Jeopardy: Book 4—Gray and Armstrong Private Investigations

By Eve Grafton

The series are set in a southern coastal town in England where Alicia’s grandmother has spent all her life. James and Alicia go to join her and take up a partnership with Percy Gray as private investigators. Alicia is the receptionist from the outset and has now progressed to investigating some deals. Her first job is finding a predator who chased a young woman out for a run after work. Alicia is ecstatic after completing this successfully. Her next job is finding a missing Polish girl from a ship, who seemed to disappear after landing. She also acquitted this job quickly and caught the eye of the chief of police to be included as an official investigator.

The team was offered cold cases to work on, which they took up. The first was a girl who fell through a shop window on the second floor. The second included a bonus: they found the cocaine that the customs manager had stolen. During this case, James noticed an anomaly in a police photograph of a supposedly dead young man. He thought he saw the eyes in different positions in a sequence of photographs. The man was alive but had been marked as dead. What was going on? He found this young man in a hospital, with no memory of who he was. James used all his skills of interrogation, without pressing to find out who the young man was and how he and his brother, who did not survive the killing, came to be in England and why were they were to be killed.

Taking this case caused a tragedy for the family of Granny, Alicia, James, and Percy. They were swept up in it, and the consequence was the loss of the bookshop, apartment, and house, which was burnt down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Apr 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796000924

Eve Grafton

Eve Grafton is a Western Australian, and proud to be so. Over the years Eve and her husband and family have travelled to many countries around the world, coming back to Australia when it became necessary for their children’s education. After their children left home, Eve and her husband bought a hobby farm, farming sheep and making their own wine and growing their own vegetables so that they were practically self-sufficient. The couple now live in Perth, Western Australia and Eve writes fictional novels to replace the many hobbies she has had over the years.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by Eve Grafton.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2019904608

ISBN:                  Hardcover                       978-1-7960-0094-8

                            Softcover                          978-1-7960-0093-1

                            eBook                               978-1-7960-0092-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/18/2019

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

This is book 4 in the Gray and Armstrong Private Investigations series, featuring Alicia and James Armstrong; business partner Percy Gray; and Alicia’s grandmother, Valerie Newton.

CHAPTER ONE

T he young woman was running along the pavement in the well-lit streets. She had finished her shift at the hospital where she was a nurse. Having not run in a while, too scared someone was following her as on a previous occasion, stopping when she stopped and starting up again when she did. She wondered at times whether her imagination had taken over her. This scare had put her off her favourite pastime. She had been thinking of joining a club for marathon running where they ran with a group, but it did not seem to her to be the same as the enjoyment she felt from running after a day at work, winding down from a busy day, getting some fresh air instead of the air conditioning in the wards where she worked.

She listened now for any running sounds behind her and was sure she heard the pad of feet coming towards her. She stopped in a doorway, pretending to knock, as the runner came up to her. Deciding to find out who the runner was instead of panicking each time she heard someone running behind her, as the man came up to her position in the doorway, she said, ‘Excuse me, are you following me?’

The man turned his head, stopped, and looked at her. ‘I am not actually following you. I am out for an after-work run, and you happened to be going my way in front of me. Technically, I was following you, but it could have been anyone ahead of me down the street. I could only see an outline of someone moving ahead. Did I scare you?’

‘Yes. I have had another follower who has tried to attack me in the street where I live, so I have changed to this area, which is well lit. Since the attack, I have not run, and this is my first run in months.’

‘I am sorry for your scare. However, I am not going to attack you or anyone else. I only wanted some exercise after sitting in my office all day, and I need to keep fit and clear my head, hence the run. Do you have far to go and want company beside you?’

She looked at him suspiciously. ‘Have you proof of who you are?’

The man felt in his shirt pocket and came up with two cards. ‘This is my business card. I am the Armstrong in the title of the business, James Armstrong. This other card is for Harry Burton’s keep-fit classes. He can vouch for me. In fact, if you want exercise, you could join his keep-fit classes for ladies on Tuesday evening, at 8 p.m. Harry is an ex–army sergeant who runs a business in his father’s barn. Men on Monday and Wednesday, and ladies on Tuesday. It is really worth the five-pound fee to join in for two hours of fairly gruelling drilling. It builds up your strength and gives you confidence.’

