Free Forget Me Never by Gina Blaxill

suchlike.’
    ‘We’ll have to change the locks,’ Effie said. She looked at me. ‘The bedrooms have been done too – did they take any of your things, Sophie?’
    It took me a second to realize what she meant. I’d been so upset for Reece that it hadn’t even occurred to me to check the spare room.
    ‘Better have a look,’ I said, getting up.
    I was fully expecting to find the room as I’d left it. To my astonishment, it was just as bad as Reece’s. What kind of burglar does the spare room? I thought, opening the wardrobe. My clothes were all there. Next I checked the bedside table. My sewing – check, make-up bag – check. The necklace and earrings I’d taken off last night and not had time to put on this morning were gone. Weird – I would have thought it was obvious they were just cheapies. Wait . . . Edith. Where was Edith? I looked in the drawer where I’d put her, but she wasn’t there. I tried to remember if I’d used her last night – no, I definitely hadn’t. Surely the burglar hadn’t nicked an old laptop! I sifted through the room, looking in increasingly ridiculous places, but Edith was gone.
    I returned downstairs.
    ‘They took Edith,’ I said.
    ‘Edith?’ Hill looked alert. His face fell somewhat when I explained Edith was a laptop.
    ‘She’s not anything special,’ I said. ‘My cousin gave her to me. If the burglar wanted a decent computer, he should have taken Reece’s or the one in the sitting room.’
    ‘They’re desktops,’ Reece said. ‘Much heavier.’
    ‘Yeah, but Edith’s ancient.’
    I told Sergeant Hill about the necklace and earrings. He scribbled everything down in his notebook, shaking his head.
    ‘Burglars usually go for the obvious,’ he said. ‘Cash, credit cards, jewellery and laptops. But considering he’s made off with very little of value, he’s created a great deal of mess.’
    ‘Am I allowed to clear up, or do I need to leave everything as it is?’ Effie asked.
    ‘Leave it for the moment, Mrs Osbourne – I’ve got some colleagues on the way to dust for fingerprints. In the meantime I’ll ask the neighbours if anyone saw anything.’
    ‘Try Mrs Thatchins across the road,’ Reece said viciously. ‘Nothing passes that nosey old bat by. She’ll love this.’ He looked at me. ‘So much for you coming here to avoid trouble, eh?’
    We left Sergeant Hill with Effie and went into the dining room, one of the rooms that had been left untouched. We sat at the table, looking at each other helplessly. Neve, who seemed to want to be with Reece, came with us. Reece lifted her on to his lap and put his arms around her, murmuring something into her ear. Neve rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. It was a bit weird to see them in cuddle mode. Reece was usually so flippant about everything that when I was reminded that he had a soft side it unsettled me.
    ‘Amateurs.’ Reece broke the silence. ‘Almost insulting we didn’t get the real thing.’
    ‘D’you think they’ll be back?’ I mouthed. I didn’t want Neve to hear; poor kid was scared enough already. ‘Hill seemed to think they might.’
    ‘If they’ve any sense they will be. Funny they took your stuff though.’
    ‘The oddest thing is Edith,’ I said. ‘Why bother? I mean – seriously?’
    ‘Wonder if they got the wrong house? If I was a burglar, I’d’ve gone for the Carters’ next door. They’ve got a flipping Mercedes, plus they’re away on holiday. Nothing about this burglary makes sense.’
    We ordered a takeaway for dinner – Effie said she was too upset to bother with cooking. At one point she said to Reece, ‘If only your dad was here!’
    Reece’s response surprised me a little – he slung an arm around her shoulder and said, ‘ I’m here. Before we go to bed tonight, Ill go round and lock up and check no one’s outside.
    Suddenly I felt like I was intruding.
    ‘Would it be best if I left?’ I asked as Reece flattened the pizza boxes to put in the