Chapter 1. The Jogger

Dan and Sue are police officers in London. It is a Tuesday morning, and Dan is angry.

‘What’s the matter, Dan?’ Sue asks.

‘Look at this,’ Dan says. ‘Every day someone steals money from people near the shops. We must stop this.’ ‘Yes, of course,’ Sue says. ‘But who is it?’

‘There is a jogger,’ Dan says. ‘Every day he runs near the shops. Sometimes he runs into people. Perhaps he steals the money.’

‘OK,’ Sue says. ‘Let’s go to the shops. Perhaps we can see this jogger.’

They sit upstairs in a window over the shops. Dan has a radio. They watch the people in the street.

‘Look!’ Sue says. ‘There’s the jogger!’

The young man runs into an old woman, and she falls down. The jogger puts his hand on the old woman’s arm. ‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘Can I help you? Here’s your bag.’ Then a young woman shouts at him. ‘Don’t run here!’ she says. ‘It’s dangerous! Go away!’

The young man runs away. Dan talks in his radio. ‘Quick! Stop him! He’s running up North Street!’

A police car stops the young man in North Street.

‘Are you OK now?’ Sue asks the old woman.

‘Yes, thank you. Where is that nice young woman? I can’t see her now.’

‘Have you got all your money?’ Sue asks.

The old woman looks in her bag. ‘No, I haven’t! My money’s in my purse. But my purse isn’t here!’

‘OK Sue,’ Dan says. ‘Let’s talk to the jogger!’

‘Who are you?’ Sue asks the young man.

‘My name’s Peter Jones. Why? Who are you?’

‘We’re police officers. Why do you go running past the shops every day?’

‘Why not? I like running.’

‘OK,’ Dan says. ‘Let’s look for the money.’

‘What money?’ Peter Jones asks. ‘What are you talking about? I never take money with me when I run.’

Dan looks for the money but he cannot find any.

‘Can I go now?’ Peter Jones asks.

‘OK,’ Dan says angrily. ‘But don’t come back!’

‘Why not?’ Peter asks angrily. ‘I live here! And I’m not doing anything wrong!’ He runs away.

‘What do we do now?’ Sue asks. ‘Where is the old woman’s money, and her purse?’

‘I don’t know,’ says Dan. ‘Somebody has it. But who?’

Chapter 2. TV

Dan and Sue go back to the shops. 'I don’t understand,’ Dan says. ‘The jogger hasn’t got the money so we must look for someone different.’

‘Look,’ Sue says. ‘There’s a TV camera over that shop door. Perhaps that can help us.’

They go into the shop and watch the video.

‘Look,’ Sue says. ‘There’s the old woman. She’s getting money from the bank and putting it into her purse. Now she’s putting the purse into the bag.’

‘Stop the video there,’ says Dan. ‘Now, look carefully. Is anybody watching her?’

‘There are a lot of people in the street,’ Sue says. ‘I’m not sure. Is it that man with the long hair?’

‘Perhaps,’ says Dan. ‘Let’s go on. What happens next?’ They watch the video. The jogger runs into the old lady. He stops and helps her. She shouts at him and he runs away. Then a lot of people come and help the old lady.

‘Look!’ Sue says. ‘The long-haired man has her arm.’

‘Yes, hut that woman has her bag,’ Dan says. ‘What’s she doing with it? Oh! I can’t see! There’s a man in front of her!’

‘Listen, I have an idea,’ Dan says. ‘You go to the bank tomorrow, and take some money out.’

‘Why’s that a good idea?’ Sue asks.

‘Because we can watch you,’ Dan answers. ‘Get a lot of money from the bank, and let everybody in the street see it. Take a radio too, so you can talk to me.’

‘OK,’ Sue says. ‘We can do that tomorrow morning, then.’

Chapter 3. Help me! Quick!

Next day Sue goes to the bank. Dan is watching with another policeman, Jim. They have radios.

‘I’m getting the money now,’ Sue says.

‘That’s good, Sue,’ Dan says on his radio. ‘Now let everybody see it.’

Sue drops some money near her feet. People in the street look at her.

‘Look - there’s the man with the long hair!’ Jim says. ‘He’s picking up the money. Shall I arrest him?’

‘No, wait,’ Dan says. ‘Watch.’

The man picks up the money and gives it to Sue. ‘Here you are,’ he says. ‘That’s a lot of money — be careful!’ ‘Thanks,’ Sue says.

‘That’s OK.’ The man smiles and walks away.

‘Have you got all the money, Sue?’ Dan asks by radio. ‘Yes, it’s all here,’ Sue says. ‘What can I do now?’

‘Buy some things in the shops, and then walk slowly down the street,’ Dan says. ‘We’re watching you.’

Sue buys some apples, milk and bread. Then she walks slowly down the street. Dan and Jim watch her go.

‘Is anybody following me?’ Sue asks.

