Page 70 of A Curious Ending

She leant back in her chair and kicked off her red high heels, putting her feet up on the footstool. ‘I know exactly where Jason Honeybourne first got that china. And it was stolen from Lady Porter… well, taken anyway.’

‘Where?!’ Lara and Kate demanded.

‘It was on the windowsill outside the potting shed. Lady Porter, or someone, had used old cups to put pots of herbs in, and they were standing on plates and saucers. I was doing a lunch for her once and I couldn’t find the herbs I needed. I’d looked in the herb bed but couldn’t find any tarragon, so I went exploring. I’d wanted to look around the garden anyway. And there they were, just sitting there, some old teacups, bowls and pots with herbs in. Anyone could have helped themselves to them. I bet Jason spotted that some were valuable and nicked them. It’s just a shame there isn’t someone we can check this with. But I’m sure I’m right,’ Sarah concluded, looking pleased with herself.

‘As to that, I’m perfectly certain that Thomas will be able to corroborate your statement,’ Abby supplied. ‘I do like it when you get an answer to a particularly tricky problem. It would also explain Mr Honeybourne trying to make a search of the house.’

Pinky’s snores were by now getting louder, so Lara suggested they carry her up into her spare room.

‘Do you think she might be frightened when she wakes up not knowing where she is?’ Lara worried.

‘Yep, you’d really worry about kidnappers who tuck you up in matching sheets and leave roses by your bedside,’ Kate said, grinning at Lara.

‘Anyway, while I think about it, why aren’t you back in Joe’s love shack comparing cuttings or whatever you gardening types do?’ Kate asked, as they settled once more by the fire, Kate and Sarah on the sofa, Lara in her favourite armchair.

‘How do you feel when you see Rod?’ Lara asked Kate instead of answering her question.

‘Rod?’ Kate said sighing contentedly. ‘Just gotta love a man in uniform,’ she smiled.

‘Unless he carries silk stockings in his breast pocket,’ Abby murmured.

‘Joe doesn’t do it for you then?’ Kate said, cottoning on.

‘Nope,’ Lara admitted, ‘I wish he did.’

‘Well, on consideration, I do think it is best not to form an attachment to a man who you are seriously considering might be a murderer,’ came a clear voice from the second armchair.

This time Lara turned her laugh into a cough.

‘Please tell me you’re not still lusting after Julian,’ Sarah begged.

‘Absolutely not,’ Lara reassured, and told them about losing her temper with him at the ball. This led to requests for her to speak Arabic, which she duly did, offering them more drinks, the hospitality of her home and her undying friendship. During this, Kate was unusually quiet. Abby was looking at her with what Lara now thought of as her ‘greyhound spotting a hare’ stare.

After a while of staring off into space, Kate sat up straighter, ‘I’ve got an idea,’ she declared. They all looked at her and Abby smiled at Kate as if she were a prize pupil. ‘I don’t know about you two, but whatever else we do I think we need to get our hands on the china in Jason’s shop. I think we should take it back. I just don’t think Jason should end up benefiting from it. That just seems wrong,’ Kate concluded.

‘What! You mean break in?’ Lara asked.

Kate grinned. ‘Well, not exactly…’

Chapter 36

‘What does “not exactly” breaking in entail?’ Sarah demanded.

Lara felt just as uneasy as Sarah sounded. The thought of three not particularly sober women finding their way into the shop of a man who was in all probability trying to do away with her was not comforting.

‘I’m pretty certain he has a state-of-the-art burglar alarm,’ Lara volunteered, hoping this might throw a spanner in the works. However, this seemed to encourage Kate even more.

‘You’re not wrong there,’ Kate replied, still smiling. ‘And it’s linked directly to the police station.’ Her grin broadened. ‘They also have keys.’ Kate seemed to be remarkably well informed, which was perhaps not surprising. ‘As I said, we don’t exactly have to break in.’

‘I’m still not with you,’ Sarah sounded puzzled, but no less worried.

‘But I am,’ Abby declared to her prize pupil.

‘Look,’ Kate explained, ‘it should be easy. I think Sarah and I should do something that will trigger the alarm and when the police come and open up the shop, I bet you could sneak in, Lara.’ She added, ‘I think it will have to be you, as you know where Jason has hidden the china.’

‘I believe that would be the second drawer down on the right-hand side of the desk,’ Abby volunteered helpfully.

Kate continued, ‘We can say we were going home to Sarah’s and heard something and, I bet, while the police look around, we could distract them for long enough for you to slip in the back,’ Kate said this with the confidence of one who knew exactly how best to distract PC Doherty.