Chapter 40

Mum answered the door just before she was due to leave for work to a very polite young man looking for Delia Williams. "I'm Joy Williams not Delia. Which is the Williams you are looking for again?"

He explained that he was Simon Snow with the South Wales Argus and was looking for the girl with a parrot who had been on the local television.

"You have the right place." mum reassured him, "and she will be here soon but if you are going to wait would you mind helping me put some suitcases into the car?"

The reporter was very good about helping carry the heavy suitcases down the stairs while I finished my tea and quietly washed up in the kitchen. Mum and the reporter had finished packing the car and were discussing a WWII bomber recently found off the coast by divers when I locked the front door behind me to join them opening the passenger seat door.

"I'm Delia Williams what did you want to ask me?"

The reporter seemed perplexed by my appearance from what was to him clearly an unexpected direction but gamely pulled himself together. "Did you receive £1,000 reward for the return to the owner of the parrot?"

"No I never received any reward and don't believe that the person who made that offer ever had any intension of paying it." At that moment two cars pulled up and their occupants joined us "The Mail" said one. "The Sun" from the other.

"South Wales Argos" I explained. "Nothing for us here. She's left." Then turning to our helper offered "Simon, if you hop in the back I will drop you off." which is how Simon Snow got the exclusive story that Camilla the macaw was helping police with their inquiries into an international exotic pets smuggling ring.

After dropping first Simon in town and then mum at her office I headed out to Bill's house on the North side of the city. Approaching I got out the keys along with the attached 'bippers' which remotely opened the sliding gates and garage roller door. I'm not sure what I was expecting but Bill's place was a 6 bedroom Victorian end-of-terrace cut off from general view by walls just over 6’ tall. On the left driving through the gates was the trailer we'd launched Molly from and about 40’ from the street was the door to the house's integral garage.

It felt strange entering alone a house I'd never been into before but I carried the bags into the hall through the connecting door from the garage then, first things first, checked the fridge. Typical man!

Phoning round put all the family in the picture regarding the press action so far but I thought we might have over-reacted with mum and dad remaining fine at home without me but Litara said that adding my gender situation and the assault charges the media wouldn't have left them alone. Bill and Grandma were pleased to know we had avoided the trouble and I warned Bill that everything in the fridge was for the tip as he'd forgotten to empty it before his marriage proposal and it had been turned off but unopened ever since!

The rest of the day I played housewife cleaning, settling us in and doing some shopping - I felt a bit paranoid shopping but had clear evidence that a brief appearance on local television cut no mustard in queues at the supermarket checkout. Dinner was lamb shanks slow cooking while I picked up mum from work, and we had a pleasant evening in once dad arrived from the yard.

Friday morning was mum's birthday and the move was worth it for her to be able to have the breakfast I made, in bed unbothered by invasive journalists. Although I was taking mum into work Litara was driving in from London to take pick her up, taking her to the hairdressers at 4 pm where I joined them but for only the lightest of trim and titivation in my case. Then it was back to Bill's for mum to finish getting ready.

My cunning little birthday plan worked just as I hoped. Evan appeared as we entered the restaurant to take a series of family photos of us at our best then disappeared while we enjoyed our meal looking out over Cardiff Bay. As we relaxed over final coffees Evan reappeared across the room with a Birthday wrapped parcel which I excused myself to go and pick up.

"You've got a problem!" he warned. "Earlier I saw the press were here for a concert at the nearby Millenium Centre but somebody may have recognised you and tipped them the nod because coming in just now I spotted a couple of reporters waiting outside the restaurant.

Thanking Evan I returned to give mum her Birthday present of a silver chased photo frame with our latest family portrait ready mounted. I think it worked but crying as an indicator is open to misinterpretation and she did have to head off for repairs so I took the moment to explain the situation to Litara and ask her to take mum and dad home in her car before she followed mum into the restroom.

Dad was paying the waiter and left alone with him I did what daughters have done many times before and borrowed his car keys, Time to face the press!

"Miss Williams, why are you walking free when two men you attacked required hospital attention?"

I didn't stop but couldn't stop myself replying as I headed for Dad's car, "Because in this country the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty."

"So why were you accused indeed charged with assault?"

"Sometimes for one person accused of a crime to be found innocent it is necessary to accuse another!"

By this time I was in Dad's car and driving off but another car had at the same moment pulled up and the reporters jumped in it to follow me.

So far so good and I was aware that the journalists had only got a few innocent photos and stock replies. Everything would work out in the end unless the press found where I was living so I gave them a 30 minute tour of Cardiff before driving down the road past Bill's house tapping both remote control bippers as I did. 100 yards on I turned right and then right again but this time sharply using the handbrake so the car faced back the way I'd come. The reporters car was going fast as I passed it going in the opposite direction so with a left turn and left again into Bill's now open entrance I hit the gate close remote button and prayed!