Adam adjusted the focus of his binoculars. He'd promised community police officer PC Marks he'd carry out observations, because of the recent burglaries in the area. Adam is an unofficial deputy and in training for when he's old enough to join the force. It was already dark outside, and Adam had been on stake-out since tea time. He could see people in the garden, but they weren't burglars. It was his mum and Dad. He went to see what they were doing.

Mum was holding a shiny red bicycle and a torch. Dad was doing something to the wheels with a spanner. The bike was a really good one, with lots of gears and metallic paint. It must be for his older brother Jimmy. Nine years old Adam knows a big bike like that can't be for him.

"Please don't tell Jimmy, it's a surprise," said Dad.

"Jimmy's getting a new bike for Christmas?" Adam asked.

"We're helping Santa. He can't get to everyone's house in one day so he asked us to help," Mum explained.

"So is Santa real then? You saw him?"

"Santa's real, Adam," said Mum. "He's just not quite like the man in the story books."

"Does he have a red suit and a beard?"

"Only when he's working. It's his uniform."

As soon as Mum said 'uniform', Adam thought of his hero.

"Like PC Marks' uniform?" he asked.

"That's right."

"And like a policeman he can't do everything on his own," Mum said.

"So are you helping Santa with his enquiries?"

"Granny did that bit," Dad laughed. "You remember she asked you to write letters to Santa?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Well Jimmy asked for a bike. We bought it to help Santa."

"So mums and dads are like special policemen?"

"Well, sort of. Will you promise not to tell Jimmy about the bike?"

"Yes, Dad."

Adam knew if you're told a secret you should never tell, and if you make a promise, you must always keep it. Except if it's bad and someone might get hurt, then you should tell a grownup, like a teacher or a policeman. He wouldn't tell anyone about Jimmy's bike. That was a good secret.

"Mum, if Santa doesn't bring all the presents what does he do?"

"He takes care of the magic of Christmas."

"What's that?"

"It's all the good things that happen, but you can't buy in shops."

Adam was happy. When Granny got them to write to Santa, Jimmy had asked for the bike. Adam had asked to be a policeman. He knew he couldn't be a real one for years and years, but he wanted to be a special agent or something. He'd seen programmes on the telly where the police were confused but children helped round up the criminals. Adam wanted to do that. He wanted to go on stake-outs and look for clues and take finger prints. When he wrote the letter, he'd thought it was a waste of time, because it wasn't the kind of present that could be wrapped up and put under the tree. He didn't think Santa was real either. How could one man deliver all those presents? He also thought it was odd no one saw him except at Christmas, if you went round dressed in bright red you'd expect to get noticed. Now Mum and Dad had explained, he hoped he'd get what he'd wished for.

When Jimmy came home, the first thing he said was, "Mum, do you know where my football boots are?"

"I didn't think you'd be needing them. I've tidied everything up."

"Wasn't going to play, but they need me. The usual Goalie's got a cold."

"When's the game?" asked Mum.

"Next week, but I need the boots to practice. Where are they?"

"In the shed," Mum told him.

Adam remembered the bike was hidden there. He had to stop Jimmy going to the shed.

"I'll get them for you."

He jumped up and took the key from the hook.

"Thanks, Squirt. I'll get changed. You can come and be linesman if you want."

Adam loved being linesman, ever since Jimmy called the officials 'football police'.

It was dark in the garden, so Adam took a torch. The shadows seemed to move about as he walked. One shadow looked just like a big man trying to look into the shed. As Adam got nearer the shadow came towards him. It was a man. He grabbed Adam's arm.

"Shh kid, keep quiet, there's a good lad."

Adam was frightened, He tried to think what a policeman would do.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked bravely.

"Don't worry, Kid I'm Santa."

"Really?"

"Yeah, don't be fooled because I'm not wearing the red suit, I'm keeping that clean for Christmas Eve."

So Mum was right!

"Have you come to look at Jimmy's new bike?" Adam asked him.

"Yeah, and I need to check any other things your family have bought recently."

Adam unlocked the shed and showed Santa the bike.

"Nice shed this," Santa said, as he looked at Dad's tools and ladder. "It's clean and dry and you keep it safely locked up. It gives me an idea. There are more presents I need to get for people in this street. Perhaps I could store them here?"

"I expect so, I'll I go and ask Mum and Dad."

"No," Santa shouted. "You can't do that, I've got presents for them too," he explained.

"But if we don't tell them how will you get in? PC Marks says we must lock everything, because of burglars."

"You can get me a spare one. What are you doing tomorrow?"

Adam said, "I'm going to the library after lunch."

"Meet me there at two then. Remember don't tell anyone, it's our secret. If you break faith with Santa it damages the Christmas magic, and people won't get what they want."

