“She won’t break,” Stark said. “She refuses to recant.”
“Even so, she will not go to prison,” Ramsey said. “I’ve talked it over with Sir Geoffrey and we decided to recommend the CPS not prosecute. Not fit to plead will be the official finding.”
“Unfortunately, it means Treadwell will escape prosecution,” Ravyn said. “An accessory, yes, but rather pointless, that.”
“Vainglory was a prat,” Stark said, “but he deserves better.”
“Can’t always win, so make sure you win the important ones,” Ramsey said. “He’ll go to prison for his daughter’s murder, and that is what’s important.”
“Midriven is now in better hands than Vainglory’s,” Ravyn said. “PC Lessing started as Midriven’s resident constable today.”
“I sat in on the interview panel,” Ramsey said. “Superintendent Heln did not agree, but I think him a good fit for the job.”
At the mention of Heln, Stark tensed. To expel his abrupt sense of anxiety, he quipped: “Yep, not born in Midriven and he’s still the prodigal son while I’m always going to be Sergeant Strapper.”
“Such is life in Hammershire for those of us not blessed by God,” Penworthy said. “Strappers forever are we.”
Soft laughter sounded around the table.
“How is the mother in the Treadwell case?” Ramsey asked. “Ella, wasn’t it?”
Ravyn nodded. “Leaving Midriven, most likely for good. She’s listed the house with an estate agent.”
“She’ll get a shed load of cash for that,” Stark said.
“And she has the cash James salted away in various accounts via his Stafford contacts. I believe she will do some travelling, then settle down in the south of France.” He recalled her visit while he was in hospital and her request for him to accompany her. “My aunt Dixie has already scouted out a villa for her.”
“Sounds nice,” Ramsey said.
“She will relax, put the past behind her and live a new life,” Ravyn said. “Aunt Dixie will look after her.”
“You both have much to be proud of.” Ramsey looked to Ravyn. “Sir Geoffrey wanted to award you another George Medal.”
“I trust you talked him out of it.”
She nodded. “I know how you feel about such things.”
“Well, I should be going,” Ravyn said, standing. “Fog is rising, and I think a nice walk along the river will do me wonders. Thank you all for a lovely evening. Good night.”
“The dampness will not help him,” Penworthy said when he was gone, “but I never start arguments I’ve no chance of winning.”
“The most obstinate man I’ve ever met,” Ramsey said.
“I should be off too,” Stark said. “I told Aeronwy I wouldn’t be late. The trouble working for a man like the guv is he doesn’t know the pressures of being married, especially with a baby on the way. Of course, what can I expect, him never having been married?”
Ramsey and Penworthy shared silent, awkward glances.
“What?” Stark asked. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that…” Penworthy lapsed into silence.
“Go ahead,” Ramsey said. “It’s no secret.”
“Shouldn’t Arthur be the one to tell him, if he wants to?”
“When has Arthur ever been open about anything?”
Penworthy sighed. “Chief Inspector Ravyn was married many years ago. It did not last.” She raised a hand to prevent interruption. “No, not divorced—dead. They were married three days, then the poor girl was murdered. It remains unsolved.”
“He never recovered,” Ramsey said. “He can’t forget her.”
Stark was stunned. The guv’nor had never mentioned it. He had often suspected Ravyn’s evergreen memory was more curse than blessing. Now he was sure.
“The girl,” he said. “Who was she?”
“Her name was Catherine,” Penworthy said. “Catherine Mary Victoria Heln.”
Stark’s eyes widened.
Ramsey said: “Superintendent Heln’s older cousin.”
“Bloody hell,” Stark murmured.
“Yes, it is,” Penworthy said. “And not just for him.”
Britishisms for the Bewildered
Winston Churchill, saviour of Western civilisation, spoke no truer words when he said Americans and Britons were “two peoples separated by a common language.” Since linguistics and language is one of the five great themes in the DCI Arthur Ravyn Mysteries, I thought I would include this appendix for those readers wondering what Stark and Ravyn are talking about at times. Words and phrases peculiar to Hammershire are marked with an asterisk (*). I’ve left out words that are nothing really more than spelling variations.
A4 Paper – A paper size used in England, much as “letter sized” is used in America. It is 210 mm X 297 mm (8.27” by 11.69”).
Afore* – Before, but time related, not positional or spatially.
Anorak – A waterproof jacket
Arse over tip – head over heels.
Bairn – Baby (a Scottish import).
Bampot – Idiot.
Barmy – Crazy.
Barney – An argument or a fight.
Beer and bob* – Compensated with either the goodwill of a drink (beer) or hard cash (bob). Often said of informants.
Bell, give a – Call on the telephone.
Berk – Idiot.
Bird – A young girl, or an older one if you’re trying to flatter a woman (not always successful).
Biscuit – Cookie, sometimes appearing like a cracker.
Biro – A pen, usually a ballpoint, but occasionally used to describe a fountain pen. Was once a trademarked brand, but now used to refer to pens in general.
Blighter – A man, and not a very nice one.
