Page 60 of Return Ticket

“It seems to be related to a fine she issued back in the summer. The man who accosted her today works for the wife of the driver.” Mr. Greenberg paused. “He intimated that someone in this office had given out her details, as well as her route. Her signature is on the fine, so if this man is a private detective, which she thinks is possible, then he may have been able to get some information about her from her name, but I don’t know how he could know her route without someone in this office telling him.”

“Could he have followed her?” James asked, then realized he couldn’t possibly have known who to follow unless he had been given the information by someone. “Sorry, that still means he knew who to follow.”

“Precisely.”

“Unless the man she fined told the wife’s private detective,” James said. He didn’t want someone in her office to have put her in danger.

There was a short pause. “I hadn’t thought of that possibility. It’s a comforting one,” Mr. Greenberg said. “But why would he?”

“This man is obviously not shy to physically intimidate someone,” James said. “He could have done the same to the husband. I was there when Miss Farnsworth fined the husband, and he seemed like a typical bully to me. All bluster when he was trying to intimidate her, but when I arrived, he couldn’t run away fast enough.”

“I hope you’re right,” Mr. Greenberg said. “It would ease my mind to know no one here did something like share personal and route details to someone who did one of my wardens harm.”

“If you need any assistance in your search for answers, just let me know,” James said.

There was another pause. “That probably won’t be strictly within the rules, DS Archer, but if I think of anything, I’ll let you know. Miss Farnsworth has gone home, if you want to go round and see she is well for yourself.”

James replaced the receiver and followed the sound of conversation to the kitchen. Hartridge was sitting at the table, a cup of tea and a piece of cake in front of him.

“Any word?” Ruby asked.

He nodded. “She’s gone home. Mr. Greenberg says her arm is bruised but she’s otherwise fine.”

“Why was she attacked?” Hartridge twisted in his chair to look up at him.

“It’s a long story.” He shook his head as Ruby lifted the teapot to him in the offer of a cuppa. “I’m going to go see if she’s all right, and then I’ll meet you back at New Scotland Yard,” he said to Hartridge. “You all right to get yourself back to the office?”

Hartridge gave a nod, and Ruby let him out the front door.

As he drove toward Notting Hill, he tried to remember where he would have put the information about Mr. Jaguar, given he hadn’t pursued charges, and what he would do with it if he could lay his hands on it.

Nothing Mr. Jaguar would like, that was for sure.

chaptertwenty-four

Gabriella headedto Ruby Everett’s house from the bus stop, and as she turned into Ruby’s street, she thought she caught sight of the back of James’s Wolseley driving away.

She wondered if she’d just missed him.

As she got to the front door, it swung open, and she stepped back in surprise at seeing DC Hartridge.

“Gabriella.” Ruby leaned around the detective constable. “DS Archer just left to visit you, and check that you’re all right.”

“I thought I saw his car driving away.” She cast a curious glance at DC Hartridge, wondering why he wasn’t with his boss.

Hartridge cleared his throat. “I’m off, back to the Met. Thank you for the tea and cake, Mrs. Everett.” He grinned at Gabriella and then walked down the path, whistling.

Ruby caught sight of the basket hooked over Gabriella’s arm, and ushered her in. “Whatever’s in there smells amazing.”

“I baked Teddy Roe some bread as a thank you for helping me this morning. He?—”

“He told us.” Ruby drew her through the house to the kitchen. “It sounded as if he thoroughly enjoyed it.”

“So did Jerry,” Gabriella said. “I’ll come back inside to have a chat, if you have time?”

“I definitely have time, but just hang on a sec.” Ruby went into her pantry and came out with a jam jar. “For them to have with their bread. I know Teddy Roe has butter already.”

The jam was so dark, Gabriella couldn’t begin to guess what type it was, but it looked homemade, so it was probably from the strawberries Ruby grew in her garden.

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