Cowgill. See you then.” She set off back down the drive, and something made her look round. Cowgill was standing at the top of the portico steps, watching her, so she blew him a kiss and carried on her way.
Thirty-seven
It was ten to two when Cowgill arrived, parking where Lois could see him from her office window. This time he had a passenger beside him, and it was female. They got out of the car and began to walk up the drive. To her surprise, she saw the woman link arms with Cowgill and look up at him fondly. Who was this then? She went to the door quickly, before Gran could get there, and waited until they knocked.
“Good afternoon, Lois!” said Cowgill cheerily. “May I introduce our species expert, Miss Miranda Cowgill. And yes, we are related! Miranda is my niece, and has helped us out on several occasions where her skills are required. Miranda, this is Mrs Lois Meade, my very good friend and unofficial assistant.”
“Please come in,” said Lois. “Oh yes, and this is my mother, Mrs Weedon. Could you manage a coffee for us, Mum?”
After this good beginning, things began to deteriorate. Derek appeared, grunted a “How do” and said he hoped Lois wasn’t going to be long, as he needed her help out the back. Then Gran tipped up the entire tray-load of coffee in the hall and burst into a series of oaths, blaming it on the dog Jeems, who was crossing her path at the time.