Brook was confident she hadn't been seen arriving home. Granted, 5am Monday morning was hardly the busiest time of day in the Village of Great Writing. Save for Ernie doing his rounds, the streets were deserted. She unlocked the front door, and crept inside. She hadn't had a great deal of sleep, and was due at the office in three hours. Luckily her sister Tanya was a heavy sleeper, and Brook was careful to make little noise, as she tip-toed upstairs. Suddenly she heard a noise. A key in the front door. She hurriedly scampered up the final few steps, and into her room.

Harry too crept in quietly, naive to the fact his younger sister had arrived home less than a minute before him. He was confident both of his sisters would be tucked up sound asleep. Not twenty minutes before, he had climbed out of Lucy Loveday's bed. Harry hadn't slept a wink due to Lucy's confession to him that night. As he sat on the sofa, butterflies fluttered frantically in his stomach. In his mind, Lucy's crazy actions played over and over again. How could she poison her husband? Would he himself get dragged in should any police investigation ensue? For sure this would be a huge investigation, far too big for Sgt. Bagheera and Bobby Jones to handle. If it was left to these two Harry would not have worried. He flattered himself he could outwit any investigation led by a dopey scouser, but this could get bigger, maybe even the Virtual Flying Squad!

Inside his head he kept telling himself not to worry. He had nothing to do with it after all. But what if Lucy told the police they were having an affair? He'd become chief suspect! He went to the kitchen to get himself a snack. The sight of a box of porridge on the worktop almost brought tears to his eyes.

---

"Morning Ernie" smiled Jean Day as she unlocked her shop for the day. Ernie had just finished his round. He was early today. Normally he would finish around 8:15am, but it was only 7:45 and he was almost home.

"Morning me luv" Ernie replied, "Any chance I could pop round later? I've got a back-log of unpaid bills for you Jean, I could really do with you settling these up"

Jean feigned a look of confusion. "Oh, er.....yes, no problem Ernie. I didn't realise."
 

Ernie was fed up of Jean, and promised himself he would strike her from his round as soon as she had settled her debts. His wife and nagged him over Jean's failure to pay her bill, so often in fact that Ernie could almost recite her words parrot fashion.

---

Brook had managed to nod off and had overslept, due to setting her alarm incorrectly. Although her nap was only brief, she had slept soundly, her lips arced in a smile, as if she were re-living some kind of recent, wonderful, moments of multiple-joy in her dreams. Her alarm was an unwelcome disturbance from her happiness. She sat up and stretched. She felt absolutely amazing, almost as if something magical had happened to her, a bit like that princess did in 'Braveheart' after William Wallace had tupped her one in that tent.

For the first time in ages she felt alive! She started seeing life again. How pretty was the garden, with the overnight dew still glistening on the shrubbery. How sweet was the chorus of the sparrows, as they swooped and dove 'neath the branches of the olive tree at the foot of the yard. How soft was her own unblemished skin, as she sensually stroked her own neck and face. She wished she had a flower to sniff like they do in the movies.

Then she heard Harry fart loudly in the toilet as he was having his morning dump. "Get out and walk!" she heard him chuckle, and it brought her back to Earth.

---

Father Gerard answered the phone. It was his old mate Fred from the Leg of Lamb.
 

"What time you coming over, you know, the delivery I had...?" Fred asked.

"Top o' t' mornin' to you's Frederick. I tink I finish me cup of tea, den trip along to feast me oyes on dat parcel o'yours, so I will." the randy reverend replied.

"OK, see you shortly" Fred smiled, removing the contents of the cardboard box that sat on his kitchen table.