Chapter - Good day, Mrs. Simpson

	Chapter - Good day, Mrs. Simpson
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"Ah. Good day, Mrs. Simpson."

"Why, hello, Constable Robertson. Fancy meeting you at the supermarket. And out of uniform, too."

"Why not? It's the best way to meet people, get to know your neighbours."

"Is that standard police procedure, constable?"

"Why yes, ma'am. It's a community policeman's job to know people in the community."

"My, how interesting."

"I hear you have a lovely flower garden."

"Why, yes. The roses are in bloom just now. It looks quite festive."

"And how's young John, after that nasty hit on the head?"

"He recovered nicely. He goes out and plays with his friends."

"Who does he play with mostly?"

"Well, there's young Rodney. Quite a game player, that boy! But he does his homework and gets reasonable marks. And young Fred. He has a strong imagination. He's quite a friend of young Rodney. They've apparently played together for several years."

"Are they high-spirited, or are they pretty quiet?"

"Oh, they're pretty quiet. Although young Johnny has said he'd like to get a different job. But I've told him he shouldn't waste his time looking. The one he's got pays reasonably well, for a student, and allows him to get his studying done."

"Is this attitude because of the bump on the head?"

"Why no, every job has it's risks, and no harm done. He's felt this way for some time. I gather he thinks his boss is a bit of a cretin, doing things all the wrong way. Not 'making efficient use of technology,' he says."

"Well, it's been nice chatting, Mrs. Simpson. I really must go. Mrs. Robertson needs these onions for supper."

Constable Robertson smiled on the way out of the market. He'd got what he came for. If Mrs. Simpson thought they were good kids, they probably hadn't made the kind of enemies who hit you over the head in an alley. And the story his boss, Paul, told about being in the street, not the alley, didn't hold up. Two of the best nosy neighbours he knew had seen nothing in the street that night. Something was up, and the kids might be in over their heads, might not even know they were in trouble.

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