Part 9

When we got back to the table and sat down we were quizzed by Annette on how we knew Mrs. Butcher, and I said that it had been in a professional capacity in an earlier life.

Annette wanted to know what my profession was and I just said, “Drunkard, but I’m over that now.”

We found out that Mr. Butcher was the Chairman of the Industry Board and the Head of the Building Approvals on the local council. He and his wife were the main organisers of this event and we were told that if we were going to help out everyone was happy with that.

I didn’t think that they had been told what we were wanted for. The dessert was fantastic and we just had time for a sip of water before one of the waiters came over and asked us to follow him.

He led us to the back of the stage where we were fitted out with small radio mics. We were advised not to say anything we didn’t want anyone to hear after we had been turned on.

We were given the list of Awards each. Two podiums had been set up on stage and we could hear the hubbub as the crowd got ready for the presentation. There was also a mic on a stand for the winners to give the victory speech and Mr. Butcher asked us if we were ready.

He strode onto the stage and went to that microphone, “Welcome all to the Annual Building Industry Awards. I know that we are now at the point that you have all come here for so, without further ado, I am very happy to introduce to you our guest presenters – Sarah and Samantha Silvestri.”

As we walked on to the stage we went live. We waved at the applauding crowd and Sarah said “Good evening all. I’m Sarah and we’re here because the advertised presenter was offered a good gig in another theatre. I think that she’ll be opening about now. I’m sure that you’ll all offer your good wishes for a speedy recovery.”

I took over, “Tonight we have the good fortune to be here to give out these Awards, all well and truly earned by the winners. So let’s cut to the chase and make some of you very happy.”

I looked at a table of just men, “No, you naughty boys, not like that!”

As the laughter died down we started with the lesser Awards and it all went smoothly as long as we kept to the list. Mr. and Mrs. Butcher alternated in handing over the correct trophy and the winners all gave short and happy speeches, thanking everyone from God to their long lost mothers and the odd thing was that all the guys wanted the official photos to include the two of us, which slowed things down a bit but it was going pretty well.

We got to the Award for Concept Presentation and the winner turned out to be Zachary Baker of Devine Designs for the ‘Camden Project’ which was the first one on our table.

Now I had heard of this because the warehouse I used to work at delivered truckloads of electrical goods to the project. It was a redevelopment including a large quantity of affordable housing. He hammed it up when he got his picture with us so we gave him a peck on each cheek.

That was a mistake because every guy after that wanted their own pair of pecks; with much mirth from some tables with their wives on.

A little while later we announced the winner of the Best Restoration Project and it went to Devine Builders for one of the heritage Barclays branches. David came up and gave a short speech which he ended saying that he lived for moments like this and posed with us for his pair of pecks.

Three awards later Devine Builders got the Award for Best Development Project for the Camden Project and David sent up Roger to accept the Award.

His speech included how he loved working with David as he did share things around. We did the photos as usual and he got his pecks. Before we got to the big awards I made the comment that Sarah and I could get a job with the Tour de France with the number of kisses we had given out.

The last three awards were for Best Low Value project; Best High Value Project and the Builder of the Year. I saw that Devine had won both of the last two so before we gave out the first I announced that we wanted to take a group picture of the last three winners so asked if the winners could stay on the stage until we had finished all of the presentations.

The winners of the first award were the table full of guys that I had spoken to earlier and it was mayhem for a few minutes.

The second was the Devine Builders for the Camden Project and everyone from the table came up, David Senior getting a good round of applause when young David pushed him into the spotlight to accept the award.

He gave a very nice speech saying that tonight had been the best in his life, after his wedding night.

When we got some order back Sarah said that we were now at the point of Awarding the Builder of the Year and then threw to me so I carried on saying that we had been very happy standing in to do the presentations and that we didn’t need to make room on the stage for the biggest award which went to -- Devine Builders.

There was general whooping and hugging and I think I may have picked up a few bruises but it was happy groups that went back to their respective tables.

Mr. Butcher had indicated that he wanted the two of us to stay on stage for a while and closed the official part of the evening by thanking every for building a better environment.

He then thanked us for stepping in with ten minutes notice and making the evening such a happy event. I held Sarahs’ hand and we made a small curtsey.

We were relieved of our microphones and went back to our table where Roger and David stood up and enveloped us in their arms and gave us big kisses, with much hooting and clapping from the crowd.