‘I am sorry I have delayed you, Mr Armstrong. It is just such a copy of the other fellow who followed me. He attacked one dark evening. I was lucky a householder heard me scream and came out to find out what was going on. The runner took off before he was apprehended. That is why I stopped here. The householder has a light on, and I could knock at the door if you appeared to be an attacker.’

‘It sounds as if you need those self-defence classes. My wife attends and thinks they are great, and it has given her a quiet confidence that she can handle anyone who tries anything on her.’

‘I will give it some thought. Thank you.’

‘Do you want me to accompany you to your street now?’

‘Thank you, Mr Armstrong. I am sure it will be okay now. I have not heard any further footsteps.’

‘Do you mind telling me your name now that we have met?’

‘I am sorry, of course. I am Julie Norris. I am a nurse at the general hospital.’

‘If you are sure you will be okay, I will be off to my dinner. Can I suggest you carry a high-pitched whistle, to use in case of any future attack? Good luck, Julie. Cheerio.’

James sprinted off. He was going to be late for dinner now. He always timed his runs so that he arrived back home as Alicia, his wife, was ready to serve dinner to her grandmother; Percy Gray, his business partner; and himself. He did not want to upset Alicia; she was so warm and loving and uncomplaining. He looked at his watch. It was okay; he was still within his time allowance. It was only six thirty. He laughed to himself. He felt it was later because it was so dark that wintry late February evening.

It was his first run since arriving home from their excellent holiday in India with their friends Jameel and Indira, and his first week back at work was hectic as he got back into the swing of things. He felt he had not been out of the office for a week, catching up with outstanding chores, and had needed the run to clear his mind.

His partner, Percy, and the other staff—Ken Johnson, currently on loan from the London police, and Kate Langford, an ex-policewoman—had kept the home fires going while he and Alicia were holidaying in India, and he had come home enthusiastic from the trip, vowing to go again at some time.

Within ten minutes, he was back at the bookshop apartment, where he lived with Alicia, and went directly to shower, which was needed after the run. Then he went into the house next door, which was Alicia’s grandmother’s house, where they ate the evening meal so that Alicia could help her grandmother out.

He was greeted by each of them heartily, and Percy said, ‘I have a job you may wish to discuss after dinner, James. It is a Saturday job, and as my Saturdays have been spent in the bookshop while you were on holiday, I have been saving it up for you. It came in a week ago, and I rang the people concerned and explained that you were away at the time and would be back to work this week. I left a few days for you to get back into the swing of things before I mentioned it.’

‘Okay, Percy, we will get down to it once we have cleared the table.’ He turned to Alicia. ‘This looks nice, Alicia. Have you been experimenting?’

She smiled. ‘Yes, I was intrigued when we had that lesson on how to make samosas while we were in India, and this is my contribution to tonight’s dinner. Granny did the rest, as it took me longer than I expected to work out my handwriting while we were watching in the marketplace where we enjoyed them. I have tasted one, and they seem the same. I will appreciate any comments you have about them. I am intent on getting them right, as I enjoyed them so much. I suppose that if I have to, I can always resort to Mrs Sharma at our weekend market when they start up again next month, although samosas are not really Indian—more Asian, I think.’

James took one and tentatively tasted it and smiled. ‘You have it right, Alicia. This is delicious. Try one, Percy, and see what you think.’

Percy and Granny also tried one and agreed they were good. Alicia said, ‘These are our entrée, not the main meal, but I wanted to try them out before I forgot the lesson. Now that I have done it, they will be easier to produce in future. I can make extra and freeze them next time as well. These are the vegetarian ones. Next time I will try the lamb mince type.’

‘Well done, Alicia. They are great, and you have the right amount of chilli in them, not too hot.’

‘I know Granny does not like the hot chilli, so I made them mild. If you want heat, you can always add chilli sauce. I bought some and will keep it in the fridge for future samoses.

‘I am sure they will be our favourite for a while. They would be great for party food as well.’

‘I will keep that in mind for the next party we have and add them to the menu.’

After they had eaten and tidied up, James said, ‘Okay, Percy, what have you got?’

‘It is about someone following and watching girls when they are exercising, He seems to turn up at all the netball games. They called the police, and they came to the game in uniform, of course. The man saw them and wandered off, but he was back next week for the next games.

‘The lady who runs these events is an old friend of my daughter-in-law and asked her how I could be contacted. Jenny told her that investigations are now my business, so there would be a fee attached. Barbara Talbot said she would be willing to pay to rid her teams of the embarrassment each time the fellow shows up. One or two of the parents have asked the man to leave, but other than a bemused expression on his face, there was no reaction from him. He keeps coming.

