Page 44 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
I stare at her and she nods miserably.
‘Your friend Madison. It’s her necklace that’s disappeared.’
‘Madison?’ It must be the necklace she was wearing the othernight. The one Jack bought her for Christmas.
‘It wasn’t me. I’m not the thief,’ blurts out Bee.
I shake my head. ‘Of course you’re not.’
‘You do believe me, don’t you, Ruby?’
‘Yes, of course I do. And the thing is, if you show thepolice the anonymous letter warning you that you’re going to lose your job,you’ll be able to prove to them that you’ve been set up here.’
Bee shakes her head. ‘Madison isn’t reporting it to thepolice. Yet. She’s just told management in the hope the necklace can be found.’
‘So she’s not certain it’s been stolen? She thinks she mighthave just misplaced it.’
Bee shrugs. ‘I think so. But how likely is it that this is acoincidence? Someone sends me a threatening letter, and the very next day thenecklace goes missing and the finger is pointing at me because I was in thehouse alone that day? It has to be a set-up. Doesn’t it?’
I nod slowly, thinking about something else altogether.Something I need to tell Bee. ‘It certainly looks like a set-up. And I have afeeling I might know who...’
‘Really?’
‘The thing is, you know I told you about the figure dressedup as a plague doctor I saw standing outside your door? Well, I saw it againlast night, and I followed it.’
‘Ruby!’ She looks horrified. ‘You need to be careful. Idon’t want you putting yourself in danger on my account.’
I brush it off. ‘No, I was fine. Honestly. But the point is,whoever it was – dressed up in that creepy outfit – was heading along thepromenade when I last saw them, in the direction of Clifftop House.’
She stares at me, taking this in. ‘So you think it might bethis weird plague doctor who took the necklace? But how would it have got inwithout a key? Clifftop House is as secure as Fort Knox.’
‘I don’t know. But I’m determined to find out.’
*****
Later, after I’ve read Jodie a story (with the curtainsfirmly closed) and she’s tucked up for the night, I have a murmured chat withBee at the door before I leave, trying to put her mind at rest about thenecklace.
‘I’ll go over to Clifftop House tomorrow and talk to Madisonabout it, and convince her it definitely wasn’t you who stole her necklace.’
‘Will you? Oh, thanks.’ She looks relieved. ‘I’d hatefriends of yours to think I’m a thief.’
‘They won’t.’ I smile. ‘Madison could have misplaced thenecklace. It might have turned up by the time I go over there tomorrow.’
Bee opens the front door. ‘You will let me know straightaway if it turns up?’
‘Of course I will. And keep me up to speed with what thecompany’s doing about it? Did Griselda believe you when you told her it wasn’tyou?’
Bee frowns. ‘I’m not sure. I think she did. But she said unlessthe necklace turns up in the next day or two, they’ll have to get the policeinvolved.’
I nod. ‘Jodie seems fine, anyway.’
‘Yes. She’s singing in a school concert tomorrow night, andI think she’s quite excited about that. I’m trying to stay upbeat so shedoesn’t think there’s anything wrong.’
‘What’s this you’re talking about? The stolen necklace?’
Looking over, we see Bee’s narky colleague, Norma, walkingtowards us. She sneers at Bee. ‘I’d never have had you down as light-fingered.’
‘That’s because I’m not,’ snaps Bee.
