Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation by James Runcie

they were butting him with their enormous heads. Alex ran to the phone box, but one of the villagers stopped him and said that she had already called for help.’
    ‘It was like a rugby scrum,’ said Alexander, ‘and Richard was the ball. The cows kept turning him over and over. The farmer’s daughter saved him. She swore about how irresponsible we were and how lucky we were that more of us weren’t killed and that we had no right to be on the Meadows.’
    ‘She’s wrong about that,’ said Sidney.
    ‘I never know why some of the people who live here hate students so much.’
    Olivia was looking for something in her net bag. ‘It’s so unfair. It was only a party.’
    ‘Not for the farmer or his daughter,’ Sidney pointed out. ‘How long did everyone stay?’
    ‘Once Richard was taken to the ambulance everyone left. It was definitely over after that. We couldn’t really go on.’
    ‘And who went to the hospital to see Richard?’
    Olivia started on a roll-up. ‘I think Emily might have gone.’
    ‘Emily?’
    ‘She’s in love with him.’
    ‘I see. And is Richard in love with her?’
    There was a silence as the roll-up was completed and shared between the two students. ‘No,’ said Alexander. ‘He’s in love with Olivia.’
    ‘I see.’
    ‘Most people are.’
    ‘That’s not true,’ Olivia replied while sounding as if she hoped it was.
    Sidney tried to stick to the matter in hand. ‘When did you notice your necklace was missing?’
    ‘She didn’t,’ Alexander answered. ‘I did.’
    ‘And when was that?’
    ‘When we went back to get our stuff. We were going to pick up our things that we’d left by the river and then go on to the hospital, but we realised the necklace had disappeared and we had to find it. We looked around, retraced our steps. It could have fallen off, but if it had, we would have found it. Someone must have taken it when we were dozing.’
    Sidney wanted to see what Olivia had to say. ‘Are you sure you had the necklace on when you fell asleep?’
    Alexander spoke for her. ‘Oh, definitely. I remember.’
    ‘You do?’
    ‘It was between her breasts.’
    ‘So when you woke it was gone?’
    Olivia tried to explain that she couldn’t recall what had happened at the crucial moment. ‘Everyone was screaming because of the cows. I put on my blouse, I can remember doing that, but I must have left my bra behind. I’m not really sure. It was all a bit mad, to be honest.’
    ‘So you think your necklace was gone when you woke up?’
    ‘It had to be.’
    ‘Before all the drama with the cows?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And so you think it was stolen as you both slept? Was there any redness on your neck?’
    ‘From it being yanked off? I don’t think so.’
    ‘So,’ Sidney continued, ‘if it was taken when you were asleep then it must have been someone who knew how the clasp worked.’
    ‘That means it was probably a woman.’
    ‘And could that have been your friend Emily?’
    ‘She was the other side of the river. And she had already gone off once she realised that we wanted to be alone.’
    ‘And do you know where she went?’
    ‘Further downriver. There was a man there, making recordings. She wanted to see what he was doing. She thought he looked a bit spooky.’
    ‘And is Emily a close friend?’
    ‘Yes. But I don’t think she’d take my necklace if that is what you are suggesting.’
    ‘Then who would?’
    ‘I don’t know. That’s why we think it must have been the farmer or his daughter.’
    Sidney had had enough of this. ‘I think I know Harding Redmond well enough to be sure that he wouldn’t approach a sleeping student and take a necklace from her naked breasts.’
    ‘His daughter might,’ said Alexander.
    ‘I understand she was nowhere near the Meadows and only arrived in time to help with the rescue.’
    ‘But no one knows what happened afterwards.’
    ‘As I have already said, I imagine Abigail had enough to do setting the cows right.’
    Olivia