‘I think our best bet is to wait until Cyril’s ship sails. Then we will ask Jimmy to appear openly in the Court and do anything he can think of to get Mrs Huxtable in a temper. Then he must run away, not too fast, so that Mrs Huxtable waddles after him and the rest of us can get into the house, lock all the doors and have a really good search for the necklace. What do you think of that idea?’

They all agreed that this might well work, for who could say that it was not the fall down the stairs which had caused Cyril to forget completely that it was he himself who had hidden the jewels, if jewels they were?

Much enamoured of their plan, Jimmy rose early on the morning Cyril was due to sail and went down to the kitchen, where Frank was already making breakfast. Outside, the brief spell of mild weather had been replaced by a bitter wind, and when they had cleared away the dishes Jimmy wrapped the thick scarf which Mr Theaker had given him as a Christmas present around his mouth and nose, meaning to walk up to Lime Street station and see Frank off to work.

They had only walked a few yards when Jimmy spied Nutty walking purposefully ahead of them, a box beneath his arm. There were few people about, so Jimmy told Frank it was an old friend and the two of them hurried to catch the other boy up. When they reached him, however, they got a nasty shock. ‘Wharron earth are you doin’ here, Jimmy?’ Nutty asked, glancing around him. ‘Haven’t you heard? Cyril Huxtable’s ship sailed without him. He’s been effin’ and blindin’ ever since, sayin’ it’s all your fault, though how he could possibly blame you no one can imagine. But if I were you I’d steer clear of the Court until he calms down.’ He stared inquisitively into Jimmy’s face. ‘What’s his problem, anyhow? What can a kid like you do to a feller what’s twice your size and has three times your strength? Or is it summat you knows? My mam cleans the Cuckoo’s Nest and hears all the gossip. She says as the captain of the Sugar Trader don’t trust Huxtable because of summat what happened on their last voyage; don’t know what, but I spec he prigged some cash and the cap’n found out.’

‘Sounds possible,’ Jimmy said thoughtfully. ‘He won’t get another berth, though, if he’s been caught thieving, will he?’

Nutty shrugged. ‘Dunno; it’s probably just gossip anyway. His shipmates hate Cyril and would like to see him taken down a peg.’

‘But you’re sure he hasn’t sailed?’ Jimmy said, voicing the thought uppermost in his mind. ‘So what does we do now? Don’t tell anyone, Nutty, but the fact is Cyril hates us because he thinks we took summat of his. Oh, oh, oh, whatever ought I to do?’

Nutty grinned. ‘Glad it’s your problem and not mine,’ he said cheerfully. ‘That Huxtable will kill someone one of these days; just make sure it ain’t you, old pal.’ And with that and a cheery wave he left them.