Boffin – Any kind of technician or technical expert. Derived from a proper name of a smart chap who worked at Bletchley Park.
Bracelets – Handcuffs.
Brown bread – Dead, from rhyming slang.
Bugaboo tales* – Ghost stories in general, monsters in particular.
Bully-boy* – A bully, either a mean yob looking for trouble or a hooligan working for someone else.
Cello – Cellophane or plastic wrap.
Cock up – A blunder or mistake, usually resulting from a failure to do things properly.
Char – A charwoman, a domestic cleaner.
Charlie* – A guy.
Charity shop – Thrift store.
Chokey – Jail, especially a county lock-up.
Cleaner – A charwoman, but could also be used for a janitor in a commercial or industrial setting.
Comprehensive – A secondary school, like a junior high or middle school.
Coney* – Rabbit.
Cow – Woman, often used derogatorily by other women and “silly cow” by everyone else.
Cuppa – A cup of tea.
Dabs – Fingerprints.
Divvy* – A clod or idiot.
Dog’s dinner – Something that has been made into a mess.
Dorp* – A village or hamlet. A really small one might be referred to as a “one-horse dorp.”
Dragon – Harpy, though it might at times be used as a term of affection, a sign of respect or a recognition of authority.
Dram – A drink (shot) of whisky.
Dressing gown – Robe or housecoat.
Fascia panel – Dashboard of a car.
Fag – Cigarette.
Filth – Police.
Game, the – Prostitution as a business.
Gaspers – Cigarettes.
Geezer – A man, usually older, but not always.
Git – Unpleasant or contemptible man, but sometimes used as a term of begrudged camaraderie.
Gogglebox – Television.
Gran – Grandmother.
Grass – To inform upon someone or to bear witness against a fellow member of a group.
Guv’nor – Boss, or someone having some measure of control or authority. Sometimes s
hortened to guv.
Hovering* – Collective noun for a gathering of older men, usually in the pub, having nothing better to do with their time than to drink, gossip and boast.
Jadoo* – Magic, voodoo or obeah.
Jack Ketch – Notorious executioner under Charles II, often used to designate anyone in the now-obsolete profession.
Jelly Babies – Soft candy with jelly or jam in the centre.
Ken* – To know or understand.
Kenning* – Understanding.
Kinky geezer* – Pervert, though sometimes used humorously.
Kit – Overnight bag, but could also be a uniform.
Knock up – Go by someone’s house (knock on the door).
Lift – Elevator.
Litter bin – Trash can.
Local – The nearest pub, or the closest one willing to run a tab.
Lorry – Truck.
Manky* – Disgusting.
Mare – A young girl.
Mare’s nest – A silly or fanciful idea.
Mates – Friends.
Mental – Crazy.
Met, the – Metropolitan Police or Scotland Yard.
Mobile – Cell phone.
MoD – Ministry of Defence.
Mooncalf – Idiot.
Mum – Mother.
Muppet – Someone controlled by someone else or a person thought to have so few brains he can’t talk for himself.
Nick – Jail.
Nicked – Arrested.
Number plate – License plate of a car.
Nowt – Nothing.
Nutter – Crazy person, or just plain silly.
“Oi!” – “Hey you!” or “What the hell are you doing?”
Panda car – Marked police car.
Pensioner – Retiree or a senior citizen in general.
Pillock – Idiot.
Pissed – Drunk.
Plodder – Policeman.
Plonker – Idiot.
Ponce – Idiot.
Pong – Smell or odour, and not a nice one.
Pony – £25.
Popped his clogs – He died.
Prat – Idiot.
Pub – Public house, a place where drinks are served, often the social hub of a village.
Public school – Private school or a preparatory school.
Put the arm on (someone)* – Arrest someone, probably from the old tradition of having the suspect stand while the policeman put his hand on the left shoulder and said “I arrest you for…” Now, more a saying than an actual deed.
Queer – Odd (same as it used to mean in the States).
Queer fish* – Weirdo.
Replow the furrow* – Do something again with no expectation of different results.
Scarper – Run off.
Scouser – Someone from Liverpool.
Secret Squirrels – Spies, undercover police, but widely used for members of any group with secrets, such as Freemasons.
Shirty – Abrupt or short-tempered.
Silly Buggers, playing – Goofing around or causing mischief.
Sister – Medical nurse, also called a “nursing sister.” In England, nurse is usually used to indicate someone who takes care of children, though that is slowly changing.
Sleep Rough – Camping, often without equipment.
Smoke, the – London.
Snap – Photograph, a candid shot.
Snark* – Cynicism.
Snarky – Sarcastic.
Sniggle* – Small, inconsequential.
Snog – Kiss.
Snogging – Making out or petting.
SOCO – Scene of Crime Officer.
Sod all – To hell (sort of) with everyone.
Sod off – Go to hell (sort of).
Stafford and beyond* – Foreign parts or lands.
Strapper* – Foreigner, outsider or newcomer.
Suss – Find out something, reconnoitre.
Tharn* – Catatonic, staring without seeing or oblivious.
