“I’m being met at Wakefield station.”

“What about Sookie?”

“She’s all right. She’s asleep on my bed. She can get in and out the window and everything she needs is there.”

“Have a nice time.”

Mrs. Sugden gave a bit of a snort, as if to say that nice times were for other people. Nice times were for softies and soppy articles.

Harriet saw that Mrs. Sugden had been making notes, and had covered them with blotting paper. “Before you go, I’ll just go get myself a bar of chocolate.”

Harriet thought Mrs. Sugden might be suspicious about her taking a second wander with the dog so soon after the first, but Mrs. Sugden was preoccupied.

Harriet walked along the street. Sergeant Dog, sensing some urgency, trotted smartly beside her, foregoing his usual great interest in the smells of Headingley. He looked up at her in listening mode, waiting for some important instruction.

“Sergeant, do you get the feeling that we’re being kept in the dark? I don’t think we need trouble Miss Merton or Mrs. Duffield. We’ll visit Rosie Sykes. We won’t tell any lies, just think of a way of getting a little bit of information. Do you agree?”

Sergeant Dog wagged his tail.

Rosie was sitting with her feet up, reading yesterday’s Yorkshire Evening News. She was glad to see Harriet, and to be made a fuss of by that sloppy dog.

“Mrs. Sugden’s packing her shopping bag, Rosie.”

“She doesn’t waste time.”

“Only she’s forgotten the address where she’s going, some shop.”

“She’s being taken there isn’t she?”

“Yes, being met at the station.”

“Well then the person who’s taking her ought to know. It’s some general store in Thorpefield, sort of place that sells necessaries and sweets and such like.”

Harriet chatted a bit. She asked Rosie was there anything interesting in the paper. There were all sorts of interesting things. Harriet thought she’d never shut up.

“Right then, I’d better be off. Oh and Mrs. Sugden says would you mind standing by the telephone because she might be a few hours and I have to be at work.”

“You don’t take that dog to the pictures do you?”

“He’s no trouble. He sits in the manager’s office.”

None of them ever remembered Harriet’s shifts or her hours. That was sometimes an advantage.

*   *   *

The stationmaster blew his whistle. Mrs. Sugden seated herself on the far side of the carriage so as to look out of the window for the short while it would take to get to Wakefield. The carriage door opened. She looked up to see who would join her. “Harriet! What are you doing here?”

“I just thought me and Sergeant Dog would come with you.”

“You little monkey! How did you get here?”

“We caught the tram to the station and then –”