Chapter 37

As we moved through the year, we played our concerts, did a couple of spots at the vet shows and looked closely at the music list we had been given. It was the first year that I had not been involved directly in a single album.

Chapter 36

Sharron had a years-worth of vacation owing and she didn’t need much talking to Carol before she was back to me to get the different contact details. Being known sometimes has its advantages and, within a week, she had been to our doctor, seen a specialist, and was given a date for the operation. Jordan was happy to let her take the time off and then stay in the clinic for a few weeks to recuperate.

Chapter 35

Tony went back to the studio to prepare for a band that was booked for this afternoon and evening. Alan, Helen, and I hugged before they left. I invited them for Christmas lunch and Helen told me that if it was as good as lunch today, she would be happy to come.

That left Josie and me, so I sent Becky off, and made us a cup of coffee each. We discussed the farm business, and the Josie told me that she had picked up her guitar again and was re-learning how to play.

Chapter 2

She picked up a small hessian bag and I followed her to the next cell, aware of Bull gazing at my butt as we went in. The cell was the same size as Cloes’ but with two bunk sets, with one having a guy curled up in it. Bluto and Pluto was sitting at the table, playing cards.

“Hi, there, boys. We’re ready for our walk of shame to the library.”

They looked at us, then more closely at me.

“By my ancestors dicks,” breathed Pluto, “Just a few hours and Delia is going to slay them in the aisles.”

And now for something completely different!

Chapter 1

I suppose that was inevitable that I would end up in prison. I had hoped that I could get away to somewhere safe before the brown stuff hit the fan. No, my greed held me back for too long and here I was, in court, with the judge about to read out my sentence.

Chapter 6

For the rest of the day, they continued sorting out the evidence and transcribing the recordings they had made. Sally rang Laura.

“Laura, it’s Sally. I do have one question for you. How long was it after your mother got her reminder note before she was killed?”

“That was a week, I think. The note was in the post on the Monday, and she was found the following Tuesday. How are you going with it?”

“We have the name of the smaller man. Would you believe that their nicknames are really Horse and Cart?”

Chapter 32

We had a serious discussion with the result being that we, as individuals, would show up at any “For Those Who Serve” concerts as we could when we got off the tour in November. I was still up for piano concerts during the year if anyone wanted to hear me. Abigail said that once she had her baby, she would be able to do solo shows if I was her pianist. Joyce was going to be available if Allan could get her, or the pair of us, guitar concerts.

Chapter 31

Once I had Ali bathed and dressed, I sat her in front of the TV watching cartoons. I went and showered, then dressed warmly because it was chilly this morning outside. I put my diary for next year, a notebook, and several pens on the kitchen table. I then joined Ali until her piano teacher turned up. She took her into her playroom for some morning exercises.

Chapter 30

The blonde was Sharron and the dark one was Carol. The baby was Tabitha. Once they had stood and gathered their bags of baby necessities, I led them into the clinic where we left the baby with the vet’s wife to look after while I took them though to Jordan’s office.

Chapter 29

The lunch was very nice. Discussion was launched on whether we would be able to do solo violin concerts in future seasons, and a question was put to me about a piano concert some time. We told them to get in touch with Allan as he could work out likely dates but that we may be busy with the “For those who Served” shows next year and were unlikely to be touring as we were this summer.

Chapter 28

We wiped them, put them to rest in their cases and then we hugged like a couple of lovers. Joyce was crying with joy, saying that she had never thought that she could have played like this when she was a teenager in Detroit. We changed and took our instruments with us when we left, me with two to carry now.

Chapter 8

Andy got up and went to the bag that held the extra kit that they had brought with them. They went off to the left end of the ledge and he stood, with his back to her, as she put the wetsuit on. He checked her for wrinkles. Then they went back to the bag, and he pulled out a weight belt.

“Any idea of what you weigh?”

When she told him, he took off a few weights and helped her put it on. Then she put on the harness for the tank.

Chapter 7

“All right, Alex. You’ve got yourself a deal. Now let’s cut the chat and get in there!”

