by Joan Jonker
‘Well, well, what have we here?’ The sergeant ignored the prisoner for several reasons. First he could hardly question a man who was flat on his face with a woman sitting on his back, and secondly, he wouldn’t get the truth anyway. ‘Which one of you ladies can tell me what happened?’
‘The woman next door saw the start of it, I’ll give her a shout.’ Kate held on to the side wall while she leaned inside the hallway. ‘Maggie, can yer come out a minute? The police are here and want to know how it happened.’
Maggie came out, thinking all this excitement was too much for her. Many more days like this and she wouldn’t live to tell the tale. ‘I was peeling me spuds by the sink, and I happened to look out of the window and saw a man sitting astride Miss Parkinson’s wall.’ She was doing her very best to speak posh. ‘That’s the name of the lady what lives here, and she’s eighty years of age. Well, I was fair flummoxed, I didn’t know what to think. One minute he was on the wall, the next I heard him dropping into her yard.’ Whenever Maggie saw a policeman she thought of trouble. Not that she’d ever been in trouble, nor had any of her family, thank God, it was the uniform that put her in mind of it. To stop her hands from shaking, she folded her arms and hoisted her bosom. ‘I didn’t know where to turn, ’cos there wasn’t much I could do on me own, so I ran across the street to Kate’s house and told her. And she’ll tell yer what happened after that because I’m not thinking straight. It’s the shock, yer see.’
‘I understand, and I’ll take your particulars down later. Thank you.’
When Kate told him there were four women involved in catching the robber, the policeman said he thought it better to question them in Miss Parkinson’s house, later. ‘A police van will be here any minute to take our friend here to the station for questioning. Then, if Miss Parkinson is up to it, I can take down all the details.’
‘Look what I’ve taken off him.’ Monica held out her hands. ‘These were in his pockets along with what he’d pinched off Miss Parkinson. She’s got all her stuff back, but he won’t tell us where he robbed these from so we can give them back to their owner.’
‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to take them off you, they’re evidence. But we will find the rightful owner, I promise.’
‘Did yer say there was a Black Maria coming, sir?’ asked Grace, getting excited because she’d never seen one in their street before and she’d enjoy seeing what they were like inside.
The sergeant nodded. ‘It should be here any moment.’
Grace turned to her neighbour. ‘I won’t come home yet, Tilly, but you can go if yer want. I’m not going to miss seeing that bastard being put in a Black Maria.’ Then she lowered her voice. ‘And I want to see them putting handcuffs on him.’
‘What makes yer think I’m going to miss all the fun!’ Tilly’s tongue came out to blow a raspberry. ‘Yer can sod off, Grace, I’m staying put.’
The sound of a motor engine set all heads turning. ‘Ah, here it is.’ When the van stopped where the sergeant pointed his finger, the women moved as one. Everyone had seen a Black Maria and knew it was for carrying prisoners, but they’d never been close to one before. The two bobbies who stepped down were amazed by what they saw. It was the talk of the station for days. Not when Sergeant Bridgewater was around, though. He frowned and asked if they didn’t have something better to do. He thought if they found it so funny, they should enjoy the joke in their own time. Like he did.
‘Have you brought a property bag with you?’
‘Yes, Sarge, and a report sheet.’
‘Good! Get them for me before you remove the prisoner. I’m going to be busy here for a while, so put him straight into a cell and I’ll interview him myself when I get back to the station. There’s no hurry, he won’t be going anywhere for a long time.’
Sergeant Bridgewater didn’t go straight into Miss Parkinson’s house but stood and watched as the prisoner was lifted to his feet handcuffed, and put in the back of the van. Never once did he lift his head to look at the women. But, oh, how they enjoyed watching him. They called him names that turned the air blue, and would have battered him if it hadn’t been for his two escorts. They even ran after the van for a short distance, banging on the sides and cursing him for robbing the poor. The sergeant made no attempt to stop them because he thought they deserved that much leeway. They had prevented a robber from stealing from one of their own.
