‘I wish we had arrived earlier,’ said Alice.
Jamie shook his head at her. ‘I’m glad you weren’t here.’
Alice turned to Spencer. ‘Anything been taken?’
‘I’m not sure. I haven’t had a good look yet.’
Alice scanned the storage room. ‘Where are the children’s chocolate selection boxes? Have they been handed out already?’
Spencer leaned over her shoulder to a low shelf. ‘They were in a box right there.’
Alice huffed. ‘Why would someone steal those? They’re for kids.’
Jamie called from the front. ‘Can’t see anything missing out here. Mind you, whoever did this wouldn’t have had long to load up.’
Alice went to the window with a dustpan and broom. ‘Good thing too. We’ve got loads of food now it’s Christmas, and we don’t need some lowlife running off with the lot.’
Jamie took the broom from her. ‘Let me. Fetch a box for this glass, and I’ll scoop it into there. You call someone about repairing the window.’
‘Ooh, yeah. Let’s hope something can be done soon.’ She went to the phone book they kept in the Hub that contained all their helpers and associates.
The door to the Hub swung open, and Samuel walked in. ‘What happened?’
‘Someone stole the chocolate we had for the kids,’ said Spencer, helping to clear the floor.
Samuel’s brow lifted. ‘That’s just shocking.’
‘I’m just calling the glazier that put the window in when this was being renovated. Hopefully, he’ll be able to help.’ Alice waggled the phone.
Samuel shook his head in disbelief. ‘I’ll check the security footage.’ He opened the app on his phone.
Jamie glanced up at the ceiling, not spotting any cameras. ‘I didn’t know you had any here.’
Samuel was focused on his phone. ‘Yep. Just outside.’
‘You wouldn’t think a place like this would need one, but Samuel had it installed when he joined the team,’ said Spencer, tipping glass into the box Alice brought over.
‘Some young bloke.’ Samuel showed everyone the screen on his phone.
Alice gasped. ‘That’s Gregg’s little brother, Karl.’
Jamie peered over her shoulder. ‘I’ve not seen him in years, but it does look like him.’
Spencer shook his head. ‘Didn’t even care to hide his face. Idiot. Well, the police are on their way, so that’s him caught. Not like they don’t know where that family lives.’
Alice went back to making her call. The memory of when such crimes around Port Berry were committed by Jamie washed over her. She was so glad he wasn’t that person anymore. And that he had nothing to do with the likes of Gregg or Karl.
Chapter 32
Jamie
Jamie was hanging some mistletoe around the B&B, thinking it would make Alice laugh when she had to keep stopping for a kiss with him. It was something to do now that he didn’t have his shift at the Hub. The window was getting fixed, and Alice was still over there, refusing to leave.
Benny had just broken up from school for the Christmas holidays, so he was busy in his room, wrapping presents.
It had been a busy day, and Jamie still couldn’t believe Lizzie was now his friend and had welcomed him into her family. There was no way he was going to let her down.
Part of him wanted to go back to the Hub to lend a hand, not that there was much to do, but Alice was there with the rest of the founders, so he knew he wasn’t needed. He considered going to group therapy later. Even though Demi praised it so much, he didn’t feel it was a fit for him anymore. Perhaps one more go wouldn’t hurt.
