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Welcome to Falstaff Vale Diary Page Four. Maude returned from Norfolk to find that Malcom had instructed the jobbing gardener – Peter – to dig out the roses in the bed by the south wall of the garden. Maude was sad to see them gone. She had planted them when she and Malcom had first moved into the house. “Time to change to vegetables” Malcom announced, “We need to ‘dig for victory’” “There is not a war on” protested Maude, outraged that Malcom had shown her a plan for the garden that included the removal of the herbaceous border and the summerhouse paved area. “There is, my dear, and this war is with our own Government not someone else’s. If Gordon wont do something about the profiteering that is going on then it up to us to do what we can for ourselves.” Maude knew better than to argue with Malcom when he was in this mood. She resolved to tell Peter to leave the rest of the garden alone – although she doubted this would do any good in the long run. Suzanna McPiece was of the same mind as Malcom. Hardly surprising as they had discussed the plans for their respective gardens during their time together in London. Suzanna was even more determined to grow everything she could manage to and to do away with even the flowers in her front garden. “If it cant be ate I wont give it house room” she had assured Malcom. Poor Malcom had the problem of Maude to slow his plans down. Suzanna had never understood what a magnificent man like Malcom had ever seen in a dowdy little thing like Maude. Still it had suited the pair of them that Maude did not seem to realise that Suzanna and Malcom had over the years been friendly.
Emma sat in bed and wondered what it would be like to spend the night with Ned. What had he and Hattie been doing during the dark hours? All Emma had to go on was what she had read and seen on telly. The mechanics of what she imagined had happened Emma knew well enough – in theory. Since she had met Ned Emma had paid a lot more attention to biology. The rest of her subjects had suffered and now with only three weeks to go to the new school year starting Emma had the feeling that studying was something she would not be able to concentrate on. She had resigned herself to the fact that she had lost Ned. It was her own fault for not taking advantage of the boys who had offered to show her what it was all about. If she had done she would have been as worldy wise as Hattie and Ned might have chosen her. She could hear Mitzy woofing softly. Emma got up and pulling on her dressing gown went to the kitchen. Mitzy was by the back door obviously anxious to go outside. Emma opened the door and Mitzy scurried off into the churchyard. It was not cold and Emma went outside herself and sat on the low wall awaiting Mitzy’s return. From time to time Emma saw Mitzy as the dog bustled about among the gravestones on the sent of this or that. After a while Emma decided that it was time to go back inside. “Mitzy!” she called softly. The dog turned and looked at her, but did not come. “Come on, food time” Emma tried the promise of food. Still Mitzy zigged and zagged about the grass. Then the dog stopped and gazed at something in the distance. With a delighted bark Mitzy set off in pursuit of the something. Emma watched in horror as the dog disappeared out of the churchyard and down the road.
Hooter was also awake. He was thinking about Pix. There had been no word since the card for his birthday until yesterday when on Lulu’s birthday a card had arrived. In it Pix said that she was moving to France with her grandparents who had bought a house there. Hooter had no idea how far away France was. He never paid a lot of attention in geography. But he knew that France war ‘abroad’ and must be a further that he could travel. Not that he could go abroad as he had no passport. Pix was very excited about living in France. She had visited with her grandparents and said that the house was in the countryside. She was learning to speak French. Hooter felt sick. He was sure that this meant he would never see Pix again until they were both grown up and by then she would have forgotten what a good brother he had tried to be to her when she was little. When he tried to tell Sedge how he felt Sedge had not been sympathetic. “Pix’ll have a great life, do you want her to miss out just so’s she’s in the same country as you?” Sedge had asked. That had been the end of the conversation. Hooter did not appreciate Sedge suggesting that somehow he was selfish for wanting to see the little girl who had shared his life for her first six years. It would be no good asking his Gran to let him go and visit Pix before she left. Hooter’s Gran had still not forgiven Pix for her getting Dolly arrested. Hooter was wandering if he could go visit Pix without his Gran’s help. He didn’t have enough money for the fare. Perhaps he could find someone who was driving to the right area for something who would give him a lift.
Mitzy had run a long way before she lost interest in what she was trying to catch. By the time she stopped running she was in Leafy Wood. She was not too concerned – she had walked here many times with Matthew and Joseph. There were lots of smells at this time in the morning that were still fresh. The dog was feeling hungry. She looked around hopefully but having no idea how to hunt for real she decided to head back - the image of food in her head. As she padded through the trees Mirzy came to small stream and realised she needed a drink. She went to the stream but as she reached it she smelt a strange smell. It was sour and unpleasant. She stopped and sniffed and then gave a snuffly sneeze to try to get the smell out of her nostrils. Mitzy went on her way back towards the churchyard. She was met by Matthew, Joseph and Emma searching for her. They were so relieved to see the dog that they weren’t even cross and she got an extra special breakfast before lying down to sleep off her adventure.
Daisy Gates was finding life tough. Here she was with a new baby and Lionel’s Mother! Beatrice Gates had moved into to help. Or so she said. In fact she had moved in to take over. Beatrice was not the kind of mother whose son ever grows up and becomes and adult, not to her at any rate. To his dotting Mum Lionel was still five years old and needed looking after. She had ‘allowed’ him to marry Daisy only in as much that as Lionel was an only child there needed to be an heir or two to keep the family line going. She did not think Daisy was capable of anything when it came to running the house but Beatrice was happy in the knowledge that she had brought Lionel up to take charge, except of course when with his Mum. Daisy was sitting in tears by the window. Everything she said was wrong according to Beatrice. She was feeling sorry for herself and it was time she snapped out of it, according to Beatrice. Childbirth was a natural process and Beatrice herself had been back to normal and fully competent within a day of Lionel’s birth, according to Beatrice. Her long suffering husband – George Gates – had never quite had the gumption to leave Beatrice and so he was still at home in Surrey, at present enjoying the break. He had driven Beatrice down and then saying he was no good around babies had driven straight home again. Daisy’s parents would be over as soon as they could from their home in Spain. They ran a beach café and so they must make arrangements before they could come. Then they would only be able to stay a short time – which suited Beatrice who did not want the interference to last longer than it needed to. The day Beatrice Gates met Mavis Headger was one that cemented a friendship on sight. The two women immediately agreed that their sons were too important to ever leave to other women to look after. Mavis was still cock a hoop that Sam and Tansy appeared to have split up. At the very least the threat of a wedding had vanished from the picture. Mavis said, and Beatrice agreed wholeheartedly, that what Sam needed was a compliant wife who would listen to her mother-in-law.
Joyce Farthingale was in a quandary. It was all the fault of Fluer Shakespear. Fluer had been to talk to Joyce and had managed to persuade Joyce that it would be a magnificent idea if she were to help Fluer organize the event that Fluer’s line manager at Newtsbridge Council had told Fluer to organize to introduce herself to the locals. Having no experience of organizing such an event Fluer had zeroed in on Joyce. The idea was that the event – as yet undefined – would take place at Overly Down – which still had a church hall to use. The hall was small but would have to do. Joyce had pointed out that this might introduce Fluer to the residents of Overly Down but it could not be expected that the locals of Saffron Minster, Whitechurch and Falstaff Vale – not to mention the new folk in Flagon’s Valley – would make a trip just to visit her however grand the event might be. Considering the size of the church hall grand was not a word likely to be used. Joyce had immediately regretted agreeing. She did not like Fluer – she did not know anyone who had taken to her. For Joyce it was a chore she could have done without. For Fluer it was an opportunity to stand back and let someone else take the responsibility – Fluer had never been good at taking responsibility although she would soon take the credit with her boss if the event were a success.
