TBaby/The Thatcher Family

You know Emily, she's about eighteen, really skinny and dresses like a Goth, black lips and black fingernails and a gold stud in her nose. She tends to wear black most of the time as well and looks a bit scary, but she is actually quite nice underneath.

"Oh!" She says when she sees you standing at her front door holding her card. "Have you had any experience," she asks. She takes you through to the kitchen which is surprisingly neat and tidy.

"I've helped out with my cousins," you say. "Anyway, I assumed she'd be in bed and all I'd have to do was keep an eye on her. My mums downstairs, so if there was a problem I could call her."

Emily shrugs. "It's just I wasn't expecting a boy, but hey! Why not. There's this self-defence class I want to go to on Thursday evenings, but if I keep Ronnie up gets really cranky the next day."

It takes you a few seconds to work out that Ronnie is Veronica and then, after discussing payment, it's agreed. Now all you have to do is to convince Mum that it's a good idea.

"Is that the skinny Goth girl," Arthur says, and you confirm that it is. "Well, you won't be in much danger there," he says with a grin.

"I guess you're only a couple of floors up," Mum says. "I can't think why she needs self-defence, the way she dresses is enough to scare anyone off."

• Veronica