Almost one year had crept by from the date Sarah thought she’d escaped the clutches of the beast.  But despite the time lapse, his influence had actually increased and it had been achieved with the full blessing of the state.  The road to freedom for Sarah and her children seemed longer than ever.  They remained firmly shackled, the brute being firmly in control. 

            What happened next was to confirm Sarah’s worst fears of collusion, corruption and cover-up at the very top of the British Police force.

            PC Collin Morris showed up at her front door behaving in the familiar ‘full of himself’ way that she’d witnessed all too often before.  He gushed:

            “Your children were seen injuring a horse, stealing from stables and doing damage in people’s gardens in the Lynas area last weekend.  Because of your kids the vet had to be called out and the horse needed twenty stitches in its leg.  It’s a very valuable horse too.  The owners are fuming.”

            Sarah recognised the bobby.  He’d once attended to one of her calls in the early days.  He had been sympathetic and friendly then. 

            “Hang on a minute; that’s impossible.  My kids are barely out of my sight.  You see they’ve been registered ‘at risk’ for some months now so I’m paranoid about keeping a close eye on them.  I’m partly worried that they might be snatched or attacked - we’ve had the most awful threats.  And I’m also worried that they’ll be set-up as it has happened before and I don’t trust the Authorities.  I go jogging along the prom but I always make sure that I can see them the whole time.  So are you saying that they’re supposed to have crept out of the house in the dead of night to inflict damage on a prize horse?  It doesn’t add up.”

            “Well I am aware that they are on the ‘at risk’ register.  I don’t know the details of the crime but it was definitely him,” PC Morris said, breaking off, pointing and looking daggers at David.

            “Ok, so what day exactly did this happen?  What time?  What was stolen?  How did the horse get a gashed leg?  Why didn’t the police question me at the time of occurrence, not the Wednesday of the following week?”

            “Like I said, I’m not hot on the details.”

            “Who told you to come and question me?  Did you speak to the owner of the horse?”

            “No, I believe a Mrs Culpitt phoned the police.  I’ve just been given a message to come and see you. Your children are well known in Lynas.  They’ve been swinging on swings in people’s gardens, letting pet rabbits out....”

            Sarah barged in, “So you were sent by a police colleague, and you didn’t speak to Mrs Culpitt?”

            “That’s correct.”

            “Did you see the injured horse?  Did any officer see it?”

            “I haven’t seen it.  I haven’t even been up to the stables.  I don’t know if any other officer has been there.  I presume someone has.”

            “It all sounds a bit fishy to me.”

            “Well you can pursue it if you want.  The Serg is in the office all day if you want to talk to him.  My job is to warn David.”

            “No, never mind your warnings.  You’re not an idiot any more than I am.  You must think this is a bit strange.  I know what this is all about.  This has got something to do with my ex-partner Greg Potter,” seethed Sarah.

The PC was far too quick for her liking to immediately jump in and spring to Greg’s defence:

            “No, absolutely not, it’s nothing to do with him; nothing at all.”

            “You’ve been told to tell me that.  Look I believe you’re telling me the truth, but something rotten is going on here - far above your head.  Let’s face it. You’re accusing my kids of an offence.  If David and Anna were guilty, I’d naturally be defending them.  So you should’ve come here fully informed, to show that you are in a position of authority, cos right now your behaviour is not very professional.”

            At this point PC Morris seemed to shake off his warrior standpoint and the conversation continued on an a more level pegging.  They blabbed on her doorstep for fifteen minutes or so as if they’d been friends for life.  He remarked that everyone in the police station knew about her circumstances and that he and his colleagues couldn’t understand why Greg was being allowed to get away with so much and for so long and why her kids had been registered.  He commented that it was always the good ones who get punished while the guilty go free and he joked that if anyone ended up in prison it would be her; never Greg. 

            She said her beef had never been with the beat bobbies and that if people wanted crime cleared off the streets then it was time for officers to turn on their masters. She then learned that even Collin Morris’ family had been targeted by social services heavy weights for some trivial, pathetic reason.  At first one child was labelled ‘At Risk’ for no other reason than social services ill will and malice.  Then, because the family kicked up over it, the rest of the children were categorized with the same sticker.  The truth being that there was no other reason than more of social services spitefulness.

