Amy, feeling horribly nervous, stood on the doorstep of The Beeches and rang the bell. Normally, she’d have let herself in with her key and got on with the cleaning but, under the circumstances, she wasn’t sure Bex was still going to want her.

‘Oh,’ said Bex as she opened the door. ‘Lost your key?’

Amy shook her head. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d still want me.’

‘Want you? Why on earth not?’

Bex shut the door behind Amy and led her into the kitchen. The table was covered with sponges and fairy cakes that she’d got out of the freezer, all awaiting dollops of butter cream and icing which Bex had ready in two large mixing bowls.

‘School fête tomorrow. I got asked to make some cakes.’ She smiled at Amy, proud of her handiwork.

‘Great.’ Amy sounded as if it was anything but.

‘So, what’s all this about?’

‘You’ve not heard.’

‘Obviously not.’

‘I got nicked by the police.’

‘You got...? No!’

Amy nodded. ‘I did.’

‘But... but why?’

‘You know that ring?’

It was Bex’s turn to nod.

‘Turns out it was Mrs Laithwaite’s.’

‘No!’ Bex sat down. ‘But you were given it... I mean, you didn’t take it.’

‘No, but I’ve got the keys to her gaff. And Jacqui Connolly’s and Heather’s.’

Bex frowned. ‘But you didn’t... you haven’t... you’re not a burglar.’

‘Course I ain’t. But it’s not looking good, is it?’ Amy sounded as if she were close to tears.

‘No, I don’t suppose it is. But the other burglaries?’

‘Search me.’ Amy gave a hollow laugh. ‘Which they have, of course, and they found nothing except Mrs L’s ring.’

‘But Billy gave you that.’

‘Oh, they’ve nicked him and all.’

‘No!’

‘He’s denying everything. He says he bought the ring legit, at a car boot.’

‘Did he?’

‘Of course.’ Amy looked hurt.

And everyone knew that stuff at car boot sales was always squeaky clean. Yeah, right. But it didn’t make Billy a thief, thought Bex.

‘And they had to release him without a charge too,’ continued Amy.

Bex thought for a second. ‘For what it’s worth, I trust you, and I still want you to clean for me.’

‘Really?’

Bex nodded. ‘Quite apart from anything else, I can’t imagine anyone would be so stupid as to pinch stuff from the houses they work in. And, if I’m any judge, Amy, you’re not stupid.’

‘Thank you – I think. You’d better know something, though, cos you’re bound to hear sooner or later.’

‘What?’

‘I got caught by Mrs L, swigging her gin.’

Bex snorted a laugh. ‘You what?’

Amy looked shamefaced. ‘You heard.’

‘How? Why?’

‘She always tells me to help myself to tea or coffee when she’s not there but one day I saw the bottle and I fancied a G and T instead. She caught me.’

Bex giggled. ‘Not a hanging offence though, is it? Although I imagine Olivia was a bit cross.’

‘She went bat-shit.’

Bex had to suppress another giggle at the incongruous thought of Olivia going ‘bat-shit’.

‘I’m surprised she didn’t tell you,’ said Amy.

‘I think Olivia can be very discreet.’

‘I would have done, in her shoes,’ said Amy.

Yes, well... but Bex kept quiet. ‘Anyway, this isn’t getting my house clean or the PTA’s cakes finished. And I’ll be glad when they’ve all gone and I’ve got my freezer back. Although, on Monday, I’ll be starting again doing another batch for the church fête.’

‘You’re mad, you know. Potty.’ But Amy grinned as she said it then went to the kitchen cupboard to get her cleaning things and the polish. ‘The usual?’

‘Please.’ Bex went back to icing her cakes.

*

Not surprisingly, the hot topic in the pub was Amy. Poor kid, thought Bex. But there was something ironic about the town gossip now being the focus of the town’s gossip.

‘Do you believe she’s innocent?’ asked Belinda.

‘Totally,’ said Bex. ‘In fact I left her cleaning my place to come here.’

Bert, nursing a pint near the window, looked over to the bar. ‘Was that wise?’ he asked.

‘I think so. Besides, I like Amy.’

Bert considered this. ‘Yeah, she’s a good’un. And her son Ashley is too. Better than that Zac Laithwaite, for all that he lives in a posh house. And why’s that up for sale?’

Speculation in the pub shifted away from Amy and onto the Laithwaites with Bex avoiding joining in the conversation, knowing what she did about the family and the reason behind the sale. The pub got busier and the hubbub of voices was such that it was difficult to hear individual conversations.

