Chapter 17

Jill went to the coach to collect her bag, taking out a dozen and a half copies of the venue list.

“These are the venues for the tour. The days noted are the first shows, and any that need adding will be the next evening. Xavier, you and your friends are included, as assistants to the sound and visuals. You’ve filmed the bands before, so you have more experience with them than anyone else. We’re setting up a launch of the orchestra CD on the first Saturday of next month, at the Les Aldrich store. We will appreciate it if the conductor and a few of the players can attend. I’ll send an email to the school. The week after that, I hope to have us launching your ‘Homegrown’ CD and DVD at Rough Trade. They have a stage, so we may be able to set up one of the keyboards to set some atmosphere before we start selling the album. I’ll email the band as usual. Have a good trip home and thank you all for coming.”

She picked up her bag and they all called out to her as she left. Sebastian tapped on the door closer and pulled out before the warden that he could see in his mirror got close. As they watched the coach move away, Clive suggested that the two of them go and get some lunch and they walked towards the Admiralty.

In the coach, everyone was looking at the venue list. All the sites were football grounds, and Jill had added the normal seating numbers, which could be added to with seating on the pitch as well. The smallest capacity was the first show in Nottingham, which had a game capacity of thirty thousand. The biggest was Liverpool, with sixty thousand. They hadn’t been booked into Wembley Stadium, but were to play at Emirates, the home ground of Arsenal.

Mister Jamieson looked at Dave’s sheet and marvelled at the numbers. He thought that the school hall was big, but the smallest venue seated at least twenty times the size, with the biggest forty times the size. After seeing the band play yesterday, he had no qualms that they could fill the places with sound, it was whether they could fill the places with customers that was another matter.

Once they were getting out of the city, Jacob stood up.

“We were talking about the fantastic birthday party that Willow and Gina put on in the club, and realised that me, Herb, Victor and Roy all have our birthdays in a two-week period. We decided on a joint party as well. Now, Rick has a contractor in this week to concrete the empty barn. It was made weatherproof when the one I’m living in was. Rick and I are going to club together to buy a giant barbeque, so I suggested that we hold the party there. I’ll organise hire of tables and chairs and see Malcolm about a few cakes shaped like guitars. It will happen on the first Friday of next month, so less than two weeks away. Are you all coming?”

There was a cheer. Vivienne called out.

“Mine is two weeks after that, the last day of the term. Anybody else around that time?”

It worked out that all of the others were in the following two weeks, while they were on tour. After discussion, they would all talk to their families, but they set a date on Viv’s birthday for a joint party. Brent joked that he would organise a big cake in the shape of a drum kit, with each drum a different cake.

All the talk about food made them hungry, so they stopped at Hemel Hempstead for lunch. Willow rang home to tell her parents that she would be home around five, so would walk to the club if they weren’t home.

She and Gina talked about the organ they had just played, and agreed the new church ones were as good as the old, if properly built. Willow said that the one in Stoneleigh Abbey must have been bought on a budget, because it was lacking in character. They agreed that the one in St. Marys needed a bit of tender loving care, possibly a rebuild. They started talking about the set that they would need with the big shows.

“If they launch the Kansas as a limited edition at the shows, we need to fit a few numbers into the set. We could open with a couple from ‘Journey’ and get louder.”

“You could call out a welcome to wherever we are and ask if we have any friends out there, then do ‘Finding a Friend’. If ‘Dummy Spitter’ takes off on the radio, we should have that as the last song.”

“We have a few weeks to sort it out, then have a session in the club to get it set. Hopefully, later on we can use Leicester and have the gear we used in Abbey Road to play with.”

“That’s ours?”

“That’s what Jill told me. I suggested that if she’s getting keyboards, she should get the Stage Three’s, and she also got the amps. I expect that we’ll see the cost in the next statement.”

At the next comfort stop, Willow asked Jacob if he could find out how the work at Leicester was going, as they hadn’t seen any quotes yet. She was the first to be let off, and Max helped her get her bags from the luggage compartment and to the front door. She thanked her friends for a wonderful weekend and watched as the coach went back to the junction.