‘Now I’m going to ask you to go back to your homes, ladies, except for the four who were involved in apprehending the prisoner. And I want to thank you for showing your concern for an elderly person, and for being so public-spirited. Without you, he would be robbing another innocent person right this minute.’
‘That’s what neighbours are for,’ Kate said, ‘to help each other when needed. We’d be a poor lot if we’d sat on our backsides and did nothing.’
‘Hear, hear!’ This came from most of the women. And Tilly added, ‘We’re always on the look-out for each other in this street, but after today we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Sergeant Bridgewater turned to go into the house, got as far as the step, thought of something and turned back. ‘By the way, ladies, I’ll be back to see Miss Parkinson tomorrow, after I’ve interviewed the prisoner. I will tell her what has happened, and what will happen, and I’m sure the information will be passed on to you. Good afternoon.’
Kate was about to follow Monica and Winnie into Miss Parkinson’s house when Sally caught her arm. ‘Proper gent, he is, Kate. Treated us with respect, not like a gang of kids without a brain between us. You tell him we appreciate that.’
‘Yer haven’t got yer eye on him, have yer, sunshine?’ Kate grinned. ‘Don’t be greedy, yer’ve already got one feller.’
‘I’d swap my feller for him any day,’ Sally said. ‘Tell him I’m a smashing cook, good at housework, and would wait on him hand and foot. Now, no man could refuse that.’
‘I won’t tell him, Sally, ’cos it might embarrass him.’ Kate leaned forward and in a loud whisper said, ‘What I will do, though, sunshine, is keep me eye out for your Bill coming home from work tonight. And I’ll tell him how lucky I think he is to have a wife what waits on him hand and foot.’
‘What! I don’t wait on him hand and foot, it’s the other way around! So don’t yer be causing bleeding trouble, Kate Spencer, or I’ll be having sharp words with yer.’
As Kate stepped into the hallway, she heard Tilly saying, ‘Sally, yer live in a blinking world of yer own, you do, yer silly faggot! What d’yer mean by saying Bill waits on yer hand and foot? That’s a bleeding lie if I ever heard one.’
Chapter Sixteen
Sergeant Bridgewater straightened his notebook on his knee before replacing the top on his fountain pen. ‘That’s fine, ladies, you’ve been very co-operative. I wish I could tell you what will happen now, but until I’ve interviewed the prisoner with one of my senior officers there’s little I can say. The man will have to appear before a court for sentencing, and in my opinion will be sent to jail for a considerable time. But that is for the judge to decide.’
Kate, who had been sitting on the floor next to Miss Parkinson’s chair, scrambled to her feet. ‘The one thing I will regret all my life is that I didn’t hit him a couple more times with this.’ She waved the rolling pin with a flourish. ‘I’d feel as though I’d got me own back on him for what he put Miss Parkinson through.’
Monica grinned at the officer as she got to her feet to stand beside her friend. ‘Yer wouldn’t believe, would yer, with the face she’s got what makes her look like an angel, that she could be so bloodthirsty? It just goes to show, like my old ma used to say, yer should never go by a person’s looks, they can be very deceptive.’
‘I feel the same as Kate,’ Maggie Duffy said. ‘I can count on one hand the times in me life I’ve ever wanted to raise me hand to anyone in anger. But, by God, I felt like raising it to that man. It doesn’t bear thinking about what would have happened if I ha
dn’t seen him on the wall! Miss Parkinson would have been no match for him. He could have felled her with one blow.’
Miss Parkinson, always neat and tidy, and still looking elegant in her eighties, was well-spoken and very articulate. ‘It was my own fault, I should keep the kitchen door bolted. I shall be more careful in future.’
‘Yer shouldn’t have to keep yer door bolted, queen!’ Winnie’s voice told of her anger. ‘This is your home and he had no right to come in uninvited, to steal from yer.’
‘That is quite true,’ Sergeant Bridgewater said, nodding in agreement. ‘However it is always best to be careful, especially about yard and back doors. Not that anything like this is likely to happen again, burglaries are rare in this area. And I can say for certain that the person you apprehended today, you will never see again.’