Sarah made an impromptu visit to Mrs Dick Joy’s house.  Everyone knew Dick Joy and his wife.  He owned D J Developments and much of the land in Lynas; and his stables and fields backed onto Greg’s land.   There had to be a connection.

            “Hello, do you know a Mrs Culpitt?…. Does she work here?…. I believe there is a problem with a horse?” Sarah asked a rather taken aback Mrs Joy.

            “Yes, she works for me.  The horse was fed a feed that it shouldn’t have had and that little girl [pointing at Anna] was seen by my husband doing it.” 

Mrs Joy broke off and walked away, saying that she was going to fetch her husband.  Sarah, David and Anna stood at the closed door looking at each other, all deep in thought.  They all felt like detectives wondering what they were about to uncover.  They gazed around at their sumptuous surroundings.  It was a far cry from the run-down crime-ridden part of town that they inhabited.  Mrs Joy’s home was sheer luxury.  Through huge bay windows they could see the best of everything: plush velvety floral patterned carpets and matching drapes; a luxurious three-piece suite with matching recliner and foot stool; solid mahogany perfectly polished glass cabinets and ornamental tables.... Through an open window they could hear someone busily polishing and hoovering and every so often they caught a glimpse of a woman cleaning.  The phone rang every now and again.  After about ten minutes, Mrs Joy resurfaced.  Meanwhile Sarah’s tiny tape recorder whirred unobtrusively in the open bag by her feet….

            “Come back when my husband’s here.  I don’t think my husband saw David.  It was Mrs Culpitt who saw.... Mrs Culpitt isn’t here,” said a rattled Mrs Joy.

            Sarah questioned the identity of the woman who they had just seen and heard.  Was she Mrs Culpitt?

            Mrs Joy insisted, “There’s no-one here right now; no-one at all.”  Then she carried on about Sarah’s kids:

            “I saw them.... not then.... I saw them on Monday.  Wasn’t it you [looking at David] on the gate by the goat field?” 

            David shook his head and said “no.”

            Looking at Sarah, Mrs Joy said:

            “Well they are quite well known for being seen around here.”  When Sarah asked her to elaborate, she said:

            “Well, I can’t say.... You really need to see my husband and Mrs Culpitt.  Come on Saturday.  Is there a phone number?” 

They exchanged numbers.

            Mrs Joy continued, “That’s the best thing to do.... cos I can’t say for definite.”

            “Something odd is going on here,” said a straight-faced Sarah.  “You see my kids are barely out of my sight.  Since I left my ex I’ve had so much trouble with social services and with him stalking etc.  That’s why I’m so confident that my kids couldn’t possibly have been here.  This has got something to do with your neighbour, Gregory Potter.  There’s no doubt about that.”

            Mrs Joy was too quick to leap to his defence:

            “Nothing to do with him.... Nothing at all.... It’s other people....”

            “Who?” asked Sarah.

            “Well best thing is to see my husband.... There was a lot of trouble.... It’s not my horse....” said the flustered woman.

            “What trouble?” pressed Sarah.

            “Things were stolen.  A key has gone to the tack room.  A head collar has gone.  Um [pause] I don’t know.  Your kids fed the horses - feed that they shouldn’t have had.  I caught them.  I told them that they mustn’t feed the horses.  They can feed the goats; goats can eat anything....” babbled Mrs Joy.

            Sarah looked at her.  Her eyes urged Mrs Joy to tell her more.

            “Well the best thing.... As I say.... As far as I’m concerned.... I’m not a hundred percent sure but I’m pretty certain.... It was these two children I spoke to.  I think Monday.  Well I’m not a hundred percent certain but I’m very close to it.... It was that little girl that I spoke to.”

            Sarah asked her daughter if that was true.  Anna shook her head.  Sarah passed a comment that it was a shame that Mrs Joy had no proof, I e a photograph of her kids caught in the act.

            “First thing my husband said was it was that little girl that used to live there.  We wouldn’t say things unless we were pretty certain.  Mrs Culpitt has seen them as well.... They might have proof.... It’s not always convenient to just get a camera.  I can assure you though that this has nothing at all to do with Greg.  I’d like you to see my husband and Mrs Culpitt….”

