‘They haven’t found out who broke in then?’ Jessie turns from the worktop, rinsing her hands under the tap and wiping her hands on her apron.

‘Nope’ George sits peeling potatoes at the kitchen table. ‘They int got a clue…lit’rally. Weren’t no fingerprints nor nothing according t’what Anthony were sayin. The police is baffled as they says’

‘Who says?’ Jessie adds lamb chops to the onions already frying in a pan.

‘People in papers ‘n stuff’. George sniffs appreciatively. ‘Cor, I dunt arf like the smell a onions cookin…I could eat some right now’

Jessie clicks her tongue ‘You’re worse than a kid you are…Here!’ She loops a forkful of onion rings onto a tea plate and hands it to him.

‘Bit o’bread ‘n butter’d be nice’ George’s eyes gleam.

‘You won’t eat your dinner!’ Jessie scolds

‘Wanna bet? Tha’s hours away yet’

‘You know where it is, you help yourself, I’m busy in case you haven’t noticed’

‘I’s doin the spuds!’ George counters, lumbering from his chair and pulling a slice of bread from the bread bin. ‘Where’s the butter?’

‘Outside on the front step. Where the blazes do you think it is?’ Jessie points at the fridge with the knife in her hand.

‘Ere! Watch it! You nearly took me innards out then!’

‘Ohhh don’t tempt me!’ Grinning wickedly, she viciously stabs a carrot and lifts it for George to see, her eyebrows waggling.

‘You wicked ole bugger!’ George chuckles, closing the fridge door and taking the pack of butter to the table.

‘So…’ Jessie says, opening a drawer and taking out a knife and passing it to him. ‘How long’s Anthony going to be staying with you for?’

‘Don’t rightly know’ George lays the bread on his hand and spreads the butter in chunks. He adds the onions and folds it over, taking a huge bite and moaning with pleasure. ‘Cor blimey, gal, this is the bus’ness’

‘I needn’t have bothered with the casserole then’ Jessie mutters and rolls her eyes.

‘I shall ‘ave room fer that, don’t you worry an’ if it’s as good as the last un yer made, I shall be well appy’

‘Oh, I’m so pleased. I shall try my very best’

‘No needs fer yer t’be sarcastic’

‘Anthony?’ Jessie tries to get the conversation back on track.

‘Ah…well…he don’t know what t’be doing. E’s got his work t’see ter. Er’s off the danger list…but she still ain’t right. She don’t even know im’

‘No?’

‘No. Thought it were ‘er just…yer know…being a bit weak like but she int getting no better’

‘Oh dear’ Jessie sighs her concern. ‘Have they said if that’s like to be…’ She shies away from finishing the sentence.

‘Perm’nent?’ George finishes for her.

‘Mmm’ Jessie nods.

George sighs ‘Beginnin t’look that way, gal. Tha’s what’s giving the police s’many problems an’ all. She int been able to tell em nothin, see?’

‘Surely Ernie would be able to tell them what’s been taken?’

‘E don’t know what she got rid on nor iffin she kept money in the house. E c’n give em a rough idea, not as that’ll do much good, be long gone be now’

‘Mmm, another unsolved case to add to the many’ Jessie sighs again ‘Poor Evelyn’

Rose Cottage, Albans Lane

Chapter Eight

Pennywell, Bower Lane

‘Oh!’ Helen pushes damp tendrils of hair from her from her forehead with the back of her hand and gives a flustered smile ‘You’ve caught me in the middle of trying to catch up with some housework’

‘Not interrupting anything important then’ Nathan smiles and looks down at his feet.

‘Um…did you want to come in?’ Helen asks hesitantly.

‘I…just….wanted to give you these’ He brings his hands from behind his back.

‘Na-than!’ Helen’s mouth opens in surprise and her hand automatically reaches for the flowers, bringing them to her nose as she smiles. ‘They’re beautiful….but why?’

He shrugs. ‘Just because’

‘Of?’

‘Just because’ he smiles awkwardly.

‘Nathan….It’s very sweet of you…but…look…I don’t know quite how to say this without sounding…. ungrateful…but…’

‘Helen’ Nathan interrupts her ‘What you did the other night…Yeah…I know’ he says raising his hand ‘You didn’t want to make a big deal of it……but it was. I just can’t get over how….’ He grimaces self-consciously and drops his eyes again. ‘I feel stupid now I’m here. Somehow it seemed the right thing to do when I was only thinking about doing it. Just forget it, eh?’

