Chapter 1: The Humiliation

“This is Swanwick Air Traffic Control. You are entering a restricted no-fly zone. Turn back now. I repeat, turn back now”.

“Air Traffic Control. This is a Metropolitan Police helicopter in pursuit of a suspect over a Kensington residential area. You must be mistaken, over”.

“This is Air Traffic Control. Turn back now or you will be shot out of the air. I repeat, Stingers are locked onto you and will fire if you do not turn back”.

Detective Michael Jenkins turned off the recording and turned to me. “That was passed to me by a friend in The Met during a pursuit. They’ve declared a no-fly zone over the site where Hollands was”. “Can they do that? I thought they were just building a new bank on the site. One for exclusive clientele, so the signs say on the boarding “ I replied. “His Super certainly thinks they can. Gave him a right bollocking. That’s why he didn’t show him this”. Photographs were brought up on his laptop. “These were taken with the chopper’s telephoto lens. You can see the missile launchers here”. He pointed to the screen. “They’ve not cleared much of the rubble” I commented. “No, they seem to be digging in just one location as though they are looking for something. Here”. He pointed to a small deep pit in the centre of the site. “They know exactly where to dig. I think they are trying to secure something they don’t want the builders to stumble over” I said. “This Superintendent. He wouldn’t be a mason would he?” I asked. “Many high ranking officers in The Police are. Why do you ask?””Just something I saw in the sub-basement of St.Agatha’s [JIMP#29] and this hole could be about the same depth”.

My investigation revealed that Holland’s insurance hadn’t paid up to his next of kin because the explosion was an “Act of God”. The assets had also been frozen forcing the family to sell the land. Finding out who had brought the site meant unravelling a tangle of shell companies until I came to Maya Holdings. Exhausted, I slumped on the sofa while Bobby and Jackie watched a film. I felt drowsy I could hardly keep my eyes open.

It was a warm pleasant spring day at the Academy of Wizardry and Witchcraft. With their lessons over for the day, three teenaged girls decided to spend the remainder of the afternoon studying on the banks of a small secluded lochan. Set in a wooded glade, the peace and tranquillity was a perfect environment in which to study without interruption. Although the walk was little over a mile, the rocky terrain through dense woodland often deterred other students.