Dear Diary, isn't that how it's supposed to go?

What's weird is that I can't say alot of what I want to say, it's all rather silly but apparently those are the rules?

 
Thursday 26th March

I still can't get my head around today! The Head was totally over the moon about the play and the newspaper reporter wanted to interview me but the Head wouldn't let him - thank you Dr McIntosh! As for that lady from the examination people, was she allowed to tell me that? It didn't matter! The boys, and Tanya, did a fantastic job and I told them that. What's strange, still, is that I was in control of that performance, but perhaps not in the same way as Lady Macbeth? I was exhausted when I got home, and I was still wearing the corset! Tanya messaged me later to say she had to be helped getting out of it by her mum!

 
Friday 27th March

So, Mum, Angela and me took a helicopter to Edinburgh Airport where we met one of Dad's old colleagues John Cooper, the terminal manager. He sorted out the transfer and I headed for the Newquay flight that Pru, our PA, had booked while the others flew to London.

I wish I could say pleasant things about the flight but it was noisy and bumpy. I'm sure the airline was doing its best but did we really have to land at Manchester for half an hour? It was a good job I'd had a decent breakfast as the only offering on board was an awful coffee or ridiculously expensive cans of fizzy pop.

Anyway, we eventually landed at Newquay and I was pleased to see Heather waiting for me. I tried to ask what Sophie was doing but she wouldn't say.

The cottage is nice, plenty of room, but it is a cottage. I thought Heather and Sophie would have had some help looking after it but they do it all themselves.

What I don't yet know is what I'll be doing over the next twelve or so days. Heather told me some of her rules then said that my driving lessons would start on Sunday with Tony from the local Police.

Heather did show me some of the work she wanted me to do, but said we could leave that until tomorrow.

I sent Dad a text to say I'd arrived safely.

 
Saturday 28th March

Heather and I went shopping; I liked Trago Mills and picked up some new bras, leggings, a long cardigan and a lovely cotton print skirt. It's definitely a Spring day today. I had my first real Cornish Pasty while we were there but we did have to endure Tesco on the way back.

I did try to get Heather to tell me what Sophie was doing but she wouldn't give and became a little snappy with me.

Heather complained I was out of shape as I was tiring too easily. We did dinner and I tried to do some revision but had to give in. Perhaps she's right?

 
Sunday 29th March

It was a strange start to the day, considering that I was allegedly out of shape, but Heather did a full English (Cornish?) breakfast for us before she started my training, by talking about faxes! She also told me that Jenny, at Thames House, and DI Emily Keane would have to approve my return for the summer. No pressure then! I'd worn the new cotton skirt today but Heather told me to change it.

Finally I was collected for my first driving lesson in Cornwall. Tony, PC Anthony Burnett, was completely unlike Linda Young, my previous instructor. He was ruthless and shouted a bit when I used bad habits but apologised too, so I forgave him. What I wasn't expecting was being taken onto an airbase to do some high speed stuff near the runways. I thought we might have had a problem at security but they almost waved us through after checking our names off against a list, I think.

It was nearly lunchtime when I got back, Heather looked like she'd been busy but we had some lunch before she said anything about my work. I spent a couple of hours on stuff that I can't talk about, even to myself. Then she told me she had to collect someone from the airport, leaving me to sort out dinner.

I was not expecting Sophie to arrive but I still wanted to know what she'd been doing? It was a bit of a shock to be told, again, that Chris Jones had really died and that Sophie had been looking after someone else, but I can't say who. Damn.

 
Monday 30th March

Sophie had me up at the crack of dawn, or close to it, for a run. I really wasn't in the mood and let that be known. I wanted to stop to get my breath but Sophie forced me to continue. I could have murdered her! Then, when we got back, I was ordered up to shower when all I really wanted to do was recover, maybe with a coffee and a bacon sandwich? Some hope.

Tony and I took the A30 to Penzance before wandering around the back roads. Some of the cobbles near the quayside in Newlyn were a bit slippery but I coped. We did a short run over the speed limit, naughty, so he could see how I was doing. I don't think Linda would have done that.

