Mai Griffin
onto the wet floor. Andy added that the lady put it in the
airing cupboard to dry. It was, of course, found in the
airing cupboard. Even more disconcerting: the two little
girls were used to having a bedtime story and one night,
when their mother went to tuck them up and started to
read to them, they said the lady had read that bit to them
already – could they hear the next page please? She
questioned them about the story and was in no doubt
that they knew more than she had read to them herself.
Polly commented that many children could read at
the age of five or even three – it was even possible that
their brother had read it aloud for them. In fact, the
three children could be carrying out what, to them,
would be a funny prank. It was a fair comment, Gavin
agreed, but his friends weren’t stupid; other things had
happened, of a more sinister nature, which were quite
definitely not attributable to childish pranks.
He refused to say more, still upset by Polly’s refusal
to help him. Sensing that she had, perhaps, been a little
too dismissive, Polly finally promised that she would
mention it casually to Sarah, if an opportunity arose –
not asking her to help, of course, but she would let Gavin
know if Sarah made any useful comments.
Gavin Bishop had been happily married to Jane,
Polly’s daughter, for over twenty years and, in all that
time had abided by Sarah’s desire for privacy. He never
discussed her or the way she sometimes helped the
police with their enquiries – in a non-criminal way of
course, he grinned wryly at his private joke. He had
never, ever, asked a personal favour. He should have
approached Sarah directly, he thought, not asked Polly
7