SNOOKER, STOCKINGS & DEVILISH DECEIT." [Preview available]

Episode summary:

"Inspector 'Doc' Silas Underhill who heads Team 13 and is Jericho's old Mentor and good friend has visited the Lighthouse with a disturbing story. He has a file which contains a very strange picture and newspaper clipping from England in 1985. Seemingly innocent and just some fun at first, the file contains a picture - apparently of Temporal Constable Alexandra Cappanni - flashing her underwear at the famous final of the World Snooker Championship held that year in Sheffield! But it’s the 'man' sitting next to her that sets off alarm bells; it’s the 'Dark Prince' himself!"

 

Episode Warnings:

Alcohol – Smoking – Strong language – Violence– Strong sexual references [including sexual assault] – Mild horror – Demonic activity – Supernatural happenings.

  

Author’s notes about this episode: 

[1] The original Title for this episode was: ‘CHESS WITH COLOURED BALLS.’

[2] A ‘Temporal Detectives’ original story.

[3] Illustration is an original photograph of the 1985 World Championship Snooker final held in Sheffield, England. Dennis Taylor beat Steve Davis in the final frame [of 35] on the last black ball! It was watched by millions and launched snooker into world class sport/entertainment.

 

Episode details:

Concept date: 25th May 2020

First published: 3rd July 2020

Status: COMPLETED & PUBLISHED.

Location: BOOK SERIES 3 – EPISODE 10.

Revisions: 2 [last revised October 2020]

Version: Final.

Published Episode No. 033

Previous episode: “Unknown Number.”

Next episode: “1914.”

Age recommendation: 15+

Average reading time: Approx. 45 Minutes.

Angel-in-charge: Michael [The Arch-Angel]

Team Assigned: Team 13

Human Time: 1985AD-1405AH 

Mission: 5 - 720002 - 4 – 1985

Episode Preview:

Old Doc checked his fob watch and watched through the window of his cabin; his sergeant, Isabella Pugg and his Constable, Skyrise Young Mountain were due back from horse riding at any minute. He eased himself back into his rocking chair and picked up the file that young Ivan - the messenger - had delivered from Angel Margret's office. It was the teams latest mission and it was a strange one. He sighed and re-read the summary. He tapped the enclosed pictures and smiled at one. "Sweet saints, she does have some pair of legs." He muttered, looking up as 'Crabby' appeared through the door.

Crabby stood arms folded and didn't smile; "Doc, Ma Washington wants to know when those two white folk are getting back; she wants to dish up supper." Crabby was a big African male, who had been a house slave to a white family for about thirty years; he had been born and died a slave. He and the Doc had real history and had been together for years - when alive - and were still friends now, many years after passing over. Doc just sighed; "Crabby, do you have to refer to Issy and Skyrise as white folk? You know you like the both of them, just use their damn names once and again." But there was no admonishment in his voice. Crabby just grunted and gestured to the file; "Where you off to now? Anything interesting?"

Doc held the file up and showed him the picture and old Crabby grinned from ear to ear. "Now, that's the kind of white folk I like. Long legs and don't mind showing her drawers." He chuckled and ran a hand over his face. "Ain't that the nice white lady who don't mind coloured folk and is some kind of doctor?"

Doc nodded; "Alexandra Cappanni from team 74; she's the mission."  Crabby smiled and scratched his arse. "What she been up to? Who's she been showing her crotch off to?" Doc sighed; "This picture was taken from a television still, apparently in 1985, she appears to have attended a big sporting event and was caught, on camera, flashing her stocking tops and white panties to a television audience of about 18 million people. But that's not the real problem."

Crabby stared at the picture again and smiled - again. "What's wrong with that Doc? No one could surely object to seeing them legs and knickers. That damn girl is a real beauty. She could show me her parts any time of day...or night!" He laughed and Doc just shook his head; "Crabby, you are a dirty old man; you're old enough to be her grand daddy." Crabby just grinned; "Yeah, but I ain't. So its fine to stare." He shuffled to the door and turned back; "I'll tell Ma that the white folk ain't back yet, So what's the problem with her showing her crotch on that television thing?"  Doc eased back in his chair and just smiled. Despite being dead for nearly 200 years, Crabby hadn't changed a bit. "Its the man sitting next to her, that's the real problem." Crabby stared back at the picture; "Whose that then?" He asked.

Doc didn't smile and tapped the photograph; "It's the bloody Dark Prince himself." Crabby scratched his arse again and sighed; "That's bad ain't it?" Doc nodded and closed the file, saying quietly; "It sure is Crabby. It sure is." He could hear horse's and voices outside and Crabby smiled; "I'll tell Ma to dish up, since the white folk are back." He disappeared through the door and Doc shouted after him; "Just call them by their names for heaven's sake!" But he knew that Crabby wouldn't change. 

He and Crabby had been born slaves together; Crabby was a house servant and had quite an easy life on the plantation, good food and no hard labour. He really loved his 'posh' servant's livery, even if, it was just dark trousers and frilly white shirt. But Doc had worked the fields under the overseer's whip. Everyone called him 'Doc' because he had a real aptitude for fixing up people; especially after a good whipping or beating. He had gone on the run after the family had sold the young girl he was madly in love with. 

