Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2389

Printer-friendly version
The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike, est. 2007)
Part 2389
by Angharad

Copyright© 2014 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
-Dormouse-001.jpg

No one questioned me about the visit from the police, assuming it was related to Julie’s encounter with young Khan as I hadn’t mentioned mine. I decided rather than give Simon a chance to lay down the law about me avoiding dangerous situations, I’d say nothing and hope no one else did either. Amazingly, that was what seemed to happen. Julie just muttered something about not pressing charges while Phoebe and Stella were full of themselves for saving the day at the salon.

Sunday seemed to be a day for chores and I even popped into the university and brought home my marking which I did during the evening, having checked on the dormice while I was there. Trish came with me and helped me remove the old food remains and restock it with fresh.

Monday morning arrived and the girls would only be in school for two weeks one of which would be taken up with the school quiz, which Trish and Livvie were excited to be included. They would get an hour’s training a day until the quiz which was being held in Southampton. Danni and Mima kept their tempers very well as our two prima donnas stroked each other’s ego. I did whisper a ‘well done’ to both of them and decided I would try and give them some treats while the brainy pair were involved in showing off their general knowledge.

I arrived in work and continued with my marking, the end was almost in sight, then Pippa arrived. “Good weekend?”

“Was all right, I suppose.”

“Nothing you want to add?”

“No, why should I?”

“Nothing happen in Asda?”

“Oh yeah, now you mention it...”

She smirked at me, “Well?”

“Yeah, some prices got cut.”

“Ha ha, very funny—was that by the yob running round with the knife?”

“Coulda been, different supermarkets have different ways of doing things.”

“Cathy, you were in Asda on Saturday, weren’t you?”

“So—it’s hardly a crime, is it?”

“No, but you stopped one?”

“Yeah, the checkout girl was going to allow some old biddy to purchase some apples that looked bruised to hell and back. I persuaded her to change them.”

“That wasn’t all you persuaded someone to do, was it?”

“Can’t remember.” I was lying but she didn’t know it—did she?

“You didn’t happen to have an altercation with a yobbo with a knife, did you?”

“Did I? You’d think I’d remember, wouldn’t you?”

“So this isn’t you then?” she placed the Echo in front of me and on the front page was a photo of me confronting Khan. The photo was taken from behind of me, so whilst I knew who it was, the Echo obviously didn’t.

“That could be a photo of any one of hundreds of women in Portsmouth.”

“And the one inside?”

It was equally vague, “Could be anyone?”

“Does just anyone have a handbag like that?”

The answer was probably not, four hundred pound handbags do tend to be somewhat self selecting, and I don’t mean in weight but cost.

“How would I know?”

“Because you’ve got one just like it.”

“Similar, I’ll grant you, but it’s all circumstantial.”

“With your record of derring-do, I’d have thought it was almost certain.”

“That wouldn’t stand up in court.”

“Neither could the offender as you broke all his ribs.”

“I didn’t see where it mentioned that.”

‘The thug in the picture was running away from a security guard when he was confronted by a woman shopper. He pulled a knife and slashed at her but she just bided her time and as he slashed she sidestepped and his momentum caused him to be off balance where she kicked him. Moments later she stepped on his hand to prevent the knife being used again. Police arrived a few minutes later and the thug was taken into custody. Police have advised other shoppers not to try and intervene if they see something like this happen again. If this was you, we’d love to talk to you about it.’

Of course no one was expecting me as I’d left the university, I’d done all my marking so was able to leave early. I had no idea if anyone had seen the Echo back at home, if they hadn’t, so possibly I could grab it and hide it before they did. No names of anyone involved were given. The security guard had a fractured vertebra falling against the shelves.

At least the Echo hadn’t tried to accuse me of the deed, or not yet at any rate. That I knew couldn’t last. Sure enough my mobile peeped as I got in the car, it came up as ‘number withheld.’ I pretty well knew it wasn’t anyone I’d want to talk to, so I ignored it. The same thing happened twice more during the afternoon with the same outcome. No message was left.

