vacate the grotto and the changing room. Once they’d gone, she would get the cleaners to go in and give them a spruce up. Boosted by her success in finding replacements, she breezed along to ask them, politely, of course, to get themselves out of her Christmas areas. Didn’t they realise the difference it was making to the store? At this time of year, too.
‘Who’s in charge here?’ she demanded.
‘Not sure actually. I suppose I might be considered to be the senior person here. You can talk to me anyway and I’ll pass on your comments.’
‘I’m wondering how much longer you need to be here? I mean to say, there must be a limit to the amount of things you can find. And we really need to get Christmas back on our agenda. Goodness, it’s only at the end of next week.’
‘I’d think we’ll probably be finished fairly soon actually. The Grotto is about done with. Just another hour or so and we’ll be done with the changing room.’
‘Oh thanks goodness for that. So we can be up and running by tomorrow? I have people waiting to come and clean and new people to play their parts tomorrow morning. Will you let me know when we can send in the cleaners?’
‘Certainly will, dear.’
Miss Pringle was not used to being called dear by anyone and was about to tell him that when she saw Ray and Ted approaching. Oh what now , she thought.
‘Miss Pringle. Good morning again. Or should I say good afternoon?’
‘What do you want now? I have a million things to do.’
‘You gave us the wrong address for Bert Pryce. I tried to tell you on the phone but there was a fault and we were cut off.’ She did have the good grace to look ashamed of hanging up on them.
‘I gave you the address he gave me. It’s the only one I have on the books. I phoned his daughter this morning and she answered without a problem.’
‘Was that a mobile or landline?’
‘Oh. Possibly a mobile.’
‘Perhaps you could give me that number.’
‘Come back to my office. I’ll have to look it up.’
‘And look up his address too please.’
‘Certainly.’ Miss Pringle was feeling far less flustered now and more willing to be of help. ‘I understand your men will be finished with the Grotto and changing room this afternoon. That is a huge relief to me and will be to Mr Geoffrey too. Hopefully, we shall be able to get back to something near normal after all this is over.’
‘Not sure about it being over. We still don’t know who is responsible.’
‘You must have some idea,’ she said hoping for a negative answer. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know that they knew who had done it.
‘A few ideas. I say, was your mother a teacher?’
‘My mother? No, certainly not.’ She laughed uneasily. ‘Whatever made you think that?’
‘Nothing really. I used to have a lady called Mrs Pringle who taught me.’
‘Well it was nothing to do with me. Besides Pringle ... oh never mind.’
‘I suppose you’d rather not elaborate?’
‘Certainly not.’ They had by now reached her office.
‘What were you about to say? Back along the corridor there.’
‘Nothing. I wasn’t thinking. Forget it please.’
‘Very well. For now at least. Now then, Mr Pryce’s address please? And his daughter’s phone number.’ Miss Pringle looked in her files.
‘It is definitely ninety-seven according to this. South Street.’
‘Haven’t you sent him any letters there?’
‘Evidently not. He has a pay packet on Fridays and this really is his only address. His daughter’s phone number you wanted?’ He nodded and she gave it to him.
‘Right, I’ll give her a call and ask for her address. Thanks.’
The two detectives left and went out to their car. Ray dialled Matti’s number and sat waiting for someone to answer. At last, amidst a cacophony of other noises, he heard her faint ‘hello’.
‘Is that Matti?’ he asked.
‘Sorry can’t really hear you. Who is it?’
‘Detective Chief Inspector Ray Jones.’
‘Sorry, it’s
‘Who’s in charge here?’ she demanded.
‘Not sure actually. I suppose I might be considered to be the senior person here. You can talk to me anyway and I’ll pass on your comments.’
‘I’m wondering how much longer you need to be here? I mean to say, there must be a limit to the amount of things you can find. And we really need to get Christmas back on our agenda. Goodness, it’s only at the end of next week.’
‘I’d think we’ll probably be finished fairly soon actually. The Grotto is about done with. Just another hour or so and we’ll be done with the changing room.’
‘Oh thanks goodness for that. So we can be up and running by tomorrow? I have people waiting to come and clean and new people to play their parts tomorrow morning. Will you let me know when we can send in the cleaners?’
‘Certainly will, dear.’
Miss Pringle was not used to being called dear by anyone and was about to tell him that when she saw Ray and Ted approaching. Oh what now , she thought.
‘Miss Pringle. Good morning again. Or should I say good afternoon?’
‘What do you want now? I have a million things to do.’
‘You gave us the wrong address for Bert Pryce. I tried to tell you on the phone but there was a fault and we were cut off.’ She did have the good grace to look ashamed of hanging up on them.
‘I gave you the address he gave me. It’s the only one I have on the books. I phoned his daughter this morning and she answered without a problem.’
‘Was that a mobile or landline?’
‘Oh. Possibly a mobile.’
‘Perhaps you could give me that number.’
‘Come back to my office. I’ll have to look it up.’
‘And look up his address too please.’
‘Certainly.’ Miss Pringle was feeling far less flustered now and more willing to be of help. ‘I understand your men will be finished with the Grotto and changing room this afternoon. That is a huge relief to me and will be to Mr Geoffrey too. Hopefully, we shall be able to get back to something near normal after all this is over.’
‘Not sure about it being over. We still don’t know who is responsible.’
‘You must have some idea,’ she said hoping for a negative answer. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know that they knew who had done it.
‘A few ideas. I say, was your mother a teacher?’
‘My mother? No, certainly not.’ She laughed uneasily. ‘Whatever made you think that?’
‘Nothing really. I used to have a lady called Mrs Pringle who taught me.’
‘Well it was nothing to do with me. Besides Pringle ... oh never mind.’
‘I suppose you’d rather not elaborate?’
‘Certainly not.’ They had by now reached her office.
‘What were you about to say? Back along the corridor there.’
‘Nothing. I wasn’t thinking. Forget it please.’
‘Very well. For now at least. Now then, Mr Pryce’s address please? And his daughter’s phone number.’ Miss Pringle looked in her files.
‘It is definitely ninety-seven according to this. South Street.’
‘Haven’t you sent him any letters there?’
‘Evidently not. He has a pay packet on Fridays and this really is his only address. His daughter’s phone number you wanted?’ He nodded and she gave it to him.
‘Right, I’ll give her a call and ask for her address. Thanks.’
The two detectives left and went out to their car. Ray dialled Matti’s number and sat waiting for someone to answer. At last, amidst a cacophony of other noises, he heard her faint ‘hello’.
‘Is that Matti?’ he asked.
‘Sorry can’t really hear you. Who is it?’
‘Detective Chief Inspector Ray Jones.’
‘Sorry, it’s
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