The Curse: Part Five

The old innkeeper looked suspiciously at the lovely form of Ms. Madison, as the blonde preened in the mirror by the stairs, then back at Lady Sylvia.

"I'm sorry, Miss," he shook his head, "I don't know anything about the couple you asked about. They paid in advance and left no forwarding address. They didn't seem local..."

"And do I seem local?" Lady Sylvia leaned over the front desk."

"You're Lord Ambrose Vaughan's sister," the innkeeper smiled. "I suppose you are, Miss. Your friend is from London, isn't she?"

"Okay," Lady Sylvia shrugged. "So you do know. Can I take a look at their room?"


"You're Lord Ambrose's sister," the Innkeeper bowed to her. "He owns the freehold of this place, so I suppose I can let you do that. Is your friend coming too?"

"Of course," Ms. Madison smiled, hand going into her bag. Lady Sylvia knew she had just put her hand on her gun.

When a bullet shot overhead, shattering the mirror, the young aristocrat understood why she had been looking so intently in the mirror.

The Curse: Part Four

The white sports carpulled up outside the dark, towering bulk of Mainstone Castle. A number of footmen stepped out of the house, removing a couple of suitcases from the boot. Lady Sylvia ran to the door, breathless with anticipation, heels scrunching on the gravel of the drive.

The driver's door opened, and Ms. Madison stepped out, elegant and lovely in a stylish white suit, an orchid at her shoulder adding a dash of colour to her appearance. And, of course, she was very careful to show off her legs as she stepped out of her car, smiling sweetly at her friend, before taking a look at the gothic mansion.

"I came as soon as I could," she explained. "I was staying with Sir Richard Arcos when the Savoy forwarded my call to you. What's this about some curse?"

"Ambrose is suffering from a mystery illness," Lady Sylvia sighed. "He seems to think there's some curse on him and on the house. I overheard some people discussing it."

"And you want me to help you solve the mystery?" Ms. Madison nodded sympathetically. "Where do we start?"

"We start with the pub where I overheard the people," Lady Sylvia declared with feeling. "Get back in the car, Lynette - we're going places."

"I've got my gun," the blonde added with a smile. "And after what you did up north, I'm guessing you've got yours." She slid back into the car, Lady Sylvia running round to the passenger seat.

"And the Green Man?" the brunette asked.

"He'll know," Ms. Madison reassured her.

Announcement: The Interruption in Service

The Green Man offers his apology for the interruption in service. The reason for the long pause in posting is due to the fact that the Green Man was busy tracking down a false company promoter to his County House in Surrey and visiting dark vengeance on him.

After a battle with armed mercenaries, the Green Man burned the crook's house down before his eyes. After that, the man was hanged from a tree in his park.

The Curse: Part Three

Lord Ambrose Vaughan's face was pale and drawn, glistening with perspiration. He seemed to be struggling to remain upright, as he leaned on the bannisters of the great staircase. Lady Sylvia had seen her brother ill before, but never like this.

"What's up?" she asked him breathlessly, "you..."

"It all started after you went away on that extended holiday. After that castle collapsed." Lord Ambrose shook his head. "A man came here, a scholar, researching the history of Mainstone. In the library, he found an ancient book, which said the site had been cursed when a gypsy encampment was moved to make way for the house.
"I laughed at it at first, of course, but then strange things started to happen. Cows were found dead in the park, a horse was found dead in the stables - and that's really odd, because I don't keep horses in the stables - and then I fell ill. The doctors have no idea what it is, they haven't been able to identify the symptoms or anything."

"I can guess what it is," Lady Sylvia sighed. "Thismorning, I overheard some people talking about the curse as if it was in their control. I'd be willing to bet all this that the 'curse' is some sort of plant."

"But...but why?" Lord Ambrose looked confused. "What could anyone possibly get out of this curse?"

"I'll find out..." Lady Sylvia's eyes narrowed. "I'll just need a friend to help me. And the Green Man."

The Curse: Part Two

Those words decided Lady Sylvia, slipping back to her room, the Green Man's assistant threw on some clothes and ran down the back stairs, an arrangement she had discovered long enough ago when she wanted to get out of the inn without anyone else noticing. She ran to her car, and drove off in the direction of Mainstone Park.

