She was numb to the loneliness. It had become familiar and reassuring. She was exhausted from thinking about her fate. Her blood flowed slow and heavy with sadness. She was certain that outside the cave there was grave danger. The old blind man that had brought her here had told her so. He still came every day with food and water and would tell her, ‘The crocodile is outside and he is hungry; you must never venture forth.’

Then one day a mouse entered the cave and asked her why she lived in this awful place when so many riches were just at her door.

‘I can’t leave. I’m scared of the crocodile that sits outside the entrance waiting to feed on me,’ she explained.

‘Don’t be silly,’ said the mouse. ‘Follow me.’

The mouse guided her through a maze of small tunnels and narrow openings until they reached another exit blocked only by a thorny bush.

‘There you are,’ said the mouse.

She could smell orange and lemon blossom spilling into the cave. She could hear birdsong in the distance and a gently gurgling river just beyond the bush.

‘Go on,’ said the mouse. ‘Just leave and discover the world outside.’

She declined. ‘Thank you, little mouse, but I think I’m happy to stay here for the time being. The blind man that feeds me has been so kind and I fear he would miss me terribly if I left.’

‘Suit yourself,’ said the mouse. ‘In that case I’ll leave you to find your own way back. The blind man will have to be told of our meeting.’

The next morning the blind man brought her berries and nuts as usual. She died that evening from the poisoned food.

16

My first instinct on finding Lassoo apparently abandoned in the burgled flat was to call the police. They simply asked if I was able to secure the premises and look after the dog. I explained that I considered Grace to be vulnerable but they insisted that I was to wait for forty-eight hours before phoning them again. They gave me an official crime number and explained that a community police officer would visit, hopefully within the next forty-eight hours.