Short story: Murder plot is taken to the cleaners

Oscar O’Neill had inherited the practice cleaner, Janet Voles, when he had taken over form his father some 30 years previously.

Mrs Voles went about her cleaning in the manner of a burglar committing the perfect crime by leaving the scene seemingly untouched, so the victims wouldn’t realise they’d been burgled until some days later.

She would come to the practice shortly before closing time. Oscar had long since learned not to ask her about her health, but this rarely prevented her from telling him anyway. Chief among her various ailments was now dry AMD, for which she had recently been registered as sight-impaired. This had obviously improved neither her cleaning skills nor her generally morose attitude to life.