The man on the gates saluted Lady Sylvia, as he sports car slid through the gates, heading up towards the gothic fantasy that was Mainstone House.

She had no time for any ceremonies, as she ran up to the door, pulling on the bell rope.

"Lady Sylvia," the footman bowed. "Lord Ambrose was wondering where you were. I am glad to see..."

"Whatever!" the young aristocrat shouted, "get him now "- this is serious! Something about a curse!"

"The curse of Mainstone." The voice of her brother caused Lady Sylvia to look up. "I know."


Lady Sylvia gasped at the appearance of her brother.

The Curse: Part One

The birds sang in the trees outside the window of the little village inn. Lady Sylvia woke slowly, still tired. She remained haunted by the thought of what she had done just before Christmas. She had spent a month away from friends and family. All she could think of was the terrible thing that she had done in revenge. And once she had been disturbed by the things that Ms. Madison had done for the Green Man.

The inn was only a few miles from Mainstone Park, her brother's country house, but it might just as well have been a million miles away. And that was the idea. She smiled, tumbling out of bed, stretching.

She smiled at herself in the mirror and pulled a face, causing her smile to grow even more. It made her feel a lot better. A million miles away from the grim avenger of the passages below a now-ruined castle.

Wrapping herself in a dressing gown, Lady Sylvia left her room, stepping out into a corridor that was still half-dark in the light of the dawn. She padded softly down to the stairs, hoping that someone would be around to make breakfast. Instead, what she saw was the top of a bald man's head. He was speaking to a woman in furs.

"This is close enough," he declared. "Any closer and we may be noticed at the house. We don't want that yet."

"No," the woman spoke in a foreign accent.

"We shall be known only when we are ready," the man expanded. "For now, we shall be only guests here."

The woman nodded, then laughed softly.

"Let the curse of Mainstone claim its victims," she whispered.

Murder to Order: Fifteen

The great castle had, as Ms. Madison feared, crumbled into the destroyed bunker. The people standing on the lawn indicated that they had been able to evacuate in time. But Ms. Madison was not looking at them, nor was she looking at Mr. Rake, in spite of the arm he had around her. She was looking at the quiet figure of Lady Sylvia, only too aware of what her friend had done.

"Mike..." she whispered to Mr. Rake, as she left his arms. "Sylv..."

He nodded, allowing Ms. Madison to move to her friend's side. Lady Sylvia did not notice her, as she looked towards the shattered ruins of Caine's castle.

"It's done." She spoke softly, still not looking around. "The reason why I joined the Green Man. The vengeance of Lady Sylvia Vaughan. Do you think I'm a bad person, Lynette?"

"The Green Man knew all about this." Ms. Madison smiled encouragingly. "Caine couldn't be touched by the law. He's just the sort of person the Green Man exists to punish. You know I've killed more people than you have."

"But was that personal?" Lady Sylvia sighed deeply. "Lynette, I used the Green Man to take revenge on someone who hurt my family. I've destroyed him, and I've destroyed his house. If my family knew, then they'd disown me."

"And if my father knew exactly what I've done, he'd have me arrested." Ms. Madison smiled again. "When I signed up with the Green Man, I knew I'd be alienating my family. But I knew it was the right thing to do."

"I'm just glad my brother left after arranging for the house to be evacuated." Lady Sylvia looked out over the park. "And glad you're not angry with me."

"Why should I be?" Ms. Madison laughed, "vigilantes both, Sylv. Shall we spend tonight at the Savoy ballroom?"

"Why not?" Lady Sylvia took her friend's arm.

Murder to Order: Fourteen

Caine rose from where he had fallen, dust on his suit, a thunderous expression on his face. All around his, his staff were trembling and groaning, as smoke filled the bunker, mixed with the dust of tunnel collapses.

"You are a fool, Caine." The Green Man spat the words out with contempt. "Did you imagine that I would step into your trap so easily? No, it is you who have stepped into my net, and now your career is at an end. At last I can destroy you."

"The vengeance of the Green Man?" Caine laughed, "how romantic! But if you kill me, what will the world think?"

