Better Safe Than Sorry

CRIME SHORT STORY BY KATE ASHMORE

In this crime short story, set in the 1950s, When there was a burglary at her office, Gloria set her mind to finding the culprit…

Gloria would have been humming as she went about her work today, except that Mr Wilson didn’t allow that.

The sun was shining, she was going out to lunch with her best friends, Ralph and Agnes, and she’d recently had a small promotion at the legal company where she worked.

Gloria was a secretary at Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins, a prestigious solicitors in the centre of town.

Two weeks ago, she had had the good fortune to be selected as Mr Wilson’s personal assistant, on Miss Gouch’s retirement.

She had earned a larger desk, a pay rise, and had been entrusted with the combination to the safe in which cash and sensitive documents were kept.

Mr Wilson had lectured Gloria at length about discretion, confidentiality and the law.

Mr Wilson was an intimidating gentleman. This was why, when Mr Leesome had turned up demanding to see a will that wasn’t his own, she had given him short shrift.

Her boss would not want to be disturbed.

She smiled to herself as she rose from her desk and smoothed down her skirt.

It was a new one, which she had put on specially as she was going out for lunch.

She’d teamed it with a twin set and a pair of large clip-on earrings.

Now she must put away some documents, then type a couple of letters before she left.

She patted her hair and made her way upstairs to the document room, where the safe was located.

She opened the door and passed between the two rows of filing cabinets, then carefully entered the code.

There was a click and the door swung open.

Gloria stared, then gasped.

To her horror, the safe was completely empty.

“There she is!” Ralph stood up and waved.

“We’d nearly given up on you. Where have you been?” Agnes asked.

Gloria opened her mouth to apologise and instead burst into tears.

“Whatever’s the matter?” Agnes was concerned.

“Come and sit down.” Ralph ushered her gently into a seat and Agnes passed her a hanky.

“Here, have a sip of water and tell us what’s going on,” he added. “Maybe we can help.”

Gloria smiled gratefully at Ralph.

He was always kind, and he looked handsome today in his suit and tie, his dark hair neatly slicked back.

She blew her nose, sipped the drink he’d handed her and took a deep breath.

“Everything’s been stolen from our work safe and I’m the main suspect.

“Mr Wilson has called the police and told me not to come back until the matter’s been resolved.”

“Oh, Gloria, that’s dreadful. They can’t possibly think you’re a thief.” Agnes was shocked.

“I’m afraid that’s exactly what they think.”

“Well, it’s outrageous.” Ralph looked furious, which comforted Gloria a little.

“Only the partners and I have the combination, so I’m the obvious person to blame,” she explained.

“Well, I don’t think so.”

“Neither do I.”

Gloria smiled at her friends.

It was wonderful to have their support, but she couldn’t help worrying about what would happen.

Would she lose her job – or worse?

She sighed. The day had started so well and now everything was a complete mess.

“Don’t worry, Gloria,” Ralph told her. “The police will discover who did it and then you’ll be cleared.”

“I hope so.”

She shook her head and looked about the crowded diner.

No-one else seemed to have any cares in the world.

A group of girls were laughing and eating ice-cream, two young men in slick suits and sunglasses were drinking coffee, and an older gentleman was tucking into a slice of potato pie and fritters.

“It’s very strange.” Ralph looked pensive, his chin resting on his hand.

“The same thing happened at Garrett’s about three weeks ago. The police were everywhere for a while.”

“Your work safe was burgled, too?” Agnes was incredulous.

“Yes, and they still haven’t got to the bottom of it. Maybe the two cases are connected?”

Gloria thought about this.

It was possible, and if the same thief was responsible for both, it was more likely to be an outside job.

“Who are the suspects at Garrett’s?” she asked him.

“There are three main ones. The bosses, Eric Hadgo and Cecil Leesome, and Mr Leesome’s secretary, Judith Mowly.

They’re the only ones who had the combination.

“Surely it must have been someone else? A cat burglar or something,” Agnes suggested.

“You’d think so, but there’s no evidence of a break-in.”

“What did you say?” Gloria’s attention had been caught by a name. “Did you say Cecil Leesome?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s one of our bosses who deals with the legal side of house sales. Why?”

“Because I know him!” Gloria was excited.

“He’s been coming into Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins and creating a stink because he wants to see a will that he’s not entitled to look at.”

“Really? That’s brilliant!” It was Ralph’s turn to look thrilled.

“If he has a connection with both businesses that shoots him straight up the suspect list.”

“Yes.” Agnes’s eyes were glowing. “It must be him.

“You’ll have to tell the police, Gloria, when they interview you.”

Gloria’s spirits sank when she remembered that the police would be coming to speak to her, but Agnes was right.

“I wonder what his motive would be,” she mused.

“He must be on a decent salary. Why would he need to resort to theft?”

“I don’t know,” Ralph replied. “Sometimes, people get greedy.

“Anyway, didn’t you say he wanted to get his hands on a will? Perhaps it’s the documents he was after.”

