He seemed to understand that he must stay in custody until they’d sorted things out for him, but he was worried about what Mr Henshaw would say if he failed to turn up for work next day. Frances promised to explain. ‘Don’t you worry, Ern, Mr Henshaw will understand.’‘Will he get another boy?’ Ernie asked. He pictured someone else riding the shiny black bike up and down Duke Street.‘I hope not, Ern. I’ll talk to him for you.’ Frances and Sadie rose to go. ‘You gotta stay here and be patient, and try not to worry too much. Do as they tell you and you’ll be fine.’ She bent and kissed his cheek. ‘Cheer up, Ern, well do everything we can to get you out of here.’ She and Sadie sailed out of the police station, heads high. But they carried with them the memory of Ernie’s stricken face as the coppers came, in to lead him back to his lonely cell. ‘He loves this job, Mr Henshaw,’ Frances told the shopkeeper next day. ‘He’s afraid you’ll think badly of him for letting you down.’ She was on her way to work at Boots, calling at Henshaw’s, then planning to stop at Billy Wray’s newspaper stand to ask about a solicitor.