As Maude had suspected her attempts to prevent the ruination of the garden had been to no avail. Malcom had issued his orders and when Malcom issued orders these were obeyed. The garden resembled a building site as the paving was dug out and taken away – having been sold to a neighbour who had no intention of going self-sufficient. Maude sat in the conservatory – which was to become an additional green house in the new plan of things – and watched sadly as her plants were dug up and passed on to others or thrown into the compost bin. Maude had never hated Malcom as much as she hated him at this moment.
The new school year was upon the children. Hooter sat looking with rising despair at his uniform laid out on the bed. This was his last year at Primary school and it would be in this year that he would sit his Key Stage 2 test. Hooter had no illusions that he would fail the test – although he was always being told at school that the Key Stages were not the type of tests one failed or passed. If that were the case why were the staff so intent that everyone did well, Hooter wondered. It was obvious that he was destined to start at Secondary school next year at the very bottom. Sedge was also in his last year at Primary but had different worries from Hooter. Next year they would be at the same Secondary school – one which had a terrible reputation for violence and poor exam results. For Sedge the prospect of attending a school where to try to do well was more likely to get him a beating from other students than praise from the staff was not a welcome one. Sedge knew that given a chance he would do well. He could only hope that he could find some way to get himself that chance.
Oliver was in the throws of a hissy-fit. He had been in poor sorts the last few days and had let no opportunity to take it out on Herietta pass. She was trying to take it all in her stride. Oliver’s doctor had sent some tests away and today Oliver was due to receive the results. He was in the garden at Bagley Cottage with a mug of coffee and a sulk on demanding to know why Henrietta had not turned to compost in the bin to aerate it as he had asked – being as he had felt too tired to do it himself. Was it too much to ask, he was thundering, it was only a small thing something that even Henrietta was capable of. She meanwhile was at the open kitchen window shouting that if Oliver didn’t mind out he would be in the bin with the rest of the compost. A head appeared over the hedge that divided Bagley Cottage from Stokes Cottage – the home of Billy Dryden and his sister Lucy. Billy had lived here since before the Sweetleys moved in, being joined by his sister when her husband died and left her with a pile of debts. “Now, now, chaps” Billy scolded “This is no way to great a lovely September morning.” Oliver often found Billy irritating and stomped inside without a word. “What’s up with the old boy?” Billy asked Henrietta. “Nothing out of the ordinary” she snapped, shutting the window with some force.
Pru Sykes was sporting a black eye that she said she had obtained in a silly fall on some mud when she had contacted with the post of the front gate. Everyone suspected that Pru had met some bloke in the pub and then given him the run around after letting him buy her drinks all evening. The truth was that Pru had failed to pay the full amount due on her debt to the moneylender. Last week she had been a few pounds short and had been given two days to pay the full amount. When she couldn’t she had been met on her way home from the pub by one of the moneylender’s ‘friends’ who had given her a taste of what she could expect if she fell any further behind with her payments. Now Pru was in a state. The next instalment was due in the morning. This week’s amount plus what she still owed from last week. She watched her kids heading off for school and wondered how long before they would become involved. Pru was under no illusion that the moneylender would leave her kids alone. There was nothing she could do. She would need to go into Newtsbridge and see if there were any men with cash and a need. It had been several years since Pru had worked the streets and she hoped that she would not be set upon by the new generation now making what living they might.
Oliver arrived at the surgery with nearly an hour to spare before his appointment. He sat in the car watching the passing crowds on their way to the supermarket. MeUsCo was dominant in many parts of the UK and Newtsbridge was no exception. The passing throng included many who now used the shopper’s trolley instead of the car. It had been years since Oliver had seen so many of those trollies in use. Now it was not only the old ladies – who the young had once sneered at – but the young as well. Oliver reflected that the way things were going the young might get a taste of what the world of scrimp and save was like. “And it will do them no harm at all “ Oliver said out loud. He longed for the days of the corner shop – as did all those old enough to have had the benefit of them. The shops had been meeting places, social places, not the impersonal places the supermarkets are. The staff in the shops would notice if someone were not around and soon somebody would be checking if the person were all right. It seemed like another far more caring world that this country had let slip though it’s collective fingers. Oliver realised that he was as to blame as anyone. Had he not shopped in the supermarket for anything that might be cheaper there?
Emma Patching was texting her friend Hattie. As with so many of the billions of texts sent every day this one was nothing more than a passing thought that could have been left unexpressed. ‘C u bus’ it read – and cost no less to send for being so insignificant. Emma had never known a time without text and e-mail and the like. She was still in the dark as to what had happened between Ned and Hattie. As far as Emma knew there had been no more nights. Fred had returned from his convalescence in Scotland at the weekend and so now there would be no more chances for the couple to have the place to themselves. Ned had however talked about taking a flat in Newtsbridge as soon as he was settled in at the University. Emma gathered up her bits and pieces – without which she could not leave the building – and headed out the door. Sophia wished her a nice day. Joseph was already in the car complaining that the school holiday had not been long enough. Matthew was looking at his watch making it clear that they needed to set off now to have any chance of being on time. Due to his appointment with the Bishop Matthew would have to drop Emma off at Joseph’s school and she could get a bus from there. As it was first day she would only be reporting in and getting lists of classes and the like.
Oliver sat in the doctors consulting room awaiting his fate. The doctor sat reading the results of the tests making no comment. Oliver shifted in the seat. The test results were read to him and explained. Oliver was fine as far as it went. There was no sign of diabetes or the like. In fact with his blood pressure showing normal, his cholesterol acceptable and his general life signs seemingly ok there was nothing to indicate why Oliver felt so dull and without energy. The doctor was saying that it was possible that Oliver was a little depressed – as this could explain the symptoms – and that was hardly surprising the way things were. His age was also a factor it seemed. He could not expect to have the energy of a twenty year old. “Why not?” thought Oliver. The consultation over Oliver headed out to the car park none the wiser. Even the fact of what had been discounted did not seem much of a consultation. Oliver had wanted a diagnosis and a prescription that would sort whatever it was out in a day or two. What he had left with was the advice to ‘look at your diet’ and ‘take more gentle exercise’ and to try and ‘look on the bright side’ – whatever that meant. Oliver felt let down. He headed home and told Henrietta the news. She tried to strike a balance between cheerfulness that there was nothing seriously wrong with her husband and sympathy that Oliver still did not know what ailed him. Not for one moment would Oliver entertain the idea that he might be depressed.
The workmen were hard at work at Robin Cottage. Sybil had been able to complete the purchase in short time due to the cash sale and no chain. Now Sybil’s friend Marion Tuck – known as Maz – was in the village overseeing the redecorating. Sybil herself was in Spain recording some segments for her forthcoming TV series on wildlife and climate change. As this subject was being done to death by all and sundry at the moment it would take some imagination to produce a series that could hold the attention of the viewers. The production company had faith in Sybil who had never had a series do badly. She was a down to earth sort that people responded to. This was why she was now moving to Falstaff Vale and not buying the type of property she could easily afford. Sybil wanted to be amongst ordinary folk. The one difference between Sybil and the other villagers that was obvious was the closed circuit television system and state of the art bugler alarms and panic buttons being installed at Robin Cottage.
The rows at the home of Malcom and Maude had been so bad of late that the neighbours had begun to comment amongst themselves. This in an area where it was unusual for anything other than the weather or matters of national importance to be openly discussed. The day of the big row will go down in local history, according to jobbing gardener Peter. He was there when Maude losing her temper with a vengeance disappeared indoors to return with a tray of expensive wine glasses, which she proceeded to smash on the patio one by one. Malcom attempting to stop the carnage of the pricey items was cut by flying glass and needed a trip to accident and emergency for stitches. On his return to the house Malcom packed a bag – with some difficulty and no help form Maude – and drove away. Malcom’s arrival later at the home of Suzannna McPiece made that lady feel a little tug of joy. Perhaps at last Malcom had seen sense.
