Page 85 of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
‘Runaway barge injures three.’
‘Policeman shot in stomach, small bore, will live.’
‘Man stabbed in street.’
‘Lesbians grow lychees on doomed allotment, council won’t comment.’
‘Three-car pile-up on A40, firemen cry.’
‘Burglar trips, lands on cactus. Might sue.’
‘Council meeting delayed by rail protest.’
‘Police called out five times in one night by spider building web across sensor alarm.’
‘Convicted drug dealer found hanged under canal bridge.’
‘Dog avenges brother’s death, probably not true.’
AB:Does it say the dates of these stories?
AP:No. But on the inside cover … it looks like April slash May 2001.
AB:Do any of these say January 2003? [Shuffling and thudding. EC]
AP:This one says November 03 slash March 04.
AB:Try that one.
AP:‘Mayor opens Christmas fete at Woodend School.’ [The page flips between each headline. EC]
‘One-man protest over bin schedule blocks dual carriageway.’
‘Old Eric is Santa again, thirty-seven years on trot.’
‘Drinks six thirty onwards.’
AB:That’s a personal note, isn’t it? And that double line … could mean the end of the year. I’m looking for a week or two in early December. [Pages turning. Stops abruptly. EC]
AP:The Alperton Angels. Is that what you’re looking for?
AB:Yes! Where does it say that?
AP:She’s drawn a thick square line around it. As if she added that title in at the top when she realised this all referred to the same thing.
AB:Aunty Pat, please can you read it out, from here on? [She sighs. I don’t think she relishes the idea. EC]
AP:‘Young girl. Sounds hysterical. Baby. Bus garage. Canal. Old Cow & Gate place at Alperton? Baby born in old baby food warehouse. Going to hospital. Were they OK? Find out. What’s these symbols? Could be satanic. Witchcraft. Devil worshippers move in behind bus garage.’ Now, after this, there’s a space. It’s as if she wrote the next bit at a different time. See, the first is neat. Follows the ruled line. But down here the words are scrawled in abighurry. See?
AB:Yeah. You’re right.
AP:Doesn’t stick to the lines at all. I’d guess it was written in the dark. It says … [She pauses here. Struggles to read the wordsbecause they are unclear, or distressing? EC] ‘Blood. Three dead. Stabbings. Nasty, nasty.’ [OMG, no wonder you’re both quiet for a bit. EC] That’s all.
AB:He was there and never told anyone.
AP:He? A man wrote this? Oh well, he must’ve done it. Guilty conscience. Else why keep it quiet?
AB:Indeed. Why else, Aunty Pat?