‘No,’ Dan says. ‘There’s a woman with a baby. That’s all.’

‘Don’t follow me,’ Sue says into the radio. ‘Nobody must see you. I’m turning right, into Smith Street... now I’m turning left into Peg Lane. The woman with the baby is following me ... I’m turning right, into Dale Avenue.’ ‘Are there lots of people about?’ Dan asks.

‘No, it’s very quiet. Nothing is happening.’

Dan and Jim wait. Then Sue shouts: ‘Be careful! Oh, help me, quick! Help!’

The jogger, Peter Jones, runs into Sue and she falls over. There are apples, milk and bread everywhere.

Tm sorry,’ says the man. ‘Let me help you.’

The woman takes Sue’s arm. ‘Are you OK?’ she asks. ‘Go away!’ she shouts at the man.

But he sees the radio in Sue’s pocket. ‘What’s this?’ he asks. ‘A police radio? Give me the money, quick!’

He takes the money and runs.

The woman wants to run after him but Sue holds her. ‘Stop!’ she says. ‘I’m a police officer. You must stay here!’ ‘But why?’ the woman asks. ‘I want to help you. That man has your money -1 haven’t got it!’

‘Is he your friend?’ Sue asks. ‘Where does he live?’

‘I don’t know,’ the woman says. ‘I don’t know him.’ ‘Who are you?’ Sue asks. ‘Where do you live?’

‘Linda... Linda Wilks. I live at 14, Old Street.’

Chapter 4. Man with a knife

Dan runs up to Sue. ‘Are you OK?’ he asks.

‘Yes, I’m OK,’ she says. ‘Go on, Dan - run!’

Sue calls a police car on her radio. Dan runs after Peter Jones. ‘Jim, he’s turning left into Dock Lane!’ he shouts. ‘Can you see him?’

‘I can see him but he’s running very fast,’ Jim says. The jogger sees Jim and gets into a boat. Jim runs to the river and gets into the boat, too.

‘Stop!’ Jim says. ‘I’m a police officer - Oh no!’

The jogger, Peter Jones, hits Jim and he falls into the water. The boat goes across the river.

Dan helps Jim out of the water. ‘He’s going into a cafe,’ Dan says. ‘Come on - let’s run to that bridge!’

They go across the bridge and run to the cafe. Jim goes behind the cafe and Dan goes in.

‘Is he in there?’ Jim asks on his radio.

‘Yes,’ Dan answers. ‘Jim - he’s coming out!’

‘Stop,’ says Jim. ‘I’m a police officer.’

But Peter has a knife in his hand.

Jim holds out his hand. ‘Give me the knife, Peter.’

‘Stay hack!’ Peter says. ‘I can kill you with this.’

Jim can see Dan in the door behind Peter. Dan walks out of the door, very slowly and quietly.

‘Come on, Peter,’ says Jim. ‘Give me the knife.’

Dan takes Peter’s arms from behind, and Jim takes the knife from his hand. Dan finds the money in Peter’s trousers.

Chapter 5. At the Police station

‘I want to go home now,’ says Linda. ‘My baby is hungry and tired.’

‘Do you know Peter Jones?’ Sue asks. ‘Do you and Peter steal money from people?’

‘No, I don’t know him. And I never steal money.’

‘Do you know this woman, Peter?’ Dan asks.

‘No,’ says Peter. ‘I don’t know her. Who is she?’

Dan and Sue go back to their office.

‘Does Linda work with Peter?’ Dan asks Sue.

‘Yes, she does,’ says Sue. ‘Watch this video. Look - there she is! She’s watching me get the money, and now she’s talking to someone on her phone.’

‘But who is she talking to?’

‘She’s talking to Peter, of course. Now she’s following me and talking to him again. She’s talking about me.’

Dan and Sue speak to Linda again.

‘Can I see your phone, please, Ms Wilks?’ Sue asks.

‘My phone? Why do you want to see that?’

‘Well, it remembers a lot of numbers.’

Sue presses? on Linda’s phone. Peter’s phone begins to ring. Sue laughs. ‘Let me ask you again, Ms Wilks. Do you know Peter Jones?’

‘Well, yes, OK. I know him. But I don’t steal money.’

Sue and Dan take Linda home. They go into her house. ‘There’s two hundred pounds under your bed, Linda,’ Dan says. ‘And look - this is the old lady’s purse.’

‘This is a nice photo of you and the baby,’ Sue says. ‘But who is the man? Is he the baby’s father?’

‘OK, it’s Peter,’ says Linda. ‘And yes, I do steal the money. I’m sorry, OK?’

‘No, Linda, it’s not OK,’ Sue says. ‘It’s not OK at all.’

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The Jogger

Chapter 2. TV

Chapter 3. Help me! Quick!

Chapter 4. Man with a knife

Chapter 5. At the Police station