He didn’t move till lights came on in the house, then he went back and waited for dawn, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.

He smiled once or twice as he thought about Nell. What a woman! ‘Indomitable’ was the right word to describe her.

Chapter Twenty-One

Janey’s mother came round the next evening to visit her. Their relationship was still uneasy, but she knew how much her mother needed the reconciliation, so she was trying to forgive the past neglect.

Thank goodness for little Millie, who only knew a few words so far, but who could manage ‘Nan-Nan’ and always grew excited when her grandmother came round to see them.

Thank goodness, too, for Winifred, her landlady and honorary aunt, who sometimes joined them on these evening visits and who seemed easily able to oil the wheels of conversation when it faltered.

‘Did you hear about the break-in at Dennings?’

Janey looked at her mother in surprise. ‘No. What happened? You always seem to hear about such things first.’

‘That’s because the police are in and out of the shelter and the flats, keeping an eye on us. I never thought police officers could be so kind.’ She lost her way as she stared into space for a moment or two.

‘Go on, Mum. Tell us what happened.’

‘Apparently someone broke into the first house on Saffron Lane – you told me your friends are doing up the houses there, didn’t you, so I thought you’d be interested?’

‘Yes, I am. But they weren’t working on the first house. It’s an architectural treasure or something. Angus hasn’t said what sort of treasure because the heritage people want to keep it under wraps for the moment. Who tried to set it on fire?’

‘Two young men. They’re known to the police for thieving, but this time they went there on purpose to set a fire. The police reckon someone must have paid them to do it, but they’re not saying who it was. They set off the alarms and the security cameras, so Angus and Nell went to investigate.’

‘They were taking a risk.’

‘Yes, well, maybe not so much. Your friend Nell caught one of them all by herself, it seems, and sat on him till the police arrived. I wish I had the strength to do that sort of thing. Judy, one of the police officers, was delighted that it was a woman who caught the fellow. She’s promised to teach us some self-defence moves, if we want. Do you think I could learn to do it, Janey?’

‘I’m sure you could.’ She spoke bracingly because her mother was still very timid and lacking in self-confidence.

‘You really do think so?’

‘Yes. Anyone can learn some of the tricks, but not everyone can manage them all. Still, some would help, wouldn’t they? You’d feel safer. They taught me a few tricks at Just Girls after I’d had Millie.’

‘I might give it a try, then. Anyway, these men didn’t manage to set anything on fire or steal anything.’