Page 17 - Billy the Cat and Katie

Chapter 6 - "London Calling"
Tea and crumpets was one of William and Kathleen's favourite treats after school and just as
they sat down at the kitchen table there was a loud knocking at the front door. Aunt Mabel got
up from her chair and went to answer and was surprised to see three men waiting impatiently
for her. They introduced themselves as reporters and would like to hear more about the
attempted burglary and especially about the newly discovered heroes Billy the Cat and Katie.
Aunt Mabel just shook her head as she hadn't time to read the paper and didn't know whom
they were talking about. 'And just who are Billy the Cat and Katie?' she inquired. The reporters
explained but poor Aunt Mabel was none the wiser but invited the gentlemen in for a cup of
tea. Seeing they'd get nowhere with this kindly but uninformed old lady the men declined and
went on their way, asking everyone they met in the street if they'd seen these secretive
characters. William and Kathleen quickly scurried back to the kitchen as they'd been listening in
the hallway, and so as not to appear interested they started chatting about the school trip later
that month. When Aunt Mabel sat down and had taken a sip of her tea which was nearly cold,
Kathleen reminded her mother that they'd be going to London for the day on a history trip and
that the coach would pick everyone up at the school gates at eight o'clock. Aunt Mabel noted it
in her pocket diary and next to it wrote 'sandwiches – meat paste, cheese and pickle, ham.'

Over the next two weeks the local and even some of the national newspapers had stories about
Billy the Cat and Katie, although none of them actually had any photos of the pair. An artist had
drawn some cartoon figures of what he thought they may look like and William and Kathleen
had to laugh when they saw the leopard skinned figures with teeth and claws. 'That looks
nothing like us' Kathleen sniggered as they read the story in the Burnham Evening Argus.
'They'll be saying we eat raw meat next!' As they read on Kathleen noticed something that
William had missed in the column next to their story. The robber Big Sid had confessed to
being part of the London jewellery gang and was being sent to prison for a long time, but as
part of his confession he'd named two other men as being the ringleaders who were still at
large. William gasped at the names as he'd seen them before in the notebook he'd taken from
Charlie Robins as Kathleen read the rest of the headlines out loud. 'Police are anxious to speak
to anyone who may know the whereabouts of either Max 'Buster' Driver or Harry 'The Fence'
Lime. Anyone with information should contact Scotland Yard on Whitehall 1212. And look
there's some photos of them here!" William and Kathleen studied the photos carefully and
later cutting them out of the paper to keep, just in case. Kathleen had an idea, 'Why don't we
go and see Charlie Robins and find out where he got those names from? It may help us later
on.' William nodded and that night would see Charlie cornered in an alleyway behind the Pig
and Whistle pub just down the road from the canal bridge in Burnham. Charlie had decided
he'd try his luck again by breaking into the pub and stealing the takings but hadn't realised that
he'd been followed all the way from his home by two shadowy figures leaping from roof to roof
across the town. Tied to a drainpipe next to the beer cellar trapdoor Billy the Cat and Katie
questioned him about the other two men. 'I was looking for a job to do, you know a big un, coz
I needed the money and I was told these two geezers had an inside man on a jewellery heist
that'd make the Bank of England look small!' Billy and Katie looked at each other and pressed
him for more information. 'Look, all I know is that it's in London on Thursday, nothing else, I
swear. I couldn't do it coz I've got to look after me old mum, she's poorly you know.' He