My situation has led me to go to the extreme of employing your professional services.

Due to the sensitivity of this matter I am not in a position at this stage to call upon more orthodox methods from the authorities to undertake this contract. I ask therefore that there be no Police involvement until my approval is given.

I have reason to believe that my husband has been party to the removal of both monies & items from my estate.

I therefore require your services to ascertain weather my suspicions are indeed correct & if so aid in his arrest along with any other party involved. The recovery of missing items is of little importance. My primary concern is to prove my husbands guilt & have him removed from my will forthwith. Any recovered items will be signed over to your company as an additional bonus on the completion of your contract.

If you wish to undertake this contract I will meet you at the Smugglers Arms Public House, Dennington, Norfolk at midday. I will be in this precise location at this precise time. I will synchronize my watch the same morning. I will be reading "The Times newspaper from the previous day. If you are absent, I will assume you have decided against this lucrative contract.

If you would like To accept this contract say yes now….

There was a pause from both parties. It had taken Zara by surprise, it was probably this that caused her to answer so quickly without much thought.

MOTO   + rendez-vous ----->    image1        <-  click me

Zara met her client in a pub :

Zara put her client in her early thirties. She took her position at the arranged seat & with a furtive glance around her she unfolded the "Times" & attempted to look absorbed.

She glanced up at Zara's smiling face & the penny dropped.

"Oh my, are you Zara?"

"Yes, at your service. Is it safe to talk here ?"

The woman visibly sighed with relief as she realised she had made contact.

"Oh yes, this is fine. I live a long way from here".

Zara sat next to the woman.  She talked about her husband :

He claimed to be an antiques dealer who had spent the previous two years touring Europe. One thing was obvious, he was definitely not in the same financial league as his wife. Within months of meeting him she realised not all was as it should be. He had shown far more interest in his newfound riches than to his beautiful new wife. She had grown even more suspicious when small but expensive items had started to go missing from the hall. The final straw had been the appearance of the landscape painting in the Sotheby's' brochure, the same painting which should have been locked safely away in storage in the hall. It was by chance a friend had pointed it out to her that she noticed it missing. What pointed the finger of suspicion towards her husband had been the trips away, the late night phone calls & the denial of the calls the following day. Deep down she wanted to prove him innocent hence the lack of police involvement. If innocent he would never forgive her. If guilty they would probably fail through lack of evidence. Yes, Zara's undercover methods were the best way.

"When I next see my darling husband I shall speak with utter delight of the charming girl I happened to meet & how I arranged casual work for you at my hall".

Zara arrived on schedule. The train had been on time.

Lana & her husband greeted her at the door. Zara's' adventure was about to begin.

"Thank you so much for coming. This is my husband John".

He was more than pleasantly surprised at is new employee.

Before they parted Lana handed Zara an envelope containing details of the halls security systems & a map of the grounds. "Mum's the word. We'll have time to talk later". Whispered Lana as they parted.

The rest of the day was taken up by settling into her new environment & the evening meal with her client

& the suspect.

Refreshed after a short sleep Zara prepared her night gear.

Where she get dressed   :        

image2         <-  click me

image3         <-  click me

"God, I hope that sleaze John doesn't catch me in this. I'd be in serious trouble".

The old Halls windows were the old inefficient sash type. This combined with years of repeated painting had made them sticky. Zara cursed herself as the dull rumble of the windows counterweight echoed through the study.

image4       <-  click me

She turned her attention to the telephone on the desk.

She picked up the handset, plucked a fountain pen from its stand & punched the keys & waited, tapping the pen gently against her soft, red lips as she waited.

After three rings the female monotone voice gave Zara the information she needed.

"Telephone number" Zara scribbled the number down on the pad "called today at 1055.To return the call press 3".

She replaced the receiver & tore off the top sheet of paper from the pad

Where Zara leaves the study :

Back in her room Zaras' heart was pounding.

"Wow what a rush!" She'd done it without a hitch. The excitement had been intense.

On more than one occasion the obvious felon had been seen leave the courts a free man with a one fingured gesture to the authorities due to a single loophole in the law.

No, maybe Lana would wait & use Zara to make sure he would not get away with it.

She wasn't sure it was the power of working undercover or the real fear of being caught. What if she was caught?

Zaras' mind was spiralling. She realised she could be in serious danger here. It was like a drug. As the adrenalin pumped through her body she tried to control her emotions.