‘Barbara said that some of the girls are fascinated with him, but these girls are twelve to seventeen in age. Their parents do not think it funny at all that a grown man is watching the girls so intently.’

‘It does sound off, Percy, but he is not doing anything criminal. Just watching breaks no laws. What does Barbara want us to do with the man?’

‘Chat him up and ask him not to return, I suppose. Let him know that watching young girls display their legs while playing sport is not a suitable thing to do.’

‘Does the man pay to get into the netball court area?’

‘Yes, I believe it is only a nominal amount. These are schoolgirls. Usually the only people watching are family members, so the amount is low and used for maintenance of the courts.’

‘I could go along on Saturday and have a look at the situation. They should just deny the man entrance. That would stop him. I will suggest it to save them our fee, Percy, if you will help out in the bookshop with Granny. You are getting pretty adept at selling books, I am told.’

‘I actually enjoy it, James. It also gives the mind a big shake-up, recognising the customers as well as trying to remember where each book is situated, but Valerie has them all worked out and has told me the formula to make it quicker.’

James told the story of the runner who had wondered if he had been following her. He said she had sounded sincerely frightened, and he mentioned how he had suggested Harry’s keep-fit classes to her. He turned to Alicia. ‘Keep an eye out for her, Alicia, will you? Her name is Julie Norris. Medium height, dark hair, and quite pretty. She is a nurse at the general hospital. We will not butt in unless she asks, but if she has a predator chasing after her, she should try to find out who it is and stop them in their tracks. If she turns up at Harry’s barn on Tuesday evening for the keep-fit class, it will be a plus for her. No one should be scared to go out to get exercise if running is their choice, and Harry will be able to teach her how to retaliate if she is attacked again.’

‘I will, James. This Tuesday evening is my first lesson this year. Harry closed down over the really cold weather.’

*     *     *

Tuesday evening came around quickly. Alicia looked forward to going to the keep-fit classes with Kate, who worked in the business with them. They had agreed it was a good thing to keep up; each of them felt more confident that they could protect themselves if the time arrived for them to need it.

After greeting Harry, Alicia looked around for any new members of the group and spotted a new face. She asked Harry if the new person was Julie Norris, and he said, ‘I believe so. I have not spoken to her yet tonight, although I received a phone call this afternoon asking if I was open for a new customer. Let’s go and ask her, shall we?’

‘Good idea, Harry. This is one of James’s pickups. He met her while out on a run last week and recommended your services to her. She was attacked once while out running and was saved by a householder who heard her screams, and she has only now taken up running again in our area, where the lighting is better, although she is still nervous.’

They walked over to the young woman, who looked a little tentative in joining the group, and Alicia said, ‘Hello, are you Julie Norris? My husband, James Armstrong, asked me to keep an eye out for you and explain your problem to Harry here.’ She turned towards Harry, who gave a grin and said, ‘I know you, Julie. You were my cousin’s bridesmaid at her wedding two years ago.’

‘Is your cousin Amanda?’

‘Yes. You were kind to a poor soldier in a wheelchair, chatting with me to make me feel better because I could not join in the dancing and the music was so good. It is the thing I miss most after losing my leg. I used to love to dance.’

‘You were that soldier? Harry Burton, now I remember you. I remember you looked so forlorn. I felt I had to cheer you up. I am sorry I did not recognise you. You do not look so forlorn now.’

‘My leg had just been amputated at that time, and I was feeling very sorry for myself. But I have come to terms with it now. The army chaplain made me understand that I should accept the things I cannot change, and I have moved on.’

Alicia had been listening to the conversation and said to Julie, ‘I can confirm that he is no longer forlorn. He is teaching the young and forlorn how to look after themselves. He is an ace, and every person in the barn admires him greatly.’

‘I am hoping you can teach me how to defend myself if someone attacks me while I am out running.’

‘Well, I will get this show on the road, and you can tell me at the end if anything seems like it may work for you. If not, we can work around it.’

Alicia said, ‘Come, Julie. We will join the line over here.’ She moved over to stand beside Kate and introduced them.

*     *     *

At the end of the lesson, Harry came over and asked Julie if anything suited her particular attack.

Julie said, ‘Yes and no. The man I am afraid of is bigger than me by far, taller and bulkier. Do you think I can overcome somebody like that?’