"I won't tell, Santa, I promise."

While Adam was in the library Santa borrowed the shed key and got a spare made. As Adam walked back to find Mum in the car park, he met PC Marks.

"Hello there, Deputy," the policeman said.

Adam answered, "Hello. Have you arrested anyone today?"

"Not yet, I'm still looking for that burglar. Have you seen anything suspicious?"

"No. What has he stolen?"

"All kinds of things. TVs, money, jewellery, even a trombone. You keep an eye out."

"I will," promised Adam.

That evening Adam checked and Jimmy's bike was OK and looked to see if Santa had brought anything else. He had, some TVs and a trombone. Santa must have found out what had been stolen and bought new ones for people.

The next day PC Marks came to tell them about more burglaries. When he'd gone, Adam went to the shed and saw the same kinds of things as he knew had been stolen. Some didn't look very new. Odd, he expected Santa to give new presents, but there were so many now, perhaps he didn't have enough money for new things?

The following day Adam found a big bag, like the one Jimmy used for football. In the bag were lots of rings and necklaces and bracelets. They weren't in boxes like the necklace that Dad bought for Mum once. They were all jumbled together. There was another smaller bag inside. That was full of money, all in notes. There was too much to count. If Santa had so much money, why wasn't he buying new presents? Why was Santa bringing exactly the same kind of things that the burglar was taking away?

That night PC Marks was on TV explaining about the robberies.

"The thief has taken some very distinctive items including unusual brooches." He showed pictures of metal birds covered in jewels. "He's also taken malt whisky and the trophies from the golf club."

Adam thought he'd seen birds like that in the shed. He wanted to go and look, but it was bed time.

The next day Adam, Jimmy and Mum all went shopping. Adam saw a sign for Santa's grotto. He wanted to go and ask Santa about the things in the shed. There must be a reason.

"Come on, Squirt. Aren't you a bit old for all that?" Jimmy asked.

"All what?"

"That's just some bloke dressed in a suit. It's all a con."

"It's not the real Santa?"

"No."

Adam looked at the poster. Jimmy was right. The man in the picture was nothing like the man who was putting presents into the shed.

"But they say here it's the real Santa. That's lying."

Mum said, "It's more like telling a story."

At home, Adam went straight to the shed and looked in the sports bag. The jewellery birds were the same as the pictures PC Marks had shown on TV. There were also some bottles and shiny trophies. Adam looked carefully at the trophies; they had lists of names and dates engraved on little metal shields. One of the names was their neighbour's, he'd won the golf tournament last year. The things in the shed weren't just like the things that had been stolen. They were the same things. That man wasn't really Santa. He was pretending, lying. He must be the burglar.

Adam knew he must do something. The man was putting stolen things in Dad's shed. Dad might be arrested and Adam would never get a job with the police if he was a criminal's accomplice. The man was lying, he wasn't really about Santa. The lies might damage the Christmas magic and if it did Adam's wish to be a policeman would never come true. Adam had to stop the burglar.

Adam ran indoors to tell his parents. He nearly did, but what if he was wrong? Then Santa would be arrested, there'd definitely be no Christmas then. He couldn't risk letting Mum and Dad look in the shed, their presents were hidden inside. Perhaps some of the rings were for Mum, she'd like that and he knew Dad really wanted a golf trophy. Adam didn't know who to ask. He'd promised not to tell his parents about the things that were hidden. He'd promised not to tell Jimmy anything about the bike. He couldn't tell a teacher because it was a school holiday. He must tell PC Marks. Adam was nervous about this. If he was right it would be great, he would have helped the police catch a criminal. If he was wrong, he would look a silly idiot for not knowing the difference between burglars taking things and Santa giving them.

Adam remembered PC Marks had come to school and used a special pen to write postcodes onto all the children's bikes. If he could get him to do that to Jimmy's, he would see the other stuff in the shed and know what to do. Adam knew Mum had written down PC Marks' mobile telephone number, it was only to be rung for something important. He waited until Mum was upstairs, took a deep breath and rang the number. Luckily, PC Marks was on his beat quite close to Adam's house. He said he could come round straight away.

"Well, Deputy, where's this bike then?"

Adam led the policeman down the garden path, to the shed.

PC Marks looked inside and asked Adam if he had known what was in there.

"Yes, but the man pretended to be Santa and made me promise not to tell. I had to think of a way to make you find the things without breaking my promise."

"You did very well."

The policeman spoke into his radio and then asked Adam, "Can you help even more by coming to the station and making a statement?"

Adam and his mum were taken to the station in a police car. A policewoman asked Adam lots of questions and wrote down all his answers. Mum didn't say much.

PC Marks explained to Mum and Dad the police would like help to catch the burglar.

