had to keep his temper in check.
Eddie answered the door. He examined Joe for a moment then called over his shoulder, 'Zak, it's your gumshoe.'
Thought you only spoke computer,' said Joe.
The boy didn't respond, not even facially, but turned and went up the stairs.
Zak came out of the kitchen with a bit of toast in her hand. Joe was pleased to see it was coated with chunky marmalade. Not Mirabelle standard, but solid enough.
'You're early,' she said. 'Take your coat off or you won't feel the benefit.'
'You don't know my Aunt Mirabelle, do you?' he asked as he hung his donkey jacket in the hall. 'By the by, thought you weren't telling your family I'm a PI.'
'What? Oh, Eddie. Little creep tracked you through his computer, presented me with a print-out of your life history last night.'
'Shoot,' said Joe. 'Who'd put me on record?'
'You'd be surprised. Have a coffee?'
She was moving back to the kitchen but Joe said, 'No, hold on. Something I've got to say. Did Eddie tell the others?'
'That you're a PI? No. He likes to impress, but he's no snitch, not unless provoked. Why?'
'Just like to be sure how subtle I've got to be when I start to investigate them,' said Joe.
She frowned at him and said, 'What the hell do you mean?'
'Come on,' said Joe. 'It's what you want, isn't it?'
'No,' she said angrily. 'It's bloody well not.'
'OK, I'm sorry, let me put it another way. Smart girl like you gets threatened, you know the only sensible thing to do is call the cops. But a smart girl like you also works out that if you wake up with a note on your pillow, chances are it was put there by someone living in the house. The note in your locker, that could be anyone, but the note on your pillow
'Could be an intruder,' she protested.
'I checked this place out,' said Joe. 'With the alarm primed and the doors and windows locked, Santa Claus must have a hard time getting in. This is why you hired me, isn't it? If the cops find one of your family's involved, then it's out of your hands. But if I find anything, it's you who make the decision what to do about it, right?'
She bought a few seconds by chewing the rest of her toast.
'I don't believe any of my family would get mixed up in something like this,' she said finally.
'In that case, there's the phone, ring the police. I'll have that coffee while we're waiting for them to arrive.'
He went through into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Zak followed a moment later. She unhooked a mug from the wall, filled it from a cafetiere and banged it down in front of him. He studied the list of ingredients on the marmalade jar.
This is OK,' he said. 'But try my Aunt Mirabelle's and you'll knock a whole second off your eight hundred time.'
'But would I test positive?' she said.
'Could be. Where's your mum and Mary?'
He'd noticed the Cavalier had gone but the Metro was still outside.
'Mary likes to sleep late when she's on holiday. And Dad drops Mum off at work when he's on days.'
'Your mum's got a job, has she?'
'She does some book-keeping. Just mornings. Used to be full time but now things are easier, she don't really need to work at all. Only she's like me, independent.'
Joe turned his coffee stagnant with sugar then said, 'Didn't hear you independently ringing the cops out there.'
'You want an affidavit saying you're right or what?' she snapped.
'Well, I'd have plenty of room for one of those,' he said, grinning.
After a while she grinned back and said, 'OK, so I suppose I should be pleased I'm not wasting my money on a dumbo. You're right. I'm worried in case it turns out Mary, or Eddie, is mixed up in this.'
'You didn't just think to ask them?'
'Listen, if they're frightened enough to leave that note, then they'd be too frightened to give me a straight answer,' she said fiercely.
'What makes you think they'd be frightened?'
'What other explanation would there be?' said Zak. 'Someone must be really squeezing them hard. If it is one of them, I mean. Which basically I hate myself for even suspecting.'
Joe could think of one or two other reasons why either of her siblings could have got involved in this caper, but he saw it as no business of his to chip away at her shining, if rather naive, faith. Not unless he had to.
He said, 'Could be one of them was simply conned into leaving the note. Thought it was a joke, or a love letter
