The Dead Elf Read online

said Harold, watching the guard take him to the back room. ‘And quick, before I get the police.’

  ‘Looks like you won’t have to.’ One of the officers who were already outside had seen the commotion. ‘But I’ll still tell you how I knew. Billy said he heard shouting from the staffroom, but even the screeching Christmas carols can’t penetrate that door. So he had to have actually been in the staffroom to have heard it, or just made up the story entirely. My guess is that he went up to get the stolen goods he had stashed earlier and Matt, who was still a bit drunk and argumentative, guessed what he was up to, claimed he knew more than he did, maybe said he could prove it, who knows. Either way, he provoked Billy, and it ended up with him going out the window.

  ‘It will be interesting to see how he tries to explain away hearing the argument,’ said Harold, ‘or how that necklace got into his pocket.’ He sighed. ‘I need a strong coffee. One for you?’

  ‘No thank you, I’ve got an appointment to keep. Good luck.’ Alma looked at her watch. If the bakery had sold out of the Spiced Double Yule Log of Joy she would not be so joyous.