‘Amy said Billy got that ring at a car boot sale,’ said Bex to Belinda quietly and out of earshot of the customers.

‘Wouldn’t be surprised. I hear Billy often does car boot sales.’

‘I did one once,’ said Bex. ‘Me and the kids did it to get rid of old toys they’d grown out of. Never again.’

‘That bad?’

Bex shuddered at the memory. ‘All those people who swarm round while you’re trying to set up your pitch, grabbing stuff, wanting to know how much, it was horrible; like being picked at by vultures. And then, after that, you have several hours of standing in a field, trying to look pleasant and being grateful to get offered fifty pence for something you know you paid twenty quid for.’

‘Well, Billy’s obviously got a different view because I think he does them most weekends.’

‘And finds bargains, if that ring is anything to go by.’

‘Not that it was such a bargain now it turns out it was nicked.’

‘Indeed.’

*

Friday afternoons in Little Woodford were always busy, thought Leanne as she wheeled her bike along the crowded pavements and then chained it to the bike rack behind the town hall. She wasn’t in her normal summer get-up of stab vest, white shirt, tie and black trousers but a bright floral skirt and a red T-shirt. With her hair down she looked like any other of the town’s citizens, most of whom seemed to be out and about on this pleasant June day. Leanne had popped into town to post a couple of letters, pick up a few things from the Co-op and, maybe, have a coffee. She also thought that she might take a stroll up to the skatepark and chat to some of the kids who would be bound to head there after school seeing as it was both sunny and a Friday. She liked chatting to the kids; it was, she knew, part of the job. If the kids liked and trusted her they would be more likely to see the police as people who could help them rather than a force to be wary of. Not that the public in a small place like Little Woodford saw the police as the enemy like they did in some inner-city areas in other parts of the country.

She’d almost finished everything she needed to do in town when she saw the Laithwaite boy and his dog walking towards her.

‘Hi, Zac,’ she said.

Zac looked at her, bemused. ‘Err, hello,’ he mumbled.

‘You don’t recognise me out of uniform, do you?’ She could see the penny drop as she fell into step beside him.

‘Oh, yeah, you spoke to me after that fight.’

‘And I hope you haven’t done any more of that,’ said Leanne.

Zac shook his head.

‘And I saw you in your house. I asked you about Dan or Billy, asked if you knew them.’

She saw colour flood into Zac’s face. ‘Did you? I don’t remember.’

‘Really? You told me you didn’t know them.’

Zac shrugged.

‘But you know Dan, don’t you?’

Zac stopped dead and tugged on the collie’s lead. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Oh, I think you do, Zac, because you and I both know you used to do business with him.’

He shook his head.

‘I’ve seen you with him, Zac.’ Leanne knew she was lying but Zac didn’t.

‘Can’t have done,’ he blustered, not looking at her.

‘Have it your way. Except your mum has also told me that you used to do drugs.’

‘She what?’

‘She also said she thought you were clean now. She said you knew you were in a mess and you’ve quit. Well done.’

‘She had no right to talk to you.’

‘She’s your mum and she was worried.’ Leanne changed the tone of her voice to a less brisk one. ‘I did drugs once,’ she said, cheerfully.

‘It’s a mug’s game.’

‘Yup – we both know that now. Have you ever nicked anything to pay for the gear?’

‘No!’

‘Just asking. People do.’

Zac growled.

‘I did,’ said Leanne. ‘Proper little toerag, I was. I even nicked off my mum. Nicked the housekeeping. Of course, she caught me at it one day. Blimey – the row.’

Zac stayed silent.

‘OK,’ said Leanne. ‘I believe you.’ She didn’t. ‘So, if it wasn’t you who nicked your mum’s ring that Amy got caught wearing, it must have been her. We just need to prove it now.’ She stared hard at Zac.

Zac stopped again. ‘You think Amy stole Mum’s ring?’ He looked startled and worried in equal measure.

‘It looks like it. She had the keys to get in the house and she’s been caught wearing it.’

Zac shook his head slowly. ‘You really think it’s Amy?’

‘I do,’ lied Leanne. She knew Amy and she knew Amy would never steal off anyone. ‘Right,’ she glanced at her watch. ‘I’ve got things to do, places to be. Bye, Zac.’

She was pretty sure now she knew exactly how Amy had got the ring. Zac had nicked it, sold it to Dan who’d sold it to Billy. She wondered what other business Billy and Dan did together. She’d heard a rumour that Billy was dealing in all manner of gear – she’d bet her bottom dollar that the pair had something to do with the robberies. Time for the real coppers to get involved.