Charlie Palmer Says by Beverley Bowry

Author:Beverley Bowry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2019-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

‘No it wasn’t!’ I yell.

Detective Gardiner has a notebook out and is writing everything down. ‘And what makes you so certain he’s not the guilty party?’

‘Because…’ I look across to Hattie. ‘Just because.’

‘I’m afraid that’s not really a good enough reason, young man. We need a bit more to go on than that. Detective Williams here will arrange for one of our fingerprint people to come along in the next hour so please don’t move anything in the rooms concerned. Meanwhile we’ll need a list of what’s been stolen and when you think the robbery might have taken place, and the details of this lad. What did you say his name was? Charlie Palmer?’

‘That’s right.’

Thea tells them everything including all about Nana’s jewellery. I show them the earring I found while Hattie helps Rob get everyone a drink.

‘Didn’t take anything else, then? Hmmm, looks like they were specifically targeting certain valuables like jewellery. So this lad then, your friend Charlie – local boy, is he?’

I jump to my feet. ‘You’re wasting time. It wasn’t him. I do know who the real burglars are, though – the Kimbles from down the road, and they’ve got Mr Dupont’s generator too.’

‘Generator? And who’s Mr Dupont?’

‘Mr Dupont used to live here but he lives at Hope House now, the old people’s home where the children’s home used to be. His generator was left behind in a cupboard in the cellar and now it’s gone. He really, really wants it back.’

Thea stares daggers at me. ‘Nathan! Mum would go bonkers if she knew you’d just said that about the Kimbles.’ She turns towards the policemen. ‘Our mum reckons my brother’s friend is making up stories about them to get himself off the hook.’

The detective carries on asking me about Charlie and the generator. I just tell him what I know – well, about Charlie at any rate. I don’t know where he lives or where he comes from. In fact I don’t really know much about him at all and what I do know, I can’t tell them.

‘Now, you wouldn’t be trying to cover for this boy, would you, by any chance? Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s tried to shift the blame to save a friend. It’s very noble and all that but if he’s guilty we’ll find out and then you could be in trouble yourself. Best to tell us everything now, especially if he’s been involved in the other burglaries in the vicinity.’

‘I can’t,’ I say.

‘Got some sort of hold over you, has he? Using blackmail to keep you quiet?’

‘No! No! If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.’

‘You could try. Detective Williams and I are very understanding.’

I shake my head.

‘Nathan, if Mum was here she’d say stop being difficult and tell the detective.’

‘I can’t, Thea, I just can’t. Sorry.’

‘Okay. Okay. So you, young lady – Hattie, isn’t it? Have you met this Charlie Palmer?’

Thea interrupts immediately. ‘Oh, Hattie doesn’t know anything. It’s the first time she’s been here.’

‘I see. Ah, sounds like my fingerprint colleague’s arrived.

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