‘I tell you, she’s the one who should be handcuffed,’ Juliet hissed viciously, nodding her chin (the only part of her body she could easily move) in the older woman’s direction. ‘She’s been blackmailing my mother. We can prove it – we overheard her.’

At this, Phyllis Raynor began to look a little less relieved at her rescue.

‘Is this true?’ Trudy asked her curiously, looking at the woman who was still maintaining a discreet distance from all four of the other people in the room.

‘Of course it isn’t,’ she denied at once. ‘They came here, threatening me with all sorts, including bodily harm,’ Phyllis added for good measure. ‘I think they’re either drunk or off their heads on something. Take them away. I’m entitled to police protection, aren’t I?’ she challenged.

Trudy, who was now rapidly recalling how unhelpful and uncommunicative this woman had been before, began to smile. This little episode, annoying and painful though it had been, was at least giving her a wonderful opportunity to turn the tables on the gate-crasher. ‘I rather think, madam, that we’ll have to sort all this out at the police station,’ she said sweetly. ‘I’m sure my inspector has a lot of questions he’d like you to answer.’

Phyllis’s lips firmed into a thin, displeased line. Juliet smirked at her in triumph.

Chapter 31

‘What now?’ Inspector Jennings yelled angrily, some quarter of an hour later. He’d been drawn to the door of his office by the loud and still-complaining twins, who were hurling threats, insults and pleas about in almost equal measure, as Trudy and Rodney brought them in. He stood surveying the scene with a scowl that didn’t bode well.

‘Sir,’ Trudy said by way of brief apology, then turned and spotted Sergeant O’Grady at his desk. ‘Sarge, this is Juliet and Jasper Vander,’ she called, finally managing to silence the twins, who watched cautiously as the sergeant got to his feet and lumbered over.

Jennings’s eyes sharpened. ‘What’s going on, Constable?’ he demanded briskly.

‘Sir,’ Trudy made her report smartly. ‘We were called to a disturbance at the Raven’s Rest Bed and Breakfast. We arrived to find Miss and Mr Vander in a guest’s bedroom – this witness,’ she added, nodding at Phyllis.

She’d kept a close eye on Phyllis, both when she’d escorted everyone to the Land Rover, and when they’d disembarked at the station. She wouldn’t have put it past the older woman to try and give them the slip. Luckily, though, it was very hard to run away when everywhere was as slippery as an ice rink.