She went into the house, putting her shopping on the kitchen table and taking her case upstairs to be sorted out. She stripped off and had a refreshing shower, then redressed with a skirt and top, suitable for the club. She picked up the Platinum Record and strolled to the club.

When she arrived, there were several of the regulars there. Her parents hugged her and so did a few of the others.

“Welcome back, love. How was the weekend?”

“A bit busy, Mum. We had all of Saturday in the studio, then had dinner close to Broadcasting House. Then we had a long interview for BBC One. Sunday morning, Gina and I recorded two shows playing the organ in St. Martins-in-the-Fields for the BBC ‘Songs of Praise’. Then we came home. We have a running sheet for the tour, now. Every venue is a soccer ground, and every show will be mainly for charity.”

“What, no money for playing?”

“We get twenty-five thousand a show, except for one show at Coventry, and Jill is already talking about two shows at each venue. Talking about shows, how did the Gees do last night?”

“They were good. They did some of their old numbers without Zara, but she makes them better. Jim has been all right in the church as well. When are you back in London?”

“There’s a launch of the orchestra CD in a couple of weeks, then the new one of ours the week after. The Kansas will be issued before the first show, as a limited edition. It’s funny. Mister Jamieson was with us as our ‘responsible adult’ and hardly said much all the time. I think that he was a bit shocked by what we’re doing. He didn’t say anything about our earlier shows, so it’s possible he didn’t know what to expect. I see Malcolm, I have something for him.”

She went to the bar.

“Hello, Willow. How was your trip?”

“Interesting and a little surprising. I’ve brought you something for your wall, to go beside the Gold Record.”

She put the Platinum Record on the bar.

“Wow! This is what, a million sales?”

“That’s right. I doubt that we’ll sell enough to get to double platinum. It’s only right that you have this here. Maybe, in the future, Studio Two will be the hottest spot in Stoneleigh.”

“Thanks to you girls, it already is.”

“Well, you’ll have to get other bands in over the summer. The Gees, Hikers, and us will be playing big shows for a month or more. I’m afraid the church organ might be quiet for a while, as well.”

“It was quiet for over five years, so a few weeks won’t harm. I believe that the Reverend is planning the roof restoration around that time, so will use the back room to hold the service while that’s happening.”

Willow went back to her parents, and they had dinner. Ashley was needed to help out, so Wendy and Willow went home together. They changed for bed and sat in the kitchen with hot chocolate as Wendy was shown the new purchases. Wendy grinned at the Floyd tee-shirts and put the new mugs in the cupboard. When Willow pulled out the ‘Dark Side’ album, her mother took her into the sitting room, where a new addition was a music centre, with turntable, CD, cassette, and USB. It had a storage drawer, with last week’s album sitting in it.

“Put that album there, dear. We’ll test it out when you’re next away. Your father doesn’t want to give you strange ideas.”

That night, Willow hugged her two furry friends and told them about her weekend, until she went to sleep.

On Monday morning, it was back to school uniform and a bit of normality again. Jacob reported that his father had shown the builder and door specialist the site, and that he expected quotes this week. Miss Russell came to their table at lunch and gave Willow a note. It said that she, and Gina, were chosen to join Mister Bamborough and Jacob to go to London on Friday week, for the classical CD launch on the Saturday. They would be travelling in one of the people movers with the security. Friday night in the hotel, and Saturday for the launch, coming home Saturday evening. Jacob went around to all the others to tell them that the birthday party would now be on the Sunday evening, rather than the Friday.

That evening, Willow had a few emails. One was from Wilhelm, telling everyone that the quotes had been received and he had confirmed the work. Willow sent Mervyn an email, asking him if he could organise someone local to clean the cool room and dispose of all the rubbish, and to tell them that he was going to use it for storage. Invoice to be sent through the rental agent. She gave him advance notice of the builders and the door specialist. She sent it with a ‘cc’ to Wilhelm.

