Free Shell Shocked (The Cosmic Carapace, #1) by Barnaby Yard Page B

mess.
    “This cart,” Becky asked, “did it happen to reverse over her a few times after it hit her?”
    Albert smiled.
    “Ah, I see you feel, like me, that these injuries are somewhat unlikely from a road traffic accident. I'll be blunt. I knew that something fishy was going on the second this young women came across my table. The people who then turned up almost immediately and told me to log this as a normal accident and call if anyone came asking about, were not... pleasant. So what I propose is that you memorise these details. Then I think you should leave as soon as possible and do not mention that you were here.” Becky took the business card he offered her and looked at it for a few seconds.
    “Thank you Mr Bulber.”
    Spencer wasn’t listening. He was staring wide eyed and open mouthed at the side of the bench where the woman's body lay. Her hand had fallen off the side and was hanging down below the sheet which covered her. In the center of the back of her hand was a small birthmark in what looked like the shape of a small, smudged crown. It couldn’t be.
    “Spencer?" He snapped out of whatever was holding his attention and turned to her.
    “Sorry, it's nothing, let's go.”

8

Bad News
    ––––––––
    N orbert burst through the large wooden door at the end of the main hall and scampered in his sideways gait to the twins who were gathering round a bank of dials and switches which were pulsing, flashing and whirring around an object he couldn’t see as it was being obstructed by the two identical women. As he got closer, he could hear them discussing something in hurried conversation.
    “It was obvious as soon as he saw her if you ask me.”
    “Oh definitely, there was heat!” Eva giggled as she said this.
    “'Scuse me Misses and Mr! I got news!“ gasped Norbert trying to catch his breath. He’d run all the way from the Dewdrop Inn after three pints of ‘Sid’s Scuffler’ and he was feeling a little as though he should have opted for the ‘Suppin’ Scuffler’ rather than the ‘Screwin’ Scuffler’ which was altogether more potent, and far more likely to end up with you waking up and wondering where you left your liver.
    They ignored him.
    “Mind you, I doubt she’d notice even if he was drooling in front of her with his tongue out!” They both sniggered at this.
    Norbert squeezed in by the side of them and stood on tiptoes to see what they were looking at. A pair of donuts were sat in the middle of the flashing instruments.
    “Excuse me!” Norbert tried again, but his heart wasn’t quite in it any more. His eyes were locked on the donuts and there was a gleam to them which made him look as though he was in a trance.
    “Hi Norbert,” they chorused as one. “You’ve got news did you say?”  Eva continued.
    “Er... yes,” said Norbert somewhat dreamily. The girls waited, peering at him for a few seconds until, as one again, they raised their voices.
    “Norbert!”
    He snapped his gaze away from the donuts and turned to them.
    “Oh yeah, sorry, it’s just I ‘ad a drop of Scuffler in the Dewdrop an' then I ‘ad to run all the bleeding way up ‘ere in me old boots what is falling apart and is giving me all sorts of gip with me corns. I really need some new shoes what will help me in situations where I have important news relating to G.R.I.N. business, what I never get paid for and do out of the goodness of my own ‘art by the way, but I never moan, I just ask for the odd little bit of something what might come your way that you think might ‘elp poor old Norbert to ‘elp you. An' all this has made me ever so hungry, I'm starving I am!”
    This had poured out of him in one long stream while the other three just stared at him wearily. He had very markedly glanced at the donuts in front of them.
    The twins folded their arms simultaneously.
    “You’re not having those donuts Norbert. They appeared yesterday and we don’t know what they’d do to you if you ate