Kates' friends Part 2

Kate wandered to and fro, the shopping bags pulling at her hands. She was watching the police cars at her building. It was the middle of the afternoon, what could they be doing there?

“So d’you think it’s them?”

Kate jumped. “Geeze woman don’t creep up on me like that.”

“Well do you?” She persisited.

She wasn’t sure, it could just be routine canvassing because someone had been broken into but equally it could be trouble, with a capital T. “I don’t know. They’ve been very quiet for a long while.”

“Yeah well you know what they say, when things are very quiet?” the woman raised her eyebrows.

She sighed. “Yeah,” she knew exactly what was possible and that was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Maybe she’d go for a walk and come back later. She stared at the cars, just a small panda, it could have the local plod possibly even just specials, but definitely not the armed response unit that at least was sure but still two cars it was a bit suspicious. It could still be them. She turned around and started walking away from home.

“Arrr wise move, don’t get involved.”

She rolled her eyes, couldn’t she just leave her alone. She looked at her watch, it was three o’clock; not a bad time to go for a walk and she could do with some exercise, okay so she’s already had a run today and she did have her shopping, but it would be nice to get some fresh air.

“So where’you off too?”

“Just around.” Now she was being rude this was no good. All she wanted was to be left alone, was that too much to ask.

Andrea fell in step beside her. “I can do that.”

She stopped mid stride, looked at her and then shrugged. “Sure, why not, but I’m not feeling very chatty right now Andrea. You might be as well carrying on with what you were doing.”

Andrea shrugged. “Wasn’t doing anything. So where too?”

No well you wouldn’t be would you. Please could you just leave me alone I could really do with this? She started walking again.

“So do you think it was them?”

“I’ve no idea.”

“But you’re not going to find out so you must suspect something.”

“No Andrea, I just don’t want the hassle. They have no idea where I live so it’s very unlikely to be them. I just can’t be bothered talking to the police right now.”

A few more steps. “Well what else could it be. They’re always trouble...”

“Yes well, they don’t know where I live so...” She hutched the bags in her hands.

“Well they could have found out. They did last time didn’t they? Came looking for you, caused all sorts of trouble.”

Kate sighed mainly because Andrea was right, in fact Andrea was invariably right when it came to them but it would be nice if occasionally she would just not say what she was thinking.

The fact was that her past more or specifically two people from it, had come looking for her repeatedly and they had indeed caused lots of trouble for her when they’d found her, but that was two moves ago and she hadn’t seen hide nor hare for them since then. So no it was not them, it couldn’t be them and that was that. So why was she walking, head down, and shoulders slumped trying to blend into the cracks in the opposite direction and hoping to God that none of her neighbours would spot her.

Yes well that was the question? She fingered her right eyebrow or rather more specifically the fine 3 inch scar that ran right next to it. Fear that was why she was leaving, pure and simple. A deep seated, I want to throw up and run for it fear, a I’ll kill anyone who tries to stop me fear, and it was her fear that made her walk, less obvious than running. No the police anywhere near her home was a bad sign and she wanted no part of it. Okay, so maybe she was getting a bit carried away but better safe than sorry. Life was good right now and there was no reason for it to be anything other than normal for the police to be there. It was just routine. Yet still her blood was pumping hard, her stride purposeful and her hands were shaking. She looked up for just a second to ascertain where she was and then head down she walked on. It didn’t take long before she was in the park, she could slow down now, she was far enough away, they couldn’t see her here, except that she couldn’t slow down.

“You don’t seem very calm for someone who’s sure it isn’t trouble?”

No really. Kate stopped. “Of course I’m not calm. There’s police outside my home and I have no idea why? I find that scary given the dealings I’ve had with them in the past.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah you might remember some of them. None too pleasant were they?”

“Hey, not my fault. I’m just saying...if you think it’s all good why are you walking so fast?”

No it wasn’t her fault, but she didn’t help. Andrea had always wound her up, got her thinking all confused and made her feel scared, or more precisely that she should be scared of something, of what she’d never really worked out, but usually when Andrea was around she just felt scared of everything and everyone. Not good if you have the police breathing down your neck. You never really look innocent. “I just don’t like it, okay. I don’t want to be asked any questions and if I’m not there then they can’t and it’s all good. So give me a break okay?”

“Okay, keep your shirt on.”

Yes keeping the shirt on would be good in the middle of the park when you’re trying to keep a low profile. She kept walking, left, right, left, right. Owww, bugger my shoe. She dropped her shopping and hopped a few times. She looked around saw a bench, picked up her shopping and hobbled over and sat down. She took her shoe off trying to find the offending stone that had gone straight through the sole and then she was crying.

“Hey...”

“I can’t do this Andy, I just can’t.” Still holding her shoe she cried into her hands. “I just want to feel safe.”