Sarah’s dad listened to the tape and heard about PC Morris’ accusation.  He agreed it was suspicious and they decided it needed investigating.  Sarah’s dad phoned the police, briefly explained the incident and stressed that he felt Greg Potter must be behind it all.  Within minutes PC Palmtree turned up on Sarah’s doorstep.  [It was the same PC who told her that her kids had been spotted on CCTV in grave danger from the rough sea.]

             Sarah asked him if he knew PC Collin Morris.

            PC Palmtree replied, “Collin?  I haven’t seen him for a while.  He’s moving soon.”

            Bob Thomas told him that his grand children are accused of injuring a horse and of stealing from Dick Joy.  He said that his daughter has been harassed by her ex-partner and that Greg Potter is bound to be at the root of it and that he wants it looking into.

            Palmtree said, “I only know one Dick Joy.... When you say harassment.... Who is making the allegations?  Greg?”

            Bob explained that Greg must be behind this latest incident.  Sarah dived in demanding to know details of the police version of events.  She wanted to know when the police were called, if they visited the farm and stables, what was stolen....

            Palmtree said, “This was Wednesday?  Do you know the address?  You want to know if Dick called the police - and when?  It’ll take a while to sift through all that.... I’ll have to sift through Saturday to Wednesday.”

            Bob barked, “Given the seriousness of the crime it is hard to believe that David and Anna weren’t held there until the police arrived; considering the fact they were supposed to have been spotted in the act by two or three people.”

            Palmtree replied, “Maybe they’ll change their minds after I’ve spoken to them.”

            Sarah spewed, “We still need to get to the bottom of all this.  We want our questions answered.”

            Palmtree asked, “Does Greg have anything to do with this Dick?  I’ll have to go and speak to Greg, cos for me to sit down and sift through every single job in Caroline Bay from Saturday through ‘til Wednesday - it’ll take me three hours.”

            Sarah said, “Well according to PC Collin Morris, this is nothing to do with Greg....”

            Palmtree swiftly corrected himself, "No, but I need to locate where this Dick Joy lives.  I know where Greg lives.  I’ll try and find out when they reported it.  Are they saying they want compensation?”

            Bob said, “Look, just you find out for us the DETAILS such as: the date and time of the crime, who phoned the police, what was stolen.... Anyway horses don’t get bloody ill on grass.”

            Sarah interrupted, “Yes, we want the POLICE’S version.  We want the police details - in writing.  We want statements from the Dick Joy family too and we want you to tell us if police have seen the sick horse....”

            Palmtree babbled on, “We can’t say if a horse is ill.  Did Collin speak to Dick?  I’ll chat to Collin too.”

PC Palmtree went.  After about an hour, he returned and said:

            “Mrs Joy reckons she spoke to police.  She wants to see you Sunday.  Get your facts together.  She’s asking if you’ll take your daughter to make sure it is her....”

            Sarah replied, “Fine; no problem.  I still want the police details - in writing....”

            Palmtree looked peeved, “About what?  What do you want to know?  You find out off her tomorrow.  It’ll take me two or three hours to find that.... I will do it if you get the specific day.”

            Sarah mocked, “Don’t the police have computers?  Is any of this rubbish recorded?  Of course not.  Anyway what did Mrs Joy say?”

            “She’s just told me they’ve found some of the lost things.  Hay has been trampled on.  Mrs Joy said she didn’t want the kids there again,” said the PC.

            “No, I’m sure she doesn’t.  Right, while I’m visiting her again, I want you to make a start on finding the police details of this crime and I want you to jot it down for me....”

            Palmtree raised his voice, “I’m not going to do it.  I’m not going to check the computer from Saturday.... If you find the day.... I can do it then - It’ll only take half an hour.”  Sarah continued probing, “So what’s the story with the horse.  How did it get injured?”

            Palmtree explained, “The horse wasn’t poisoned; it was given a feed that it shouldn’t’ve have had.  It has had stiches.  It had colic.  It was running around....”

            Sarah said, “I’d like the DETAILS please.  What feed?  Why did it need stiches?”

