Page 6

“And you don’t have to come through the house,” Mila said again. “But we’re rather hoping you might. You’re welcome for dinner any time you like, and just pop down if you need something. It’s really no trouble.”

She opened up another door into a small but light room with a bed in one corner, a kitchen in another, a small couch, and a very large bookcase.

“That’s a lot of books,” said Tilly.

Mila grinned. “I’m half-owner of the bookshop on the high street, the Queens of Crime? It’s a crime only bookshop, you should pop in sometime and see if there’s anything you like. Max always complains that the books aren’t realistic enough. Too much murder and too little paperwork, he says.”

Tilly stood her suitcase by the door. “Is there a lot of crime in the area?” she asked.

Mila sighed. “More and more, I’m afraid. We’re a lovely little village, and I’m sure you’ll find that everyone here is really nice. But we’re not immune to the world. We have our issues just like anywhere else.” She gave Tilly a shrewd look. “Worried you won’t have enough to do?”

Tilly found that she quite liked Mila. She gave a guilty grin. “Maybe a bit concerned.”

“Don’t be,” said Mila. “I’ve been married to Max long enough to know that there’s plenty to be done here.”

Tilly sort of wanted to ask what kind of policeman Max was. From what she’d seen so far, she wasn’t exactly impressed. The law was the law, as far as she was concerned, and no police officer should be able to flex that law to please his own needs.

Not that she thought Max was corrupt or anything. But maybe policing here in a small community, he’d become a little lazy, a little out of touch with modern methods. She brightened up at this. She could be the one to teach him better, to show him better, she thought.

“Mil, Officer Ware!”

“That’ll be Max now,” Mila said. “The school’s only just down the road.” She turned to Tilly and grinned. “Ready for your first day of work?”

Tilly grinned right back. “I was born ready.”

Mila laughed. “Get to it then, girl. I’ll have dinner ready when you get home if you can deal with my hellion children for an hour or so. Nothing fancy, but it’ll be a hot meal.”

Tilly found herself nodding. She might not be terribly comfortable with the whole family meal idea, but she definitely saw the advantages in a solid home-cooked dinner.

“AFTERNOON, SYLV,” MAX said, waving at a rotund woman outside the shop.

“Afternoon, Max. And who’s this then?”

“New constable,” Max said. “Constable Ware, meet Sylv, shop owner, rabble rouser, and all around hardened criminal.”

The jolly looking woman laughed. “Don’t listen to him,” she said, shaking Tilly’s hand. “But I do run the shop. Just you come in if there’s anything you need.” A customer rapped on the counter inside. “Best be off,” she said.

They were just walking away from the shop when a harried-looking woman with a long ponytail rushed out of the post office, almost colliding with them.

“Jesus, sorry, Max.”

“Not a problem.” Max smiled. “Hope, this is Constable Ware, new in town. And Constable Ware, this is Hope. She’s the secretary over at the school, which makes her by far the most important person in the entire building.”

Hope laughed. “Have at you,” she said, but she was blushing. “Pleased to meet you,” she said politely to Tilly. “And I’ve got to be off. Ava’s doing painting with the lower infants and there’ll be blue walls if I’m not there to help keep an eye on things.”

“Do you know everyone in town?” Tilly asked as they moved on down the street.

“More or less,” Max said comfortably. “I came here fifteen years ago now. Settled down, got married, couldn’t think of leaving.”

Tilly scratched her nose and then cleared her throat. She’d always been taught that asking questions was a good thing, but she wasn’t sure how Max might feel about that.

“Something on your mind?” asked Max.

“Just… Well, isn’t it a bit difficult to be the long arm of the law when all these people are your friends?” Tilly asked.

Max stopped in the middle of the pavement in thought. “I don’t think so,” he said finally. “I mean, first of all, most of Whitebridge aren’t exactly criminals. Secondly, if I didn’t make friends here, I wouldn’t have any friends at all. And thirdly, well, I’d like to think that if the worst happened, then I’d do the right thing. I might be a more caring officer than others might like. It might sadden me to arrest someone I know and love. But if Sylv ends up murdering her lodger, I’ll be the one to clamp the handcuffs on.”

Tilly wasn’t so sure about this, but she nodded. “Okay, makes sense.”