"That doesn't matter." The Green Man stepped forward, drawing his gun. "Do you think that the road of justice is soft and easy? No." He cocked the gun. "There are men like you, men outside the law, who can only be stopped by death. Let the world think what it may. I know you are evil, and as such you must die."

"Then kill me," Caine laughed. "Deal out instant justice like you always do."

"Not this time." The door behind Caine opened and Lady Sylvia stepped through, holding a rifle, her face grubby, hair untidy. "He did this for me. You killed my brother!"

"Warren Vaughan?" Caine aughed, "if he hadn't sought to prove me a killer, he would still be alive. He should have kept his nose out of my affairs!"

"That wasn't his mistake." Lady Sylvia's eyes were hard. "His mistake was trying to tell the Police, rather than taking you down himself. And that's a mistake I don't intend to make."

Her gun spoke, and Caine pitched over the railing, a neat hole in his head.

"Now come on!" Lady Sylvia shouted to her colleagues. "In a moment this whole complex is going to detonate!"

They ran past her, all but the Gren Man, who walked normally, turning over the body of Caine so that he could look into the man's dead eyes. Putting an arm around Lady Sylvia's shoulders, he escorted her from the chamber of death.

Ms. Madison was already waiting by an exit from an escape shaft when they got there, Mr. Rake's arms around her. Lady Sylvia held onto the Green Man's sleeve, a little frightened by what she had done. The ground shook under them, as the bunker detonated.

Murder to Order: Thirteen

Much to Ms. Madison's suprise, the Green Man raised his hands. She did the same. Mr. Rake hesitated, but a warning look from her made him follow suit. They were led down passages, deeper into the bowels of the earth. Any suggestion that this might have been an ancient vault vanished, the walls being concrete and the whole thing humming with power.

At the end of the corridor, they were led into a well lit operations room. Men in masks were moving counters around, while a huge glass map of Europe dominated the whole scene.

"The Green Man." A tall man of miltary bearing stepped up to a balcony rail, overlooking them."We meet at last."

"Aurelian Caine." The Green Man's tone was grimmer than ever.

"You've disrupted my organisation," Caine shook his head. "But I can replace the men you killed, and I know now who your agent is. I won;t call her a traitor, because I know you planted her. Your loyal little slave."

"Now, listen here!" Rake clenched his fists in anger.

"You need to be careful," the Green Man cautioned Caine. "This man is in love with her. He doesn't approve of me, so I'd hate to know what he thinks of you."

"Do you think I care?" Caine laughed. "Now that you are in my power, Green Man, I can become the master of all the hitmen in the world. Who else could succeed against me, once i have killed you?"

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Caine," the Green Man's eyes narrowed.

At that very moment, an explosion rocked the bunker. Caine screamed with rage.

"Who's attacking me?" he demanded angrily, "who..."

A second explosion knocked everyone to the ground but the Green Man.

Sunday Supplement: Dare to be a Gideon?

Sir Richard Arcos here: This Monday, I was with Mr. Lewis County, who is a member of the Gideons, special branch. Not to be mistaken for the gent in the TV series based on the books written by John Creasey. We were walking up a largish mountain in South Wales, amid the swirling mists. The intention was to place a Bible on top of the highest peak in South Wales.

The Bible to be used was a weatherproof King James Version, as the Special Branch of the Gideons use the AV to add to the extreme nature of what thy do.

Sometimes visiblity was close to zero, as we struggled up the paths that led to the summit. We did not pause for breath, mostly because the other were far too busy shouting to each other. My eldest grandson, Vernon Everard went with me, but we left him behind.

Once we had got to the top, the Bible was duly placed, set on a little cairn of stones. As the party descended, I was invited to come with them on their next great challenge: planting a Bible on the top of Mount Everest.

Murder to Order: Twelve

"You again," Mr. Rake approached the Green Man cautiously. "What do you want?"

"When I brought you here," the Green Man's eyes narrowed, "it was to protect Ms. Madison. "You see, when I tortured the last bad guy to death, he gave me a name. Aurelian Caine, the mystery millionaire. He is the man behind this."

"But Caine isn't a criminal," Rake shook his head. "He's been involved in high finance for at least forty years."

"In which time," the Green Man replied, "he has been involved in dozens of wars and rumours of wars. Angola, Sierra Leone, anywhere where a quick buck might be made from death and destruction. Now I find that he is running a murder shop."