After lunch, it was just Heather and me so we did some more training. When I got to writing a report it felt strange putting my name against something that could be read by some very important folk.

We were getting dinner organised when Suzie, Angela's sister, sent me a text asking me to call her. Heather let me use the phone in the office. Suzie said she'd spoken to her mum and sister but couldn't say much because they were at my flat in Docklands without a secure phone. Anyway, she wanted to get away for a few days but didn't know if she could. We talked about what had happened in Thurso since her dad's funeral but Heather wanted the phone so I had to leave it.

 
Tuesday 31st March

I did better this morning with Sophie, I kept up with her most of the way. She does not take prisoners when running, that's for sure. I'm also pretty sure she has a gun in her bum bag but she won't confirm, or deny, it.

Sophie did a session with me in the office after her trip with Heather into Mevagissey. This was really interesting stuff, I just wish I say what it was about.

 
Wednesday 1st April

April Fools' Day, and am I the fool?

I was scared out of my skin this morning, convinced we were going to crash. Tony took me back onto the airbase and we ended up in a corner with one of the fire appliances spraying foam in the road. I couldn't see what I was doing and then I lost control. I wanted to let go of the wheel but Tony shouted at me again how to regain control.

We did it a few times and I think I got the hang of it, then he had me reversing around a corner and silly things like that. I do my test tomorrow!

I did some revision and checked in with Dad, Angela, Tanya and John. The lovebirds were several hundred miles apart so only wanted to talk about each-other! Tanya though tried to tease out of me where I was. I finally said it was near Truro, which is probably in the middle of the county.

I don't think I'll sleep tonight, it's my driving test in the morning.

 
 
Thursday 2nd April

Well, it's today, my driving test that is. Tony has been brilliant and showed me way more than I'll need to pass the test, I just hope I don't show off! Anyway, I have a bus to catch.

I was really nervous when I got there and the examiner didn't make it any easier! The actual test was okay, Tony had told me not to just use the mirrors but to make sure the examiner saw me using the mirrors. Traffic was good so that didn't cause me a problem either. He asked what I was doing in Cornwall when my provisional licence gave my address as Thurso, I said I was with my aunt for the holidays, I might use that line again.

I tried to wind Heather up but it seems I can't pull off a convincing lie!

Suzie arrived this evening, we'd only met once before but it was great to see my new sister.

 
Friday 3rd April

It was hard work today, Heather and Sophie told us about the mission on St Marys but I didn't think it was all going to be needed. I was exhausted when we finished so it was a relief to get out. Fistral Beach is something else but it was really bad news to find that thief trying to steal Heather's bag, although Sophie was plainly not happy with Heather.

 
Saturday 4th April

Suzie and I were off just after eight for the drive down to Penzance. I really wanted to drive but it seems I can't get a hire car for some time as I'm a new driver. We made the ferry terminal in good time so grabbed a drink in the café there. The crossing was calm and we found the guest house okay, even if we couldn't put our bags in our room until later.

I had a phone call from Emily at New Scotland Yard who asked that we email any photos to an address she then gave me, I did them in batches but waited until I was somewhere I could get free wifi. We'd walked into the town then down to the harbour, taking photos of the boats and any cars that were in the area.

After a pasty for lunch we went to the chandlers Heather had mentioned and had a look. The CEO was there, I talked to him about buying a dinghy but he laughed saying I couldn't afford it. I waved my platinum card and said I could easily afford but didn't care for his attitude. Some of the staff were laughing at him as we left. Apart from his condescending manner nothing seemed odd. I and Suzie took several pictures, inside and out, just in case.

We were back outside one of the cafés uploading photos when we met the local police chief, Sgt Taylor. We said we were acting suspicious. I said I was on my school's newspaper and was writing an article on the furthest you could get from Thurso! He laughed and said we had to try the next island, St Agnes, to be certain we had the facts right. He had a pile of stickers in his hands so I asked what he was doing. He said these were part of a seatbelt campaign on the Scilly Isles as apparently many locals didn't bother. He was giving away window stickers to remind drivers and passengers and said the campaign was working, he hadn't issued a ticket for several days.

