to Bill, ‘All right Mr Quinley, I think that we were just about through
with our questioning for now anyway, but I can assure you of our return just as
soon as we have gathered further evidence. Now goodbye and good day!’
Detective
Sergeant Drummond took her cue and fell in line with Detective Inspector Bowden
as he left the house.
Julie was
flabbergasted by this reaction from her father and didn’t know whether to thank
him for defending her. She was saved from having to make a decision however as her
father exited the room just as quickly as he had entered it.
Julie took
the opportunity to phone Rita. She wanted to forewarn her of the police
detectives’ imminent appearance, but was surprised to find that Rita had
already received a visit and she reacted to the encounter with her usual air of
indifference. Julie tried to emulate Rita’s display of calm, but it belied the
panic that she felt inside. ‘Yes, you’re right Rita. They can’t do anything to
us without proof.’
‘That’s
right Julie, so stop worrying and let’s try to carry on as normal. I think we
should go out Friday night. After all, moping about isn’t going to bring Amanda
back, is it?’
Although
Julie was amazed to hear Rita talk like this, she allowed herself to be
persuaded into going to the Flying Horse. It was the last place that she wanted
to meet in view of the fiasco of the previous Sunday, but she reasoned that as
her own strength of mind was very much in abeyance at the moment, she should
let Rita lead her by the hand and do whatever she thought was right. She also felt
that people had to be faced and now was as good a time as any.
‘By the way
Rita,’ said Julie, ‘I’m supposed to be going out tomorrow night as well, but I
don’t know if I’ll bother after the way I’ve been feeling.’
‘Who with?’
‘Well, you
remember that dishy salesman I told you about called Mike Marston?’
‘Yes,’ Rita
replied.
‘He’s asked
me out at last. Bloody typical isn’t it; I’ve been wanting him to ask me out
for weeks and then he goes and does it when I’m feeling like a bag of shit.’
‘What about
Vinny?’
‘Oh, here
we go. What about Vinny, Rita?’
‘I thought
you were supposed to be seeing him.’
I am, but
I’m only going on a date with this guy. There’s no harm in seeing Vinny in the
meantime till I see how things work out.’
‘Oh, I get
it, good old Vinny will always do as a back-up eh?’
‘It isn’t
like that Rita. Me and Vinny aren’t serious. Besides, I’ve got loads of time
for settling down. Who wants to be married at my age?’
‘Well try
telling him that; you might find he has a different point of view. Anyway, it’s
up to you. Maybe this bloke’s what you’ve been looking for, and if he isn’t,
then at least you’ll have got it out of your system.’
Julie said
goodbye to Rita, but continued to think about the predicament she was in. She
didn’t really want to finish with Vinny. If he’d had a bit more get up and go
he might have been the perfect man but he was just too complacent at times. She
did think a lot of him though and, while on this train of thought, Julie came
to the decision that she should ring him and try to sort out the mess that they
had made of their previous telephone conversation.
She was
relieved when Vinny accepted her apology in earnest, and even offered her an apology
too. Julie arranged to see him on the Saturday night, delighted with his change
of heart, and determined to continue her quest to carry on a normal life.
Chapter 13
Thursday 26 th June 1986
Julie had been undecided about her date with Mike right up
until the last minute. There were so many reasons that she thought she
shouldn’t go.
Firstly,
there was Vinny. She felt as though she was being disloyal to him but really
there was no reason why she should. She was a free agent with no ties. That was
the way her relationship with Vinny had always been. They’d agreed as much from
the
with our questioning for now anyway, but I can assure you of our return just as
soon as we have gathered further evidence. Now goodbye and good day!’
Detective
Sergeant Drummond took her cue and fell in line with Detective Inspector Bowden
as he left the house.
Julie was
flabbergasted by this reaction from her father and didn’t know whether to thank
him for defending her. She was saved from having to make a decision however as her
father exited the room just as quickly as he had entered it.
Julie took
the opportunity to phone Rita. She wanted to forewarn her of the police
detectives’ imminent appearance, but was surprised to find that Rita had
already received a visit and she reacted to the encounter with her usual air of
indifference. Julie tried to emulate Rita’s display of calm, but it belied the
panic that she felt inside. ‘Yes, you’re right Rita. They can’t do anything to
us without proof.’
‘That’s
right Julie, so stop worrying and let’s try to carry on as normal. I think we
should go out Friday night. After all, moping about isn’t going to bring Amanda
back, is it?’
Although
Julie was amazed to hear Rita talk like this, she allowed herself to be
persuaded into going to the Flying Horse. It was the last place that she wanted
to meet in view of the fiasco of the previous Sunday, but she reasoned that as
her own strength of mind was very much in abeyance at the moment, she should
let Rita lead her by the hand and do whatever she thought was right. She also felt
that people had to be faced and now was as good a time as any.
‘By the way
Rita,’ said Julie, ‘I’m supposed to be going out tomorrow night as well, but I
don’t know if I’ll bother after the way I’ve been feeling.’
‘Who with?’
‘Well, you
remember that dishy salesman I told you about called Mike Marston?’
‘Yes,’ Rita
replied.
‘He’s asked
me out at last. Bloody typical isn’t it; I’ve been wanting him to ask me out
for weeks and then he goes and does it when I’m feeling like a bag of shit.’
‘What about
Vinny?’
‘Oh, here
we go. What about Vinny, Rita?’
‘I thought
you were supposed to be seeing him.’
I am, but
I’m only going on a date with this guy. There’s no harm in seeing Vinny in the
meantime till I see how things work out.’
‘Oh, I get
it, good old Vinny will always do as a back-up eh?’
‘It isn’t
like that Rita. Me and Vinny aren’t serious. Besides, I’ve got loads of time
for settling down. Who wants to be married at my age?’
‘Well try
telling him that; you might find he has a different point of view. Anyway, it’s
up to you. Maybe this bloke’s what you’ve been looking for, and if he isn’t,
then at least you’ll have got it out of your system.’
Julie said
goodbye to Rita, but continued to think about the predicament she was in. She
didn’t really want to finish with Vinny. If he’d had a bit more get up and go
he might have been the perfect man but he was just too complacent at times. She
did think a lot of him though and, while on this train of thought, Julie came
to the decision that she should ring him and try to sort out the mess that they
had made of their previous telephone conversation.
She was
relieved when Vinny accepted her apology in earnest, and even offered her an apology
too. Julie arranged to see him on the Saturday night, delighted with his change
of heart, and determined to continue her quest to carry on a normal life.
Chapter 13
Thursday 26 th June 1986
Julie had been undecided about her date with Mike right up
until the last minute. There were so many reasons that she thought she
shouldn’t go.
Firstly,
there was Vinny. She felt as though she was being disloyal to him but really
there was no reason why she should. She was a free agent with no ties. That was
the way her relationship with Vinny had always been. They’d agreed as much from
the
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