"Was it really necessary to put Lynette's life in danger just to achieve this?" Rake followed the Green Man, as he slipped behind a tapestry."

"If I could have done it any other way, I would," the Green Man smiled grimly. "Caine has done much evil. It must end now."

The two followed closely behind the Green Man, as he descended a hidden staircase, down into what seemed to be the bowels of the earth. It looked like a secret bunker.

"The lair of high finance," the Green Man declared. "This is where the vermin I hunt lives."

"You hunt?" a soft voice echoed down the corridors. "No, Green Man. It is I who have been hunting you. And there is no better way to hunt than by using a decoy."

The corridor behind and ahead of them filled with armed men, and the voice on the speakers laughed wickedly.

Season's Greetings

On behalf of everyone at The Vengeance of the Green Man, the Green Man and Ms. Madison would like to wish everyone

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And have no fear, they will be back dealing out their very own brand of deadly vengeance to the evildoers of the world, but for those of you at home, peace, goodwill to all men.

(Of course, f you are an evildoer, the Green Man would like to remind you that your doom will come. Watch the post.)

Christmas Message

 Our media correspondent, better known as Lady Sylvia Vaughan, notoriously vain socialite, recently broke into Broadcasting House, London. There she acquired a DVD carrying the Queen's Christmas speech. Have no fear, though, Green Man fans, the luscious Lady Sylvia has not become an anarchist, but was removing a DVD belonging to that mastermind of menace, that Napoleon of naughtiness, the Grey Tabby. His charming and evil accomplice, Purr-Girl, had switched the Queen's Christmas Message with a message from the felonious feline himself. And here it is:

 "Greetings, citizens of Great Britain. You are doubtless wondering who I am and what this is. I am the Grey Tabby, and this is my Christmas message to the nation that scorns my favours. Next year will see my revenge being accomplished. You have been lucky so far, protected as you are by that consummate crime-fighter, the Green Man, and his lady accomplices. But you will not always be so fortunate. Even now, I am gathering a new force of criminals to oppose you - even as this country weakens herself. America will not save you this time - for she cannot save you from the terror within !"

 After which the Meowing matermind laughed wickedly,  and added that Monty Bristow had replaced the hymn-sheets at King's with new ones which included 'When Shepherds Washed their Socks by Night' and 'We Three Kings of Hamilton Square,' the latter reading:

`We Three kings of Hamilton Square

Selling undies at tuppence a pair,

They're fantastic, no elastic -

Hold onto your underwear.'

 And lastly, 'a very happy Christmas to all of you at home!'

Murder to Order: Eleven

Ms. Madison and M. Rake waited until dawn, with no further incidents. The appearance of the Green Man, however, had convinced Ms. Madison that the end of the tale was near. Pausing to change, she followed Mr. Rake out into the grounds. Of the elegant Lady Sylvia there was no sign.

The house itself, a mock castle was unusually tasteful for a villain's lair, and she hoped that it wasn't going to be destroyed. She checked her handbag and was glad to find that it still contained the pocket pistol she liked to pretend she didn't rely on. And, when Mr. Rake put out his hand, she took it.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Lynette," he assured her. "I take it you know who the villain is?"

"Well, I've only seen him from a distance," she was forced to admit, "but I know what his racket is. He runs an assassination agency. I was working in a call centre for it."

"Assassination bureaux have call centres?" Mr. Rake was suitably incredulous. "Lynette, you didn't take orders to kill, did you?"

"Of course I did," the blonde freely confessed. "But I always passed the details to the Green Man straight away."

"Hence the sudden and worrying rise in attrition among known hitmen." Mr. Rake shook his head. "Your father was saying only the other day..."

"You spoke to my father!" Ms. Madison looked put out, "what were you doing, Mike?"

"Strange as it may seem, Lynette," he sighed, "I was looking for you. I do worry about you, you know. After all, I do happen to be madly in love with you. He just let it slip in idle conversation."

"And, when Lady Sylvia spoke to you, you decided to come here." Ms. Madison shook her head. "This is dangerous, Mike. These people are killers."

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" he looked offended.

