Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2170
Author:
Audience Rating:
Publication:
Genre:
Character Age:
TG Themes:
Permission:
(aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2170 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad
All Rights Reserved. |
 |
“Why’s everyone looking so…?” asked David as he came in to organize lunch.
“Uptight?” offered Jacquie.
“Yeah, that’ll do–well someone going to tell me?”
“The guy who forced his way in on Saturday is pretending he’s crazy so they won’t take him to court.”
“Dunno about him, but that’s crazy.”
“It’s how some people manipulate the legal system.”
“So does that mean he’ll get off?”
“Oh yes,” I said and poured myself some more tea and offered the pot to David who nodded.
“That’s so wrong.”
“Isn’t it just.”
“Can’t you tell the echo?”
“If I did they’d want to know why he’d broken in.”
“Oh–so what’re you going to do?”
“I’ve left that up to Jason, my counsel, to do what is likely to have the best outcome for us.”
“He should know, I s’pose.”
“I do hope so otherwise I’m spending loads for nothing.”
“He’ll see you right,” commented Stella.
“Yeah, he’s okay, I’ve got some survey work to do.” I left them talking and went to the study sending Si a text about what Jason had said. He texted back saying he was disappointed for me but not surprised.
Instead of dealing with the work in front of me as I should have been doing, I was racking my brain for some way of getting back on him. Nothing was coming and when David banged the gong at twelve thirty I realized I’d wasted two whole hours seeking revenge. I tried then to let it go.
Danni limped out to the table in the kitchen to get her lunch. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” I asked.
“Oh it’s nothing, Mummy, it’s where I bashed against the wall the other day.”
“You mean when Swithinbank hurled you against it?”
“Yes.”
“I thought Trish was blue lighting you?”
“Yeah, it’s getting better, it’s just a bit slow.”
“You want me to do it?”
She shrugged.
We finished our scrambled eggs on toast and after a cuppa, I did some healing on Danni, she didn’t seem much better. “Would you like me to take you to see Dr Smith?”
“Nah, I’ll be alright, Mummy.” She limped back to finish her homework.
I felt so inadequate. I hadn’t been able to protect her against that lunatic and his dogmatic ideas of religion and gender. I really wanted to punish him and the poxy congregation who sent him.
I left early to get the girls sussing out the chapel place that Swithinbank and Curry attended. I was next to a vacant lot they used for car parking and a plan hatched in my mind. They say that revenge is a dish best eaten cold, it would be very cold by the time I’d finished.
I asked Jim to find out who owned the vacant lot while I sat waiting for the girls to leave school. He was back some half an hour later, the council did. I asked him to contact them with a view to developing the site and either buying or leasing it from them.
“Okay, what sort of project are you wanting to develop, Cathy?”
“If it was legal I’d have built a whorehouse there, but it isn’t.”
“What next to a church?”
“That church, yes.”
“Given it’s not possible without a massive culture taste, what else would you like to build there?”
“I don’t know which would piss them off more, a betting shop or an amusement arcade, or even an off licence.”
“What did they do to annoy you, prove God’s existence?”
“If they did that in a proper scientific way, I’d be prepared to admit I was wrong, but as they can’t possibly do it one way or another, I’m fairly safe I think.”
“Ooh, do I detect uncertainty?”
“Only insofar as you sounding convincing about buying or renting it.”
“Ouch, the lady has genuine barbs.”
“Stop calling me Babs.”
“I said barbs, Cathy.”
“I distinctly heard you say babs.”
“Must be your ears girl, they say you get deafer as you get old.”
“I must be, I could have sworn I heard you insult me, but as you’re still alive I must be mistaken.” He went rather quiet after that.
“So what’s the plan, then?”
“To acquire the site and build something that annoys them, with a view to build something on their site as well.”
“They have annoyed you, you’re not planning on developing Portsmouth cathedral site as well?”
“Not unless the bishop offends me.”
“He hasn’t so far, has he?”
“Good lord no. He’s quite charming.”
“What you know him?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but I have met him a few times.”
“And he doesn’t have hang-ups about gender fluidity?”
“Not as far as I know.”
“Pity, it’s a big site.”
“Yes I know, possibly because it’s a big church.”
“Isn’t that usually the case with cathedrals?”
“Probably,” I agreed.
“So why d’you want to screw this chapel?”
“They’ve offended me.”
“What personally?”
“Yes.”
“What’d they do–sing too loud?”
“No, they sent two of their stupider congregants to try and scare us.”
“Scare as in knocking on the door to talk about Jesus?”
“No, that I’d have happily coped with.”
“Not the boiling oil from the bathroom window again?”
“Damn, you know my secrets.”
“Yeah well…”
“No, I had one come round purporting to be from a children’s protection society and the other tried to break in and assault us. He knocked down Tom and threw Danni into a wall before I downed him.”
“You downed him?”
“Yes, why not?”
“What’s that idiot husband of yours doing?”
“He was out.”
“What’s wrong with conventional seeking of damages?”
“I’d like to make sure I had the right cathedral.”
“Couldn’t you do that via the courts?”
“Not this time, the guy has declared himself as unfit to plead.”
“What did you do to him?”
“Nothing much.”
“I’ve seen you in action, Cathy, remember?”
“That was in my younger days.”
He snorted down the phone, “Oh bugger, I’ve got snot all over the handset.”
I tittered at the other end while I listened to sounds of him trying to clean it. A few minutes later he spoke again. “Right you want me to acquire the site next to the chapel?”
“Yep, I’ve sent you a google map for clarification.”
“Yeah, I’ve got that, thanks.”
“As soon as you’ve got planning permission I want that quick erected fencing round it to stop them parking.”
“Yeah, I get the plan.” James was actually relishing the job, “Is it worth it just for a few minutes annoyance?”
“Oh definitely. Liaise with Maureen, she might know some local types who can do the fencing–oh she’d possibly help with the tech drawing as well.”
“Can do that on my Mac.”
“Is that the regulation trench coat?”
“What?” he said.
“The private eye’s trench coat, you know the uniform of the private detective or police.”
“No my Mac–as in Apple Mac.”
“That won’t keep the rain off you, buy an umbrella.”
“Gotta go, Cathy–oh how much d’ya want to speculate?”
“As much as it takes.” I was prepared to take some risks for this mission to make them pay.