Verity’s fall was all the more shocking for the silly way that it happened. It had been very windy for several days and Verity had been unable to prune the dead flowers from the top of the Buddleia bush. The wind had abated at about three a.m. and Verity sitting in the conservatory thought now was her chance. In the light of the security lamps Verity brought out the stepladder from the shed and proceeded to climb up, clippers in hand, still wearing her dressing gown and slippers. As she leaned out to clip one of the flowers the steps wobbled and Verity overbalanced. She landed with a crash and a loud cry. Billy Dryden having just garaged his car on his way home from a night out heard the cry and found Verity lying on the ground moaning. The examination at the hospital established that she had broken her hip, leg, left wrist and two ribs. In addition to this it soon became clear that Verity had not been eating properly for some time and was undernourished. She was also confused and repeatedly asked for her late sister to be called to her bedside.
Hattie was still crowing about her conquest at every opportunity. She had all the girls at school in a lather as she showed them photos of the handsome young man she had snared during the summer. Emma tried her best to ignore the boasting but found the constant referral to Ned and his good habits difficult to bear. When she got home she would be in receipt of e-mails from Hattie. The days went by and Emma became more and more sure that if she had been experienced in the’ act of love’ she would be the centre of attention as far as Ned were concerned. To this end she resolved that it was not too late to do something about it and that her chances with Ned were not at an end, even if it meant stealing him from her best friend. It gave Emma a thrill to imagine Hattie sobbing, devastated at the loss of her man.
Fred Bloom had been back in Falstaff Vale for several days but had still not been able to walk around the village. Every time he tried to set off he found that his feet would not carry him towards the end of the village that housed the pub and the Avalone cottage. Fred had been outraged at the arson attack that had closed the village hall. He had viewed this from a distance, saying quite rightly that there was no point in going closer as the building was fenced off for safety. During his stay in Scotland Fred had wondered if he would be able to return to the village at all. The thought had him sweating in the night. But the day had dawned when he had decided that he could put off his return no longer, now he needed the same resolve to get himself along the road, past the Avalone cottage and into the pub.
Pru had been into Newtsbridge several times to ply her trade. It was as if she had never retired – as she had called it at the time. She made sure not to venture into the town centre where the new girls plied the streets. Pru knew that she would be in trouble all round if she were spotted. So she went into pubs on the edge of the town centre and ‘got talking’ to any likely looking man. This meant that she probably did not earn as much as she might, but she had to be satisfied with the fact that she could meet the payments to the moneylender in full each week.
Bertrum Stamp was having yet another childish tantrum – as his wife Geraldine referred to his outbursts. The ‘credit crunch’ was hitting his market hard. The houses and flats that he had on his books to sell were sitting there doing nothing, with thousands of Bertrum’s pounds tied up in them. The new builds he had ready to start hardly seemed any better prospects than what he already had. When was this Government going to do something to help him? This was the question that passed Bertrum’s lips several times each day. Was it worth the fight to get planning consent for the allotments at Mead’s Grove? Why not just call it quits and let the back to the earth types keep their pathetic little plots that they so fondly imagined made them ‘sons of the soil’?
Emma had made a decision. She had been chased for the whole of last term by Jason Northwich who had wanted to show her a ‘rocking time’, as he called it. Emma had brushed Jason aside, not unflattered by his interest. Now she knew that Jason would be the solution to her problem with Ned. Emma was sure that Jason was the kind of boy she could trust to not take advantage of the situation. The next day when Jason came smiling up to her Emma responded with more enthusiastic fervour than Jason could have expected in his wildest imagination. Emma did what she thought women did in the situation where they were ready to say ‘yes’ to a prospective mate. She fluttered her lashes to the point where Jason asked if she had something in her eye. She lowered her gaze in the way she had practised in the mirror. She thought this would make her look demure. Jason realised that he was in with a chance big time and wasted not a second in making his move. It was a warm and pleasant day and Jason suggested that at lunch time Emma and he could slip away to the nearby playing field. He promised that he was ‘prepared’, which in truth he always was - not being a boy who often experienced rejection.
Malcom, now a resident of the village to the tongue wagers interest, had not taken long to discover that Sybil Gummer was the new owner of Robin Cottage. Malcom had never met Sybil but would certainly like to. “Unusual to find an intelligent looker. Brains and boobs don’t often go together the way they do on Sybil Gummer” Malcom enthused to Norman over a pint of the best. Norman agreed even though he was aware of the look of outrage on the face of Flora. It was Norman’s policy to agree with anyone who spent money in his pub – even if this meant saying the opposite to one person seconds after agreeing with another. Malcom had made it his mission to get into the good books of Maz Tuck as soon as the opportunity arose. Maz was a fussy little woman who had been employed by Sybil for many years as an assistant. In truth neither Maz nor Sybil now knew what Maz’s job description would be if they tried to write it out. At the moment Maz was concentrating on getting Robin Cottage ready for Sybil to move in to. For Sybil the only thing she required of Maz was that the cottage was ready on time, on budget, and how that was achieved Sybil had no interest in. In fact Sybil took it for granted that all would be well.
Pru had not returned home when her children set off for school. This was not unusual in the last few weeks and so they set of unconcerned. Pru had told them she had a night job in the town, which was how she viewed what she did. When the children returned at tea – time to find no sign that Pru had been home they went next door and told Julie Hodge. Hooter’s Gran was aware that Pru was earning money in a way that the children would not want to know about. Julie decided that she needed to have a word with the police, even though this went against all her instincts. The police were people Julie would have nothing to do with at other times, but she admitted that they did have their uses. The police could get information from hospitals and the like. Julie was sure that it was in hospital that Pru would be found, the silly mare. Julie had told Pru to do things properly and find herself a minder, but Pru had said that the money she would need to pay the man would leave her with next to nothing. Pru was not a fool, at her age the amount she could ask was a lot lower than she used to command. This meant she would have to work extra shifts just to end up with enough cash for the moneylender. The police officer that Julie talked was seemed unconcerned. Given the circumstances that Julie had described the police were hardly likely to launch an all out search. Pru would need to be out of touch for longer than this.
Fred was trying his hardest to walk towards the pub. He had managed to get as far as the Avalone’s cottage when a panic took hold of him and he froze to the spot. His heart pounding Fred could see Deidre standing right there whilst Kevin turned with the shotgun in his hands and fired. Fred tried to blank out the image of Deidre falling to the ground, blood already starting to flow, but he couldn’t. He could hear Henrietta’s scream as clear as if it were happening now. He could see Verity turning confused to look at her sister lying there. He could remember thinking he must follow Kevin and starting off towards the pub. There was Kevin with the shotgun pointing at those two boys trying to hide behind the wheelie bins. Then Kevin was turning towards Fred and the gun was firing. “Are you all right?” the voice of Fluer Shakespear made Fred gasp with shock. Fluer had not been in the village until after the shooting and no idea who Fred might be, but she could see that here was someone in trouble. “It’s all right, I’ll sort Fred out” it was Oliver. Fluer was relieved and hurried on her way. Oliver took Fred by the arm. “To the pub I think. Stiff drink that’s what you need Fred” Without even knowing it Fred was in the pub. “Whoa there Fred you ducked out last visit and left most of your pint untouched. Don’t you try telling me the beer were off that day ‘cos the beer in this pub is never off.” Norman said bringing a fresh pint to Fred who sat and stared at the glass as if he had never seen alcohol before.
