" He sensed that she was nervous, and he was glad when she accepted a beer. After a few long pulls, he smiled at her and said "Whew — that hits the ...pot." Tough case?" Yep. A piano and a staircase with a ninety-degree turn. Don't make me relive it."She looked a little confused, and took a sip of beer."I thought I said to come by at five." You did. But I wanted to see you as soon as possible." She put a shoebox on his desk. "Take a look at this."What was this, five grand in singles? He took the. "It's all we talkedabout for days!"Burt took a long swig of his beer. "That's what I 'oped you'd say. CauseI was wonderin if a couple of pretty lasses like you might want anotherlook."The blond girl twittered with mirth and embarrassment while her bawdierfriend put her soft hand on top of Burt's. "I thought you were withMavis. We wouldn't want 'er scratchin our eyes out." Needn't worry about that," replied Burt confidently, and loudly enoughso that Mavis could hear. "Mavis'n'me are over with. I. They got busy straight away. As fast as Becca changed into something she was descended on by a tailor who cut and pinned. The garment was then handed over to seamstresses to work on.Alison stayed with her throughout and nattered away amusingly. She and her sister were the joint owners of the business and had been running it for twenty years. Her daughter was going to join the team in two years time when she finished school although it could be later if she decided to go to university. She was. I picked up the spoon and followed."What was he doing?" asked Weena. "He's filthy." Digging for worms with the spoon so he could go fishing with Rob." Ah. I suppose that demonstrates advanced learning, eh? I guess I'll bathe him before dinner."In the evening Martha asked whether I'd be in the office on Friday and whether she could come and talk to me 'about a problem.' We set it up for 10:30 — that would give me time to go through whatever the day's absence had heaped on my desk. I wondered.