Doc had discovered that young Delphi had been sold to a plantation some two hundred miles down river. he went after her and it was almost a year before he found what had happened to her. She had died in childbirth, giving birth to a daughter by her new owner. She was fifteen. Doc spent the next few months on the run and finally ended up in the North, before the civil war and was taken in by a Methodist Reverend and his wife. They paid for his education and he became a doctor, in all but title. But then, he could only 'practise' on fellow coloured people, Chinese, Mexican or native Americans.

He had real fond memories of Reverend Joshua Gates and his wife Margaret. "Good people. damn good people." He muttered to himself. He and Skyrise got on really well, both had become 'Doctors' under extreme circumstances and both were not from privileged white families. He didn't realise, just how much Skyrise admired the old man; both as his Inspector and as his friend. Jericho could have told him, just what a decent man old Doc was; Jericho valued his opinion above all overs and that says a great deal about the man.

Like all team Inspectors, he had the choice of where to place his home and office in any time or place. Doc had chosen a small cabin in the woodlands of North Virginia. The cabin was like Jericho's lighthouse - suspended in time and place - the current date here was August 8th 1869 and it was 6.25pm on a warm and pleasant summer night. The inside also defied space and time. Everyone in the cabin had their own suite of rooms. The household staff consisted of old Crabby - who didn't like being called a 'Butler' - Ma Washington, a lovely lady in her forties, who could cook anything, but loved dishing up Cajun food. The other member of the staff was young Rosemary Dogwood. 

Rose was the maid of all duties and she loved her new life working for Doc. She had died at just twenty from smallpox in 1791. She really didn't fancy another slice of life, as a living human and so joined Doc's staff. She had been a maid to some rich white people in Boston. But they had treated her really well and actually did mourn the young girl, when she unexpectedly passed over. Doc could hear her laughing with Crabby in the dining room; setting the places for dinner. But his attention was drawn back to the front door.

Skyrise came through the door and slapped his hat down on the hallway table. He jerked a thumb behind him; "Sweet Jesus Doc, she is impossible!" And headed for the dining room without another word. [For the history of Skyrise Young Mountain: See the episode: Doctor Alexander Harris and his battle with God.] Doc just chuckled to himself; young Issy was one hell of a woman. She was NEVER wrong and would NEVER admit it, even if she was! 

But she was a fine Temporal Detective Sergeant. Not quite up to the standard of young Jericho, when he was Doc's Sergeant, but then, who could follow that young man? Doc cleaned his glasses and waited for Issy to storm through the door. He wasn't disappointed; she pushed in and said loudly; "That bloody Indian can never be wrong, can he?" and threw her riding helmet and whip on the same little hallway table.

"Like someone else I can mention." Doc muttered, adding: "What has he done now?" Not really wishing to know about the latest disagreement between the two. Issy stood, hands on hips, and sighed loudly [she did very little quietly!] "I try and tell him, about just how damn lucky his people were to be given the gift of real civilisation, by the settlers to his land and he throws a fit. He simply can't listen to facts. Oh no; he's always bloody right; just another typical, domineering oppressive man!" She walked past and into the dining room. 

Doc sighed; the dinner conversation could be lively tonight and grinned. Still, his trainee, Leon Murphy would bring some sanity to the chat around the dinner table; he always did. His real name - in full - was Napoleon Wellington Patrick Murphy! He had been a history teacher in a small Irish village. His father; Patrick had worked the roads, laying tarmac, but was a model war games enthusiast and only played the Napoleonic Period. He had a total fascination with Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington. The attic rooms had no less that four massive layouts of famous battles; Waterloo, Battle of the Pyramids, Marengo and the Battle of Austerlitz.

Little wonder that the boy, who played for ages with his dotting father, became a history teacher. Leon was soft spoken and gentle in his ways; he saw good in everyone; even the rotten bastards, like those that had ended his life at just 27. He was caught up in a Belfast bombing, while shopping with his fiancé; Grace McMurry. She survived the bomb with minor injuries and he was killed outright. He had worked as a collector for a few human years and had been recommended for Temporal Detective Training because of his sharp mind and dedication to detail. Angel Margret very rarely got her recommendations wrong and even old Doc - who had high standards - was already well satisfied with Leon.

He was the only current member of Doc's team, that Crabby called by his name. That spoke volumes! Doc would outline their latest mission over dinner. Issy would be happy going after Alex and her apparent failings; she couldn't stand her. Alex was everything that Issy detested in another woman. She [Issy] thought she [Alex] was a disgrace to the feminist agenda; wearing expensive clothes, letting men fawn over her, wearing make up and acting the 'little woman'. She didn't even admit, that Alex was quite a beautiful and intelligent woman in her own right. No, Alex was practically a traitor to the cause of feminist change. She would enjoy exposing her and maybe, even getting her thrown out the Department. She ate her meal with a much revived appetite.

End of preview.

"SNOOKER, STOCKINGS & DEVILISH DECEIT" CONTINUES IN 'TEMPORAL DETECTIVES' BOOK SERIES 3 [EPISODE 9.]

"ALEXANDRA AND THE SNOOKER, STOCKINGS & DEVILISH DECEIT PLOT." 

Remember! The "ALEXANDRA" series is rated 18+ Adults ONLY.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

“All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.” 

CAUTION:

“SOME OF THESE EPISODES CONTAIN VERY STRONG LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, HORROR AND SEXUAL REFERENCES. Some are RECOMMENDED suitable for persons aged 15+ years only.”

THE AUTHOR.

Copyright ©2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without permission.