After the euphoria of the awards there was much drinking and talking before the band assembled on the stage and started playing.

David pulled me onto the dance floor and held me close as we circulated. A lot of people wanted to speak to the Silvestri sisters that night and it was a lot of fun.

As things started to wind down Mrs. Butcher cornered me in the loos and asked if I could come into her office on Monday about mid-morning as she would have all the papers ready to finalise my parole period and then gave me a hug and thanked me for saving her bacon.

David Senior announced that he had told the limo drivers to come back around ten in the morning as he had managed to get rooms in the hotel for tonight so we can get blotto if we wanted.

Sarah and I had more than we normally would but nowhere near the amount that Sam used to put down. We shared one of the rooms and Annette said that she had arranged with the hotel to have day dresses delivered to our room in the morning.

She thanked us for making the evening memorable and then asked us if we needed to be home for anything on Sunday which was, as she looked at her watch, already a couple of hours old. The boys gave us goodnight kisses and we went off to our beds.

In our room there was all the things needed to finish the day, from make-up remover and moisturiser to nighties and gowns. When we had changed we hugged each other.

Sarah said, “Thank you, sis; that was a blast.”

Then we dived into our beds and slept like logs. Actually it was more like waterlogged as we seemed to wake up at the same times during the night to release the pressure in our bladders.

We surfaced about nine with the knocking on the door that announced our breakfast and our clothing for the day. Annette had arranged for day dresses in the same colours of our good gowns so the shoes and bags still worked.

After eating we had showers and dressed. I did our make-up in a less dramatic look. At ten to ten we were sitting in the lobby with our evening gowns and excess jewellery in Ritz bags at our feet.

The receptionist came over and gave us both a Sunday paper, saying “Look at page eight.”

There, sure enough, were pictures of the event with the two of us in front and centre with the caption about the beautiful Silvestri sisters who saved the day by standing in at short notice for the presentation. They gave the boutique name correctly and the fashion editor commented on how refreshing it was to see style back in with a vengeance.

There was also a picture from the red carpet with us on the arms of our guys with the caption that the winners of Builder of the Year are truly winners in more ways than one.

I laughed at that and asked Sarah how she liked being a trophy. The rest of the clan joined us and we got our morning kisses.

Annette took over and told us that we would be taken home for lunch and then David would take us to our home in the afternoon. They had all seen the paper and were over the moon with the evening.

David Senior told me that he had been in the running many times for the big award but this was the first time they had won it, due to his son taking a punt with a huge undertaking.

We all went to the Devine family home which, as you could expect of builders, was magnificent. Zoe and Zach had their own car there so would leave us after lunch.

While the others were imagining what the awards would mean to the company Zach gave me a sketchbook and some pencils, “Young David tells me you are an artist of note. I know that I calm down after an exciting time by drawing so have a break and I will mark you afterwards.”

The last bit was delivered with a broad smile. Sarah snuggled up to Roger while father and son discussed the firm and the future.

By the time lunch came around I had a number of sketches finished. There was one of David and his parents at the table last night with the trophies in front of them.

Another was his father and mother as they were now but sitting on their sofa holding hands.

Another was totally from the imagination because it showed David and Roger with Sarah and I dressed like the trophies from last night and they were standing behind us with their arms around our waists.

The last was of Zach and Zoe with his trophy in front of them and I had her looking lovingly at him in the way I had seen it a number of times last night.

Before we sat down for lunch Zach said “OK, let’s see what you have done for us” and I showed him the one of him first.

Zoe looked at it and burst into tears and came over to me with a ‘hug you to death’ look on her face. Zach said that it was an impressive piece of work.

The one with both Davids and Annette last night came second and Annette declared that it was going to be framed and hung over the fireplace.

The third was she and her husband and they both had tears in their eyes when they saw it.

I said that I had saved the fourth for last because it was drawn from imagination.

I showed it to Zach first and he hooted before passing it on to the older Devine’s and his father also hooted.

Finally Sarah, Roger and my David had a look and Roger said, ‘That is priceless”.

I said that the idea came from the caption in todays’ paper. David stood up and left the room, coming back a few minutes later with three framed pictures in his hands.

“I’m sorry, Roger,” he said, “I had these framed during the week and was to give you yours but this presentation thing just took over.”

He gave him the one I did of Roger and Sarah by the seaside and they both got up to give me hugs.

He then passed his father the one of him by the train, saying, “Dad, Samantha drew this on Sunday, having only met me a few hours before. Is she psychic or not?”