‘Probably not yet. With a bit of practice, I think we can overcome the fact that he is bigger, but it depends on whether the bulk is fat or muscle. It would be good to know who your assailant is. Is that possible?’

‘I have no idea. The assault happened in twilight and was so quick I had no chance to look at him properly. He was wearing a balaclava at the time. When he was interrupted, he dropped me and ran off. The only clue I can think of is that he put his hands over my mouth, and his hands smelt like the hospital lotion they use for sanitising. I look at everybody in the hospital, trying to see him, and so far, nothing. I suppose that lotion can be used in any place they want to sanitise, not just the hospital, but it was such a familiar scent.’

‘You need to employ James Armstrong to find that bloke for you. He is good at his job. Alicia too is very clever, and James often uses her in the business to help out.’

Julie looked at Alicia. ‘What do you think, Alicia? Can you help me find him? This man is ruining my life. Running is my way of coping with a heavy workload. It calms me down and freshens me up to be able to continue.’

‘Investigations are our business. There is a payment, but if I come to the hospital alone and work with you, it will be less than the usual cost, which is for two people. I will have to ask James and Percy to agree to it.’

‘I am prepared to pay the full price, Alicia. As I said, this man is ruining my life. When can you begin?’

‘I will ask James and Percy in the morning, and I will give you a call. What is your phone number?’

Harry smiled. ‘You should know where to find that fellow soon, with Alicia on the job for you. Anything I can do to help, just give me a call.’

‘Goodnight, Harry. You are a gem. See you next week,’ said Alicia and Julie together.

Alicia drove Kate home to where she was living with Ken Johnson in Percy’s house and went on to the bookshop. She was excited to think that she had a job to do for Julie Norris—finding the man who attacked her—and could not wait to tell James about it. This would be her first solo job for the business, outside of working in the office, but she was sure she could handle it.

James was doing some research on his computer when she went upstairs, so she waited until he had completed that assignment before interrupting him. She made a cup of tea while she was waiting. It was thirsty work that Harry handed out for them to do in the barn, but she always felt so good about herself after completing the exercises.

When James was told of what she was planning, he grinned his cheeky grin and said, ‘Doing me out of a job, are you, Alicia?’

Alicia was flustered. ‘Do not think of it like that, James. I have been thinking about it all the way home and have a plan of action in mind for finding this man. Julie seems sure the offender works in the hospital, but as the staff is large, she has not spotted any one person yet who looks like the person who attacked her. I believe it will be easier for me to see if I follow her around for a day, looking at the men’s reaction to her. Someone is sure to give himself away to me. She said the only clue she had was the scent of the hospital sanitiser on his hands when he grabbed her, so the possibility of it being someone who works near her is great. She is just so busy with her work she has not picked out who it is.’

‘It sounds like you have it all worked out, Alicia. Do not approach this person without me being there. Go tomorrow and do as you say: follow Julie around, watching the reaction of the men. If possible, get a full-length photo of the person you think is the one you are looking for, but do not accuse him yet. I will come in with you the next day and have a look at the chap and, if necessary, get a search warrant to see if we can find the balaclava he wore. I will tee up Tony Walton, our favourite policeman, to search his property in that case.’

‘Yes, James, I agree to all that. I will be circumspect and not put myself or Julie in danger. Would you believe that Harry and Julie have met before? She was his cousin’s bridesmaid at her wedding two years ago. Harry had recently had his leg amputated and was in a wheelchair, and Julie sat talking to him for a while because she felt sorry for him. I think I noticed sparks between them. I do not think a romance with Sharon will go far, because she lives in Winchester and it is too far to travel to see each other often. Maybe Julie will be the one for him. She is going back for the exercises next week.’

‘Whoa, Alicia, do not jump to conclusions on one meeting.’

‘I know it sounds mad at this stage, but he really seemed interested in her.’

‘We will wait and see on that one. You want everybody married because we are happily married. Some people prefer to take it a little slower to make up their minds.’

‘Well, if there is something happening there, remember, you heard it first from me.’

*     *     *

James drove Alicia to the general hospital next morning and stopped the car when they saw Julie waiting on the steps at the front entrance. She was in her nurse’s uniform. Alicia had anticipated this and wore flat shoes and a neat dress so she would not look outstanding beside Julie.

