CHAPTER ONE
This novel used British English language and spelling, so if there are any words or phrases with which you are unfamiliar, there is a handy list in the back of the book.
It was 10.00 p m, and Inspector Joe Rafferty was thankful to finally be going home. The week before Christmas was not the best time of year from a policeman's point of view; Essex, in common with the rest of England’s densely-populated southern counties, had too many criminals with shopping lists of luxury items, and a matching reluctance to pay for them. The combination had made his day long and tiring.
So he was inclined to snap when Constable Timothy Smales burst into his office, crashing the door back against the wall just as he was putting his coat on, and melodramatically exclaimed, 'It's gone, sir. Va