Another email was from Peter, telling them of extra merchandise he was putting on the website. He noted that the downloads had dropped, but that it didn’t matter as long as the CD sales continued. He also gave them advance notice, that he would be taking fifteen percent in July and August, seeing that they would be touring as a proper band. He also confirmed that each band would be paid twenty-five thousand per show and would each get a five percent cut of the profit, with each club getting ten percent, and seventy-five percent going to their charity.

Another email was from Jill, telling them that they had another venue added to the tour. They would now be playing in Manchester, after Coventry and before Liverpool. The venue was Etihad Stadium, with seating of over sixty thousand. She also said that she would be couriering a package to Willow, to hand out. It would contain their lanyards for the tour, as well as USB sticks, which will contain the video of the new album and the single version of ‘Dummy Spitter’, along with their version of ‘Money’ with the additional effects. The launch had been confirmed for the weekend after the orchestral launch, and they would be picked up by coach on the Friday evening and returned on Sunday evening. Sunday afternoon they would be taken to the Jeff Lynne and ELO concert in Hyde Park, which starts at two.

Tuesday morning, the talk was all about seeing ELO live, rather than launching their own CD. Willow played the organ for chapel, with Reg telling everyone about Willow and Gina recording two shows of ‘Songs of Praise’. He mentioned to Willow that Mister Jamieson had come into the staff room on Monday full of his weekend.

The orchestra session was a few more applicants, and those who had made the cut having to sing one of the arias, to see if they were likely tenors or basses. Otherwise, they were assembled in a bigger rehearsal studio and given the choir sheets of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’. It was thought that if they could nail that, the rest would be easy. Gina played for the auditions, and Willow played for the choir, with Tom there to listen and arrange the voices. The school and the Cathedral choirs were also on hand. By the time they went home, they thought that things had gone well. They had their tenor and bass, and only six of the choir applicants had said they weren’t coming back.

On Tuesday evening, Willow tidied her room and took her CDs downstairs to store with her parents’ ones in the new music centre. It did look like it was being used after that. She sent an email to the school, for Mister Bamborough’s attention, saying that, as the next Tuesday was the last one before revision and exams, she would like to have just the orchestra to rehearse the ‘Sinfonia’, and ‘Pifa’ movements of ‘Messiah’, as these were the only ones where there is no singing. After that, she played her violin for a while.

Wednesday, after school, she went to the club, where she played for the choir, and discussed the order of practise with Tom. Next term, they would have ten sessions for practise. They would need a full session with the tenor, another with the bass, one with the soprano and one with the alto. After that, they would need three sessions, one for each part, with the choir. After that, they could either repeat the last three before the final week, or schedule longer sessions and do the whole thing three times. After that, they were due to play it in the school on the first Tuesday in December, followed by Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the Cathedral, with Friday being the one recorded for transmission on Christmas Eve and a subsequent DVD of ‘Coventry Classics’.

They would be able to practise with Margaret and Sally at the club, with just the organ. They would try and get the tenor and bass there as well, to get used to the words and phrasing. On Thursday and Friday evening, Willow played her violin, working through the various movements, so that she could lead with knowledge when they started to practise.

On Saturday, she went over to the church to find Jim there, working through the Sunday hymns. She went to find Reverend Russell and sat down with him, with the sound of the organ in the background.

“How are you, young Willow. You’ve been very busy, I hear. A little bird told me that we’ll see you two girls on ‘Songs of Praise’.”

“That’s right, sir. I’m here to ask you about your plans for the summer. I believe that you’ll be shutting the church while the roof restoration happens.”

“We will. I’ll conduct the services in Studio Two. We have enough in the bank to pay for the roof and some other things, like better kitchen facilities and heating. Last winter was a terrible battle with the cold.”

“So, it will be shut for a few weeks?”