‘It was a lovely thing to do’ Helen assures him with a soft smile.

‘You’re one hell of a woman’. An unaccustomed flush rises to Nathan’s face. He shrugs. ‘That’s it really. Sorry if….you know…I’ve been a bit out of line...but you deserved something…and I’m not good with words’ He steps back and half turns, ready to leave.

‘Those words will do fine’ Helen says quietly, pushing her nose into the posy of flowers again and blinking hard.

‘Shit! Now I’ve gone and upset you. I never meant for that to happen’ he groans.

‘No, it’s ok. I’m touched, that’s all’ She laughs and wipes the fingers of one hand under her eye ‘And Kester would agree, in all senses of the word’ She taps the side of her head.

‘I doubt that very much!’ Nathan grins back. ‘He’s a lucky bugger, that’s all I can say. Right, now I’ve made a complete fool of myself, I’ll go. You take care, okay?’

‘I will…and Nathan…thank you’

Nathan turns from half way along the front path and winks. ‘You’re welcome’ he says and lifts his hand in goodbye.

The Old Mill Cafe

‘Of course I’m upset’ Jessie says firmly ‘but the silly woman has no one to blame but herself! Fancy broadcasting the fact that you were going to be away! What a silly thing to do’

‘Downright stupid, I call it’ Kath agrees ‘What’s even more stupid is telling people you’re off on holiday when you’re not going away at all! Why?’

‘She didn’t like it when she didn’t get to Canada at Christmas’ Jessie reminds her ‘then with Ernie leaving, daresay she was short of something to boast about’

‘But that’s ridiculous!’

‘I know’ Jessie’s nose pinches with disapproval ‘It’s not as though she can’t afford to go away…that would make it more understandable….but she can. Several times over!’ she huffs ‘I got that from Ernie himself. She’s come out of this separation very nicely indeed, thank you very much’

‘Int you two worried ‘bout there being a burglar on the loose?’ Edna purses her lips. ‘We could all be murdered in our beds! I wants our Charlie t’get one a them alarms but he says what he int going to. You should get one fer definite, you should, out down that dark lane all be yerself!’ she directs her comment to Jessie.

‘I’m not entirely without neighbours’ Jessie sniffs.

‘Ah! But would they hears yer when you was screamin?’

Jessie gives her a withering look. ‘What a nice thought, Edna, thank you for being so cheerful’

‘I was on’y sayin’

‘My house lights up like Blackpool Illuminations if anyone dares step within fifty foot of it!’ Jessie laughs. ‘I’d have time to call the cops. I’d lock myself in the lavvy until they’d gone away…unless they were good looking, of course’ She bats her eyelashes.

‘S’all very well you makin a joke on it…but look what happened to Evelyn!’

‘Edna’ Kath says tolerantly ‘People get burgled every day. Not nice but it’s a fact. We’re no more likely to have someone break in than we were last week. It’s just that we know the person that’s been affected this time, that’s all. Brings it home that we should be a bit more careful but there’s no need for all this panic. And what would you want an alarm for when there’s that damn great Alsatian next door?’

‘Tha’s what my Charlie says’ Edna admits with a resigned sigh.

‘Is anyone going to see her… Evelyn I mean?’ Kath asks, looking round the table.

Jessie blinks ‘I’m not sure she’s up to visitors, not yet awhile’ she says guardedly.

‘Ow’d’yer mean?’ Edna picks up on her reluctance to give a straight answer.

‘Is everything all right?’ Kath asks when she doesn’t reply.

‘She’s……..a little confused’ Jessie says at last.

‘Gorn bonkers yer mean?’ Edna puts bluntly.

‘A little frail and confused….as you would expect after something like that’

‘Hmmph She won’t be coming ome s’very quick then, will she?’

‘Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that’ Kath is more sympathetic. ‘Must be awful for Anthony, having found her. He must be wishing he’d gone sooner’

‘We would ALL have wondered where she was if she hadn’t been so…so….’ Jessie struggles to find the right word.

‘Evelyn?’ Kath supplies with a sigh.

‘Yes! Nobody worried about her not being here…because nobody expected her to be. The stupid, stupid woman!’ Jessie blinks back sudden tears.

‘Jessie’ Kath soothes in a whisper. ‘Don’t you go blaming yourself either’

‘But I was her friend!’