Sergeant Jim Burrows finished locking the front door and then renewed his curious look at his wife standing in the gloom
at the bottom of their stairs. "What is it?" he mouthed as he unbuttoned his dark-blue tunic and immediately felt ashamed
that he felt the need to keep his words silent. Madge stared over her shoulder at her husband arriving home from his night
duties and her anxious features betrayed the uneasy confusion she had been experiencing. Without verbally replying, she
pointed her finger towards the shadows at the top of the stairway and endorsed her concerns by licking her lips.
With the parlour door closed, Jim led his wife over to far side of the room and like a pair of conspiratorial plotters, they
leaned close to each other and the whispering began. "It was during the night, Jim... the house has been cold... I heard
a loud bump and a groan... then these voices -two of them" Madge divulged in an intonation slightly higher than her usual
timbre. The man who usually offered a countenance of indifference to most instances in his life, listened intently and felt
his partner's disquiet about what was happening under their roof.
Ironic really, considering what had been transpiring above those grimy slate shingles.
The curtains were still drawn in their den of hushed words and just as Jim was about to calm Madge with an embrace
before he raced up to confront this Mister Fawkes-character and give him a piece of his mind, two profiles appeared
at the shrouded window and the Bishopsgate Station's Sergeant recognised the taller silhouette at once. "Wait here"
he said and with a glance towards the sombre space at the top his stairs, he walked briskly to meet their early morning
visitors.
Inspector George Abernethy looked puzzled as his fellow-policeman placed a finger to his lips and gestured to the big
bearded man to come in. The smaller companion -following George's act of removing his hat, doffed her own headgear
and stepped over the threshold without her usual habit of checking for certain items that can disarm a Witch. "Ah thank
yer' and all who live here" Peggy Powler said softly as she passed their uneasy host and followed the Inspector into a
little room only illuminated by a candle-lantern the little sorceress felt more at home with.
.................................................................
Peggy had nodded politely during Marjorie Burrow's explanation and reached for her hand when she related the part of
hearing two different voices speaking in their attic. This piece of information caused George to glance at the diminutive
half-Fae as he'd already been informed about what was happening between a injured Mister Fawkes and the malignant
spirit known as The Cold Caller.
"The crafty bugger will be lookin' fur' someone else te' infect..." the Last Witch of Underhill had informed the wide-eyed
giant after the Hinkypunk had relayed its knowledge of Mister Fawkes' escape route. "...This one is brawkken' and the
hellion will already be tryin' te' distance itself frum' his host" she'd added as they both set off in the direction Peggy had
pointed. "I want both of them" the Inspector had declared without looking down at his fellow investigator and the hurrying
augurer at his side silently wondered if that would be possible.
"Yer' look in a state Ma'am -if Ah' may, and Ah'd strongly suggest yer' just go about yer' normal mornin' habits..." Peggy
said to the breathless woman consolingly. "...Ah think a nice cup of tea will turn yer' round" the whispering necromancer
appended as she helped Jim's wife to a wooden chair near the window and gave the Sergeant a look that said everything.
"Thank you Miss Powler and you know, I have a strange feeling we've met before?" Madge grunted as she grimaced from
the pains in her knees. Peggy's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the woman's face and quickly checked her memory for
any recall. "Whey' Ah' get all over in me-task te' deal wiv' bother" she responded good-humouredly and prepared to bring
her attention to the real problem at hand.
As Jim Burrows returned with a large chipped cup of his version of hot tea, George and Peggy stepped towards the nadir
of the stairs to begin their capture of The Cold Caller. "Have you ever visited Weathercote, Miss Powler?" Madge asked
and the query stopped the bare-footed warlock in her tracks.
at the bottom of their stairs. "What is it?" he mouthed as he unbuttoned his dark-blue tunic and immediately felt ashamed
that he felt the need to keep his words silent. Madge stared over her shoulder at her husband arriving home from his night
duties and her anxious features betrayed the uneasy confusion she had been experiencing. Without verbally replying, she
pointed her finger towards the shadows at the top of the stairway and endorsed her concerns by licking her lips.
With the parlour door closed, Jim led his wife over to far side of the room and like a pair of conspiratorial plotters, they
leaned close to each other and the whispering began. "It was during the night, Jim... the house has been cold... I heard
a loud bump and a groan... then these voices -two of them" Madge divulged in an intonation slightly higher than her usual
timbre. The man who usually offered a countenance of indifference to most instances in his life, listened intently and felt
his partner's disquiet about what was happening under their roof.
Ironic really, considering what had been transpiring above those grimy slate shingles.
The curtains were still drawn in their den of hushed words and just as Jim was about to calm Madge with an embrace
before he raced up to confront this Mister Fawkes-character and give him a piece of his mind, two profiles appeared
at the shrouded window and the Bishopsgate Station's Sergeant recognised the taller silhouette at once. "Wait here"
he said and with a glance towards the sombre space at the top his stairs, he walked briskly to meet their early morning
visitors.
Inspector George Abernethy looked puzzled as his fellow-policeman placed a finger to his lips and gestured to the big
bearded man to come in. The smaller companion -following George's act of removing his hat, doffed her own headgear
and stepped over the threshold without her usual habit of checking for certain items that can disarm a Witch. "Ah thank
yer' and all who live here" Peggy Powler said softly as she passed their uneasy host and followed the Inspector into a
little room only illuminated by a candle-lantern the little sorceress felt more at home with.
.................................................................
Peggy had nodded politely during Marjorie Burrow's explanation and reached for her hand when she related the part of
hearing two different voices speaking in their attic. This piece of information caused George to glance at the diminutive
half-Fae as he'd already been informed about what was happening between a injured Mister Fawkes and the malignant
spirit known as The Cold Caller.
"The crafty bugger will be lookin' fur' someone else te' infect..." the Last Witch of Underhill had informed the wide-eyed
giant after the Hinkypunk had relayed its knowledge of Mister Fawkes' escape route. "...This one is brawkken' and the
hellion will already be tryin' te' distance itself frum' his host" she'd added as they both set off in the direction Peggy had
pointed. "I want both of them" the Inspector had declared without looking down at his fellow investigator and the hurrying
augurer at his side silently wondered if that would be possible.
"Yer' look in a state Ma'am -if Ah' may, and Ah'd strongly suggest yer' just go about yer' normal mornin' habits..." Peggy
said to the breathless woman consolingly. "...Ah think a nice cup of tea will turn yer' round" the whispering necromancer
appended as she helped Jim's wife to a wooden chair near the window and gave the Sergeant a look that said everything.
"Thank you Miss Powler and you know, I have a strange feeling we've met before?" Madge grunted as she grimaced from
the pains in her knees. Peggy's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the woman's face and quickly checked her memory for
any recall. "Whey' Ah' get all over in me-task te' deal wiv' bother" she responded good-humouredly and prepared to bring
her attention to the real problem at hand.
As Jim Burrows returned with a large chipped cup of his version of hot tea, George and Peggy stepped towards the nadir
of the stairs to begin their capture of The Cold Caller. "Have you ever visited Weathercote, Miss Powler?" Madge asked
and the query stopped the bare-footed warlock in her tracks.
Read The TV Guide, yer' don't need a TV.