Frozen in Crime

Chapter 20 Invasion of Alcatraz

Christopher was surprised to see Chief Inspector Smith walking up the road with the homeless man and the dog. Amaryllis had told him about giving away her big parka - he chose to interpret this gesture as a sign that she was becoming more human, something she hotly denied - so he wasn't too taken aback by seeing the man wearing it. He found the scene outside the pet shop rather puzzling, however. Surely the Christmas spirit hadn't entered into Charlie Smith too?

Because he had nothing much to do with the Cultural Centre closed for the holidays, he followed Mr Smith and the homeless man up to the police station and observed that they all went in together, including the dog. He knew this was the kind of thing Amaryllis would have done, which made him worry they were spending too much time together because of the wintry weather. Oh, well, when the thaw came they could get out from under each other's feet.

He imagined she would have followed up by mounting an attack on the police station to break the man out, since she was so friendly with him, but Christopher couldn't bring himself even to attempt this.

He told himself not to tell her about this latest development, but as usual this resolve didn't last long. They met Jemima and Dave in the Golden Peach for dinner that evening, and because nothing much seemed to have happened, what with Christmas and the snow, which they were fed up talking about, the topic of homelessness came up. Amaryllis confessed to having given the man her parka, and was duly scoffed at by Dave, although everyone present knew he was such a big softie that if he had encountered the man he would have incurred Jemima's wrath by inviting him home for tea.

'It's the animals I feel sorry for,' said Jemima cryptically.

'The animals?' said Amaryllis.

'He's got a dog, hasn't he? I saw them snuggled up together in the doorway of the wool shop - the day before the snow came.'

All life in Pitkirtly, Christopher reflected, was now divided into the era before the snow and the time of the snow: he supposed this must be what it would be like if there were a major catastrophe that affected everyone on earth. An Ice Age - not that this was in the same category, of course. It just felt like it some nights, when you couldn't get warm in bed or when the lights went out.

'Why do you feel sorry for them?' said Amaryllis. 'Dogs were made to follow people around doing what they do. The homeless man's dog is just doing the same.'

'But what if something happens to the man?' said Jemima. 'Aren't homeless people more likely to die than normal people are?'

''Everybody's likely to die,' said Dave blithely, crunching prawn crackers.

'You know what I mean,' said Jemima. 'He could even die of hypothermia - here in our town. Under our noses. And we haven't done anything to stop that happening.'

'Charlie Smith has,' said Christopher without thinking.

They all stared at him.

'What's Charlie done?' said Amaryllis. 'He hasn't deported him to Rosyth, has he?'

Christopher laughed. 'He's taken them to the police station. The man and the dog.'

Amaryllis frowned. 'He's arrested them?'

'Not that I know of,' said Christopher. 'But I saw them all going in there together earlier - about lunch-time.'

'I don't like the sound of that,' said Amaryllis. 'We'd better find out what's going on.'

'When you say we'd better find out, do you mean -?' asked Christopher, hoping she didn't.

'We can pop round to the police station when we've finished in here,' said Amaryllis.