"But the Green Man arranged for me to be here," Ms. Madison shook her head again. "Who arranged for you to be here, Mike? Just you?"

"No," a voice from the shadows caused the pair to start. There, a grim expression on his face, was the Green Man.

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Murder to Order: Ten

Ms. Madison ran to Mr. Rake and embraced him stifling a sob. She pressed her cheek to his, clinging to him.

"Mike!"she exclaimed, "how..."

"Did I find you?" Mr. Rake chuckled softly. "My dear, I do worry about you, and when you vanished that day at the Savoy I started looking for you. When the Vaughan girl said you'd be at this place, I drove up here at once."

"Sylvia..." the blonde sighed, "and she didn't tell me! Typical of her. She's much too much like the Green Man when it comes to levelling with me."

"So the Green Man's behind all this." Mr. Rake shook his head. "I suppose I should have known this wasn't just you sulking. I suppose you know the cost of a funeral's rising every day. If you get yourself killed, your father won;t be able to bury you on a policeman's salary."

"But you could." Ms. Madison smiled. "Besides, the Green Man told me the job came with a complete burial package. Now, let me kiss you."

The young man duly obliged. Ms. Madison kept hold of him when their lips parted. He looked down at his love and shook his head.

"You do love me," he told her firmly. "Now, how can we get this over so that I can take you to meet my family?"

"We find just why the Green Man's had me come here and get caught," Ms. Madison told him, still holding his arm. "I wish I knew more than that, but I just don't. Still, the bad guys here are dealt with, so we need to go somewhere else." She led him out into another cavernous hall.

Mr. Rake sighed again, as they moved through the darkened mansion. A shot from upstairs told Ms. Madison that Lady Sylvia had found something. Mr. Rake started, only for a smile from his lady to persuade him to ignore it.

He moved to a window, opening the curtains to look out on the lawns, to see if there were any men outside.

Ms. Madison looked with him and gasped.

There, standing, looking out over the landscape, was the Green Man.

Murder to Order: Nine

Ms. Madison reached for the gun by her bed. Drawing the sheets up around her, she waited for the intruder. The blonde's heart was in her mouth, as the door slowly opened.

She laughed with relief as Lady Sylvia slipped through the door, dressed in an attractive black nightie. The brunette slipped the door shut and sat down on the end of Ms. Madison's bed.

"Did Ambrose tell you what he heard?" she hissed urgently - and why was your door locked?"

"Ask your brother," Ms. Madison sighed deeply. "They know who I am. I've been rumbled, and I don't think the Green Man saw this coming."

"How long have you been with him?" Lady Sylvia laughed. "You know him far too well. The Green Man knows things even we don't know."

The Blonde shook her head, smiling. She rose from the bed, putting on her coat over her night-things. Lady Sylvia did the same, producing her gun from a pocket in her nightie.

"I'll take this floor," she told Ms. Madison, "you take the ground floor. We need to make a sweep of this place. We have to find and take out the goons."

The girls split up as Lady Sylvia had suggested, each armed and very dangerous. Ms. Madison added a silencer to her gun, before descending the stairs slowly. She saw a movement in the shadows, as light gleamed on a gun. The man cocked his weapon, but Ms. Madison dropped him with a single shot.

She moved on, towards the entrance. A man walked out of the shadows suddenly, and Ms. Madison punched the man in the stomach. She brought a knee up into the man's face and knocked him out with a blow to the back of the neck. He was tied up and hidden behind a sofa.

Ms. Madison headed to the entrance, meaning to make sure that the escape route was secure. She met no more thugs until she reached the entrance hall, where a huge man loomed out of the shadows in from of her. She fired, but was unable to turn to get the man who seized her wrists from behind. The blonde screamed, letting off another shot. Her wrists were squeezed until she dropped the weapon.

"You've done too much, girl," the men laughed mockingly. "Now you go to the boss. He'll..."

The man said no more, as his grasp on Ms. Madison loosened. He crumpled to the ground, senseless. Ms. Madison turned to see what had happened.

"Nice to see you, Lynette," Mr. Rake smiled.

Sunday Supplement: The Return.

