looks like being a longer afternoon.’
‘Hi, I’m Sarah Irving.’The woman held out her hand which I shook. ‘We’re really sorry about your mum and uncle. We’re doing everything we can to get the situation resolved. Our lawyers are working on it right now.’
‘Have you seen my uncle? Is he all right?’ I asked, eagerly.
A look passed between Sarah and Ian.
‘No, we haven’t seen him. Not yet,’ Sarah replied. ‘We thought we’d go to see him this afternoon or maybe tomorrow.’
‘Where is he?’ I asked.
‘He’s being held at the local police station until he appears before magistrates on Monday morning,’ said Sarah.
I was puzzled. I was sure the police had said Uncle Robert would appear before magistrates today, not on Monday. I’d obviously got it wrong.
‘Has Mum been in touch with you?’ I asked, after a brief pause.
‘No, not yet.’The two grown-ups exchanged another glance. This time Ian spoke. ‘We were hoping she’d get in touch with us. To be honest, we’re not quite sure where she fits into all of this. So she hasn’t been in touch with you either?’
I shook my head, saying the words, ‘Not today …’ in my mind, so that it wasn’t a complete lie.
‘The police say they have CCTV evidence that shows Uncle Robert and Mum breaking into Shelby’s …’ I began.
‘Yeah, we were sent a copy of the recording, too – no doubt to rub our noses in it,’ said Ian with disgust.
‘Did … did your Uncle Robert tell you what he and your mother intended to do?’ Sarah asked.
‘You make it sound like they both did it,’ I snapped out at her.
‘But we’ve seen the video …’ Sarah began.
‘I don’t care. Mum said that footage was faked …’
It was only when I felt Nosh’s warning hand on my arm that I realized what I’d said.
‘I mean, Mum would say it was a fake if she was here,’ I finished weakly.
From the look on Ian’s and Sarah’s faces, it was obvious I hadn’t fooled them for a second.
‘Is there any chance of my seeing the recording, please?’ I asked.
‘We are rather busy at the moment …’ Sarah frowned.
‘Please,’ I pleaded. ‘I haven’t seen my mum since late yesterday afternoon and my uncle’s been arrested. I just want to look at it to see what the evidence is against them. It would help me to try and make sense of what’s going on. Please .’
Ian frowned at me then turned to Sarah. ‘Look, Sarah, you can deliver this petition with Jack and some of the others. I’ll take Elliot to the office. It’s only a five-minute walk from here and it won’t take long.’
‘But Ian, you’re needed here,’ Sarah argued.
‘Sarah, you’re in charge and we both know you can handle things perfectly well without me,’ Ian smiled. ‘Besides, Robert has helped me out of a few sticky situations in the past. The least I can do is help his nephew now.’
Sarah didn’t look the least bit happy but I didn’t care. Scrutinizing her through narrowed eyes, I reckoned she was mean enough to be the Shelby agent. I turned to smile at Nosh. We were going to see the video. That was a step in the right direction at any rate. At last I was making progress. Just the thought that I was doing something felt good.
Nosh and I made our way through the front of the crowd, followed by Ian. This old biddy arrived from nowhere and tried to push past me. I’m surprised she didn’t just lift me up and move me bodily out of her way. She was wearing a floppy hat held on by a faded scarf which hid most of her face, and slung over her arm was a grubby raincoat.
‘Excuse me all over the place!’ I said indignantly.
But she’d already trodden on my left foot, elbowed me in the ribs and gone forward to assault someone else. I turned to scowl at her. My mum wouldn’t let me get away with anything like that, but many grown-ups don’t even have two manners in their bodies to keep each other company! That was one of my mum’s truer sayings. And she’d
‘Hi, I’m Sarah Irving.’The woman held out her hand which I shook. ‘We’re really sorry about your mum and uncle. We’re doing everything we can to get the situation resolved. Our lawyers are working on it right now.’
‘Have you seen my uncle? Is he all right?’ I asked, eagerly.
A look passed between Sarah and Ian.
‘No, we haven’t seen him. Not yet,’ Sarah replied. ‘We thought we’d go to see him this afternoon or maybe tomorrow.’
‘Where is he?’ I asked.
‘He’s being held at the local police station until he appears before magistrates on Monday morning,’ said Sarah.
I was puzzled. I was sure the police had said Uncle Robert would appear before magistrates today, not on Monday. I’d obviously got it wrong.
‘Has Mum been in touch with you?’ I asked, after a brief pause.
‘No, not yet.’The two grown-ups exchanged another glance. This time Ian spoke. ‘We were hoping she’d get in touch with us. To be honest, we’re not quite sure where she fits into all of this. So she hasn’t been in touch with you either?’
I shook my head, saying the words, ‘Not today …’ in my mind, so that it wasn’t a complete lie.
‘The police say they have CCTV evidence that shows Uncle Robert and Mum breaking into Shelby’s …’ I began.
‘Yeah, we were sent a copy of the recording, too – no doubt to rub our noses in it,’ said Ian with disgust.
‘Did … did your Uncle Robert tell you what he and your mother intended to do?’ Sarah asked.
‘You make it sound like they both did it,’ I snapped out at her.
‘But we’ve seen the video …’ Sarah began.
‘I don’t care. Mum said that footage was faked …’
It was only when I felt Nosh’s warning hand on my arm that I realized what I’d said.
‘I mean, Mum would say it was a fake if she was here,’ I finished weakly.
From the look on Ian’s and Sarah’s faces, it was obvious I hadn’t fooled them for a second.
‘Is there any chance of my seeing the recording, please?’ I asked.
‘We are rather busy at the moment …’ Sarah frowned.
‘Please,’ I pleaded. ‘I haven’t seen my mum since late yesterday afternoon and my uncle’s been arrested. I just want to look at it to see what the evidence is against them. It would help me to try and make sense of what’s going on. Please .’
Ian frowned at me then turned to Sarah. ‘Look, Sarah, you can deliver this petition with Jack and some of the others. I’ll take Elliot to the office. It’s only a five-minute walk from here and it won’t take long.’
‘But Ian, you’re needed here,’ Sarah argued.
‘Sarah, you’re in charge and we both know you can handle things perfectly well without me,’ Ian smiled. ‘Besides, Robert has helped me out of a few sticky situations in the past. The least I can do is help his nephew now.’
Sarah didn’t look the least bit happy but I didn’t care. Scrutinizing her through narrowed eyes, I reckoned she was mean enough to be the Shelby agent. I turned to smile at Nosh. We were going to see the video. That was a step in the right direction at any rate. At last I was making progress. Just the thought that I was doing something felt good.
Nosh and I made our way through the front of the crowd, followed by Ian. This old biddy arrived from nowhere and tried to push past me. I’m surprised she didn’t just lift me up and move me bodily out of her way. She was wearing a floppy hat held on by a faded scarf which hid most of her face, and slung over her arm was a grubby raincoat.
‘Excuse me all over the place!’ I said indignantly.
But she’d already trodden on my left foot, elbowed me in the ribs and gone forward to assault someone else. I turned to scowl at her. My mum wouldn’t let me get away with anything like that, but many grown-ups don’t even have two manners in their bodies to keep each other company! That was one of my mum’s truer sayings. And she’d
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