‘Will yer let us know how yer get on with him?’ Kate asked. ‘We’d all like to hear what his punishment will be, and also if yer find out who that other jewellery belongs to. If we know it’ll go back to whoever owns it, at least the story will have a happy ending for someone.’
‘I’ll be calling back because there may be further questions I need to ask. I’ll have some information on the prisoner, if nothing else.’
‘Thank you, the whole street will be interested to hear.’ Kate bent to put a hand on Miss Parkinson’s arm. ‘I’ll nip over after we’ve had our meal tonight to make sure ye’re all right. I’ll tap on the window first, so yer’ll know who it is.’
‘I’ve told her to keep the poker at the side of her chair, so she can use it to knock on the wall if she needs anything,’ Maggie said. ‘But it would be nice if yer popped in tonight, Kate, and I’ll be here first thing in the morning.’
‘We’ll organize something,’ Monica said. ‘We can take it in turns between the three of us.’
‘Four of us,’ Winnie said, her mouth set in determination. ‘I can give a hand. Yer’ve been helping me over the last few days, I know what a comfort it is to have people calling when yer live on yer own. So count me in for a visit any time yer like.’ She saw Kate raise her brows. ‘Oh, I know that sounds like the blind leading the blind, but I’m a lot better today and will be even more so tomorrow.’
‘Okay, sunshine, have it yer own way. Now let’s be making tracks or there’ll be no dinner on the table tonight!’
Goodbyes were said, then the three friends hurried across the cobbled street. ‘This has been a day and a half, this has,’ Kate said. ‘I feel worn out yet I haven’t done anything! And I’ll never get those dresses washed now, there won’t be time before the kids come home. I’ll have to hide them until tomorrow.’
‘Give the dresses to me, queen,’ Winnie said. ‘I’ll have them washed and dried before bedtime. I’ve got no one to worry about coming in for a meal, so I’ve got time on me hands.’
‘What! Yer first day out, and all hell’s broken loose! It’s been far too hectic for yer today, yer’ll be worn out.’ They were standing outside Kate’s house, and she was surprised to see the front door ajar. She’d been so concerned when Maggie knocked to tell her about the man on the wall, she’d run out without thinking. ‘I’ll do them first thing in the morning, sunshine, don’t you be worrying yer head about them.’
Winnie chuckled. ‘I’m not a bit tired, queen, I’ve had a good sit down on that bloke’s back for half an hour. Go and get the dresses and I promise I won’t kill meself washing them. Go on, do as yer granny tells yer or the kids will be home from school before yer know it.’
Monica pulled a face. ‘It’s five dresses, girl, not one! What’s the use of us telling yer to take it easy, and then palming our washing on to yer?’
‘If I didn’t want to do them, or feel up to it, then I’d soon tell yer. All the excitement seems to have done me good, I feel better for it.’
Mindful that Nancy would be home soon, and that one of the dresses was to be a surprise for her birthday party on Saturday, Kate gave in. ‘Okay, yer talked us into it. But I won’t ask yer in the house now, if yer don’t mind, ’cos I’ll have to go like the clappers to get the dinner on in time. I’ll fetch the clothes out for yer.’
When Winnie took hold of the bundle of clothes, she said, ‘With a bit of luck I’ll have them on the line while there’s still a bit of a breeze. It’ll give me something to do while I’m waiting for me tummy and me heart to calm down after all the excitement.’ She shook her head. ‘There’s some rotters in the world, isn’t there? Fancy a big feller like that robbing an old lady! I hope they lock him in a cell and throw away the key.’
‘Oh, I agree with yer, girl!’ Monica said. ‘If it was up to me, I’d put him in a room with half a dozen women and let them loose on him. He’d think twice about doing it again.’
‘I’m going to love yer and leave yer,’ Kate told them. ‘I’ll have to run around like the Keystone Cops to get things looking halfway normal for John coming home.’
‘He won’t expect everything to be spot on, queen, when yer tell him about Miss Parkinson’s lucky escape. I bet he’ll be flabbergasted.’
