***
It was agreed that Charles and Benedict would interview Humphrey Abbott, the tower block's regular milkman. It was the following Saturday, when his new helper came knocking to settle up their monthly account. Mary was 14 and disconcertingly confident for her age. She had replaced Humphrey's previous helper, a scruffy and unenergetic individual called Tom, about four months earlier.
After settling up their debt under her astute watchful eyes, Charles and Benedict sent Mary off to find Humphrey, who turned up about fifteen minutes later.
"Hello there,” he said, looking concerned, “I hope everything's OK.”
Charles assured him that it was, and went on to explain the situation.
"Flat 315?" Humphrey confirmed. “Yes, he has mentioned it to me but I have no idea who might have been breaking his milk bottles."
Reginald, the tower’s ‘postie’, came out of the lift and stood behind Humphrey intently listening to the conversation.
“I nearly saw who it was once,” he chipped in.
“Did you now Reg? What happened?” Charles asked as Humphrey spun round, unaware until then that Reginald was standing behind him. Benedict couldn’t help looking down at Mary, whose serious dark eyes flitted from adult to adult as they discussed the case.
“Oh, you know,” Reginald continued, “I came up in the lift and saw milk all over the corridor floor, and the stairwell door slowly closing.”
“And?” both Charles and Humphrey said simultaneously when it was clear Reginald was not going to say more.
“Oh, sorry,” Reginald continued, “I went and had a look in the stairwell, but whoever went through it had gone, though I could hear some running on the stairs.”
“In which direction was the running Reg?” Charles asked, but Reginald shrugged his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t know, the stairs go round and round so he could have been facing any direction as he run up the stairs.”
“Up!” Charles announced and Humphrey’s face lit up as something crossed his mind.
“Tom!” he announced. “Tom lives in this block, on the eighth floor and the milk bottle breakages started around the time I fired him.”
They all agreed to go up to the eighth floor and question Tom but as they separated out into two of the pokey little lifts, Benedict noticed that Mary was missing. On the eighth floor the adults were surprised to see Mary waiting for them by the lift. Charles rang Tom’s doorbell and after a few minutes he answered.
“Hello,” he said nervously. His eyes kept falling on Mary, who stared back impassively.
“Is your mother in, young man?” Charles asked, but Tom shook his head.
“No she’s at work,” Tom answered.
“I’ll come to the point,” Charles said assertively, “we are here about Mr Dunston’s milk bottles.”
Again, Benedict noticed a quick glance towards Mary.
“OK, I did it,” Tom suddenly confessed. “Nothing against the old man, but I was getting my own back for being fired.”
“Oh!” Charles said a little disappointed. “That was easy; well thank you for being so honest.”
It was agreed; Charles and Benedict took Tom to Henry, where Tom apologized and agreed to pay for five milk bottles and promised never to do anything like this again.