            Palmtree mumbled, “It’s easier if you get a date.  There’s only a couple of us on.  She was off to pick up her daughter.  She said it was nothing to do with Greg. We’ll show you the incident if she has phoned us.  I’ll see if it was Collin who went to the farm.”

            Sarah slammed, “This is harassment - by Potter and by the Police.”

              Palmtree blurted, “Anyway the only thing that’s ever going to come out of this is suitable advice.  There’s no harassment because there’s only one incident.  It’s a civil matter; it’s definitely not criminal.  It might be on an incident with something else - it would be easier to find then.”

            Sarah ridiculed, “Well I’m sure the police don’t want anything to come out of it.  We shall see, won’t we?  Anyway it’s no wonder the police can’t fight criminals if they can’t even keep simple records.... And in any case if that family do now decide that it is a case of mistaken identity, I think I deserve a written apology from them after all this, considering the fact I’m having to make my own enquiries....”

            Palmtree enthused, “If he says that he’s sorry; that it isn’t your daughter, I’m sure he’ll give an apology.  It’s a civil matter anyway.  It’s definitely not a criminal matter. Mrs Culpitt saw the kids as well.  Kids have been climbing on the hay bales.  Don’t know if it’s David and Anna....”

            Sarah scoffed, “I can see that you are determined to have me believe that this is not a criminal matter and therefore the police are not culpable; well I can tell you that the police started all this, so it is a police matter and if this proves to be a put-up-job then it is a criminal matter and the police are answerable.”

On the Sunday, Sarah, David and Anna, Jason and Jessica, trooped up to the Dick Joy household.  Sarah’s faithful tape recorder was quietly working inconspicuously in her big bag.  She spotted Mrs Joy who was standing with another woman and two men by a fence - one was Dick Joy.

            “Hi, I’m Sarah,” she said, walking over to the group.  “I believe you have an injured horse....”

            Dick said, “It’s Dan’s horse.... [looking over at Dan] It’s getting better; over the worst....”

            Dan walked over, “The horse is better.  When she was fed on Sunday the vet was called; again on Monday - for antibiotics, and again on Thursday....”

            Mrs Culpitt came over to say “hi.”

            Sarah asked the four people about the theft of the horse items.

            Mrs Joy said, “The key to the tack room is missing.  Some things were found later on top of hay.  The head collar has gone....”

            Sarah asked if it was her children who had been responsible.

            Mrs Culpitt seemed unsure of what to say, then she mumbled, “I couldn’t say; it was Anna.”

            Dick Joy jumped in to help her out, “I told Anna to stop feeding the horses.  You [looking at Anna] were here best part of the day on Saturday - backwards and forwards.  There were two girls and your friend, wasn’t it?  I’ve never seen him - David.”

            Mrs Culpitt said, “Clive....”

            Sarah asked who Clive was.

            Culpitt continued, “Clive told us your kids were here on Sunday.”

            Dick Joy added, “They were here. [Looking at Anna] I spoke to you.  You were by the tack room door.  You were feeding the horses.  That’s all I know.  They came through this gate at one stage because I was coming down.  They had been up to the goats.  I was in and out most of Saturday. I didn’t see them Sunday, but Dan - you saw them on Sunday, didn’t you?”

            Dan said, “I saw them on Sunday; a gang of four; those two girls and another two.  She was here with two girls.  I asked, ‘Have you been feeding my pony?’  Anna said, ‘Oh yes, we have’.  The horse was colicy.  I took her out of the arena because she was colicy.  She was on her back kicking her belly.  Yes my mares get hurt; it happens.  She could have been killed.  I couldn’t live with it - if kids get hurt.   [Looking at Anna] Another two girls, wasn’t it?  On Sunday?”

            Sarah and her older children just looked at the four liars in amazement.  They said nothing; just listened.  Sarah discretely moved her bag a little closer to ensure that she’d get the clearest possible tape recording.  She was so shocked that they kept up such a crazy pretence.  She’d been so sure that they would have wriggled out of it all at the start of the meeting, by saying that it wasn’t her kids after all.

            Mrs Joy wasn’t letting up.  She glared and then shouted, “How come two people are saying they saw your kids?”

