Not freedom of liberty, but freedom to claim unlimited medical care and state benefits including family allowances for children back home that did not exist.
Girda hastily reached for the serving knife and two plates. Jack seized on the opportunity, Anne began to smile she knew his game.
“We will have those two pieces at the front please?" he said.
Girda took them placing them on the tray and then made the drinks, picked up the tray and was about to leave, saying
“You two, you do go, I bring to table”.
Just at the critical moment, Mrs Delwright appeared, and immediately she saw the two missing pieces of carrot cake from the front of the plate.
She was about to speak when seeing the missing items but she hesitated and having thought better of it did not speak but looked with a grimace and took a deep breath.
Anne and Jack were seated and he enjoyed the carrot cake.
Anne commented, “Jack you are a one, how naughty of you”.
He smiled with a grin of victory.
Things were not so good behind the counter when Girda arrived back with a smile announcing, “The new people had actually bought something to eat”.
“You gave them the two pieces from the front of the plate Girda, you must take more care” said Mrs Delwright
“I don’t understand,” asked Girda with a look of mystery upon her face”.
Mrs Delwright took another deep breath and whispered, though Jack still had the ears of an investigative detective and heard her next words.
“Girda I always put two large pieces at the front of the plate with smaller ones at the back, in this way customers are tempted to buy but they receive a smaller piece, so I get at least one portion extra per plated cake”.
“Oh I see” apologised Girda, “that man he must see, him very crafty, I think”.
“Yes a bloody copper they tell me, what else can you expect?” She blurted.
The tragedy continued for Mrs Delwright as Jack ate his slice of cake but only took one bite out of the other and left it, but continued to hold his fork on the plate to prevent its removal, normally done in quick time.
Anne never ate bought cake; the uneaten cake thought Mrs Delwright was a bad advert.
The session over both the new comers left for a walk around the village.
When they were just outside the door, they met Miss Pym from the golf club she looked but did not speak. Once inside she sat between the two tables of Yuppie ladies, took off her large rimmed hat put down her bag and spoke.
“Heavens did you see those new comers?” He is a common policeman you know”.
There was a laugh and Angela Garbet wife of the golf club president said, “we know them, well of them rather”.
“I say,” Said Miss Pym “you may never believe this but the fellow had the cheek to arrive at the club some days ago seeking to be a member”.
“Really” replied Angela, “I hope you put them off my hubby would not be so pleased at such common folk being members”.
Primrose smiled and replied “I put him off alright in no uncertain terms, there were two members arrive you know the two high ranking officers I can’t recall their names I think one was pigeon or similar”.
“You mean Woodcock Miss Pym”. The voice was that of Dino Garbet, business tycoon and president of the Tarporley Golf Club. He had called as arranged to collect his lovely bride Angela.
“Yes, do you realise Mr Garbet, that fellow, he stated he was a member of some club at a place in the south of England Farrington or similar”
“Do you mean Farnham?” Replied Dino
“Yes that is it Farnham” replied Primrose
Taking his mobile phone from his pocket, he asked
“What was this fellow’s name Miss Pym?”
“Richards, Jack Richards a common name for a common man, ah, ah”.
Checking his contacts list he found Farnham Golf Club, he dialled the number, awaiting a reply he mumbled, “Farnham I seem to recall is a quite a good club, very good in fact, holds championship tournaments if my memory is correct, lets see if they know him
“Hello Farnham, who is that please?”
“Grace who, Grace Wetherington. Hello Grace this is Dino Garbet President of the exclusive Tarporley Golf Club and Spa at Tarporley in Cheshire.”
“I was wondering if you could recall a man named Jack Richards, a common name I know, I am told here he is a common man”. He laughed
A voice could be heard on the other end of the call,
“Yes” he replied, “indeed, well I never, is that a fact?" Good gracious. Well thank you” and the call was ended.
He looked up at the waiting ladies and eventually spoke
“Well Miss Pym you certainly performed a wonderful favour for the club when you put off this Richards fellow”.
“I knew it, I knew it” she exclaimed.
“Update us then Dino,” said Angela
“According to Grace Wetherington on the desk at Farnham, our Mr Richards is just about the best amateur golfer they had. In fact when he left he was made a life member”.
There was silence
“Further than that he appears to have very good contacts, it seems he knows most of the Ryder Cup team members from both sides.”
“He managed I gather to have gathered a vast amount of sponsorship and the professionals of both teams regularly play there.”
“According to the Wetherington woman this Richards set the club on the international stage, and you Miss Pym turned him away and more than that from what you admit saying you were bloody well down right rude, what a cock up, come Angela let us go before I really blow my top”.
He got up and both left, leaving all eyes staring at Miss Pym who was looking up seemingly hoping that the Lord or the Clingons would beam her up,
PART FIVE
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
It had been an exhausting two days for Chief-Constable Winston Myers of the North Wales Police, the inspection of the force by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary for the region, Christian Woodcock, QPM had been searching and thorough.
“Well Myers, your Force is doing well; you are making a good job handling the cuts in your budget, very well done man”.
“Thank you Sir”, replied Myers, with a sigh of relief.
“I presume you will be giving Wrexham a satisfactory report to the Home Secretary?”
“Indeed I will Myers, indeed I will, I say it was a bad thing those two officers in the Met getting killed on duty yesterday”
“Yes, it’s always a tragedy when young serving men and women get killed in the line of duty. We had a tragedy here some short time ago though nothing criminal of course”.
“Really, what was that?” Asked Woodcock
“A young officer just simply found dead whilst on duty, a young fit man, suddenly found dead, the post mortem showed it was this adult sudden death syndrome the heart simply stops.”
“Very sad”, said Myers, “oh by the way I will be recommending you for the Queens Police Medal in the next honours list”.
“Well thank you Sir, Mrs Myers will be very pleased”.
Arriving outside, Sid Watkiss, known as “bad eye Watkiss” for whilst he was a serving officer when anything happened he never saw anything. Now the current driver of the HMI he opened the door and saluted as his boss arrived and got into the car.
In a moment they were gone another inspection done.
In Tarporley, Jack the Hat had finally arranged his study room to what he thought was an ideal office to write his book. Furniture and desk, reading lamp all ideally placed.
He had stocked up with computer printer cartridges, pens, paper and notebooks. The dictation machine was fine; he just needed back up batteries.