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“Gabriella.” Jerry gave a hoot. “We got the law coming now, Sarah.”

“She’s a WPC?” Sarah’s heart lifted.

“No. She’s a traffic warden, but she’s stepping out with a policeman. A Scotland Yard detective, ’n’ all.” Jerry rubbed his hands together. “Teddy Roe must’ve called her.”

Sarah kept looking down at the paved area near the back door, but it was some time before she saw the woman reappear, this time with another woman in tow.

Jerry squeezed in next to her. “What can you see? Oh, look, look. There’s Ruby!”

The two women disappeared under the awning at the back door.

“Who’s Ruby?” Sarah asked.

“Ruby’s a wonderful woman,” Jerry said, and the way he said it, Sarah could almost see the stars in his eyes. “She helped Teddy Roe, gave him a place to live, and then she organized me a place and a job. She’s just . . .” He lifted his hands. “She’s the jewel her name proclaims her to be.”

“Do you think Robby’s mother is out, as well as the boys?” Sarah asked. “I heard them leave early this morning, but she usually goes shopping in the morning and is back in by lunch time.”

“Maybe she was meeting friends?” Jerry said.

Sarah shot him a look and he lifted his shoulders.

“She might have friends. There’s no accounting for taste.”

The laugh burst out of her without warning, and she put her hand over her mouth.

Then she saw the two women step out from beneath the awning and head back round the side. “Are they going to try the front door?” she wondered.

Jerry tugged at her. “Come on, we need to go make some noise at the door so they know where to find us.”

“You think they’re going to break in?” Sarah asked.

“Teddy Roe will, if he’s read that note and knows I’m here.” Jerry released her arm and ran down the stairs.

She heard him hammering on the door and shouting, and she looked around the room for anything she might want to take with her if they were able to escape, and realized there was nothing.

She followed Jerry out and sat on the stairs, watching as he thumped his fists against the door.

It rattled and flexed, and she straightened up a bit in interest. It might actually give if enough force was applied.

“Move over,” she said. “Let’s put our shoulders to it.”

Jerry looked back at her, and stopped hammering. “You think it’ll give.”

She shrugged. “Let’s see.”

It was going to be tricky, because the door was set just after the last step on the stairs, so they were working with a tricky angle, but what did they have to lose?

“Now.” She rammed her shoulder at the same time as Jerry, and the door gave a groan but didn’t budge.

Her shoulder would have a bad bruise.

Sarah rubbed it, and Jerry went back to banging and shouting.

“Jerry?” The shout was muffled, but clear.

“Teddy Roe! In here.” Jerry put hands on either side of his mouth and shouted into the door.

The door handle rattled. “No key.”