            Then Dan rambled on, “Gang of four.  I told them not to feed the horses. They said they weren’t. I said, ‘What is that feed on the floor then?’.”

            Dick Joy insisted, “They were in and out of the tack room.  I don’t know their names.  I saw you [looking at Anna] three or four times.  I don’t know the lad.  I’ve never seen the lad [looking at David.] I wouldn’t know his name.  I wouldn’t know her name....”

            Mrs Joy looked a little uneasy, “Well I thought it was them on the um....”

            Dick Joy continued, “I’ve never seen him.  It was the girls I saw on Saturday.”

            Sarah politely enquired as to what the police had said about the horse.  She asked if the police had come up to the house.  There was a long pause.  Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably.  Then Dan bravely spoke:

            “The vet was here.  Police didn’t come, no.”  Dan then went into deep thought.  Moments later he continued, “They went into the stables - the kids.  I took the horse into the arena.  She later went into pain…. ran into the stable…. hurt herself…. cut the top of her leg…. needed stiches.”

            Mrs Joy looked as if she was desperately trying to recall what had been said and in particular what she had said.  Then feeling a little more sure of herself, she said:

            “The head collar came back; not the key.”

            Mrs Culpitt looked a bit embarrassed.  She began to speak, then held herself in check for a moment or two before saying, “He rang me - police.  I couldn’t get hold of the police.  He rang me back…. Tuesday, I think.  Ye ....ss…. No…. Monday, I reported it.  Not 999…. Collin Morris anyway.  I couldn’t get through on Sunday to him.”

            Sarah was enjoying herself watching the four of them suffering and squirming.  She sweetly said, “What about compensation?  With it being such a valuable horse, it would be insured too; right?”

            Dick Joy stammered, “Yeh, but, but, but.... We’re not like that, are we?”

            Sarah was just about to make a remark when Mrs Joy cut in:

            “Will you shut up a minute and listen?”

            Dick Joy blabbed, “We don’t bother…. kids come here.  Last year kids threw two or three bags of feed in.  We nearly lost two bullocks.  No accusation - not your kids.  So we are clamping down on it.  Now then these two girls were here with Diane and another girl a week prior to that and they were doing something to the horses.  I didn’t tell them to go away because Diane comes here with her friend.  She was here with another girl; same as last Saturday.  And they were talking with Diane and her friend.  I didn’t say ‘please leave’ because I thought they were there for the horses.  That’s what we’re up against. If something happened we’re not going to call 999.  You don’t find out any theft until Monday morning, do you?  Sunday or Monday?”

            Mrs Joy piped up, “We didn’t know that the key was stolen and how ill the pony was at the time.”

            Dan walked up with the injured animal.  He pointed out the stiches and said, “Sunday I found out she needed stitches.  It’s a good job she didn’t lose any muscle....”

            Sarah pointed out that considering the fact her children had been coming and going all day Saturday, Sunday and on Monday, why weren’t they held there so that the police could see that they’d been caught red-handed.

            Mrs Joy looked a little shaken, then she said, “They saw them at different times.  They weren’t altogether.”  Looking to Dan for some reassurance, she continued, “You saw them on Sunday.”  Then she fixed her eyes on Mrs Culpitt and said, “And you saw them on Sunday too, didn’t you? - In the evening?  So why should you grab hold of them?”

            Dick Joy sprang to his wife’s defence, “You can’t just grab hold of them.  The point is I’ve spoken to the girl.  I’ve seen them feeding the horses.  That’s all there is to it.  It’s not worth talking about…. What’s the point phoning police?  They’d be here 8 times per day.  It’s your problem, not mine.”

            Mrs Joy went on the attack, “You should tell your kids to stay away; make sure they don’t come here again.  I just don’t want them here, near the goats or anywhere again.  You can forget them feeding the goats.”

            Sarah was keen to keep them talking.  Not wanting them to angrily shove her off their land she quickly thought up more questions and asked, matter-of-factly, “PC Palmtree hinted that there might have been a mistake with identity.  Perhaps there are two look-a-likes.  What if these two naughty look-a-likes return to do more damage?”

