Chapter 1: Brief Encounter

The bored Immigration officer held out his hand for the next passport without bothering to look up. With a sigh, he opens the document and looked at the photograph. Great God! Talk about a bad photograph. This makes her look like a right old Dragon. Suppressing the urge to laugh, he glances up and gulps as the fierce looking mature woman glares at him. She has shoulder length grey hair, elegantly styled in a sweeping fringe and swept away from the face covering her ears. But what a face! The face keeps him transfixed for far longer than his usual glance. A fearsome broad crinkled face with a ferocious set to her wide mouth, which is open in a ghastly smile. Her narrow cold grey eyes bore into him sending chills down his spine. Gulping again, he quickly looks back at the passport and reads “Occupation: Social Parasite”.

Calming his voice he asks “What is the purpose of your visit to the U.S. Maam?”. “Revenge for the U.S. attack upon British soil” she replies in a gravely posh voice that sends goose bumps along his arms. He doesn’t smile. Bloody English, think they’re so funny. Handing back the passport, he holds out his hand for the next. “Jim Priest Occupation: Private Detective”, he reads. “What is the purpose of your visit to the U.S. Sir?”