WPC Watson was not having much success with her new assignment.
She’d tailed Bell for days now and, apart from that one incident, nothing else out of the ordinary had happened. As far as she could make out all Bell did was go to work and, apart from having lunch locally, went back home again. She was getting very bored with her job.
It was becoming obvious that Bell knew she was being watched and was leading her up the garden path, so to speak.
Then suddenly, one day, Bell spent the entire weekend going from one garden centre to another in a Bedford van. The van was deceptive in size because, to Alison’s eye, it held plenty. Bell had made purchases at all but one of the centres, only at two of these had she been in and out in minutes. It was as if the goods had been ordered and waiting for her to collect.
“She must be entering Britain in Bloom,” Watson had quipped while making her report to DI Cotton. “I’ve been in a lot of these places, sir, I’m something of a gardener myself, and the plants Bell purchased can cost an arm and a leg.”
“Did you check up where she got the van?” Cotton asked her, “and are you sure it was only plants she picked up?”
Alison gave him a disappointed look.
“Do you really think I’m just a novice at this sort of thing, or do you think of me as a total idiot, sir?”
She didn’t wait for an answer but went on as if she were making a statement in court.
“The van in question was hired from ‘Vans Inc.’ of Waverly Terrace. It was hired on Friday the thirteenth, sir, at three fifty five p.m. at the cost of five pounds for the weekend. Bell paid for it with a cheque, and had returned it at nine o’clock today. The registration number is…”
Holding up his hands in mock submission Cotton laughed.
“Alright Watson, that’s enough for now, put it all in your report. I think your suspicion that Bell is on to the fact she is being watched has to be considered, so I’m taking you off surveillance.” He could see the look of disappointment on her face and went quickly on. “Of course you’ll still be on the case we just have to keep you out of Bell’s sight for now. But you could earn yourself some brownie points by finding out what Anna Woodward is up to. She’s supposed to be away for six weeks, and she’s definitely not. Have a word with her. See what you can find out.”
“Thank you sir,” her eyes shone, “You won’t regret it.”