            Sarah was nearly blown off her feet by an angry Mrs Joy.  She bellowed, “Your daughter and son have been IDENTIFIED.  You can’t believe it’s YOUR children.  You THINK your kids were with you.  You don’t know.  Two people identified YOUR KIDS.”

            Sarah had to fight with herself to stifle her deep desire to burst into laughter.  She knew that if she grinned, her kids would too and then the whole cover would have blown and they would’ve been turfed off immediately.  She remained po-faced.

            Mrs Culpitt said defiantly, “I do know both your children.  I know them.”

            Dick Joy made his contribution, “I’ve never seen David.”

            Mrs Culpitt offered, “I tried on Sunday to phone PC Collin Morris.  I spoke to him because he is the community officer.  Last year, they [looking at David and Anna] were both in the stables.  You two have got to admit it, you were caught red-handed.  I caught you turning the hosepipe on.”

            It was getting more juicier by the minute.  The neck on this lot was beyond belief!   

            Dick Joy barged in with, “Let’s clarify a point - do we call police every time we see kids? - End of story.  NOW.  I don’t care what the police think.  I know your kids were here.  I’m absolutely positive.  I talked to them on Saturday.  I made no mistake - that girl was here on Saturday.  I’m not concerned about the police, love.  All I know is I’ve made no mistakes.  That girl was here on Saturday - End of story.  It’s no good even discussing it cos you’ll never agree.”   

            Dan put his twopence ha’penny in, “I don’t mind kids feeding my horses - with their parents.  But not when they wreck....”

            Mrs Joy added, “It causes damage....”

            Dan said, “I don’t mind, if they don’t hurt them.”

            Dick Joy blasted, “I’ve got no time arguing as to whether they were hurt.  We’re getting off the point.  She [pointing at Anna] was feeding the horse…. Saturday.  I told her to go.  I don’t know if she came back.  I couldn’t tell you.  I wasn’t here Sunday.”

            Sarah asked why the police were not called on Saturday.

            Mrs Culpitt said, “I couldn’t get through.... on Sunday.  I spoke to Collin on Monday.”

            Sarah asked who the vet was.

            Dan replied, “Cindy was here Sunday afternoon.  Cindy has horses here too.  The vet - from Abagog - came to see the horse.  There were two girls here Saturday afternoon.

            Mrs Joy got on the defensive again, “It’s not your business which vet.  As far as I’m concerned you have to make sure these children don’t come here again.  I’m very busy.  I haven’t got time.  They’ve just been identified by two people.  They’ve been seen here a lot.  If they are here again I’LL call police.”  Reaching a crescendo, Mrs Joy screamed, “Now GET OFF MY PROPERTY.”

            Beginning to make a move off Dick Joy’s land, Sarah spoke to Dan.  She asked if there was a police incident number.

            Dan answered civilly, “No incident number, no.  They must know themselves; that they’re guilty.”

            Dick Joy boomed all authoritatively at David and Anna, “I don’t know how you can stand there and look me in the eye and say you weren’t here.  I can tell you about Saturday and a week prior.  They were with Diane and that other girl.  They were talking there altogether.  She lives in one of those terraced houses there.  Couldn’t tell you her surname.... We’ve stopped them now.”

            As Sarah and her brood strolled up the path nattering with Dan, Mrs Joy jumped into her brand spanking new land cruiser and drove past in haste.  Sarah had a feeling that the woman was about to make her way around some of her neighbours to make sure that they all had the right story - just in case!   She smiled smugly and glanced at David who [she could tell] was thinking the same thing.  He grinned back.

            Unawares Dan chattered on about his pride and joy, “She won the pony of the year championship.  She’ll win next year too.  Eight thousand pounds I was offered for her.  I refused.  Next year she’ll be worth a lot more - with all the time and effort and care.  I would’ve lost it all if her muscle had been damaged.  It is the most valuable horse.  She is worth thirteen thousand pounds, fourteen thousand pounds easy, if not more.  Customers are waiting for foals.  I can get two and a half thousand pounds a foal.”

            Sarah commented, “Well I can see why you’re so angry.”

            Dan continued, “I’d have had to claim compensation if her muscle was damaged.  The insurance wouldn’t have paid out....”