“From early July to the end of August, if things go well. Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking of getting ‘Old Betsy’ overhauled. I can afford to donate that, but Gina may want to share in it. That instrument has been a stepping stone in our development, and I, for one, will be happy to get it up to standard. Playing others, I’ve realised that it has an authentic, if wheezy sound. If you can organise that while the church is closed, we can rejoice in the reopening with a good instrument. Please keep the donation a secret. We have enough spotlights on us already.”

“That is very generous, child. I’ll contact the Bishop and find out who does that sort of work locally, and let you know the quote before you fully commit. We’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

That evening, Willow told Gina about her plans with the organ, and Gina was very happy to share the cost. There was a full house, so the girls set up two keyboards and played a couple of sets of Summer Rose songs and some general folk and drinking songs. After the previous Saturday, it was almost a rest.

Sunday, they sat in the pew with their families and sang to Jim’s playing of the hymns. It allowed them to be critical of the sound, which was starting to deteriorate. The years of being silent were now showing. Jacob wasn’t seen over the weekend, and Willow wondered if he was ill. She would find out on Monday morning.

On Monday morning, when they picked Jacob up, Gina asked him where he had been over the weekend. He was a bit snippy, but told them that he had been taken, by Racheal and Rick, to a party. He emphasised that it was a party for one of his cousins, on the Epstein tree, in Birmingham.

Willow wondered why he didn’t sit in the seat next to her but decided that things would become clear. At lunch, he went to sit with the other guys, causing Gina and Dianne to wonder if he had found another love. He was no better on the way home, just saying ‘see you tomorrow’ when he got out at the farm. That evening, Willow looked at her ‘Fractured’ song, and worked some extra sounds into it.

Tuesday, he was a bit more forthcoming, admitting that he had got drunk at the party, and didn’t remember a lot of it after that. He had the excuse that everyone was drinking, and he had tried more than a few vodka and orange drinks. He still didn’t sit with them at lunch, and the laughter coming from the boys at the other table was eerily reminiscent of the older boys table at Clifton. Because he wasn’t needed in the orchestra that afternoon, he had organised for Racheal to take him home.

With the orchestra, Willow, as the leader, explained what they were going to play that day. It was a first time for everyone, and it took an hour before they got the ‘Sinfonia’ right. Now they had the idea of the cadence, they got the ‘Pifa’ right in a half an hour. They finished the session, the last for the term, by playing both pieces, with a smile from Mister Bamborough.

When she got home, Willow changed and started preparing the dinner. As before, peeling and chopping calmed her, and allowed her to think. She decided that more had happened on the weekend. From the sound from the boy’s table, she wondered if Jacob had been taken advantage of while he was drunk. There would be plenty of girls out there who would be happy to have a boyfriend with as much money as he now had.

After dinner, she looked on her laptop and found a couple of emails. One was the statement from Peter. The sales of downloads and Carpenters albums through the website was well less than two hundred thousand, while the merchandise was up at thirty thousand. Costs, admin and security was over forty-five thousand, and the Hikers income was down to a thousand. That ship had certainly sailed.

The label was better news, with the DVD going Platinum, it had earned over two million. “Journey’ and the old ‘Carpentry’ albums had earned just on two million between them. She saw that the new equipment had cost them twenty thousand, and the session in Abbey Road was six thousand. Jill cost them five thousand and there was more expenses of twelve thousand. That left a total of well over four million between them, with her one-eleventh share ending up at just under three hundred and seventy-five thousand after the commission.

She replied to Peter to transfer two hundred thousand to her WR Holdings account. Then she looked at the other email. It was from Racheal.

‘Darling Willow. You may be worried about Jacob at the moment. He has been morose since the weekend. I took him to a party with a number of cousins and their friends. A lot of them were my age, and they all drink. My brother was introduced to spirits, and, unfortunately, had too many. When it was time to leave, he was nowhere to be seen. I looked through the house and found him on a bed, on his back, pants down and with lipstick lips on his face and chest. I have no idea if he had been taken advantage of, but from the way he’s been acting, that was entirely possible. Even if he hadn’t, the picture that I’ve received from one of my cousins does not bode well for him. It looks as if at least two of my cousin’s friends were responsible for his position. Nothing has been said, but I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Regards, Rach.’