Emma now knew what it was all about. At least she thought she did. To be truthful the few minutes in the long grass with Jason had not seemed to add up to much but Emma was sure that it would be enough for her to be able to offer a knowing glow to Ned the next time that they met. This would be in a few hours if Emma had anything to do with it. Jason meanwhile was not being the gentleman that Emma had expected. By the end of the afternoon the whole of the upper school knew that Jason had had his way with Emma at lunchtime. A horrified Hattie cornered Emma in the corridor. Emma was confused. This was not how it was supposed to be. Jason had promised not to tell anyone and here he was blabbing to all the kids. And now Hattie had the nerve to be standing in front of Emma judging her – and this after the way that Hattie had behaved with Ned. Emma was defiant and told Hattie that what had happened with Jason was what Emma had wanted for ages and ages. Hattie was in full flow about the dangers that Emma had exposed herself to. In fact Hattie sounded a lot like Sophia at that moment. Emma had had enough of being made to feel small. “Just because you think you are so worldly wise ‘cos of Ned!” Emma was shouting. “You might take that smug expression off your face Hattie and think about the dangers you have put yourself in for weeks and weeks.” Hattie stopped talking and stared silently at Emma. “You are jealous of me and Ned and so you give yourself to Jason, how stupid is that?” she finaly asked. Emma’s anger rose and she shouted at Hattie that it was Hattie who was the stupid one as now Ned would want Emma and not her. When Emma stopped shouting she realised that a crowd had gathered, including the Head Teacher. The next half-hour was not very pleasant for Emma, Hattie or Jason. Jason was furious that the staff had found out. He was ordered to leave the premises and told that his parents would be called in for a talk with the Head before Jason would be allowed to return to the school. The worst part for Emma was when Hattie said that she had not spent the night with Ned at all. It had been all in her own mind because she fancied Ned and he being aware that she was only fifteen had never even suggested that they do anything other than a kiss now and then. Sophia came to the school to fetch Emma and spent some time in the Head’s office. On the way home Emma sat silent in the car wondering if Hattie was telling the truth now or just covering for Ned. When they arrived home Emma ran past an excited Mitzy without a glance and hurtled into her bedroom. As Emma lay sobbing on her bed Sophia stood outside the door holding the phone about to call Matthew and tell him to come home at once.
There was still no sign of Pru. It had now been four days and the police were treating Pru as a missing person. Given the details that Julie had provided to them the police had no way of knowing where to look. To be honest they thought that Pru was not a high priority, as it would probably turn out that she had made off with someone and had not bothered to let anybody know. It was during that week the new series of “Mind Your Manners” aired. Unbeknown to the TV Company the programme featuring Pru went to screen with one of its contestants now a missing person. It didn’t take long for them to find out. The disappearance of Pru now became newsworthy. First the local and then the national media swooped on the story. In one day Pru’s face became well known throughout the UK. If anyone were going to spot Pru it would be now.
Matthew had been having great difficulty coming to terms with the action of Emma. He had tried being understanding but had instead shouted at Emma, calling her names and saying that no daughter of his would act in this way. Sophia had tried in vain to stop the flow of invective before too much was said. Emma had sobbed and sobbed and pleaded with Matthew not to hate her. Joseph sat in his bedroom with Mitzy in his arms. He had no idea why all this shouting was happening. He did not understand the words his father was using. Joseph could hear his sister sobbing and he began to cry quietly his tears wetting Mitzy’s fur. The dog sat for once still, unsure if all this fuss might yet engulf her as well. Matthew had stormed out of the house and driven off. Sophia had tried to cuddle Emma who had thrust her away. At that moment there was ring of the bell and Sophia opened the door to find Ned. He was unaware of any of what had happened and was coming by pre-arrangement to give Emma a lift to Newtsbridge for her weekly visit to the Jive Class she had started recently. By the time Ned left the doorstep he had been brought fully up to date by Sophia.
At the Gate’s house all was not calm. Daisy’s parents had arrived from Spain laden with gifts and advice. The encumbering grandmother was not happy to have what she saw as interlopers. Daisy was just glad to have some friends in her time of need. She had been told what to do morning noon and night. Nothing Daisy said or did was right according to Beatrice Gates and Lionel seldom appeared to even hear his mother’s nagging of his wife, much less be inclined to do anything about defending Daisy. Angie and Ben Chambers had lived in Spain for so long that they viewed England as a foreign country. The constant references to how good life in the sun was soon got on Beatrice’s nerves. She phoned husband George – now having a happy break from his wife and in no hurry to see her return to Surrey – and complained endlessly.
Soly Morgan had made Hooter think. Solly had mentioned that this term would end in Christmas, something Solly thought to be great. On the way there would be Halloween and Bonfire Night. This would be the best term of the school year with parties, plays and the like to break up the monotony of schoolwork. Hooter realised with a jolt in the pit of his stomach that this would be Christmas without Pix. She would more than likely not even be living in this country by then. Hooter didn’t want to imagine Trick or Treating, the bonfire and fireworks or Christmas morning without Pix. She was his baby sister and always would be. Hooter’s Gran and Lulu didn’t seem to care at all that they might never see Pix again for years and years – if at all. To them Pix was the child that had brought so much upset to the family. It didn’t help that Pix was half-sibling to Hooter and Lulu and so their Gran could denounce the child as the product of her father’s genes. Hooter knew that he needed to find out the address of Pix’s grandparents in Newtsbridge and hope that they had not yet sold up and moved to France. He was determined that whatever anyone said he would see Pix before she left.
Since her fall Verity had become even more confused than before. She constantly asked why Deidre had not visited her. Verity spoke of the years as if it were still the 1960s. She talked of her love of the music of the Beatles and how she wished she were young enough to wear mini-skirts. She had seemed surprised to see colour television and channels she appeared to have never heard of, but she soon adapted. All day Verity sat in the bed watching endless hours of television. Evie meanwhile tried to decide what should happen to Verity now. There were many phone conversations between Evie and other family members. There was no choice Verity would need to be somewhere safe and supervised. And so the decision was made. A place was found in a care home in Newtsbridge. A nice home that would take Verity as soon as she was fit to leave hospital. Verity would be told that she was going to the care home for a rest to get over her hospital stay. In fact she was there for good. The cottage from which the Avalone sisters had always sworn they would only ever leave ‘feet first’ would be sold to pay the fees. Verity’s beloved garden would pass into the hands of someone else. Her possessions would be sorted though without her there and those she might like to have would be taken to the care home. The rest would be disposed of as it was thought fit. Sold, donated to the charity shop or binned. Verity did not know it but she would never see Sunset Cottage or Falstaff Vale again.
Maclom was in seventh heaven. He had been introduced to Sybil Gummer. Sybil had been everything Malcom had expected and more. She had charmed the old chap – as she saw him – and made him feel like she viewed him as a handsome young man to be flirted with. Not that Sybil did flirt, she just didn’t realise that the way she smiled at the men she met and the way she laughed at their silly attempts at humour made it seem as if she did want to get to know them better. In fact she forgot about Malcom the moment she walked away from him. For his part Malcom – now on a cloud – thought how good his chances were with this buxom beauty. Malcom had never been one to miss an opportunity to woo an attractive lady. He was however totally faithful in his mind to Maude. In his mind that is not always in his body. There had been more than one affair over the years. The most sustained having been Suzanna who had been Malcom’s ‘other’ on and off since they had met whilst he was still in the Army and she “something in a Government department”. This lady had spotted the look on Malcom’s face as he spoke to Sybil and realised that she might need to take this woman on. Just because she was a well-known face – a celeb in the modern parlance – there was no need for her to think she could take any man that she fancied.
Hattie’s parents had been to the police. Ned had been interviewed. Both he and Hattie denied that they had done anything wrong. The police however were now in possession of e-mails that Hattie had sent to Emma and Emma had saved. In these e-mails Hattie clearly claimed that she and Ned had spent the night together, and implied that their encounters had run on for weeks. Hattie asked Emma to cover for her for the nights she had told her parents she was at Emma’s when she wasn’t. Meanwhile there was the matter of Emma and Jason. As Jason was also only fifteen there was not much interest from the authorities who had soon decided that neither of the children was in any danger at home and had left the decision of discipline to the parents and school. The school had told both sets of parents that their children would not be welcome on the premises for some weeks. It was feared that their conduct could encourage others to think it was ‘cool’ to make love whenever and with whomever the mood took them. Hattie had also been told to stay away for the time being as her story was now the gossip fodder of the playground. Fred still suffering from flashbacks and sleepless nights had been shocked to find the mess that his grandson had dumped on his doorstep. In his still weakened state it was more than Fred could cope with. He had contacted Ned’s parents in Canada at once. They were now considering whether they would still be happy for Ned to attend University in Newtsbridge or whether they would tell him to come home as soon as the police had finished with him. That’s supposing that Ned would listen to them.
