Seeing Felix jogging towards them, Roz called out, ‘Is anyone hurt?’

‘A few cuts and bruises – quite lucky really, as those crates are heavy. Not sure what’s in them, but there’s a fair bit of broken glass and a strong smell of alcohol.’

‘Sounds expensive,’ said Mabel.

‘Possibly, but that’s what insurance is for!’ Felix turned to Roz. ‘Did you get into trouble last night? I know you were worried about being late.’

Roz quickly explained the events of the previous evening, looking at him curiously. ‘What do you think?’

He shrugged. ‘If Suzie’s as devious as her father, I’d put money on Suzie having found your necklace and not told the others.’

‘But why?’ said Roz. ‘She’s got no need to search my bedding; it would be quite an odd thing for her to do.’

‘Perhaps she came across it by accident,’ said Felix, ‘or, maybe you’re right, maybe it has slipped between the floorboards.’

‘How do I search for it without raising suspicion?’ said Roz. ‘If they know what I’m after, or even if they see that I’m looking for something, they might wait until I go out and search themselves, and they might have more luck than me.’

‘Couldn’t you wait until they go out?’ Felix suggested.

‘They never go out together; in fact, Lilith hardly ever goes out, so no.’

‘What we need,’ said Felix, rubbing his chin, ‘is an excuse to get them out, and by the sound of it, Lilith is your biggest problem, so we need something that will make her leave too.’ He eyed Roz quizzically. ‘Am I right in saying that it’s you, Callum and Suzie who do the coal round every morning?’

Roz nodded. ‘There’s no way Lilith would join us, she’s too old and frail.’

‘What about if she were to think there’d been an accident?’ said Felix slowly. ‘Do you think she’d leave if she thought her son or granddaughter were in danger?’

Mabel stopped stroking Coconut and frowned at him sharply. ‘What are you suggesting?’

Felix laughed. ‘Not a real accident! But if someone told her there’d been an accident, what then?’

Roz looked at Mabel for the answer, but Mabel shrugged. ‘I’d like to say she’d go to their aid, but who knows with that lot?’

Roz tapped her finger against her chin as she weighed up the possibilities. ‘If she thought one of them was so badly hurt they couldn’t do the deliveries, therefore they wouldn’t get paid …’

Mabel nodded, a grin forming on her face. ‘Now that would get her hobbling!’

‘But if I’m with them, I can’t look for the necklace,’ said Roz reasonably.

‘That’s where I come in,’ said Felix.

‘Oh no!’ said Roz vehemently. ‘I’m not having you get involved.’

‘Too late!’ said Felix. ‘You’ve lost enough as it is, I won’t see you parted from something so special.’ He held up his hands to quieten Roz who was about to protest. ‘I’ll pay one of the messengers a penny to tell Lilith that you’ve broken down. Then when she’s out the way, I’ll nip in and check it out.’