‘Flabbergasted or not, sunshine, he’ll want a cooked dinner after working all day. So I’ll say ta-ra until tomorrow.’
When Kate disappeared into the house, closing the door behind her, Monica clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth and shook her head slowly. ‘I don’t worry about my feller as much as Kate does about hers. If the meal’s not on the table on the dot, she’s a nervous wreck. Anyone would think John was a bully, yet he’s the most mild-mannered man yer could wish to meet. She started off being too soft with him, and now she can’t stop. It’s not John’s fault, Kate’s only got herself to blame. I don’t have no bother with my feller. If the dinner’s not ready, he’ll sit and read the Echo with never a peep out of him.’
‘Everyone is different, and it wouldn’t do for us all to be the same, queen. It would be a miserable world if we were. But I was like Kate with my husband. I used to watch for him through the window, and his dinner would be on the table and his slippers by his chair. Of course there was only the two of us, so we looked after each other.’ Winnie held the bundle of clothes to her chest. ‘I’d better make a start on these. It won’t take me long ’cos they’re only cotton. I’ll put them to steep in warm water while I make meself a cuppa. So I’ll see yer tomorrow, queen, ta-ra.’ Winnie had turned to walk away when she remembered something. ‘Oh, Monica, will yer thank yer husband for getting me milk stout but tell him I’ll go for it meself tonight? The sooner I get back in me routine the better. But I am beholden to him.’
Monica waved and called, ‘I will tell him, but I think ye’re daft. Yer should let us wait on yer for another day or two. Ye’re too ruddy independent.’
‘As long as I’m able to look after meself, queen, I’ll do it.’ She saw Nancy and Dolly turn into the street. ‘Here’s yer daughter with Nancy, so we’re just in time. Ta-ra!’
Kate was regretting telling the family about the excitement because their dinners were left untouched as questions flew across the table. John was red in the face with anger. ‘What sort of a man would pick on an old lady?’ He shook his head vigorously. ‘No, I’m wrong to call him a man, ’cos no man I know would stoop so low. He’s a coward, through and through.’
Billy’s eyes were like saucers. ‘I wish I’d been here, I’d have had a go at him.’
‘Did Mrs Cartwright really sit on him, Mam?’ Nancy was picturing the scene in her mind. ‘She’s very brave, ’cos I wouldn’t have, I’d have been too frightened.’
‘She’s not only brave, she’s ruddy quick! I thought the bloke would go out the back way when he heard us knocking at the front, and I wasn’t expecting him to come bursting out. I had the rolling pin in me hand, but before I knew what was happening Winnie had tripped him up and was sat on his back. She moved like greased lightning, I’ve never seen anything like it! When I hit him with the rolling pin, he’d already been caught. Still, I must have dazed him because after a while a big lump came
up on the top of his head. It bought us some time so Monica and Maggie could get round to us.’ Kate closed her eyes to visualize it more clearly in her mind. ‘No one thought it funny at the time, and of course it’s a very serious matter and not to be laughed at, but the policeman’s face was a picture no artist could paint. I knew he was having a hard job to stop himself laughing. After all, yer’ve seen the size of Winnie – four foot ten and weighing about six stone at the most. The bloke she was sitting on was six foot at least, and could have picked her up with one hand as though she was a feather. It must have looked comical to anyone arriving on the scene, a burglar who’d been caught by a gang of women who were in the mood for lynching him. Yer see, all the neighbours came out when they heard the commotion, and were so angry they were calling the bloke every name they could think of, and kicking him into the bargain.’
John still looked concerned. ‘Is Miss Parkinson all right?’
‘She was in a real bad state at first, shaking and crying her eyes out ’cos the thief had stolen a ring that had been her mother’s. That’s besides her purse and two necklaces. But when Monica went through the bloke’s pockets, everything he’d stolen from her was there. She seemed to calm down a bit then. But I’m going over when we’ve finished our dinner, just to make sure she’s fit to leave in the house on her own.’
‘She’ll have to be watched very closely, love,’ John said. ‘A shock to the system like that would affect anyone, even a young person. At her age it could bring on a stroke, or even a heart attack.’
