A Deadly Twixmas (#24 - Sanford Third Age Club Mystery) (STAC - Sanford Third Age Club Mystery) by David W. Robinson

Author:David W. Robinson [Robinson, David W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: darkstroke books
Published: 2021-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

All three were glad to be on the tram, out of the biting wind, and plodding along towards the centre of Blackpool.

“Whose stupid idea was it to come to Blackpool in the middle of winter?” Joe grumbled.

“As I recall, it was yours,” Sheila said. “You had plans for Christmas, so you suggested Twixmas, and the only hotel you could get with entertainment was the Larkwood… in Blackpool.”

Brenda readily agreed. “Yes, and those Christmas plans involved playing games with Sandra Peagram.”

“Trust me, we weren’t playing. We were deadly serious.”

Sheila chuckled. “You’re becoming quite the little Lothario, Joe.”

Brenda stirred the mix. “You should be careful, Sheila. He might have you on his timetable of conquests.”

“If he does, I’ll bang his head against the table any number of times until he sees sense.”

Joe shrank further into his coat. “Would you be offended if I told the pair of you to shut it?”

Less than ten minutes after boarding the tram, they climbed off opposite the tower, and made their way into the side streets. Joe cast a sour glance south along the promenade, his mind filled with images of the same road during the spring, summer and autumn months. It was not exactly devoid of life now but it was a pale shadow of the town during the season. The illuminations, which once upon a time were switched off in November, had been left on and would continue to light the prom until early January, augmented by the Christmas lights in the shopping streets behind the tower, and while they may have attracted crowds in the run up to Christmas, he doubted that the town would be so busy now. Half a mile away, the Ferris wheel on the central pier stood idle, and from this distance, he could not see whether any of the side stalls were open, but along the front, while some businesses were there for the customers, many had the shutters down.

He recalled the last time the 3rd Age Club visited Blackpool when he speculated upon the idea of opening a café in the town. It was at a time when he believed The Lazy Luncheonette was doomed. Sheila and Brenda pooh-poohed the idea, but the delightful Amy Willows assured him that the town could never have too many eateries. In the event, he never went any further with the idea, but it did occur to him at the time that in a popular seaside resort, caterers such as himself had to make a year’s wages during the season, which in the case of Blackpool was Easter to the beginning of November. Over the barren months between November and the end of March, turnover and income would be severely reduced. Contrast that with The Lazy Luncheonette, where the daily takings were consistent throughout the year, increasing slightly in the run-up to Christmas, but never suffering a serious downturn.

The two women called at several shops on the main street immediately behind the tower, leaving Joe stamping his feet on the pavements in an effort to keep warm, and drawing on his vaper while muttering to himself.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.