“How clever of you.” Gloria beamed at him.

“But why burgle his own company, too?” Agnes asked.

Gloria thought about this.

“I know,” she replied. “It could have been a diversion. A red herring to put the police off the scent.”

“Brilliant idea.” Ralph gazed admiringly at her.

“There you go. I’m sure the police will soon wrap it up and you’ll be able to go back to work.

“Talking of which, I have to go. Remember, Agnes and I will support you until all this is over.”

A week later and Gloria, Ralph and Agnes had gathered in the girls’ flat to talk about everything.

During the last few days, Gloria had been interviewed twice by the police and she still wasn’t allowed into work.

It was getting her down.

“I don’t understand why Mr Wilson hasn’t let you return, Gloria, now there’s more evidence.” Ralph looked puzzled.

“I don’t think he trusts me. I have to wait until someone is arrested.”

“What a mean man!” Agnes was indignant and Gloria couldn’t help agreeing with her.

The police had discovered evidence of a break-in at Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins.

Someone had scaled the building and come in through a window on the top floor.

Thankfully, that pushed Gloria further down the suspect list than ever and the police were inclined to believe it was an outside job.

Mr Wilson didn’t seem to agree, however.

“It’s very strange,” Ralph remarked.

“I thought both thefts must be linked, but it doesn’t seem likely now one is a break-in and one isn’t.”

Gloria thought Ralph looked nice this evening in his patterned vest jumper, with his dark hair flopping across his forehead and his thoughtful blue eyes.

She tried not to let this distract her from the conversation. She was desperate to be cleared.

“I know!” She gasped.

“If both crimes were committed by someone at Garrett’s, they would have a key for one office but not the other!”

“Gosh, what a clever idea!” Ralph beamed at her.

“You could be right,” Agnes agreed. “It might still be Cecil Leesome.”

Gloria and Ralph looked at each other.

“Actually,” Gloria told her, “it’s very unlikely. Mr Leesome is a large man and not very fit. I doubt he could scale a building.”

Ralph agreed.

“Who does that leave?” Agnes asked.

“Eric Hadgo and Judith Mowley, but Mr Hadgo is scared of heights.”

“So our most likely suspect is Miss Mowley,” Gloria reflected.

“She is a secretary, after all, and won’t be paid as well as the two men.”

“That’s true, but she’s quite well off,” Ralph replied. “She lives at Twin Pines. She only works because she enjoys it.”

“Oh, this is getting more and more complicated.”

“Don’t worry. You girls have a cup of tea and I’ll nip out for the fish and chips. Then we’ll put our minds to it afresh.”

Gloria smiled. Ralph was such a comfort.

She got up and went into the small kitchen to boil the kettle.

She put some tea leaves into the pot and looked around for the cosy and strainer.

She found three cups and saucers and some plates and cutlery for the fish and chips.

Soon the kettle let out an almighty whistle.

She removed it from the stove, filled the pot, and carried everything through to the other room.

It wasn’t long before Ralph returned.

He dashed inside, dumped the fish and chips on the coffee table and waved a newspaper at them, his face flushed.

“You’ll never guess what,” he cried.

“What is it, Ralph?”

“I picked up a copy of ‘The Evening News’ and there’s been another robbery!”

“Another one?” Gloria exclaimed.

“Yes, and you’ll never guess where – at Twin Pines! Judith Mowley’s had her home safe burgled.”

There was a gasp, then silence.

Gloria couldn’t believe her ears, but Ralph passed her the paper and she read the article herself.

“This is incredible,” she said. “Three safes robbed in one month. There has to be a connection.”

“I think so, too, but what?”

Gloria decided to serve up the food, and Agnes poured Ralph a cup of tea.

They would have their supper and put their brains back to work when they were refreshed.

For a while, there was quiet as they savoured their tea and enjoyed the scent of salt and vinegar.

Then Gloria turned to Ralph once more.

“Tell us everything you know about our three suspects,” she prompted.

“Well, Cecil Leesome is a bachelor and looking to retire early. That’s why he wants to see that will.

“He needs to know if he’s due to inherit money and can afford to stop work at fifty-five.”

“What about Eric Hadgo?” Gloria asked.

“He’s in his early forties and married to Nellie,” Ralph replied.

“They have two children and they’re getting an extension to their house.”

“I guess it can’t be Judith Mowley now. She’s hardly going to rob herself, so we’ll have to rule her out. Are there any other connections?”

Ralph thought for a moment.

“The Hadgos are friends of Judith Mowley, so there’s a connection there.”

“Maybe they’re in it together and Nellie’s the cat burglar,” Gloria mused.

“They might need the money for their extension.”

“Or it’s Cecil Leesome – one burglary was at his work, one safe contained the will, and he works with Judith,” Agnes put in.

“Goodness, how will we figure it out?”

Over the next few days, Gloria tried to keep busy.