At home, while drinking a cuppa, the phone rang and Jacqui answered it. “It’s for you, Mummy. Have you seen the Echo?” it was in my capacious handbag.

“Hello?”

“Lady Cameron?”

“Speaking?”

“Oh good. Did you like our article about some woman catching a thug in Asda on Saturday?”

“I haven’t read it, why?”

“We’re told on good authority that you were seen at the supermarket about the time it took place.”

“I’m sure there were a thousand other women there during that time.

“You have to admit it’s a huge coincidence?”

“I’m not admitting to anything.”

“It’s got your MO all over it.”

“Quite what you mean, I have no idea.”

“The kickboxing, you’re good at that.”

“Have you ever seen me in action?”

“No—you making me an offer I can’t refuse?” He almost chuckled down the phone at me.

“Don’t be so ridiculous, the only offer I’d make you is to book you a seat on the first one way trip to Mars.”

“That’s not very nice of you, Lady Cameron.”

“No it wasn’t, I’m not giving you a statement or any other information because it was nothing to do with me.”

“The cashier at Asda who saw your name, said it was you.”

“If you offered enough money they’d kill their own granny.”

“I just wondered if you’d like to defend your charges of criminal assault.”

“Why should I want to speak about him?”

“Because he beat up some woman you liked.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because it’s what he wanted to do.”

“So perhaps you need to register him as some sort of sex criminal.”

“He’s not Rolf Harris, is he?”

“Good day.” I switched off the phone and fumed my way back to the kitchen, discovering en route that I needed to go and collect the girls. One thing, my life is rarely boring.

05Dolce_Red_l_0.jpg

up
218 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

Comments

I think Cathy should just

I think Cathy should just "fess" up, not doing so always seems to bring even more odd balls out of the woodwork.

never talk to press, even informally

In a situation like this. They can and will twist, edit, and misinterpret anything you say. Call the lawyer NOW!

That is the Downside of having a "Free" Press !

Woody,

this is what happens when one allows a so-called "free press". One can only be really free when one accepts the appropriate level of Responsibility. In countries like the UK and the USA, where the Press is owned by profit-oriented, commercial interests, who accept no responsibility at all, you get intrusive, word-twisting, nosey, telephone-tapping, reporters who descend to the lowest common denominator to supply the sleazy, the idly-curious, the sex-hungry, with their pictures of half-naked ladies, their tales of naughty goings on, their bigotted smut about people with unpopular views or harmless foibles, etc etc.

It is all part of the sham "democracy" those controlling these countries have faked up to make the man or woman in the street think that they actually have a small say in how things are run. The Owners of the State graciously permit the ordinary folks to be kept ignorent and misinformed, and to have one vote every few years, choosing between Tweedledum or Tweedledee, one of two identical twins, to be in the Legislature, and that is ALL the Democracy we get, effectively.

We only have ourselves to blame. If we refused to buy the smutty newspapers with their faulty reporting and inuendoes, they would either start to produce better. more accurate accounts of what happens or go broke.

Alas, many people have their privacy invaded, their careers ruined, and their family life wrecked, by so-called "news"papers releasing inacurate accounts of events involving them or even just someone else who looks like them. This will go on until laws protecting individual privacy are properly written and enforced.

Another wonderful chapter from you, Angharad. What would life be without you and BCTS ?
Bless you all.

Briar

Unlisted number

I assume the UK does have those right?

I was not asking about the press

I am surprised that Cathy does not have an unlisted number like in the US. Of course it could have been obtained via the traditional payoff.

Cathy has discovered

like many before her that fame whilst it has its benefits also has a big downside , The main problem being the public take far more notice of you than they would anyone else, Maybe she should ask Jacqui to take over the shopping, Somehow though i doubt that will happen, Cathy like most women has the shopping bug deeply buried in her pysch, And she will no doubt think there is no way Jacqui could ever do the same job as well as she could, So i guess she will do as many have and just learn to live with it even given her previous experiences in supermarkets and car parks....

Kirri