‘What he means is,’ Ricky answered, ‘that she might have done just that, rung you for a chat, if she hadn’t seen you a few days before, at that auction, in the company of Old Nick.’

‘Receiver of stolen goods,’ Morris added softly.

‘You mean, she put two and two together and made five?’ I asked, aghast. ‘But it was ages ago, wasn’t it, that Nick went to prison?’

‘Before your two young coppers were born,’ Ricky agreed. ‘But they still knew all about him, didn’t they?’

‘So he might have been in trouble since?’

‘Who knows? The police are always suspicious of antiques dealers. After all, they’re a dodgy lot. But the point is, Princess,’ he said emphatically, ‘he’s got a reputation. And mud sticks.’

‘You need to think about that, love.’ Morris blinked mournfully over his spectacles. ‘You’ve got to think of your own reputation.’

I was silent a moment. I was known to be honest, trustworthy. I got good references from all my employers. I had spare keys to many of their properties. But if Verbena Clarke went around Ashburton shooting her mouth off, if it once got about that I was suspected of being light-fingered, all that could change, and the business I had worked so hard to build up would be in danger. Then another thought occurred to me. ‘So, that means, then, when those two coppers came round to see me, they already knew I worked for Nick because Verbena had told them?’

‘Maybe that’s why they decided to call,’ Ricky nodded meaningfully.

‘Perhaps, when you’ve done this antiques market, you ought to think about giving up working for Nick,’ Morris suggested gently.

I shook my head. I enjoyed working for him. Why should I give up working for him just because Verbena Clarke was an evil, suspicious cow? On the other hand, I did not enjoy the police asking me strange questions and giving me stranger looks. I sipped my coffee thoughtfully.

‘It looks as if this might be a two-scone problem,’ Morris ventured after watching me a moment.

Ricky nodded and held up a hand to catch the eye of the waitress. ‘I think it might.’

Back in the flat I stared gloomily into the interior of my fridge. It was lucky Sophie wasn’t coming for supper. The lighted void contained nothing but two eggs and a small piece of cheese. It was a good thing I’d eaten those scones earlier. In fact, if Ricky and Morris didn’t feed me every time they saw me, and Kate didn’t give me regular leftovers from her kitchen, I’d probably starve. Cheese omelette for supper, I thought, making the best of it. Perfect.