“Did she like what you had for her?”
“On arrival, I got in position to ensure that we would not get caught. They got in, took what they wanted, got out, and drove off without me. I did not see them again. I never had the chance to have this beautiful plant to give to her.”
Rob lowered his head, and Bud whimpered again. “They seemed so nice; they were the only ones who were nice to me in years.”
“Except your favourite aunt.” Rob nodded, still avoiding eye contact.
“Could you identify them for me?”
Rob looked shocked.
“These men did something very nasty. They destroyed and stole valuable plants that are irreplaceable; they caused a lot of monetary and botanical damage.”
“Oh. What if they had done this to my aunt’s garden?” Rob could no longer hide his tears, and Paul handed him his handkerchief.
+++
Jones collected Rob to show him suspects in the database. In the meantime, I told Paul about my concerns regarding Rob’s role in this case and how Lady Barker-Worthington might react – would she blame Charlotte?
“It is an educated guess that she genuinely cares for Rob. He might be the only one she can forgive.”
In a small compass... 