Threats at Three by Ann Purser Page B

deathly white. “Sod off,” he said. “I’m goin’ to school.”
    “Never used to be s”keen on school,” the man said. “Got some sweets here. Cheer you up, they will. Sure you don’t wanna come?”
    Jack hesitated, and Jonathan gave him a push from behind. “Get into the playground,” he hissed. “He won’t dare follow. He’s big trouble. You oughta know that. Go on, for God’s sake.”
    Another push got Jack Jr. through the gates. He ran into school without a backwards glance. The man shrugged, put the packet back into his pocket and walked away. “Always another day,” he muttered to himself.

    LOIS CAME INTO THE SHOP SMILING BROADLY. “MORNING, LOVE,” she said. “Lovely weather for ducks.”
    Josie looked out at the sheeting rain, and agreed. “And that young Jack Hickson didn’t have a coat nor nothing,” she said.
    “Jack?” Lois said. “Why did you say that? Didn’t know you were concerned about the Hickson family.” Then she remembered that it had been Josie who suggested Paula for a job with New Brooms. “Well, I don’t really mean you,” she added. “It’s your father and Gran who ain’t got no time for them. Give a dog a bad name, I reckon.”
    “Not much wrong with that family, except for Jack Jr.,” Josie said sadly. “I nearly banned him from the shop this morning. Very lippy he was. It’s almost like he wants trouble.”
    “He’s going the right way to get it,” Lois replied. “Anyway, don’t let’s bother about him now. He’s neither one thing nor the other at the moment, not a real teenager nor a child. His voice isn’t properly broken, even. I shall see Paula at the meeting later on. D’you want me to mention it? Or shall we just see how he goes?”
    Josie smiled. “Good old Mum,” she said. “Feet on the ground. No wonder Matt’s uncle is so smitten.”
    “Josie!”
    “Sorry, sorry! Just that Matt says the lads at the station know that Cowgill’s always in a better mood when he’s made a call to Long Farnden.”
    “Change the subject,” Lois said firmly. “Did he have any news about the village hall? Any ideas about who might be having a go at burning it down to the ground?”
    Josie shook her head. “If he did know anything, he wasn’t telling me,” she said. “He’s very strict about that. Off duty means just that. And police business is confidential.”
    “Doesn’t stop him having a normal conversation about village matters, does it?”
    “We got better things to talk about, Mum,” Josie said, and that was that.
     
     
    PAULA WAS ENJOYING HERSELF. LOIS HAD SENT HER UP TO FARNDEN Hall, where Mrs. Tollervey-Jones had sighed with relief on seeing her. “Mrs. Meade telephoned earlier about Floss being unwell,” she said, ushering Paula through the kitchen door. Tradesmen’s entrance, thought Paula, and then reminded herself that Mrs. T-J was a JP on the magistrate’s bench in Tresham and might well have come across Jack Sr. in her work in the family court. She had had to go to the doctor with her wrist when Jack had slashed her. She was pretty sure that he hadn’t meant to do it, but he was blind drunk at the time and his hand had slipped. That’s what he had said, anyway, and this is what she had told the doc as he treated her. She could see he didn’t believe her, but there was nothing more she could say.
    In a way, it had been a relief when Jack Sr. had left. Being on her own was hard, but at least she could concentrate on the kids and not worry about keeping them out of Jack’s way when he was in the drink.
    Now she picked up a tiny porcelain foxhound, one of a group surrounding a finely modelled horse and rider. As instructed, she took great care and replaced them all exactly as she found them. Mrs. T-J had gone into the village, and Paula wanted everything to be perfect for when she returned. This job with New Brooms was heaven sent, and she intended no fault would be found with her work.
    “Don’t open the door to