Billy Dryden was staring at the newspaper as he sat in the garden at Stokes Cottage. The object of his attention was the story about Pru and her being missing. The photo was taken from her TV appearance and so there was no doubting that this was the woman who Billy had met in Newtsbridge the other night – the night of Verity’s fall and of Pru’s disappearance. This was why Billy had only been coming home at three a.m. He had garaged his car in the garage compound at the end of the street and was walking back to the cottage when he had heard Verity cry out as she fell. Everyone would know what time he had been on his way home. What if someone remembered seeing this woman with him, what then.
Malcom was in his dressing gown eating a leisurely breakfast when Suzanna returned from the supermarket. She stood in the doorway hands on hips and surveyed Malcom. He in turn gazed back at Suzanna more than a little aware that she had something on her mind. “The prices are only going one way” she announced. Malcom was not sure how to answer this remark. “I need you to start paying your way Malcom, or else there will need to be cut backs on the home front.” “Have a heart ol’Suz o’mine, there are bills to pay at my house too. Maude can’t be expected to take in washing at her time of life” Malcom laughed nervously. “No pay no stay!” Suzanna snapped, stamping out to the kitchen to put the shopping away. Malcom could hear the snapping shut of the cupboard doors. He sighed. He had known this would happen soon and he was not happy at the prospect of telling Maude that she would need to economise as he would have to take some of their income for his own living expenses.
Joyce Farthingale had had more than enough of Fluer Shakespear. The two were never destined to be friends or even to hit it off. Having been asked by Fluer to help to arrange some sort of ‘event’ to introduce Fluer to the people in the area and start the ball rolling in finding out what they would like Fluer to do for them Joyce now found herself left with all the organising. She was thoroughly fed up with Fluer’s attitude. “If that little madam thinks she can ‘empower’ me with her trendy ideas she has another think coming. I was empowered before her parents were born!” Joyce had moaned to Mavis as they stood in the charity shop. Joyce served there once a week and had recruited Mavis to help with the sorting of donated goods. Mavis didn’t like serving – the customers having watched too much daytime TV always thought they should haggle and Mavis got flustered and let them have the goods for pennies. She was opening a black sack and suddenly said “Yuk!” in a very loud voice that made Joyce jump. “Whatever is it?” Joyce asked. “These clothes look like they are all mucky. We might as well bin the lot without going through them” answered Mavis already starting to retie the sack. “Never say die” replied Joyce taking the sack from Mavis “Lets tip them out and see. I’ll put the washing up gloves on.” When the clothes had been tipped out onto the floor the two women stared at them and then decided it was time to make a phone call.
Oliver was feeling down. He often felt down these days though he could not imagine why. He was soon to go and be presented with his OBE. He should be all excited at the prospect but he wasn’t. Henrietta was worried about him and this had made Oliver feel worse. It was Henrietta who had witnessed Deidre’s shooting and he should be looking after her. Instead of which Oliver spent hours sitting staring out of the window of Bagley Cottage. His mood had not been helped by the news that Verity would not return across the way to Sunset Cottage and that the cottage would be sold. Oliver was concerned about the new neighbours. Supposing it was someone hopelessly unsuitable – and it might be what with people winning the Lotto right left and centre. A second home perhaps? The village was changing too fast. That Gummer woman moving in might be the start of the rot. What if her ‘lovely friends’ visited and liked Falstaff Vale so much they all bought cottages around the area, what then? The pub wouldn’t be worth going into. The streets would become clogged with 4 X 4s and not one of them interested in the community of the village.
Fred also felt at his wits end. Ned was being alternately defiant and pathetically childlike. Fred was still not right from what had happened and he could not cope with all this. Hattie’s parents had forbidden her from ever seeing Ned again. Hattie had been sent to live with her aunt in Devon for the time being but what with modern technology they were still in touch all the time. Ned was saying that as soon as she turned sixteen he intended to marry Hattie as he could not live his life without her. If her parents said “”no” then Ned and Hattie would have to elope to somewhere more enlightened. Hattie would not be sixteen until February so there was still that amount of time for Ned to see sense. He didn’t want to go to University now, but that was what his permit was said he was in England for and so he would have to start the course as planned. Ned’s parents were of the opinion that it would be better if he did stay in the UK. What they didn’t tell Fred is that there was more than one set of parents of young ladies in Canada who hoped Ned would never return to the country of his birth.
The police had arrived at the charity shop and were looking at the clothes on the floor. They agreed that the clothes appeared to be bloodstained. It was of course possible that the substance would turn out to be something else but at the moment they would have to take it that what appeared to be blood was blood. There was no indication where the bag of clothes had come from. Some bags were left on the shop doorstep before opening – despite signs asking people not to do this – and this may well be one of those bags. There was a shoulder bag amongst the clothes and this contained some odds and ends of make-up and a till receipt from MeUsCo. The till receipt had been issued to a customer with a Loyalty Card and so the police would find out from the supermarket who that person might be. After the clothes, the shoulder bag and the police had gone Joyce and Mavis sat in the now “closed” shop and had a cup of tea. “Those items all looked so sad laying there” commented Mavis “It was as if their owner had been laying there with them, poor soul” “How do you know its ‘poor soul’?” asked Joyce. “That’s how it feels to me” Mavis replied, nibbling on a ginger nut biscuit and ignoring the potential customer tapping on the locked door of the shop.
Daisy’s parents were staying at a hotel in Newtsbridge as there was no room for them at the Gate’s house. Angie and Ben had only intended to stay for five days as they had their business to get back to but seeing the state Dasiy was getting into under the rule of Beatrice it had been decided that Angie would stay on a while longer. She now needed to find somewhere to stay that was nearer and cheaper. The Bullock’s Nose did not usually rent out rooms. Norman didn’t want people cluttering up his “private part” and wouldn’t have been able to cater for them. However in times when money is needed no matter how it arrives he had agreed to put Angie in the room at the end of the landing. She would have to cope with her own breakfast and so the rate was lower to reflect it was realy only ‘bed’. Flora managed to make the room habitable – just. Angie moved in after seeing Ben off in a taxi to the airport. Angie’s nose twitched at the smell of damp and her eyes rolled at the piles of old magazines on the floor of the landing. She could see she might just have to ‘lend a hand’ around this place whilst she were here.
‘Blood Stained Clothes Donated To Local Charity Shop’ ran the headline in the local paper. Billy Dryden read with amazement about the black sack of clothes that had been found in the charity shop, suspected to have been left on its doorstep. When he had dumped the bag of clothes out of his car it had been on top of several other bags on the pavement. Someone must have kicked the sacks around in the night and then that one had landed up on the shop’s step. Off all the luck! It could only happen to him.
The till receipt had been tracked back by the company to a Mrs Lucy Mallory with an address in Wiltshire. She had left the address a few months before after the death of her husband had meant she was forced to sell the house to pay off debts. A helpful former neighbour told police that Lucy had gone to live with her brother in the village of Falstaff Vale, “Billy Dryden his name is. He often came and stayed for weekends with Lucy and Archie.” The policeman who called at Stokes Cottage found Billy in the living room stripping wallpaper. “Decided this room needed a make over. Couldn’t think of any way to get a telly programme round so I’m having to do it myself.” Billy told the constable, before asking what the policeman was there about. His sister? Yes she was staying with Billy at present but she wasn’t here this week. Off with some friend or other, Billy wasn’t sure who it was or where they had gone on their ‘autumn girls getaway break’. Yes, she has a mobile but she said she would be keeping it switched off – wanted a complete break after all the hassle of the last few months, and who could blame her. Her friend? Billy repeated that he didn’t even know the woman, although he thought her name was Sally or maybe Shirley.