Willow replied.

‘Contact Peter and send him the pictures and names of those at the party. He is a minor at fourteen, and being urged to drink and be taken advantage of is close to rape if the girl is legally an adult. Any requests for money or other things will be met with the utmost resistance. Tell him to never bow to extorsion. Tell him that I don’t care how he got into this position, I’m behind him all the way if he wants me there.
Love, Willow.’

She copied and pasted both emails into one that she sent to Jill, as a ‘for your eyes only’. At the moment, she wasn’t acting as a girlfriend whose boy had been playing away, but as the leader of a band on the edge of greatness. Jacob was a friend, and a good member of the band, but he wasn’t irreplaceable, like any one of them. Many bands went through a revolving door when it came to members, and Summer Rose had been lucky, so far. That didn’t stop her having a little weep as she cuddled her furry friends.

She was awake early and did some research on her laptop. When Jacob was picked up and sat down, she went and sat next to him.

“When were you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“About what happened on the weekend. Racheal emailed me last night.”

“I was so ashamed, Willow. I don’t know what happened, all I know was from the picture that was sent.”

“You, my lad, must have been targeted. How many drinks did you have?”

“Only a few. I thought that they were only orange juice. I was all right, and then wasn’t.”

“When we get to school, we’re going to see the nurse, and she will need a urine sample. If you were given a roofie, it is possible to detect a residual in urine for up to seventy-two hours. It’s a long shot, but we have to try. If it was intentional, it wasn’t meant as a bit of fun. Either there will be blackmail messages, you know, the ‘give me money or the pictures go to the papers’, or else there may be another agenda. The main thing is that you have to stop being ashamed and start acting like the victim.”

“That’s easy to say. My sister thinks that I got blind drunk and took some girl to bed.”

“Take the test and prove her wrong. Now, tell me about the party and the girls there.”

“It was a birthday of one of my cousins, daughter of one of my father’s brothers who left home rather than take up farming. She was nineteen, and there were several of her schoolfriends there. It was all very friendly, at first. A few of them knew about me and the band, and a couple got close until I told them that I was going steady. That’s about the time I started to get the orange juice drinks.”

They arrived at the school. When they got out, Willow took Jacob’s hand.

“We’ll see you later, friend.”

She took him to the nurse’s room and went in.

“Hello, Willow. Can I help you?”

“Jacob was at a party on Saturday night and was quietly drinking orange juice, which we now think had vodka in it. Next thing he knows, he was in a bed, being shaken by his sister. He was, shall I say, dishevelled.”

“Ah! It may be too late, but we can only try. Go behind the screen and pee into this container, Jacob. It’s good that you came to me with this. Having a top student being dragged through the papers is bad for the school. As you’re a minor, whoever did this will be liable to be arrested. It’s immediately rape, even if it was a girl that did it.”

She also took a single vial of blood. When she had sealed the samples, added a code to identify the donor without giving a name, she rang the pathology lab to despatch a courier to pick them up and asked for an urgent drug test.

“That is standard practise for a school to get a test. Now, you two run along. I may have the result before you leave today.”

As they walked towards the class, Jacob took Willow’s hand.

“You’re not mad at me?”

“No, Jacob. What I am is sorry that you felt that you couldn’t confide in me. I know that you were ashamed, but they say that a problem shared is a problem halved. If they do find a residue of Rohypnol, then we go to the next step and get a private investigator to look into it. Perhaps we can cut the head off before it tries to bite you.”

“Why? It may just go away.”

“Jacob, love. You are a rich member of a band. Something like this will never just ‘go away’. We need to take the offensive and find out who did this to you, and why. If you get a blackmail note, then you copy it and print it for the police. You did nothing wrong, and saying nothing will not help you. I sent Jill a copy of Racheal’s email to me and my reply. I’m sure that the label has had this kind of problem before and know the right people to help.”

“Thank you for believing in me.”

Marianne Gregory © 2025