"Adam, will you help me on my stake-out?"

Of course, Adam agreed.

PC Marks came round just after tea time. The officer and his young deputy waited in Adam's bedroom. The door was kept open so Mum could come in with sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. She made cups of tea for PC Marks and hot chocolate for Adam. The policeman explained it was important to have plenty of food and drink whilst working, to keep their energy levels up. Adam thought it was a bit like an extra special midnight feast. He was able to ask PC Marks lots of questions about becoming a policeman. He learnt it was important to work hard at school, as he would need to be able to read and write statements.

PC Marks let Adam look at his pocket book. Adam decided he'd keep notes too, and carefully wrote out the date and time and all the details of their observation. PC Marks said Adam was doing that very well, and he would have plenty of experience with police routine by the time he was old enough to join the force. He then explained again everything that would happen if they saw the burglar.

"This is your case, Deputy. You'd better be the one that decides when to make the arrest," PC Marks said.

PC Marks also explained how it was important to be a nice person and to get on with all sorts of different people.

"We rely on co-operation from the public, you see, deputy."

It was Adam's job to liaise with the public in this particular case. He thanked Mum for the snacks. He spoke to Jimmy and Dad who came upstairs for regular up-dates. Adam thought they came about as often as there were adverts on the TV. Adam didn't have much to report, even when they had been watching for ages and ages and it was gone past Adam's bedtime. They didn't go to sleep, but kept observation from the bedroom window.

Adam watched carefully, he thought he saw something move. PC Marks tapped him on the shoulder and pointed, he had seen it too. They stared through their binoculars and they saw the burglar. He was carrying a large bag. They saw him walk up to the shed and put the key into the lock. PC Marks made a call on his radio. Then he held it for Adam to give the instruction.

"Go, go, go," Adam shouted.

Suddenly there were lights and lots of police. The burglar was quickly arrested. Handcuffs were put on him and he was taken away in a special police van.

On Christmas Eve, PC Marks and a Police Inspector came to the house.

"We are so pleased with your help that we wish you could join the force straight away." The inspector said. "You can't quite yet, but we'd like to give you a special training day so we know we can always rely on you."

"Yes please," Adam said, "When do you want me to come?"

"As soon as possible, I'll speak to your mum and dad and see what we can arrange."

Adam had a lovely Christmas. He ate ever such a big dinner, but he still had room for chocolate log, Christmas cake and strawberry trifle for tea. He was given some really nice presents. There was even a parcel from the police station. It contained a new pocket book, a magnifying glass, and lots of chocolate. That must be to keep his energy up. He decided to take some on his training day, to share with PC Marks. Everyone was pleased with the presents he'd given them. He thought granny liked hers best, it was a paper-mache flower vase he'd made himself. She smiled a lot when she saw what it was.

On Christmas night, Adam was just as excited as he had been the night before, because he knew in the morning he'd start his police training. On Boxing Day, just after breakfast, Adam and his family were collected by a police car and driven to the police station. They were met by PC Marks and the inspector. They were taken on a tour round the station and were allowed to go everywhere. They stopped for a tea break in the police canteen. It was then time for Adam to start his training.

First, he had his finger prints taken by a sergeant. Once he knew how it was done, he took fingerprints from PC Marks. Mum was given the sheet of paper with Adam's prints on, so she could take it home for him.

Adam was taken to see the police dogs. A police dog handler said Adam could help him exercise one of the dogs. They took Fuzz outside, and his handler showed Adam how to put on the harness that's used when they track criminals. Just as his family were stroking the dog, a man ran up and stole Dad's car keys. The dog handler called to the man to stop, when he wouldn't the policeman called a warning to him and then released Fuzz. The dog ran straight to the man and jumped up and caught hold of his arm. The thief stopped then. The policemen and Adam all ran up to put handcuffs on the man. It was PC Marks. He had been pretending to be a thief. He explained that this was how the dogs practised. He showed Adam that he had some padding on his arm, so he hadn't been hurt.

Once they were back inside the police station, they were taken to look at a police cell. They all went in and sat on the hard bed. PC marks let Mum out first, then he and Adam locked Adam's brother and Dad in a cell. They let them out again of course, but not until Mum had finished laughing.

They were taken home again in a police car. Adam was allowed to switch on the lights and siren as they drove up to his house. Now he'd helped catch the burglars and saved the magic of Christmas, Adam was ready for his next case.

The End

Patsy Collins lives on the south coast of England, with her photographer partner, Gary. In addition to writing and photography, her interests are reading and gardening. Her short stories have been published in a range of publications. These include; Bella, The Lady, Best, Woman's Weekly, Candis, My Weekly and The Weekly News. She also writes non fiction articles and has recently completed her first novel. Patsy does not keep cats.

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