Emma was refusing to return to school. She was ashamed and embarrassed. Matthew was showing no sympathy. It was Emma’s own fault and she would have to live with it. There was no question that she would go back to the same school and get on with the education she seemed intent on throwing away on a whim. And too bad if that meant that she had to face bullying - as Matthew told her she had to expect others to judge her as she deserved to be judged. Sophia tried to understand why Matthew could show no compassion for his daughter but she was rapidly loosing patience with him. Joseph who was still not sure what had happened was having nightmares in which his father and sister were always shouting at each other. In the dreams the shouting lead to violence and then all sorts of creatures would rise up out of the graves in the churchyard and form up into two armies, one for Emma and the other for Matthew, and the most awful fighting would start. At this point his mother would appear and try to stop the fighting and both sets of creatures would turn on her. It would be then that Joseph awoke screaming for his Mum who would come into his bedroom and tell him that all was well. This worried Joseph even more as it was obvious that all was not well and that meant that Sophia was lying to him.
Maude had hit the roof when Malcom had told her that he needed to take money from their joint account to pay his way at Suzanna’s. Maude had known about Suzanna for years and had said nothing. Malcom had always been a wanderer and she had put up with it. He always dropped his women sooner or later. With Suzanna it had been an on and off thing and from Maude’s point of view that said a lot more about Suzanna that it did about Malcom. This was the first time that Malcom had moved in with anyone – as far as Maude knew. To have Maclom telling her that she would need to economise to let him live with another woman who was not prepared to keep him brought to the surface a Maude that Malcom had not realised existed. The woman who had remained the dutiful wife all these years had been – or so he thought – a woman who accepted that what Malcom said was to be taken as correct in all circumstances. Suddenly Malcon found himself being told that if he wanted to live with his hussy he could damn well finance his shenanigans himself and if he expected his legal and long suffering wife – who had given him years of her life but not the best years as these were still to come without him – then he could think again. It was too late anyway as Maude had written cheques to other accounts that she had opened to make sure that Malcom could never leave her with nothing. Malcom was amazed and then proud that someone who seemed as dependent as Maude would have thought this out without him to advise her and had acted upon it. In fact this threw a new light onto Malocm’s opinion of Maude.
At The Bullock’s Nose all was not calm. Flora and Angie were eyeing each other across the bar. Flora had been all for some extra income from this woman coming to stay as bed and breakfast. It had been Norman who had not wanted to accommodate her. Now with Angie giving orders like she were in charge Flora had come to wish Norman had prevailed. Angie was currently on a cleaning spree the like of which the pub had not seen in decades. There were some of the regulars who joked that if the pub got any cleaner they would feel that they couldn’t come in in case they brought dust with them. “That’s their problem, you need a better class of customer some with a bit more money to spend” Angie had snapped at Norman. As for Norman he was enjoying himself. He was getting rent from Angie and free cleaning. His breakfast was cooked for him. These mornings it was a fry up and all the trimmings in place of a slice of toast or a bowl of cereal. Flora was furious at this. Flora had come to see the pub and Norman as her property and this woman had no right to take over. Flora was wondering what else might be going on at the pub when she was not around.
With the evenings now drawing in there had been more petty vandalism in the villages. There were daily reports of fresh graffiti and trees being damaged. Fly tipping was increasing at an alarming rate and the thefts of the older street signs and drain covers – made of materials that could be sold for scrap – were escalating. The lead had been stolen from just about any roof that had lead on in. or rather had had lead on it as it was impossible to replace it as rapidly as it was stolen. Some roofs now boasted lower grade substitute materials. The insurance companies were saying that they would no longer insure lead. It was all a nightmare for the Council. Vandalism and theft had long been a way of life in Newtsbridge but out in the villages it had been something that hardly ever happened. Now the bills for repairs and cleaning up were rising at the very time when the Council had less and less money to spend.
Malcom walking through the village encountered Oliver. “Morning Sweetley” “Good Morning, Sir” Oliver replied almost swinging his arm into a salute to his former commanding officer – old habits were difficult to break. Oliver’s arm fell back by his side. Malcom saw the movement. “Those were the days, eh Sweetley?” “Yes, Sir”. The two of them walked on. Malcom was thinking what a good man that Sweetley had been. Oliver was thinking that Malcom was the same old fool he had always been – but an old fool that Oliver had respected. It seemed like only yesterday to both of them that they had last donned uniform and served. Now here they were two old men with most of their years gone.
Joseph had pleaded a tummy ache at school time and Sophia had let him stay at home. Now it was the middle of the day and having told his mother that he felt better Joseph had taken a walk with Mitzy. They had wandered around Leafy Wood for a while and were now sitting in a glade enjoying the warm autumn sunshine. After yet another broken nights sleep Joseph had soon fallen into a doze on the grass. Waking as Mitzy snuffled around looking for anything interesting to play with Joseph realised that it was later than he had told his mother he would be home. He was thirsty and knew that there was a stream nearby. He had drunk there before, although he father had been with him and had told him not to. Joseph had waited until Matthew had walked on a way and then had drunk the water of the stream and nothing bad had happened. This time the stream’s water smelt a bit. Joseph hesitated and then thinking that the stream was miles from anywhere so what could be wrong with it he drank a little of the water, just enough to stop him feeling thirsty. Joseph and Mitzy set off along the path toward the village. Joseph began to feel cramps in his stomach and then the cramps changed into a stabbing pain that doubled him up and made him want to be sick. Nothing came up and Joseph sat on the ground and watched the sky as it began to swirl into a kaleidoscope of colours. He could hear Mitzy barking at something but he was too dizzy to respond to her.
Mitzy could not understand why Joseph didn’t get up and come along. She was hungry and wanted to go home. She sat at Joseph’s side and nuzzled his face but apart from a moan he still didn’t stroke her. The dog began to feel fear. Something was not right. Mistzy lay down at Joseph’s feet and waited. Lots of time seemed to her to pass and she was getting frightened now. She started to walk away but came back and sat down again, never taking her eyes off Joseph’s face. Every now and then there would be a moan and the dog’s ears would prick and she would start forward towards Joseph her tail starting to wag, and then the return of silence would make her droop back to the ground. Finaly she began to walk down the path towards Falstaff Vale. After some yards she began to run and was at the greatest speed she could manage by the time she arrived at the churchyard. Her dash along the village street had been noticed by several of the residents and they wondered why she was on her own.
Bertrum Stamp was in the throws of a bout of worry that seemed to last never ending. On the one hand he had Geraldine wanting everything that money could buy and on the other his income was being steadily depleted by the credit crunch. He knew that the main reason that his Gerrykitten had married him was for the money. Bertrum had fallen head over heels in love with Geraldine, but he doubted that she knew how to love anyone but herself. She had left Stephen Merryman without a second thought when she found there was a more wealthy provider on offer. Luckily there were other schemes that Bertrum was using to make money at a time when building development was not paying well, Bertrum’s life was the sort of story – somewhat embellished over the years – that the media loved to make a fuss about. Starting life in a old house with an outside toilet and no running hot water Bertrum had left school with no exams passes to his name. In fact due to the need for the family to have him out and earning at the earliest opportunity Bertrum had never sat any exams, bar the eleven-plus – which he failed by a country mile. The young boy was sent to the local mill to take on a tedious job and there he stayed for nearly ten years, a good and reliable worker who was promoted to foreman. Then Bertrum’s life changed. He met the woman who would turn out to be the springboard to the wealthy man he would become.
