The Merryweather Jewel Thefts.

Tying Up The Loose Ends.

When Barnes and Fisher strolled casually into Stephenson's Ends two days later, they found it completely deserted. It seemed old Mr. Stephenson wasn't as innocent as Allie had hoped. Instead, they found heaps and heaps of burgled stuff hidden in between the shelves of useless junk that littered the shop. The money Isabel had got from selling Allie's dresses was nowhere to be seen, and Barnes, along with Allie herself, assumed that old Mr. Stephenson had taken it in his escape. Looking back, Allie would always wince at the amount of danger she had unknowingly placed her sister in that day. If Stephenson had not been the age that he was, he would have tried to get the jewels back, meaning Isabel would have been faced with an angry thief both stronger and faster than she was, and she wouldn't have stood a chance.

Saunders turned up a few weeks after that, with his grandchildren in Somerset. It appeared that James Stephenson had managed to convince the old man he was due his three week holiday, and then made sure he got on the early morning train on the day he went missing. Allie was secretly glad about this; she wouldn't have liked it if there had been a murder conected to this whole buisness.

Catherine Kendel returned to her country home in Dorset, and Mr. Savoy, Evangelyn, and Davinia went to live in America. Adam Hart published a very flattering piece on Allie's adventure in the Sunday Telegraph, one which Isabel insisted was going on the wall. It did, high enough off the ground so Allie could never get it down again.

Arthman promised to keep in touch, and, a little reluctantly, Allie agreed. She gets a letter from America every two weeks, and she sends dutiful replies, filled with small talk and general rubbish mostly inspired by Isabel.

Barnes kept to  his word, and Allie hasn't heard from him of from Fisher for a long time. She hates to admit it, but she misses Fisher a lot more than she thought she would. The "dinner" Newham organized did take place, and Allie thouroughly enjoyed it. There was always that nagging reminder of Evangelyn at the back of her mind, but she has learned to ignore it, although she knows things will never be the same again. Newham himself moved into an even smaller flat than Isabel's, down near Kensington Gardens, and Dr. Scott went back to his practice. 

Allie remained at 15A Praed Street, solving crimes in her books instead of in real life, and getting under Isabel's feet constantly, but the newspaper article pinned up on the wall meant Isabel's complaining was less than it ever had been. Allie herself was happy, too, but there was a small part of her that still wished a letter from Fisher or Barnes would drop through the door.

Thank you for reading!! Allie's next adventure is now in my Works tab, titled A House On The Hill. Hold onto your lunch...it's likely to be a messy one.

Rachel xxx