Sue ceremonially opened the grill lock and gave the keys to Alex. He went to the steel door and opened the padlock, after a bit of juggling. He pulled the door open, and then looked inside. It was a fissure, about five feet high and two feet wide, which went back about six feet before turning sharply to the left, going behind the wall of the cave.

Chapter 6

Andy had a little help from Charlie as he made himself ready. It would be a bit different, negotiating tunnels with a weight belt and tank on. The mask was hooked to a snap lock on the harness, and Charlie gave him a short cable with a snap lock on both ends to attach the flashlight to the belt. The fins went on another snap lock, and he felt that if he had to walk very far, like this, he would need a rest before he could do anything.

Chapter 5

Monday morning brought them back to earth. The had breakfast, tidied up and both left the house. They kissed, and then Maria went west, towards the Aston station, while Andy went towards Coventry and the Police College. When he arrived, he walked to the swimming pool, a place he remembered with happiness.

When he walked into the pool area, he saw the dive leader, now known to be DCI Alex Anderson, who was checking over a wetsuit.

Chapter 4

On Friday morning, they sat at their four desks and talked about what they knew. Lee and Sally had been through the registers and had one name that looked interesting. It was for J. Bowen and was two days before the phone went dead.

Chapter 3

Monday morning, Sally had some news, but not news about the case.

Chapter 2

By Monday morning, they had sorted the boxes into some sort of order, ready to be worked on as they went forward. There was no pattern in the streetwalker dumpings, the sites looked as if they were chosen randomly. The places where the victims had been snatched from varied wildly, as well. One had been taken from Birmingham city, two from Sheffield, another two from Manchester and one from Coventry. There was no regular period between the bodies being found. All were naked when found and all had died by drowning.

Charlie and The Big Win

I suppose that I’d better come out and admit, right now, that I used to be a rowdy teen. Not only that, I was one of a gang of four rowdy teens, the other three also being bullies. Me, I was the one that made the plans, thought about the consequences, and mainly kept us all from spending our schooldays in detention.

Chapter 20

He turned to look at his wife. “Did you feel something, darling?”

“Of course, I did, you big lump. Not that you would notice without being told.” She came over to me and hugged me. “Thank you, I think my husband may be in for a torrid time, because now I’m able to stand up for myself. I know how I can get my way in future.”

“Go get him, girl,” I smiled.

She stepped back, now beside him, not behind as she had been before.

I turned to Kelly. “I think that it may be time we left for the hotel. It’s been a long day.”

Chapter 19

I had tears in my eyes. When I looked around, Pet and the other girls who had seen it already were also glistening. Jordan sat with tears streaming down his face. He turned to me and buried his head into my shoulder. Pet had let go of my hand and was comforting a weeping Anton. Ian and Matty were wet-eyed. Abigail was rocking a weeping Matt.

Flora said, “I think it still has the power to heal.”

Chapter 18

She dug into her bag, brought out six boxes, and then handed them out. When I opened mine, it was more than I could take in. It was a pendant, yes, but what a pendant! It was gold filigree with ‘Stable Sisters Rule’ in diamonds and emeralds.

This won’t be joining the one now resting in a drawer at home. It would be front and center most of the time. Almost in tears, we had group hugs and cheek kisses. We all put them on and carried on with our meal, ordering more coffees as the originals had gone cold.

Chapter 17

We spent most of the afternoon discussing the songs we would be dropping and the ones that would make up the core of Sisters shows. Many staying were already classed as Pixie hits. We could build on that and cement the move with our next album.

We got the amps turned on and just played the things we liked for an hour or so. We then had a short discussion on why Josie left and the effect that had on all of us. The fact that she hadn’t been on stage for some months had helped lessen the damage to the band as a whole.

Chapter 16

After Pet had taken a couple of bows and the crowd settled back in their seats, Richard took up the microphone. “Tonight, you have just heard one of the rising stars in classical music, but we now have another surprise for you. We have, not just one, but two rising stars for you, please welcome Miss Edweena Grosse.”

I went on stage and took my place alongside Pet. Then I smiled at the audience.