Sarah spent that night listening to the tape over and over again.  She wrote out the transcript of it.  All four were clearly telling lies and tripping over themselves.  Obviously this did have something to do with Greg.  After all it was Greg’s stated objective to cause Sarah problems in every way he could.  His intention was to harass her, but more importantly his aim was to paint David and Anna as horrible little hooligans so that social services would decide eventually that Sarah is unfit to care for any of her children and to recommend that Jason and Jessica should go and live with him.  But it was a surprise to Sarah that a man of Dick Joy’s standing in society would be pally enough with her ex to go to such lengths in the plan.  Sarah had never been aware of such a friendship when she’d been on the scene.  She could not fathom it.  Ok, they were neighbours but Sarah had never once seen Greg even so much as waving to any of Dick’s family or his employees. 

            It was another set-up.  Sarah could understand why Greg would involve police of low rank, if he could get away with it, considering the fact he used to be a Special Constable [and possibly even have other police connections as he had boasted.]  But just how high this ‘little’ joke went in the police filled Sarah with some intrigue.  

            The next day Sarah showed the transcript to her father.  He began fuming and frothing at the mouth:

            “That bloody bastard Potter needs sorting.  He does seem to have some pretty powerful mates though, doesn’t he?  I’m going to get the bloody police to investigate this once and for all.  I’ll have a word with one of the inspectors - I know enough of them.  That idiot Palmtree is a bumbling buffoon.  We need to go higher than him.”

            “Well it’s obvious that the police are in on it.  If there was any truth in any of it, Palmtree would’ve found out the police’s version of it first.  He wouldn’t’ve said that he was going up to the Dick Joy household to supposedly ‘find out more’, and I shouldn’t’ve had to do my own investigations,” said Sarah sarcastically.

            “That’s exactly why we’re going to pursue this until we get to the bottom.  This has gone on long enough,” seethed Sarah’s dad.

            Needless to say, PC Palmtree wasn’t available to talk to her again and wasn’t in a hurry to phone her back either!  And PC Collin Morris [she was told] was conveniently on leave.

Within another couple of days Sarah was not surprised to find Meg and Daphne at her door again making an unscheduled visit.  Daph explained:

            “Greg has just been into our office to tell us that his neighbours are furious.  He said that David and Anna had been up at the stables near his house and that they’d been throwing saddles around and bales of hay two Sundays ago at about seven or eight pm.  He did say not to quote him on the exact time.  He told us that your kids had fed his neighbour’s prize horse; that it shouldn’t have had pellets; that it got colic and went berserk and lacerated its leg and that the vet was called.  He also said that your two had been seen in other neighbours’ gardens - letting out rabbits from their hutches and swinging on people’s swings.  He stressed that he couldn’t give names but that he understood that his neighbours had reported the incidents to the police....”

            Sarah busily scribbled down everything that Daph said, for her own future records.  Then she said:

            “I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to send you two to question me.  It really doesn’t surprise me anymore.  He couldn’t wait to tell you that my kids have been in trouble with the police again.  We’ve been stitched up again.  Look; read this.  You can see that Dick Joy and Co are lying their boots off - I recorded everything, secretly.”

            The social workers did indeed agree that the complainants were lying.  Daph and Meg were puzzled.  They said it was suspect, particularly as the police didn’t seem to be doing anything about David’s and Anna’s alleged persistent ‘naughty’ behaviour.  Both women suggested that Sarah should write to the police demanding an explanation.  Both stressed that she must insist that they respond in writing.

            Sarah informed them that she was already two steps ahead and that she and her father were due to meet with inspector Paul Hunter that very evening.

Sarah’s dad turned up at her house early for the meeting.  He informed her that he’d spent a long time on the phone with inspector Hunter, explaining to him the in-depth background to it all - Greg’s peccadilloing and his intentions to cause her problems for years to come.

            “Oh Good,” Sarah enthused, “so he’s going to come here and give us some answers then, is he? and not some more fudge and twaddle.”

            “Well he’s had some time to start the ball rolling,” enthused Bob Thomas.  “He knows the whole story.  He sounded pretty sympathetic and helpful too....”

            Sarah was