Toff – Gentleman or someone who thinks he is.
Tom – Hooker, prostitute.
Tomfool – Idiot.
Topping – Execution, hanging. England’s capital punishment ended in 1964 with the deaths of Peter Allen and Gwen Evans.
Torch – Flashlight.
Wanker – At one time, am extremely vulgar term for a masturbator, but now commonly used as a general, though still pejorative, term for a wastrel. The turning point came when author Kingsley Amis had two Oxford dons discuss it in a novel.
Wild-way* – Troublesome or immoral.
Wrinklies* – Old people, pejorative.
WPC – Woman Police Constable. Not so much used officially, but still found in the vernacular since they are often called upon for special duties such as to assist female victims and to observe at interrogations. Otherwise, their duties are the same as any other constable.
Yob – Thug, punk or troublemaker. If you want to know the etymology of the word, spell it backwards.
About the Author
Ralph E. Vaughan has written several Sherlock Holmes stories and is responsible for writing the first pastiche which brought together the literary worlds of HP Lovecraft and Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Ancient Gods.” An expert on the life and work of HP Lovecraft, he is the author of H.P. Lovecraft in the Comics, a survey of how Lovecraft’s stories were presented in graphic format over the years. He is the author of the Paws & Claws series, in which three amazing dogs fight for justice, protect the weak, and occasionally save the world. He has also written the Folkestone & Hand Interplanetary Steampunk Adventures, set in an alternate universe where the Solar System is subject to a benevolent and progressive Pax Britannia. Also from his pen are the DCI Arthur Ravyn mysteries, set in fictional and legend-haunted Hammershire County in England. A writer since the late Sixties, Mr Vaughan primarily wrote short stories until 2010, writing a story every week or two, of which about three hundred saw publication in various magazines and journals; several of his favourite stories were collected in Beneath Strange Stars in 2015. While in the U.S. Army (1974-1980) Mr Vaughan was a photojournalist, deployed to many areas in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Mobile), writing stories and taking photographs for military and civilian newspapers and magazines. Mr Vaughan is a long-time resident of Chula Vista, California, the setting for all the Paw & Claws books. He has been married more than forty years. He and his wife, Pat, have two children and two grandchildren. Their house is also called home by several dogs and cats, and just about any canine waif that finds its way to their front door.
Also by Ralph E. Vaughan
Sherlock Holmes Adventures
Sherlock Holmes: The Coils of Time & Other Stories
Sherlock Holmes: Cthulhu Mythos Adventures
The Adventure of the Ancient Gods
The Terror Out of Time
The Dreaming Detective/Adventure of the Laughing Moonbeast
Paws & Claws
Paws & Claws: A Three Dog Mystery (P&C #1)
A Flight of Raptors (P&C #2)
K-9 Blues (P&C #3)
The Death & Life of an American Dog (P&C #4)
Dogs of S.T.E.A.M. (P&C #5)
Folkestone & Hand Interplanetary Steampunk Adventures
Shadows Against the Empire (F&H #1)
Amidst Dark Satanic Mills (F&H #2)
DCI Arthur Ravyn Mysteries
Murder in the Goblins’ Playground (DCI Ravyn #1)
Village of Ghosts (DCI Ravyn #2)
Beast of Robbers Wood (DCI #3)
Other Works
Professor Challenger & The Secrets of the Dreamlands
Beneath Strange Stars (short story collection)
Reflections Upon Elder Egypt (essays)
H.P. Lovecraft in the Comics
Oh, Mr Yoda! (play, w/ Patricia E Vaughan)
Fear & Loathing in the Alien’s Universe (literary criticism)
As Editor/Illustrator
Fungi From Yuggoth (w/ HP Lovecraft & Nick Petrosi
no)
Martian Twilight (w/ John Eric Holmes & David Barker)
The Book of Rimel (w/ Duane Rimel)
The Second Book of Rimel (w/ Duane Rimel)
The Illustrated Dreams of Yith (w/ Duane Rimel)
How to Contact the Author
For Ralph E Vaughan on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RalphEVaughan
For the Paws & Claws series on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/007paws
To see what books have been published, meet me on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Ralph-Vaughan/e/B001KCJ7MY/
GoodReads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2769338.Ralph_E_Vaughan
or on my blog Book Scribbles:
http://bookscribbles.blogspot.com/
Additionally, you can follow me on Twitter: @RalphTheWriter
To contact me about readings, signings or convention appearances, please send me an email: [email protected]
Call to Action
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Coming Attractions
Stryker Farm, outside the village of Knight’s Crossing, was a scene of horror a generation ago, an entire family slaughtered…all but one, who was never seen again. The doom overtaking “Wizard” Stryker and his brood was much deserved, said the villagers. They sought to forget the evil of Stryker Farm. When a boy disappears years later, terror returns to Knight’s Crossing. DCI Arthur Ravyn and DS Leo Stark of the Hammershire Constabulary are sent to solve the new murders and to defeat the evil that stalks the village anew.
Beast of Robbers Wood Page 23