The oak tree falls 4/10

Joan spent the next few days helping Lucy in the shop. She swept up all the hair cuttings from the floor, polished the basins and mirrors to keep them clean and shiny and was sometimes allowed to help wash the customer’s hair.

For the first few days she would look round every time someone came into the shop, thinking it might be her uncle coming to find where she’d got to, but it never was and she soon began to forget what he looked like.

She was also beginning to learn her way around the locality. She’d go for quite long walks during her time off work and one day found herself in a side street leading down to the docks.

She just happened to spot an antiques shop and remembered Lucy saying that her watch might be worth a lot of money. There was a large sign in the window, ‘Antiques bought and sold, best prices paid.’

It would be rather nice if she was able to give Lucy some money to help pay for her keep. Anyway she had nothing to lose, so she went inside and went over to the man behind the counter.

She undid the strap of her watch and handed it over; “I’ve been told this might be worth something as an antique. Can you tell me how much you’d give me for it please?”

The man took the watch without comment and then suddenly looked at it in amazement. He took an eyeglass out of his pocket and had a closer look.

“This is absolutely fantastic,” he said, “not only does it look brand new, but it’s actually working. Wherever did you get it from?”

“I bought it from our local jeweller at home, it’s got a new battery in it which should last for a couple of years at least.”

For some reason an image of men no taller than herself, together with very old-fashioned looking sailing ships, crossed her mind, but was gone before she could think where or when she was remembering.

The man in the shop fumbled under the counter for a moment. “Of course,” he said, “in spite of its condition you’ve just admitted it’s illegal, but even so it must be worth at least fifty solars. I’ve never seen one of these things outside a museum and I never ever expected to see one working.”

He kept on talking and Joan began to suspect that he was playing for time, almost as if he was expecting something to happen if he kept her there long enough.

She held out her hand for the watch and was just going to insist on having it back, when a rather large important looking man in a uniform, came into the shop.

“Afternoon John, where’s this antique thief you just called us about?”

The shopkeeper gave the man the watch and pointed at Joan. “It’s her,” he said, “she’s got some strange story about buying it herself; she even admits it’s got a battery inside. You can see for yourself that it’s working.”

“Oh dear oh dear,” said the man, “I think we’ll have to collect your mum and dad young lady, then we’ll all go down to the station for a nice long chat.”

“I can’t remember who my parents are, at the moment the only grown up I know is Lucy who owns Madame Evangeline’s the hairdresser near the big hotel. There is my Uncle Malcolm of course, but I can’t find him.”

The policeman lifted his wrist and spoke into his monitor, then he turned it round for a moment and pointed the face at Joan

“See if we’ve got anything on this young girl,” he said, “and pick up the owner of the hairdresser’s near the Grand hotel.”

“You come along with me miss and we’ll see if we can’t sort this out. We’ll meet your friend Lucy at the station.”

He held Joan’s hand and helped her into a bright red hover that was waiting with flashing lights just outside the antique shop.

“Next stop the police station,” he said happily, “for a crime as big as this I might even get a promotion!”