Mean Spirit

by Will Kingdom

  LOTTO BLAZE

  WAS CINDY

  STITCH-UP!

  MIRROR EXCLUSIVE

  by Gregory Cook

  The Lotto inferno which wiped out a whole family may have been started in a bid to destroy top TV host Cindy Mars-Lewis.

  The amazing allegation came last night from Cindy’s former producer after police revealed that the fire in Banbury, Oxfordshire was arson.

  Jo Shepherd, 28, said, ‘I know it sounds incredible, but we’ve all known for some time that certain people had it in for Cindy.

  ‘When two jackpot winners died in close succession, it’s my belief that somebody saw their chance …

  ‘I think the Sherwin family were the tragic victims of a secret vendetta that’s gone way out of control.’

  The BBC were thought to have fired Cindy after he was accused of jinxing jackpot winners with a series of cruel jibes.

  BBC chiefs refused to support Jo Shepherd’s theory last night. But a spokesman said, ‘We do agree that this curse story has got completely out of hand, and we would very much like to talk to Mr Mars-Lewis.’

  Cindy, however, was still in hiding last night…

  Thanks – for crucial technical assistance – to Richard Morris (hypnosis), Ken Ratcliffe and Mike Kreciala (ballistics).

  And thanks especially – for the core plot and a brilliant edit – to my wife, Deborah.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Prologue: The Lines are Open

  Part One

  I

  II

  III

  IV

  V

  VI

  VII

  VIII

  Part Two

  IX

  X

  XI

  XII

  XIII

  XIV

  XV

  XVI

  XVII

  XVIII

  XIX

  Part Three

  XX

  XXI

  XXII

  XXIII

  XXIV

  XXV

  XXVI

  XXVII

  Part Four

  XXVIII

  XXIX

  XXX

  XXXI

  XXXII

  XXXIII

  XXXIV

  Part Five

  XXXV

  XXXVI

  XXXVII

  XXXVIII

  XXXIX

  XL

  XLI

  Part Six

  XLII

  XLIII

  XLIV

  XLV

  XLVI

  XLVII

  XLVIII

  Part Seven

  XLIX

  L

  LI

  LII

  LIII

  LIV

  LV

  Epilogue: Lines Closed