Julie explained that she was on general duties for the day, as it was nominally her rostered day off, so that she could show Alicia around and meet some of the staff, introducing Alicia as a prospective nurse who wanted to see what duties she would be doing—a work experience day. This was not a normal duty, but she did not think others would be too inquisitive. Everybody was so busy all day they would not have time to stay and chat for long, but it would give both Julie and Alicia time to look for a possible suspect.

‘I have checked everyone out over the last few months, although I am so busy myself, I have no time to reflect on whether each person is capable of such a dirty trick,’ Julie said. ‘I am pleased to have this time with someone else’s opinion as well to go by. I know it must be someone from here. I still remember the smell of the sanitiser the guy had on the hand he had over my mouth. It is similar to the one we use in the wards.’

‘Where are we going to start, Julie? It is such a big hospital.’

‘Yes, it is. But I reasoned that it had to be someone close to where I work, with my ward duties, so I thought we would start from there. We have several male nurses, and then there are the doctors. But I cannot see them resorting to chasing women in the streets. There are enough nurses here that would be happy for a doctor to chat them up. Anyway, we will start there and then go out from that ward and follow up on any male we find.’

‘That sounds like we have quite a lot of choices. Okay, let’s start. I am going to photograph some of them for a comparison, all those who are taller than you. Do you think they will mind that?’

‘It seems to be the thing nowadays, and I cannot see anyone objecting. If they do, we shall have to delete it.’

They went from wards to corridors and work stations, until Julie said, ‘Let us go to the coffee shop and observe the crowd while we have coffee. We have not seen anyone that is a suspect yet, have we?’

‘No, it is a bit disappointing so far. Not one of them has appeared to be a suspect yet, but the day is still early. The coffee shop looks like a good place to spot our quarry. There seems to be several males here,’ Alicia commented, looking around at passing staff members.

Julie explained, ‘Everyone comes in for coffee as soon as they get a break. It is a tradition, or perhaps it is more like an addiction. It is a great pick-me-up after a heavy session with the patients. Most patients are amenable to being looked after, but it can be hard sometimes when you get one that does not want a jab and will put up quite a fight to get away. Some of them can get quite aggressive, especially in the emergency ward. I have done a couple of stints in there and have had to grapple with patients—some on drink or drugs—to get them to quieten down enough to allow a doctor to examine them. Harry Burton’s lessons are going to come in handy for that in the future. While I was doing the exercises on Tuesday evening, I was thinking, all nurses need to do those lessons.’

‘So you will be back to continue them on Tuesdays?’ asked Alicia.

‘Definitely. I came away feeling a bit sore, but I can see how they are going to benefit me. Firstly, it will prevent patients from hurting me, and secondly, it will benefit my running because it is using all the muscles, not just the legs and breathing.’

‘Good for you, Julie. Kate and I are sure we can look after ourselves. We have been having Harry’s lessons for several months now. We both feel as if it gives you more confidence in yourself, although I have not had to try the moves out on the general public yet. Mainly because James looks after me in a crowd.’ Alicia laughed at the thought.

Someone caught Alicia’s eye—a young man wearing a white pharmacist outfit. She could see him looking at Julie intently. She watched him for a few minutes, and he did not take his eyes off Julie. He then came over and asked if he could join them.

Julie looked up at him and smiled. ‘Sure, Adrian, pull up a chair. This is my friend, Alicia. I am showing her over the hospital. She is thinking of joining our staff, and I have not put her off yet.’ She turned to Alicia and said, ‘Adrian is the pharmacist here. We have not reached his rooms yet this morning, but we will call in and have a look around before the day is out.’

Adrian pulled himself away from looking at Julie and glanced at Alicia. ‘Nice to meet you, Alicia. Yes, come in and have a look around any time.’ His eyes went back to Julie.

Alicia made up her mind almost at once. He was taller than Julie by several inches. He was obviously entranced by her. He was not chubby or heavy, but warm clothing could have made him look like he was. So far, he was the only one she suspected of all the men she had seen that morning. She must get a photo of him standing next to Julie, to show her. Perhaps she could colour the photo later to show him in dark clothing. That white coat was certainly misleading if you were looking for a predator; he looked more angelic, if anything. She had a sudden thought: Julie was not going to like the thought of this friendly person as a predator; she obviously liked him. It would be better not to say anything to her until they had seen more of the staff, even leaving it until the next day, after she had drawn a picture of a different Adrian from the photo.

It was all going through her head while the other two were chatting, and then Adrian suddenly got up. ‘Sorry, I have to get back to the pharmacy. I am already late. Call in after your coffee, girls.’ And he was gone.