His father looked at the picture and then asked his son. “Firstly, had anyone told her of your other passion and, secondly, how did she know what Gertie looks like?”

Part 10

David took the picture back and looked at it closely.

“Good God” he said “You’re right. She’s drawn a two six four standard loco and there certainly wasn’t one working Bluebell last week.”

It was time I put my two-penneth in so asked, “OK buster, just who is this Gertie you’re two timing me with?”

His father laughed, “Nothing to worry about, my dear. Gertie is the Lady Gertrude Hewson, a two six four standard that is down in the workshops of the Devon Heritage Line and we go down there to work on it together. The really odd thing is that you have drawn him in exactly the right outfit. Who told you the details?”

Roger then piped up. “She didn’t know anything, she didn’t even know who she was going out with until we met on Sunday morning. I hadn’t told Sarah anything about David although Sarah did know the business I worked for.”

Sarah said, “Don’t look at me. I was as much in the dark as my sister.”

Annette then said, “David, you have held one back. This is the one I really want to see because you are holding it as if it means something more than usual. Please show it to me?”

David went to his mother and gave it to her. He then said that I had added the tower after we had been to Sissinghurst but the rest had been done on the train, the same time as the other two. His mother was still examining it closely and then she passed it to her husband who looked shocked at first and the broke out into a wide grin and slapped his knee with his free hand.

“Oh David,” he cried, “You are so hooked!”

I said, “It is just a picture, a flight of fantasy.”

Annette smiled, “This, my girl, is not just a picture. It is what we will use to make your wedding dress. David always said that he wanted to use the Rover as his wedding car. If this is the future then I fully approve. You and your sister have shown us that you are beautiful, caring and courageous and able to take on something at the drop of a hat. No-one, last night, would have thought that you were not professional presenters; keeping the show moving along without any let-up. I don’t care how you came to be within Mrs. Butchers’ ambit because I only see the girl in front of me now. If you two sisters become part of our family through marriage it will be an outcome my David and I will approve.”

When the others had a look at the picture there was a murmur of congratulations from Sarah and Zoe. Zach said that he wanted me to come into his studio and see what I could do with paints so we made an arrangement where David would pick me up the following weekend and take me there.

Roger made an arrangement with Sarah to spend the day together. We had lunch and Annette took me aside and told me a few stories about David as a youngster while the menfolk discussed the future of the company. Zoe and Sarah were off in a corner comparing notes about Roger, I guess.

After a pleasant afternoon David took me home, the long way round, and Roger took Sarah, also by a circuitous route. They must have agreed a time because they got us to the tower almost at the same time and we kissed our men before heading in.

“That was a very odd weekend,” said Sarah. “Roger wants me to meet up with him during the week and pick a ring. He said that only when I have chosen one will he propose. Do you think it’s too quick?”

I told her that she had known him a lot longer than a couple of weeks so it wasn’t quick at all. She commented that the wedding picture was really beautiful but that David had mentioned a double wedding.

I told her that I didn’t think the parents would approve of their day being shared and that she could be my Maid of Honour if she didn’t want to miss out.

I then cracked up laughing as it all seemed so strange. Me, sometime wannabe bloke Sam, talking about my wedding day. We were smiling together as we had our light tea, having eaten far too much for our own good in the last twenty four hours.

Monday! Well, Monday was different. Monday was not as nice as the weekend but it did seem to bear all the hallmarks of inevitability rearing its ugly head.

Sarah went to work and I got myself ready to go into see Mrs. Butcher. I was looking forward to being released from obligations and thought that no-one had been monitoring my movements for a week or more, now. I made sure that I was as girly as I could be and took the train in.

The disc was giving off a slow throb and I started to prepare myself for something odd to happen. Nothing occurred until I got to the office of the Parole Officers when it started to vibrate strongly. Someone was here who did not have good thoughts about me.

The secretary in reception told me that there was someone in with Mrs. Butcher and whispered that I should not allow him to get under my skin. She had heard him saying that he wanted to get me back to the station and under the lights.

At exactly the appointment time the secretary knocked on the door and opened it, saying, “Your appointment is here Mrs. Butcher.”

I heard a voice say, “Send her in,” and the secretary ushered me into the inner office. As I walked in I saw Mrs. Butcher with a neutral expression on her face and, sitting to one side of her was a large, florid man who screamed ‘copper’.