The frantic barking brought Sophia to the door. There was Mitzy but no sign of Joseph. Thinking he was somewhere in the churchyard caught up in some interest of his own Sophia stood back to let the dog in for some food, Mitzy didn’t enter but stood still barking. Sophia looked around the churchyard and then up the street. The dog was agitated by her side. Where could Joseph be? Cold dread filled Sophia. Something was very wrong, she knew it was. Hurrying along past the pub Sophia met Oliver, who had seen Mitzy come dashing down from Leafy Wood. Now Sophia was desperate with fear. Leaving Oliver to tell the people in the pub what was happening Sophia set off up the path into the wood. She found Joseph still lying where Mitzy had last seen him. The dog rushed to her young master and barked in his face. There was a slight sound from Joseph but nothing more, no movement. Sophia knelt by her son and tried to stay calm.
In the Bullock’s Nose the feud between Flora and Angie had reached new heights. Flora was by now convinced that Angie had her eye on Norman. The two women were barely on speaking terms. It was coming to a head as Flora had had enough of Angie pointing out her faults. Angie had mentioned that the glasses Flora had just washed were not as sparkling as they might be. Now as Flora washed the bar floor Angie was seated on a stool observing out loud that the floor would be better cleaned if ‘someone’ got down on her hands and knees instead of using a mop. Somehow the moment when the bucket of dirty water was picked up and flung at Angie seemed inevitable. Norman almost laughed out loud as the water for the most part missed Angie, but enough made contact to take the curl out of her perm. Norman didn’t laugh however. He knew better than to get involved in a ‘cat fight’, years behind the bar had taught him that. Secretly he was pleased to have two women fighting over him. Now he felt he must show that he was the master around here and so he told Flora she was sacked. Norman didn’t mean it of course, in a day or two he would make up with Flora and have her back behind the bar. He knew he needed Flora and anyway Angie was on her way back to Spain at the weekend – something nobody had told Flora. What Norman had not foreseen was the aftermath to his ‘sacking’ Flora. The lady in question took it very badly and was in the process of smashing a bottle of Whiskey that she had grabbed from the bar when Oliver walked in.
Up in the wood Sophia tried to think and failed. Her brain was not working. All she could do was panic and then try to stop the panic. Why had she not brought her mobile with her? She might not have got a signal in the woods but she could have run down to the end of the path. In her mind she saw the pub. Shouting to Mitzy to stay here Sophia raced down the path. By the time Sophia reached the pub Angie had stomped upstairs to dry off, Norman had managed to calm Flora down by withdrawing her sacking, and Oliver having said he thought that there was something amiss with the Vicar’s wife had settled down with a pint of bitter. The door burst open as Sophia ran into the bar. She was not making any sense as she tried to ask Norman to phone for help. She kept shouting that Joseph was in the wood. Flora took charge. She grabbed Sophia by the shoulders and shook her until the shouting stopped. Now Sophia could tell them what was wrong and Norman was on the phone in a trice. Flora was trained in first aid – always useful in a pub – and she and Sophia started back to the wood, whilst Oliver volunteered to wait outside for the ambulance to arrive and direct them along the path.
Hooter had been going through any papers he could find of his Gran’s. He was determined to find the address of Pix’s grandparents and go and visit her. In the card Pix had sent to Lulu for her birthday there had been the address 77 Wayside Lane but Pix had not added the name of the town. At last Hooter had found what he needed written on the back of the calendar that hung in the kitchen. He copied the address and phone number down and hung the calendar back in place. Now he would have to think of a way to get to the other side of London from Newtsbridge – he had looked it up on a map at school. He had managed to get some money by going through the pockets of the other children at school. It was handy that they now needed to wear coats. But he doubted that he had enough and it would be no use asking his gran for pocket money, he never got any on a regular basis and when she did give ten pence now and then she did so with hostility saying that he cost too much to keep as it was.
Flora and Sophia sat beside Joseph in the wood and waited for the Paramedics. There was little they could do except talk to Joseph and tell him everything would be all right. Mitzy was lying exhausted and hungry on the grass. If only she could talk she could tell them about the stream and how Joseph had drunk the strange smelling water. When the Paramedics came up the path with Oliver they soon assessed that the only course of action was to get Joseph into the ambulance and off to hospital as soon as they could. There was no way of telling for sure what was wrong with the boy. They had to carry Joseph down the path. Sophia kept thinking how she had read that there was more chance of someone surviving if they got into hospital within one hour, but she was not sure if that applied in all sorts of cases and she was too scared to ask. For all they knew Joseph had been lying there for an hour or so judging by the time he had left home and the time now. Flora took Mitzy to the pub where Norman made the dog sick by feeding her left over stew from two days ago along with a packet of cheese and onion crisps.
PC Sam Hedger had returned from leave to discover that Billy Dryden was being watched. There was still no sign of either Pru Sikes or Billy’s sister Lucy Mallory. Detective Inspector Randolph Wiseman and Sergeant William Cross were keen to find out what Sam might know about Billy. Sam knew very little but he would ask around in a manner that should not arouse anyone’s interest. Sam thought that it was about time he was on the way up the ladder and if he did well with CID on this he would do his prospects no harm at all. The talk in Flagon’s Valley was still that Pru had simply done a runner and left the kids to fend for themselves. She wouldn’t be the first to do that it had been observed but not by Julie Hodge, she was sure Pru would have let her know and if by chance Pru had gone and not said then Heaven help her if Julie caught up with her. It was Julie who had been lumbered with Pru’s kids. It had been that or go to relatives that didn’t want them, or into care.
At the hospital the fight for Joseph was in full swing. Nobody knew what they were dealing with. Tests were being carried out. Joseph had not been able to tell them anything. Now he didn’t make any sound at all. He lay there a very poorly child. Matthew had arrived along with Emma and the family sat and waited and waited. The Doctor came into the relative’s room where they had been asked to sit. He looked serious and sympathetic. He delivered the news and then left them to be together. When Sedge heard the news he went into his room and shut the door. Sitting on his bed with tears streaming down his face he remembered the times that Joseph had said he wanted to be famous when he grew up. Joseph had talked of being an actor. There was no chance of that now. Hooter was told by his Gran in an off hand way that the Vicar’s boy had gone and got himself killed in the wood. Hooter was numbed by her indifference. He was even more determined that he must see Pix before she went abroad and he might never see her again. The Village was shocked by the news. Nobody knew what was best to do. Fred said it was better to leave things be for now. None wanted to do like the townies and place flowers somewhere in a pile. One small bunch of flowers did appear on the Vicarage doorstep. There was no card and no one knew who had placed them there. When Bertrum Stamp heard the news that the boy had died and tests had now proved that he had been poisoned and a stream in the wood had been found to contain that same toxic chemical Bertrum became very afraid.
For Sophia the funeral of her son was a whirl of emotion that she could not get to grips with. Joseph was buried in Sophia and Matthew’s hometown in the Midlands. There had been no question of anywhere else as they knew they would leave Falstaff Vale one day, probably soon. Mitzy was still at the pub. Although she knew it was nonsense Sophia blamed the dog for not coming to fetch her sooner. She blamed the ambulance for not being faster in arriving. She blamed Emma for being the cause of Joseph being upset and not going to school where he would have been safe. She blamed Matthew for not being there so he could have gone to the woods with boy and dog. She blamed herself – how much she blamed herself – for not saying no to Joseph when he said he wanted to take Mitzy for a walk. She blamed herself for not insisting on going with them and blow the cakes she was baking for the bring and buy in aid of church restoration. Matthew meanwhile blamed God and this was not a moment to have a loss of his faith. Emma blamed herself and had sobbed and sobbed so much that her mother had lost her temper and slapped Emma, screaming at her and calling her names. The grandparents sat at the service trying to work out how they could help.
