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you sure you haven’t mislaid it?’ he asked her.
    â€˜Quite sure,’ Elly replied firmly. ‘It contained valuable research, and I’m absolutely sure I replaced it in the drawer when I finished with it two weeks ago.’
    â€˜Was the drawer locked?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Perhaps it should have been in a safe, if it contained such valuable information.’
    â€˜Well, it wasn’t. I had no reason to suspect anyone would steal it,’ Elly fumed.
    â€˜And would anyone else but you have known where it was?’
    â€˜Only my mother. But I can tell someone has moved things around, and so someone has obviously searched the flat while I was away over the weekend.’
    â€˜But the book could have been taken any time since you last used it?’
    Reluctantly Elly had to agree.
    â€˜Then we’ll see what we can do to find the missing article, but we don’t have a lot to go on, I’m afraid. And as there is no evidence of forced entry it suggests someone had a key to let themselves in, so there’s no breaking and entering.’
    With that he closed his notebook, told her they would be in touch when they had something to report, and left.
    Beth huffed as he left. ‘Well, he was as helpful as tits on a bull. We’ll be extremely lucky to hear anything more from that quarter.’
    Elly bit her lip. ‘I’m afraid you’re right. I’m sorry, Mum, perhaps I should have kept it in a safer place.’
    Beth shook her head. ‘It should have been perfectly safe where it was. It’s not your fault. After all, I knew where you were keeping it and I never thought it wasn’t safe, so don’t blame yourself. The question is, what to do about it?’
    Elly took a deep breath. ‘Well, it seems to me that we need to try and track down Jackson, if that is his real name, and see what he has to say for himself.’
    â€˜Do you know where he lives?’
    â€˜No, not really. He told me he has a place in Abbott Street, but we can hardly go knocking on every door in the street, can we?’
    Beth frowned. ‘No. I think we’re going to need some help with this. It’s too important to fluff around with. We need professional help—someone who knows how to go about finding people.’
    Elly’s brows lifted. ‘You mean like a private eye or something? Are you sure you haven’t been watching too much television?’
    â€˜No, of course not, there are people who specialise in this sort of thing. You know, security, tracing missing family members, that sort of thing. As a matter of fact, I think I know just the person. You remember Mitchell Beaumont?’
    Elly frowned. ‘Yes, of course, but I thought he was in the police force somewhere down south.’
    â€˜Not any more. I was talking to his mother only last week. He was wounded in a skirmish during a TAB holdup, apparently he was quite a hero, he was decorated for bravery, but it’s left him with a bit of a limp and rather than take a desk job he opted out. So he’s back here at the moment, and considering setting up on his own.’
    â€˜Oh, I see. Then perhaps we should contact him.’
    â€˜I believe he’s staying at home just now.’ Beth fished in her bag for her phone. ‘I’ll ring and see if I can talk to him.’
    Elly listened while Beth explained to Mrs Beaumont that they had need of assistance in tracing a missing person, and hoped Mitchell could help them. When she ended the call she told Elly that Mitchell would be with them by early afternoon.
    â€˜I’m glad we have time for a quiet talk before Mitchell arrives,’ Beth said as they sat down with a cup of coffee later in the day. ‘Losing the journal like this really set me thinking on the drive down,’ she continued, stirring her coffee. ‘I’m reproaching myself because I’ve let myself become swallowed up with my grief at losing