Behind the door stood a young guy who wasn’t too bad a looker so I smiled at him as I went past and he smiled back.

There were two chairs in front of the desk and Mrs. Butcher gave me a slow wink when she said, “Please take a seat Miss Silvestri.”

I sat down and waited quietly, watching the man get madder and madder.

I said, sweetly, “Can someone tell me what the hold-up is, I do need to be at the hairdressers before lunch.”

The copper growled, “We are waiting for your mad sister to come in, because that’s the person I want to talk to.”

I smiled, “Sarah is at work today, do you want me to ring her and ask her to come around? I am sure she would take umbrage at being called mad, that is tantamount to slander and she does work for a legal company.”

Mrs. Butcher was smiling now and said, “Samantha, dear, this is Inspector Watson of the Drug Squad and the good looking one by the door is the aptly named Constable Holmes. They are here to ask you some questions and, when they have left, we will complete the forms I have for you. Actually, if you sign these papers now we can get that bit over and done with quickly.”

She pushed the papers towards me and I signed all the ones that she indicated.

“There, now I will pass over to the Inspector to ask you his questions,” she said with a smile on her face, sitting back and waiting for the fireworks.

“Thank you, Mrs. Butcher,” he said, evidently happier now he had the floor. “Is this a wind-up with one sister standing in for the other, because I will not be happy if it is? No! I’m not happy, period.”

He pulled a mugshot out of his file, “Is this, or is this not you?”

I looked at my former self. “Yes, that was how I looked when that picture was taken. If you want proof I still have my original fingers so the prints will match.”

I detected a slight snort behind me and Holmes pulled out a hankie and wiped his nose.

The Inspector then said, “I must remind you that you are still on parole and that I can take you back in if you give me cheek.”

Mrs. Butcher held up a hand. “I’m sorry, Inspector, we’ve just signed all the papers that end Miss Silvestri’s parole period and she is now able to walk out this door if you’re out of line, so be polite to an upstanding member of the public. One who saved my bacon on the weekend in front of the cream of local society, and who is going with the builder who is, I believe, doing the renovations on your station.”

“I would hate it if you end up with your new office only able to be accessed by a fire escape.”

The snort behind me was more evident now and Watson growled, “Holmes, take a break and I‘ll meet you at the car.”

When the door shut he said, “I need you to tell me how long you have been dealing with William Williams. He said some weird stuff before he died and you’re incriminated.”

I asked just how that could be as our paths had never crossed. He said there was CCTV of him giving me something in the food court of the mall. I said that this was the only time he and I had met and that he had thanked me for fulfilling his wish and that he gave me a talisman.

“He wasn’t passing you drugs, then,” said the unbelieving copper. I reached up to my neck and pulled off the disc and passed it to Mrs. Butcher who held it, rubbed it and put it on her desk. The Inspector grabbed at it and yelled, tossing it my way where it fell at my feet.

“That bastard thing burnt me,” he yelled,” I’ll have your hide for assaulting a police officer!”

I reached down and picked it up and said “I’m sure you’re mistaken, officer, this disc works with only good. It would only attack someone evil and I am sure that an upright member of the force couldn’t be evil.”

I passed the disc to Mrs. Butcher again and she held it in her hand saying “It seems perfectly harmless to me Inspector, perhaps you would like to try again?”

He glowered and left it lie there. Then he said, “If that is the only time you met, how did he know so much about you and your sister, including names, addresses and the like. He kept saying his name was Sam, not William, and that we were all bastards trying to stitch him up. We had him to rights – assault, drug trafficking and now rape and murder. Give me one good reason how this all happens.”

I looked him in the eye, “OK Inspector, one word and that word is Magic.”

He smirked, “Now I know this is a wind-up.”

Mrs. Butcher said, “I can see how this happened now, let the girl speak.”

I carried on. “Inspector, I am telling you the truth and would swear on a whole stack of bibles for you. That medallion on the desk is a Wish Disc. William, or should I say, Dot, bought it from a guy who said that it would grant him just one wish.”

“In the food court that day he wished he was a woman and he stole my personality, leaving me with his. I bet you haven’t been able to reconcile his actions with what everyone said he was like.”

“Nor would you find any evidence of wrongdoing before those last few days. I believe that I got the better deal out of it because he could never have guessed just what an evil bitch I was and I’m sure that this is what sent him off the rails.”

Marianne Gregory (C) 2022