The chemicals in the stream had been traced back to deposits further into the woods. In the days when Old Sidney had been gamekeeper this had been an area used for the rearing of Pheasants for the shoots on the Estate. Although now somewhat overgrown it had been relatively easy to open the path that ran to an area that was still suitable for the purpose that it had been put to. Bertum had been insistent that he did not want containers of chemicals being disposed of on his land. The deal he had struck was for the chemicals to be taken into the woods and tipped out to soak into the ground. This way it was thought the chemicals would be gone and undetected. What none knew was that the stream ran at that point underground and so the chemicals had to some extent polluted it. Bertrum had done well out of the deal but now he was left in the firing line. There was no way the police could say for certain that he had known what had been happening but they would not give up easily in their hunt for proof. Bertrum sent Geraldine to their house in the West Indies knowing that the story might break in the media at any time.
The phone call Julie received from Pru Sikes made Julie swear with such force that even she was surprised. Pru was saying that she had witnessed something that had meant she needed to get out of the way and fast. She was sorry not to have been in touch before but she feared for her life if anyone found out where she was hiding. Julie was not to tell anyone, not even Pru’s kids who might not be able to carry off the pretence of their mother still being missing. Pru needed money. She had spent all she had had with her, earned from her clients – including Billy Dryden – the night she disappeared. Julie had no money to send. Pru refused to tell Julie any details and rang off.
The media had acquired details of the boy poisoned by pollution in the woods. From somewhere a photo of Joseph had been obtained and there he was smiling at the camera at the birthday party of a friend. The background details of the family were basic but the write up about the area of the village was detailed. This was the village where only three months ago Kevin had gone out with a shotgun and killed Deidre Avalone. Suddenly the media interest was back almost to the level it had been in June. Sedge looked at the newspapers and realised that Joseph had got what he wanted – to be famous, but he didn’t know for what. “For dying, mate, that’s why you’re famous” Sedge observed out loud.
The local paper also included the story that Grandlands Farm was to be sold off by auction. Everything was to go in lots. The animals, the buildings, the land, the contents. It was the end of five generations of the same family farming Grandlands. It had been part of the Estate until recent years when it was sold to the tenants. Now they had had to admit defeat and were already in the process of leaving the area. As soon as the animals were gone the buildings would have vacant possession. News of the auction had made Bertrum’s nose twitch. He could smell a bargain. If he could get the land at the lower prices of today all he need do is sit on his investment until prices started to rise again – which would happen eventually. Bertrum had the money from the chemical deal burning a hole in his bank account. Safer to have it invested in land anyway the way the banks were failing left right and centre.
Malcom had moved back to the longsuffering Maude. Suzanna had been beside herself with rage as he drove away. Maude, who as usual had won, smiled when Malcom let himself in carrying his suitcase. “Back so soon, dear” she enquired sweetly. Suzanna would however not let this lie. She was determined that this time Malcom would pay for treating her like a spare part in his life.
Angie had left to return to Spain despite all Daisy’s plea that she should stay for at least another month. The situation at the Gate’s house had not improved and in fact there were times when Daisy felt that she was treated as a baby machine that having done its job could be put in the cupboard until or if it were needed again. Lionel had made it clear that he now was certain that this baby would be the last addition to the family. Angie hardened her heart and headed away leaving Daisy with the advice that if she didn’t like things the way they were then get out and bring the kids to Spain for a new life.
The forensic tests on the bloodstains had proved that the t-shirt and jeans were soaked with the blood of Kevin Hawkling. Tests had proved that they and another t-shirt had been worn by a man, but not Kevin. The other t-shirt, plus a towel, shoulder bag, a skirt, blouse and some undies were spotted with blood from a woman, as yet unknown. Tests had also shown that the DNA from the woman’s blood and the man’s sweat indicated that the two were likely related.
Malcom had settled happily back into the bosom of his marriage. Maude was content to have him back where he belonged. The spat over Malcom’s wrecking of the garden to turn it into an allotment had blown over and Maude had decided she could live with the alterations. In Falstaff Vale Suzanna sat watching the world go past her window and plotted her revenge.
The police had been to talk to Billy Dryden once again. Billy still said that he had had no word from his sister Lucy Mallory. The details that he gave of Lucy were double-checked and there was nothing for the police to do except to leave. PC Sam had asked around as much as he could and had learnt that no-one in Falstaff Vale knew anything about Billy or his sister beyond the basics. It was interesting that even villagers who had known Billy the longest could only answer general questions about him. On a hunch, which he did not mention to anyone else – figuring that a hunch that works is the only one worth telling others about – Sam checked official records. What he found opened up a whole new line of enquiry. It was true that Lucy Dryden had been born where and when Billy had said, but what Billy had not mentioned was that Lucy had suffered from a degenerative illness and had passed away at the age of nineteen. Whoever the woman was who was married to a man said to be named Archie Mallory – now said to be deceased – she was certainly not Billy Dryden’s younger sister.
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The auction at Grandlands Farm had gone with a swing for Bertrum, who had managed to buy a sizable amount of land for what he regarded as a song. Bertrum had not bid in person. As usual he had an agent to bid on his behalf, fearing that if it were known he was bidding some might try to push up the price by making bids they did not intend to be successful. Quite what he would do with the land in the short term Bertrum would decide in time, but for the moment he would let it lie with the minimum of maintenance.
Sedge was recovering from an accident. Preparing for Halloween Sedge had climbed onto an old wall in an attempt to reach a tree branch that he thought he would break off to use to make a traditional broomstick. Falling awkwardly Sedge had broken his arm and now sported a plaster bearing slogans written by his fellow Scooter Boys. Being bored did not sit with Sedge and he was spending his time trying to think of ‘Trick or Treat’ pranks to play on the people of Flagon’s Valley. He would need the others to perform the pranks on his behalf. Sedge had convinced himself he was a natural leader, and for the first time had wondered why it was Hooter who was number one in the gang.
Pru was in a state and no surprise. She didn’t know where to turn. She had even thought about going to the police in the effort to find herself somewhere safe, but had dismissed this idea as unrealistic. When Pru had taken up the offer from Billy Dryden to give her a lift into the centre of Newtsbridge after they had finished their business she had never thought she would end up in strife like this. Billy had been driving along Mount Lane when his mobile had rung. After a quick conversation Billy had said he would need to divert via Shelly Grove to pick up someone who wanted a lift. Would Pru like to get out or could he trust her to forget anything she might see or hear? How Pru now wished she had said she would get out, but no, she had assured Billy that she was capable of forgetfulness on a grand scale. When the car had pulled up at the corner of Shelly Grove Pru’s heart almost stopped beating when she recognised the person they were picking up – Shane Wentworth.
Daisy Gates had had enough. She was planning to get out of Flagon’s Valley and away to Spain. In her confused state of mind she thought only that she and the children must escape from the clutches of Lionel and his mother. It was a plan that was sure to fail and fail it did. Beatrice Gates made sure that Daisy did not even make it out of the front door with the baby in the pram and Poppy being dragged along behind. Daisy had become hysterical and before she knew it the GP was there and an ambulance was called. Daisy was sectioned with Lionel’s approval on the grounds of her own and the children’s safety, and there was nothing she could do as she was loaded into the ambulance to the sound of sobs from Poppy who was trying desperately to join her mother in the vehicle. The child was held firmly by her father who was saying that they couldn’t take any chances. Poppy heard her Gran say that when Daisy could come out of hospital perhaps it would be as well if she did visit Spain – on her own. Lionel whole heartedly agreed.
I regret that for some reason I am unable to paste the latest installment onto the page. It appears at the top in quite the wrong place. As I use public computers I do not have enough time to type the installment straight on. Hopefully this will be sorted soon.
I am very sorry, I have not forgotten about FVD. What the plan is now is that I will write one final installment which will tie up the loose ends and carry the story to the end of the year - 2008. I hope to post this on a new page - FVD Five - when it is complete.
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