‘How long have you known Adrian, Julie?’

‘From about the first day I started work here. We both graduated the same year from university and met the first day when we both turned up to start work for the first time. I often go down and have a chat with him when I want to get away from a fretful patient for a rest. He is busy in the pharmacy every day, but I think he enjoys our almost daily chats as much as I do, even if they are only for a few minutes each day.

‘Okay, we have finished our coffee. There are no suspects hanging around, so we need to search further,’ said Julie. They left the coffee shop and went down another corridor and tried out several different wards, winding back until the pharmacy came into view.

‘We will visit Adrian’s domain, and I will show you the different sanitisers we use here. Some are for hands, and some for wiping the furniture and walls. It is a constant occupation trying to keep bugs at bay. It becomes a habit after a while that you sanitise your hands each time you enter a ward,’ explained Julie.

‘I have noticed you using them, Julie, and have followed your action. I have been thinking. It would be a good thing to have in our office and even in the bookshop, before we get into another influenza season. I imagine especially in the bookshop, with everyone coming in and handling the books. I will ask Adrian for his recommendations and may take some home with me.’

‘That sounds like a good idea. At least if you purchase it here, you will know it is a good product.’

Adrian was serving a customer but quickly finalised it when he saw Julie appear. Alicia had her phone out and snapped a picture of Adrian looking at Julie. He did not notice, and when she asked if she could take a photo of them side by side, he came out from behind the counter and stood beside Julie, looking into her eyes. To Alicia, it was easy to read that he was in love with Julie, although she did not appear to know it.

Alicia snapped two more photos of them together, and Adrian did not notice. Alicia asked about the sanitisers, explaining the surfaces she wanted to cover, and he produced a spray for her to try out and also a hand lotion to put by the doorways. She thanked him for his help and purchased one of each, and the two young women left the pharmacy. Alicia was even more convinced they had found who they were looking for, but she still said nothing to Julie. She thought it would need some convincing; Julie was very friendly with the fellow and would think a suggestion that he was the culprit could be denied out of hand. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

When it was time for a lunch break, Alicia suggested that she come back the next morning to have another briefing. By that time, she would have a picture to show Julie to see if she would accept Alicia’s suspect. There had been several other men the same size as Adrian, but those men had shown no interest in the two women. Surely if someone had tried to grab a girl while she was running, they would show some interest in her. Julie was disappointed; she had hoped Alicia would find the suspect, and now she was leaving without producing the rabbit out of the hat.

She drove Alicia back to the investigations office and promised she would see Alicia at coffee time the next day at the hospital. Her shift would start at mid-day the next day, so it fitted in nicely.

When Alicia entered the office, James asked how she did, and she answered, ‘I have a photo I want to draw of the chap I believe is the suspect. Julie is going to be very upset when she sees it. The man is a friend she thinks well of, but he is the only person I came up with. I will do that this afternoon and go home with you later. It will give me time to come up with a good likeness of the person who attacked her. I will present it to her tomorrow, if you have time to come with me, but I believe we do not need the backup in this case. What do you think?’

‘I will come with you all the same, Alicia. It sounds as if you will not be long convincing Julie, and I would like to be there to give a warning to the person. It will be stronger coming from me.’

‘All right, James. I do not think it will be a problem except to convince Julie. I am going to work on this photo for a while, putting dark clothes and a balaclava on him to show her. May I sit at your desk for a while, to draw my pictures?’

‘Certainly, Alicia. I would love for you to sit opposite me. I have missed your smiling face in the office this week.’

‘It was only a few days, James, and we have just spent ten days with each other on our holiday.’

‘Nevertheless, I miss you in the office, and I am sure the others do as well. Nobody is as chirpy as we were when you were here full-time.’

Alicia looked at him and decided not to say any more. She had enjoyed her time off the previous week, catching up on all the jobs she normally had no time for when she spent the week working full-time in the office. She picked up her drawing pencils and sat down with her sketch pad. She changed the clothes in the first picture she drew, and in the second, she drew a balaclava over the face of Adrian, the pharmacist. She flicked through the other photos she had taken during the morning visit to the hospital. There was one other fellow who was the same size as Adrian. She had dismissed him at the time but decided to give him the same treatment, as Julie might need some convincing. So she added the dark clothes and balaclava to him as well. She was satisfied that she had done a good job and asked James to have a