Since the third robbery, the police no longer seemed interested in her, which was a relief.

However, Mr Wilson was still insisting she stay at home.

There would be a huge pile of typing to catch up on when she returned, and she was also expecting an enormous apology.

While Agnes was at work, Gloria cleaned the flat from top to bottom, went to visit her mother, and took a cake to Mrs Fulton, who hadn’t been well.

Despite all this, she was having trouble keeping her mind off the case, so she decided to go into town.

She combed her hair, tied a scarf around her neck and set off.

Gloria passed Mrs Lennox pushing her large pram and Dr Nicholls waved at her from his Morris Minor.

It was a beautiful afternoon, so she decided to make a detour to the park.

When she got there, she sat on a bench beneath a weeping willow and watched a small child feeding the ducks.

The sun flickered through the clouds and she could hear a quarrel of sparrows chattering in the hedge.

It was lovely here, but her mind kept going over and over the suspects.

The Hadgos seemed a likely pair. They were younger and fitter then Mr Leesome, and although Eric Hadgo was afraid of heights, Nellie wasn’t.

But what connection did they have to Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins?

On the other hand, Cecil Leesome had a connection to all three burgled places, but he was unlikely to be able to scale a building.

Who could it be?

Moreover, since none of these people were professional criminals or safe-crackers, how did they get hold of the codes?

All of them would have been privy to the combination at Garrett’s, since Eric and Cecil worked there.

They would also have access to the building keys.

Possibly they might have found out Judith’s combination, either at work or when visiting her home.

But how would any of them have known the code at Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins? It was an enigma.

Gloria rose to her feet. She wouldn’t figure it out sitting by the pond, so she headed towards the shops to complete her errands.

She was just passing Garrett’s when she heard her name and turned to see Ralph coming out of the doorway.

“Gloria, how are you?”

She smiled, immediately feeling better for seeing him.

“I’m fine, thank you, Ralph.

I just can’t stop going over and over everything in my mind.

He looked concerned and took her hand.

“I’m sure the police will figure it out soon, Gloria. Try not to worry.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I think it has to be both or one of the Hadgos or Mr Leesome.

“We just need to figure out how any of them would have got hold of the combination to the safe at Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins. It’s the final piece of the puzzle.”

“Gosh, you’re right. You are clever, Gloria.”

Gloria smiled.

“Thank you for all your support, Ralph. You and Agnes have been wonderful.”

Ralph reddened.

“No problem at all,” he mumbled. “You’ve been really amazing, and I –

“What’s the matter?” Ralph was suddenly worried.

Gloria’s eyes were blazing, her cheeks flushed, and her mouth had fallen open.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m fine. More than fine.” She pointed to a couple who were walking down an alleyway on the other side of the road, unaware that anyone could see them.

Ralph turned and looked, but still his face was blank.

“It’s Mrs Hadgo, but I don’t –”

“Yes, and she’s with Mr Wilson. Look how they’re looking at each other.”

At that moment the pair kissed and Gloria knew she had solved the mystery.

Gloria opened the door of the flat to find Ralph waiting outside with a bunch of flowers.

Her eyes widened and her spirits rose even higher.

“Come in, Ralph. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“That would be nice,” he said, thrusting the flowers towards her.

“I wanted to wish you luck for your first day back at work tomorrow.”

“That’s so kind,” Gloria replied. “I do feel a bit nervous.”

“You shouldn’t. You’ve been cleared of all wrong-doing, unlike Mr Wilson. I can’t believe he was having an affair with Mrs Hadgo.”

She nodded.

“I know. It’s hard to believe, but it did give us the final piece of the puzzle.”

“It was you who solved it, Gloria,” Ralph said. “You were amazing.”

Gloria felt rather warm as he gazed at her adoringly.

It was true, however, that when she’d seen Nellie Hadgo with Mr Wilson and realised they were involved, she’d known that Nellie could also have got hold of the combination at Wilson, Carp and Hodgekins.

She and possibly her husband must be responsible.

Gloria had been to the police and now the two had been questioned.

It was Nellie Hadgo who was the main culprit, but her husband wasn’t blameless, either.

Mr Hadgo had lost money on the horses and had “borrowed” from his firm’s safe to help cover his losses.

Moreover, he could no longer afford to finish their home extension.

Nellie had stolen everything in Garrett’s safe to cover up her husband’s misdemeanour.

This, however, and Mr Wilson’s accidental revelation of his firm’s combination one evening, gave her the idea of stealing money from there, and ultimately from her friend Judith, too.

This, she hoped, would pay for the completion of the building work.

Nellie was now under arrest and Mr Hadgo would be prosecuted, too.

Ralph took Gloria’s hand.

“You’re a fabulous girl, and you’ve coped so well these last weeks.

“I wonder if you’d like to go to the pictures with me to celebrate?” he suggested.

“That would be lovely,” Gloria replied, and, to her surprise and delight, he leaned forward and kissed her.

For a moment, she was unable to say anything more.

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