We were then able to put our bags in our room, it was a twin room of course. We couldn't get hold of Heather but found she'd been taaken into hospital after being injured, we were told she would be fine but not to contact her for a day or so.

Emily called me later on and asked that we went down to the harbour late afternoon to watch out for a boat coming in, but she couldn't give me a description. Anyway, it was easy with these Chinese looking men coming off a launch, one of the locals called it a tender. What was surprising was that the CEO of the chandlers was there to meet them. We started to follow but there was a danger we'd be spotted so we went into a pub to wait, having a soft drink as we'd been warned to stay off the alcohol.

I sent the new photos to Emily and had a text message asking that we note when they left, that was over an hour later and we had to go to the loo separately so one of us could keep an eye out of the window.

I saw them coming back so we waited until they'd gone past before walking out of the pub and going to sit across the harbour from where the tender was moored. We started giggling about something silly so they would know we were there but would disregard us immediately, that way I was able to get some dodgy pictures on my phone.

Once that was done we headed back to the guest house.

 
Sunday 5th April Easter Sunday

We went out just after breakfast and were startled by the siren starting as the police Landrover went up towards the chandlers. We started walking up there but one of the staff came out to stop anyone going in, she did not look well and told us that the CEO had been murdered, she'd found him when she opened up that morning.

That shocked both of us, we'd only seen him last night, although suspicion had to fall on those Chinese looking guys. I called Emily straight away and gave her the news, she said she had to contact Jenny to decide what to do. In the end we were told to speak to the guest house to see if we could extend our stay by a couple of days. We then heard that the ferry had been cancelled and no-one was allowed off the island for a few hours, if not longer.

We wandered around and took more photos then went to a café to listen to the gossip. Virtually no-one had seen the Chinese guys - which Emily later told me were North Koreans! - but what was strange was that the boat Chandler's Boy was missing but no-one knew who could have taken it, so assumed it must have been someone from the mainland.

I sent Emily an update then we went for some lunch. When she called us, later that afternoon, Jenny had obviously been briefed by Emily but told Suzie she'd have to use the other identities and that we would fly out on Tuesday. I asked Suzie what that was all about but she just told me not to worry.

A load of extra police arrived on the island that lunchtime, that made it difficult to take photos without raising suspicions so we settled into the pub for the afternoon, on soft drinks again. Some of the language in there was nasty but we were hearing stories of dodgy deals, not all of which had to be true!

The ferry was allowed to run late in the afternoon, that gave us a chance to speak to one of the ferry operatives about sending Suzie's car back, apparently they have to do this from time to time so it's not a problem, just a twenty in their pocket for the hassle; we already had a return ticket.

We decided on an early night after dinner.

 
Monday 6th April

The chandlers was still off limits on Monday morning and the whole island was subdued. There was a rumour that Chandlers Boy had been found in Newlyn but there was no sign of anyone and nobody knew for sure, and there was me thinking that school rumours were strange.

Suzie didn't like the atmosphere at all, I'm sure she'd have gone back if it weren't for Jenny's instructions. We spent some time in the cafe again, they knew what drinks we wanted and the locals all chatted to us so it wasn't difficult to hear what was going on, just a question of how much was relevant - did we really need to know about Mrs Scott's cat going missing?

The extra police were gone by lunchtime, but the chandlers was still closed, so there was no chance of looking in there. We walked around the town, into the old town, around the bay to the south, then back to the harbour. Really we were just wasting time. Lunch was fishy, for a change, then we found we had fish for dinner as well!

 
Tuesday 7th April

We checked out straight after breakfast and asked for a ride to the airport to get our nine o'clock flight. That was when Suzie gave me my passport in the name of Beccy Adams, while she was Sarah Jones. Talk about weird! We collected our tickets at the check-in and, as we only had hand luggage, went straight through into the lounge.

The flight was comfortable, but that's about all I can say. It was strange being called Miss Adams though!

At Newquay we met with 'Aunt' Heather and her friend Jo, who I think was a nurse. Then we flew onto Stansted were we were met by Val, from Suzie's office. She drove us to this big house in the countryside.

Who was Abigail Adams, was she a relative of Beccy Adams?