Sir Richard Arcos writes: Before my recent retirement, I was a minister in America for about thirty years, at a Church in California. I occasionally still get letters from people I met there, such as Daniel Trevelyan, the grandson of an old friend, who is now a Pastor in Carolina. He recently took an extended break in order to visit family, during which time he left his assistant, a man called Eric Strange, in charge. Apart from the odd e-mail from Mr. Strange (and some of them were very odd. Apparently Mr. Strange was 'changing the way we do worship.'

Well, Mr. Trevelyan returned from what he vulgarly refers to as a 'vacation' last week, and attended the chuch service as an ordinary member.

The loud musuc that was being played on guitars and drums could be heard from a couple of streets away. Entering the church, Pastor Trevelyan found a team of immodestly dressed 'dedicated dancers' cavorting around the platform. a couple of girls in tiny outfits were passing out drinks and laughing. Some more people were shouting, and the smell of insence hung heavy in the air.

Mr. Strange, dressed in purple, scarlet and gold robes, stepped out into the church wearing a turban. He raised his hands and declared: 'It's good for us to be here!' The people shouted and yelled some more, after doing some more dancing. A couple in front of him started petting worryingly.

After which the preacher announced that they were going to have an extended time of worship. The people shouted loudly, and the pastor pointed to the pulpit doors.

And moments later a golden calf was carried out into the sunlight and the wretched assistant pastor announced 'behold your god!'

Needless to say, Mr. Strange is now looking for another church and the people are still tasting powedered gold.

Murder to Order: Eight

Ms. Madison looked at the gallant Lord in dumb amazement. It was all she could do to keep her jaw from dropping.

"How..." she breathed, "...how could you know?"

"You're not the only person with strange sources and contacts, Lynette," Lord Ambrose told her. "And I have very keen ears. Have you noticed, Lynette, that this is not an awards evening. You are the only employee of the organisation here - the only junior one, anyway."

"What's the plan, then?" Ms. Madison spoke softly.

"Act as if you suspect nothing." Lord Ambrose's voice was soft and reassuring. "You can do nothing alone, and if you let them know, then they will act. Perhaps before your friend the Green Man can intervene..."

Ms. Madison nodded in sober agreement, before she was called over by a man in a white dinner jacket.

"You are the girl from the Call Centre, aren't you?" He spoke with a smile, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Maybe so," the blonde shook her head. "I was inited here as some sort of award. It's really nice, since I've been there for such a short time. Would you like to dance?"

And that was all she could say. The man agreed, and the two moved onto the floor, Ms. Madison's arms about him. She waited a while before speaking again.


"How many other girls like me are there?" she asked curiously. "Here, I mean, I've talked to a ouple of people, but they turned out to be really posh..."

"I saw," the man smiled, "Lord Ambrose and his sister, Lady Sylvia. The boss wants some class added to this little gathering. Lord Ambrose is fantastically rich. He's also unmarried - did you know that?"

Ms. Madison pretended she hadn't. She shook her head and tried to look impressed.

"I've got my own boyfriend," she laughed. "And I don't fancy being a gold-digger, even with a man like Lord Ambrose. When do I get to see the boss?"

"Not yet," he told her, leading her to a door. "Right now, you will go to bed. I'll let them know you had a headache."

The gun in his hand persuaded Ms. Madison not to argue. As she ascended the stairs, a liveried footman took over the duty.

The blonde retired to bed full of foreboding, and it was only with extreme difficulty that she was able to get to sleep.

It must have been long after midnight when she awoke again, and the cause of this was the sound of a key in the lock.

Murder to Order: Seven

The evening reception glittered. Ms. Madison was well aware of two things. One was that her gown, supplied for the purpose, looked very plain and twdry next to the finery of others, something that the mischeivous Lady Sylvia seemed to find a great joke. The other was that the gathering looked a great deal too wealthy to be an awards dinner. She could spot at least three Lords, as well as a Member of Parliament and the Governor of a small British colony.

Her host stood out a mile, tall and still blond, in his late fifties, he greeted everyone with a hearty smile and a wave of the hand. Lady Sylvia spent a lot of time speaking with him, and Ms. Madison could not help but wonder what was going on.

"My sister seems tobe having the time of her life." A voice close to Ms. Madison caused her to start.

