Detective Work

by John Escott
Paul is the main protagonist (character) of the book and he is also the narrator of the story. He was a student and wanted to earn some money during the summer holidays so he started working at Repsom Museum. His colleague was Anna Wain. Mrs Gilbertson lent a necklace to the museum to be put on display. It was a diamond necklace which was insured for one hundred thousand pounds. It arrived exactly on the same day that Paul started working there. After a couple of days the necklace was stolen and Paul was the person who was most suspected because nothing had ever been stolen before and because once he was involved in a theft. He was with a group of friends who stole something and he was also blamed for the theft even though he did not steal anything. Unfortunately one of the policemen who were interrogating the persons had recognised Paul as being with the gang of thieves who stole some cigarettes and told Inspector Craven the story so obviously they were suspecting him. For this reason Paul wanted to catch the thief at all costs because that was the only way to show everyone that he was innocent. One day when Paul was working in the pirate display he saw something shining among the false jewels which were in the treasure chest. When he went closer he realised that it was the Gilbertson necklace. At that moment he was really happy because he thought that he had solved the problem, however after a seconds thought he realized that no one would believe him if he told them that he had found it in the treasure chest. So he put it back among the false jewels and thought of an idea. He told everyone that he was going to move the pirate display so that the thief would come back for the necklace. He went back to the museum at night and pretended to be a wax dummy of a policeman and waited for the thief to come. He did not move. Suddenly he heard a noise. The thief soon came and when he lifted the necklace up in his hand, Paul realised that he was Derek Halliday. He could not believe his eyes when he saw Paul! But there was also someone else in the museum he or she was wearing a hood and had a gun in his/her hand. Then he/she came closer and shot Derek Halliday in his arm. Then Paul realised that she was Mrs Gilbertson! She tried to run when she saw Paul, but only managed to trap herself in the cell of the police display. Paul called the police immediately and they came and arrested Mrs Gilbertson and Derek Halliday. Later we find out that Mrs Gilbertson was not really a rich woman. She had become poor, and invented a plan to steal her own necklace so that she would get the money of the insurance. Derek Halliday used to work for her as a gardener and once she caught him stealing money from her desk and she thought that he was the perfect person to steal her necklace since he was not an honest person. She went to the museum on the day that Derek had to go and get the necklace because she wanted to kill him because he kept asking her for more money and that was the only way out. However, they both ended up in jail paying for what they have done.