Patrick George Callaghan

Episode 61… Barney Unlocking the door, Charles had opened it to a slightly built youth with a tousled shock of black hair and a warming grin. ‘Hi.. I’m Barnabas’ he announced, ‘But everyone calls me Barney. I’m Toby’s younger brother. I’ve heard a lot about you from him, all good mind you. Sorry it’s so early, my College friends seem to be early birds too.’ ‘Come on in Barney, we have been expecting you. I guess you could do with some breakfast. Just let me change from these pyjamas and I will let the others know you’re here. Bacon and eggs be ok?’ ‘I can certainly go for that!’ came a rushed reply. ‘My friends don’t do much in the way of cooking and prefer to eat on campus.’ ‘Just go through to the Parlour Barney. I will be with you in around ten minutes.’ As Charles climbed the stairs, he could hear Barney whistling to himself in quite a pleasant way. It settled in his mind that Barney was instantly likeable. “I’m impressed with Toby’s young...

Episode 60… An Excellent Talk The three sat around a table in the small dining room of the little photographic shop on Moscow Road in Bayswater. Charles had brought forth a bottle of excellent single malt whisky for them to enjoy. Esme began to sip warmly on her half-full glass tumbler and then looked directly at Toby. ‘What happened to Edward in the end?’ she asked. Tobias smiled very kindly. ‘Are you really that concerned, or is it just simple curiosity?’ ‘Yes, I would like to know,’ she replied. Just to put my mind at rest.’ ‘Well, he was simply spirited away, he is a good boy now. I’m sure you would approve.’ While the warming whisky was beginning to reach parts of the mind within all three of them, tiredness lay just around the corner. ‘You mean… He was killed!’ Esme looked shocked. ‘Of course not!  There are gentler ways to reform a person’s character. Edward was introduced to what you might say… a better life… That...