Rupert was skimming reports when his office door opened. He lifted his head. "Hi, Julie. Are you alright? You don't look too good," He pointed. "Sit before you fall."

She grabbed the back of the chair but remained standing. "I'm not sure if you'll believe me."

Rupert sat back and thought for a moment. "Try me. I don't usually bite. Sit down. Want a coffee?"

She nodded and lowered her frame onto the chair.

He placed a mug of coffee on the desk in front of her. "Julie, I guess you want to tell or ask me something. Am I right or wrong.?"

Again, she nodded. "I'm not sure, guv. As you know, I'm studying for my sergeant exam, and my mind is everywhere."

He seated himself and leant back in his chair. "Is it to do with you returning the journals to the vicar?"

She held her mug with both hands. "There's a picture of Joan Dickson on the incident board. It fell off when I entered the outer office. If you remember, she's wearing an opal pendant. Her husband bought it for her. Believe it or not, The vicar's housekeeper wore it when I returned the journals."

"Julie, I have to ask this. Are you sure?" He left his seat, strolled to the outer office, retrieved the picture of Joan Dickson and returned. "Julie, take your time, but describe what you saw this afternoon?"

She sipped her coffee. "Double link gold chain, not too long, allowing the pendant to hang at the top of the bust. The opal was oval set in a gold mount, about an inch or larger in height. What grabs your attention is when the light strikes the surface. The colours the stone displays are gorgeous."

He rubbed his chin. "Your description is impeccable. It's at this point I wish I'd sent Maggie with you. But I didn't, and you returned unharmed."

Julie shook her head. "Why can't we send a car to bring her into the station for questioning?"

"I wish we could. I'd prefer the housekeeper to be a nasty piece of work, but she's not. Think about it. The papers would love the chance to put the boot in. Think of the headlines. For no reason, the police apprehended a vicar's housekeeper. I need to think about the next move."

"Do you believe I saw the opal pendant?"

"I do, but you understand the problem. We need to have a good reason to get a search warrant. We can bring the housekeeper in if we find the pendant on the property. Until I've given this some thought, do not mention this to anyone. This may be the breakthrough we have been waiting for." He lifted his telephone handset and, thinking, replaced it.

On entering the record storage room, he called to Maggie. "I'm going out and don't know how long I'll be."

Maggie grinned. "Is it okay for me to shut up the shop if you're not back before closing?"

Rupert took his time before answering. "Lock up and go home, Maggie."

"No problem, guv."

He grabbed his coat and briefcase and entered the lift. He pressed the second-floor button. When the door opened, he strolled to Joyce's office.

With a knock on the window, he entered. Joyce gazed at him. "To what do I owe this pleasure? You've messed up or need to talk to someone who won't tell the world. Coffee?"

He shrugged. "I can multitask and pour two cups."

"So, my love, what is the problem?"

He placed her coffee on the desk and held his own. "How do I get a search warrant for a vicarage when I have no evidence?"

Joyce sat back and closed her eyes. "You can't, but I could."

"I know I can't, and I'd rather you were not involved. As Max Bygraves often says, let me tell you a story." He leant on a grey filing cabinet and told Joyce what he knew while sipping his coffee. "So, there we are, an unknown person contacts the missing women, telling them the vicar wants to see them. No one knows if they met. Not exactly much to go on."

Joyce gave him an approving smile. "How about you and me visit the vicarage tomorrow? Let me talk to her. I'll tell her Julie could not stop talking about her Opal pendant. As I love opals, could she give me the jeweller's address? I'll tell her it will be your anniversary present to me."

Rupert knew she was right. "It's so simple it might work?"

"Have you a better idea?"

"Don't get me wrong, but we're asking a potential serial killer if she is guilty of murder."

"You always told me to keep it simple. Now, you can give me some advice."

"If I can."

"Pete Mitchell, the bastard who almost killed Roger, wants to meet and discuss options."

"I assume he's on remand."

She nodded.

"When's his trial?"

She frowned. "The way the judiciary performs these days, in a couple of months, at best."

"Let the bastard sweat. If I were in charge, I'd tell you there were no deals, so don't waste your time."

"I'm sure if I find the time to visit, he'll pour out his heart and tell me a sob story. He's part of a crime syndicate who are into drugs, prostitution, protection, and more. If I open a few doors and gain convictions, the boss could smile when completing his crime report."

Rupert smiled. "You don't need to crawl up his arse. Besides, you might want to retire in a few years and travel to far-flung places with me."

"You're right. You know as well as I do Julian will never recommend me for promotion. Did you know he believes male coppers are superior to women?" "Everyone knows, and he might retire before you. Anyway, it's time we both went home. What's for dinner?"

"Your decision, fish and chips or a Chinese?"

"Seeing I have a choice, how about a ruby?