“Hey I know”

Kate looked at her. No you don’t know, you really don’t “I just want to go home and to be safe.” She put her head down as the tears tumbled from her eyes. She let them flow. When they started to slow she began to think about what she was going to do: she couldn’t stay here.

Right so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to go home and its’ going to be safe, because I’m going to make damn sure it is. She jammed her shoe back on, picked her shopping up and started walking. Seconds later she turned around and went in the opposite direction. One more lap of the park and then home.

Kates' Friends Part 1

Prologue

“So do you know your neighbour well?”

The man looked blank. “To be honest I don’t think I’ve ever seen her more’un twice.”

The constable nodded. It wasn’t unusual but it always saddened him to think that living right opposite someones’ door didn’t afford you a better relationship with your neighbours than living in the middle of nowhere with not a sole to speak of for miles. So much for neighbourhood watch this guy could barely tell him what she looked like. “So do you have any idea where we could get hold of her?”

The man shook his head and shrugged.

Oh well he would just have to wait. He couldn’t leave the flat unattended with the door wide open. “Thank you sir.”

One of the other three officers on the scene, who had been taking finger prints, waved him over. “We’ve done about all we can here. Do you want us to look at the other place now?”

“Yeah you better get on with it. It doesn’t look like she’s going to turn up.”

The man motioned to his partner and they picked up their bags and started out of room.

The constable turned his attention back to the tenant. He was looking unhappy. His eyes moved from the man to his belongings littered about the room, most obviously broken and thrown down any old how. It looked all the worse for being quite a small room but still there wasn’t a surface free from debris. He sighed and shook his head. Why did people have to do this?

“So that’s it then?”

Constable Perry’s nerves grated at his tone. Yes that was it, really nothing more they could do except leave him to clear up the mess and work out what was missing or broken and then replace it. He fixed a sad smile to his face and moved closer to him. “Yes I’m afraid it is. As soon as you can, bring that list in and we can put it on file. We’ll do our best but...” He didn’t get any further.

“Right and you’ll still not catch who did it?”

What could he say, the likelihood was the man was right, it wouldn’t matter what they did the perpetrators would not be caught. He stayed silent

“Right so I guess that really is it then.” The man picked his way across the lounge towards the door, kicking some of his broken dvd’s as he went.

“I’m sorry sir but there’s really nothing else I can do. We’ll give you a call in a few days and let you know how things are going or if we get anywhere but in the mean time I would put a claim into your insurers.” He paused.

“Right yes.” He rubbed his forehead.

The constable nodded and turned to leave. He carefully picked his way over the mans’ belongings, trying not to do any more damage and then gingerly edged around the man putting a new door on the flat and stepped out into the hallway. It was small and poorly lit and the dark grey walls made it all the darker. The landing was littered with broken glass and wood splinters from where both the doors had been forced but wasn’t nearly as messy as the flat behind him.

Right well he had better see if his partner had been able to get in touch with the tenant. Sometimes this job was just joyless.

New beginnings

This is a new beginning in so many ways, a new blog, a new book and a new direction. So far my life has been full of education and work with/in science and now having been out of work for several years I’ve found that I don’t want to go back to it. I don’t really want to have to work but recently I've come to think that maybe that is just because I haven’t found what it is I want to do.

I have enthusiasm for other things, for my life in general and for having money to do what I want so I figure now I just need to find what it is I want and then I’ll be just fine.

So what’s this got to do with this blog?...

More than you’d think, I’ve always loved fiction. I read so prolifically as a youth that I’d read so many of the library books choosing a book was more what haven’t I read that what do I want to read. It’s been a long while since I’ve read that much but I still love fiction so now with all the time in the work I ask myself why am I not reading more?

Well I can’t read crime novels because I can guess the endings, I can’t read too many books from the same author because they are too similar and I can remember their last effort and if just isn’t as enjoyable, and so it goes on if there isn’t none stop action I get bored if the sci-fi doesn’t quite ring true I just put it down and don’t finish it. I am so picky

So now creating my own really appeals. The problem is I’m terrible at self motivating myself when there’s no pay off and just writing for myself and no one ever seeing it just doesn’t appeal. So to the blogging: I get a pay off as I publish every week and people can see it should they wish to.

So what will be here?

Anything I fell like writing but ostensibly this will be a novel, not a blogovel but a novel pure and simple and as I write poetry there may well be some of that too as and when I feel like it.

And just as a little warning I’m slightly dyslexic, I have terrible spelling and grammar, which is surprising given that I have two degrees but hey it’s a different type of writing, so feel free to tell me about what’s here. What you like, what you don’t, where you feel it could be improved, corrections you feel might be good, anything really. But mostly just read it that’s what it’s for.