"You're jumpy right now, Lynette," Lord Ambrose Vaughan put a hand on her arm.

"Lord Ambrose!" Ms. Madison looked up into the handsome face of the young peer. Dark haired like his sister, Lord Ambrose was rumoured to be fantastically wealthy. His already great wealth had been augmented by numerous inheritances as well as successful speculation in the business world. The scar on his left cheek was the legacy of an attack on him by a business rival - some said it was a duelling scar. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was invited," the young peer grinned. "Sylv tagged along as my guest - my being without a significant other right now."

"You've always been that way!" Ms. Madison laughed. "And Mike 'ld probably blow his top if I pretended to be it!"

"Then he ought to ask you to marry him," the peer replied.

"He does," Ms. Madison told him. "On a weekly basis."

"Then you ought to accept one of these days." Lord Ambrose shook his head. "No-one can wait for ever Lynette. And if it's that mystery boss of yours that's keeping you from him, then you ought to know that he's seeing someone else, that cat-girl."

"I know." Ms. Madison smiled cutely. "It's not that I'm carrying a torch, I just don't want to settle down just yet."

"You know a great many things, Lynette," Lord Ambrose laughed. "Still," his voice dropped to a whisper, "there are things you don't know - like the fact that he suspects." The peer pointed to the boss.

Murder to Order: Six

Ms. Madison looked out of the window of the huge Rolls-Royce, as it purred through the English countryside, glad to see something like a humane landscape again. She loved London, but after the weeks working in a call centre, she needed to see green trees again, to feel the wind in her hair. She smiled. Even if she was walking knowingly into the lions' den, it looked like it was going to be a nice den. Besides, the Green Man had to be at hand.

The big car turned into a massive drive, past gothic gatelodges, as big as chapels. That made Ms. Madison feel a lot better. This was a proper adventure at last!

The house was a huge pretend castle, and ravens rose from the highest tower, as Ms. Madison stepped out of the car, feet scrunching on the gravel drive. She looked up at the place and admired it.

"Welcome," a liveried footman approached her, bowing. "And you are?"

"Lynette Madison," the blonde smiled. "One of the girls from the office."

"Oh." The footman looked disappointed and walked away from her. Ms. Madison felt absolutely crushed.

"Smile!" A cheerful, cultured female voice behind her caused Ms. Madison to jump. "I've always wanted a snap of an office drudge!"

Turning, Ms. Madison started again. There, sitting on a white picket fence, was the familiar figure of Lady Sylvia Vaughan. She smiled as if butter would not melt in her mouth.

"Sylv!" the blonde's eyes widened. "What..."

"I've been on holiday," Lady Sylvia smiled. "The Green Man lets me have six weeks off whenever I need it, and I was a bit tired, so I went off to Turkey for a few weeks with a couple of pals. I wanted to invite you, but the Green Man said he might need you."

"I'll have to take it up with him." Ms. Madison shook her head. "Still, you're a sight for sore eyes. What do we do now?"

"Wait," Lady Sylvia smiled.

Murder to Order: Five

The boss' office looked out over the shining lights of the city. With a wrench of the heart, Ms. Madison wished she was out there with the nightlife, but it was not to be. She sighed and resigned herself to thoughts of being an office drudge until further notice.

"Good evening, Lynette," the speaker was a large man, seated behind an impressive walnut desk. "I am Mr. Kenshole, manager of this department. I don't think we've met."

"No." The blonde nodded, "I was appointed through an agency."

"Well," he smiled, "you don't act like most agency staff, Lynette. "you're far too efficent. In fact, the manging director's noticed. You've been invited to an awards weekend at his country house in County Durham. It's this weekend. I know it's a bit short notice, but..."

"I don't have any other commitments," she smiled, and hoped Mr. Rake wouldn't mind. "And it is a big thing, after all."

"I knew you'd see things the right way." He nodded in a fatherly manner. "After all, you are a smart girl, Lynette. Your manger says so, and she's a harsh judge of people. You could go far in this company..."

He grinned at her wolfishly, and Ms. Madison reflected that, however far she went, she was not going anywhere near his bed in a million years.

"I'll pack up after work," she nodded, "will anyone I know be there?"

"I shall." The answer did not fill the blonde with confidence.