Free Catalyst by Michael Knaggs Page A

frightened. It was going to the police in the first place that started all the problems. She got very down, as you can imagine, really depressed, and frightened, of course. Then she took some tablets – you know – to put herself to sleep. Anyway, the window cleaner saw her lying on the floor of the kitchen and banged on the window. When she didn’t move he broke in and phoned for an ambulance.”
    She shook her head thoughtfully.
    â€œIt wasn’t her time to go, was it? The window cleaner only comes round once a fortnight. How lucky was that?”
    â€œIs that when she left the house?”
    â€œOh, no. She tried again – you know, with the tablets – a few weeks after that. This time she seemed to change her mind and rang the ambulance herself. They were there in no time and took her away. But she was back the next week. And she still got pestered by those hooligans. You’d think even they would have left her alone after all she’d been through, but they didn’t.”
    â€œSo when did she leave?”
    â€œIt would have been, let me see, seven or eight months ago – October, I think. She’d stopped eating and drinking properly, you know – all the stress I suppose – and got this infection – in her water .” Lucille respectfully whispered the last three words. “Then this chap started coming round to see her. About once a week he came; a male nurse, she said, just to keep a check on her. And after a few weeks of this, one evening a taxi turned up outside. Alma came out with a couple of suitcases and knocked on our door – the first time she’d ever done that, come to think of it – and told us she was going to stay with friends until she got better. And we haven’t seen her since.”
    â€œThis nurse,” said Jo, “did you ever get to speak to him; could you describe him?”
    â€œNo, he only came in the evening, and only about half-a-dozen times; we were always inside the house when he came. But whoever he was he seemed to cheer her up quite a lot. She was a different person during those last few weeks. We could hear her laughing away, really loud.”
    â€œCan you remember if he was young or old, short or tall?” pressed Jo. “Anything might be helpful.”
    â€œWe didn’t see his face at all,” said Lucille, “so I’ve no idea how old he was. But he was quite tall, I think, and he walked kind of straight up, I seem to remember. That’s right, because Barney said he looked like he might have been in the army.”
    She smiled at her husband.
    â€œBarney always reckons he can tell if someone has been in the forces by the way they walk,” she added.
    â€œHas anyone been back to the house since she left, as far as you know?” asked Jo.
    â€œThe same nurse has been a good few times; I think to pick up Alma’s mail. In fact he came last week – Friday, I think it was. We’ve been trying to catch him to ask how she was, but each time he seems to be in such a hurry; he was in his car and away before we got chance. Then on Saturday two men came with a van and took a lot of the furniture, and the ‘For Sale’ sign went up the same day.”
    She shook her head, sadly.
    â€œI suppose we guessed she wouldn’t be coming back, but it’s a shame we won’t see her again. She was a nice lady. I hope she’s alright.”
    â€œI hope so, too,” said Jo.

    Squadron Leader Arnold Danby (retired) beamed at the ninety-seven members of the local branch of the Third Age Forum who virtually filled the Meadow Village Community Hall. They were staring wide-eyed at the projection screen behind him, as they had been for nearly forty minutes.
    â€œAnd now for my big finish,” he said. “This is a training film taken by a camera in the nose of one of the same type of combat aircraft used during the Falklands conflict.”
    The static