Tumbling Down , livre ebook

Title Page

TUMBLING DOWN











By
Marylyn Palmer




Publisher Information

Tumbling Down published in 2012 by
Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.

Copyright © Marylyn Palmer

The right of Marylyn Palmer to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Cover Design by Neil Rees, Sunrise Design

Cover Photo by Marylyn Palmer




About the Author

Marylyn Palmer has been writing stories and poetry since her early childhood. Among some of her own personal favourites are The Nothingness of a Railway Station and the Psychedelic Freakout of Loneliness, which she wrote while still at school, and from some years later, Oh Crumbs , a children’s story, about a boy who turns into a biscuit. More recently, she has authored a number of short stories and poems, including The Time Thief, My Fantastic Father , Hall O’Ween’s Ghost and The Wonders of the World which have won her praise and prizes, as well as being showcased on writing-reading websites. Tumbling Down is her first novel, and the first in a series of three mystery thrillers that introduce Jennifer Grantley and her nemesis Karen Butler into a world of misadventure, intrigue and murder to form the Dominoes Trilogy. Marylyn who lives in Sussex, with her husband and computer, is also one of the co-founders of New Eastbourne Writers for which she is the newsletter editor and webmaster.



Chapter 1

The mobile phone rang just as the detective was about to confront the killer. Jennifer turned her head towards the offending noise then back at the screen. They could damn well wait. She had been watching this TV series for the last six weeks and was not about to miss the end.

Finally, the murderer was revealed. She had caught the end of the program but the bloody consistent ringing had meant she lost concentration with what was going on. The whole thing had been spoilt. Jennifer reached over to pick up the phone, she couldn’t believe it was still ringing, hadn’t they taken the hint that she wasn’t going to answer it. Who the hell would be calling her anyway? Her family and friends knew that this was her favourite programme and wouldn’t dare to phone during it.

‘Hello,’ she said grumpily. Then a sudden worrying thought came to her. What if it was bad news about her Dad? Only last week a chunk of masonry had fallen from their building and just missed him. He had said there was more coming off and he was going to fix it. What if … her heart fluttered with fear. ‘Hello,’ she said again. This time her voice was subdued, almost a whisper, not wanting to hear her mother’s voice.

‘Jennifer?’ the voice questioned.
Jennifer recognized the voice immediately and instantly her fear and anxiety were replaced with tension and anger. ‘Yes Karen,’ said Jennifer taking a deep breath, anticipating the onslaught of criticism she knew was coming.
‘You didn’t fill in the diary.’
‘Diary?’ Jennifer was confused for a moment. Diary what diary? What the hell was she talking about?

‘The diary for Alice,’ said Karen impatiently. ‘Her parents came in after you went home and they wanted to know what she had for lunch. You were not here and I didn’t know what to tell them.’
Jennifer gripped the phone tightly. ‘I’m sorry, I did forget, but Wendy was there wasn’t she, you could have asked her.’
‘Well, it was your responsibility to fill in the diary I was not about to run round trying to find someone who could tell me what you should have written down.’
‘Karen,’ Jennifer said trying hard to keep her voice from rising as the anger grew inside her. ‘Alice’s parents are very nice, they would have understood if you said you had to ask someone. They know we are busy and don’t always remember to fill in the diary. They probably just wanted to know she had eaten lunch, as she has been off her food for a couple of days. That is in the diary if you had looked at the previous day’s entry.’
‘That is not the point,’ said Karen her voice raising an octave, ‘I didn’t want to look at the other entries, I wanted to read what it said today, but I couldn’t because you did not fill in the diary.’
‘Karen,’ said Jennifer silently counting to ten. ‘I am very sorry, we were short staffed. Cara was off sick, we had a new child that kept crying, Ali was on holiday and it was my early shift.’
‘Well, I am sure if you tried you could have found a few minutes to fill in the diary after all it is your job,’ Karen said snottily.
‘Karen,’ Jennifer said her anger inside screaming to be released, ‘I am sorry okay. It was a mistake.’ Well, said Karen in her Deputy Manager’s voice, ‘just make sure you remember next time - I don’t want to look a fool in front of the parents again.’
The line went dead.

Jennifer glared at the phone and screamed. She was sick of the woman, she never gave up. She was continually at her throat for the least thing. Last week it had been because she allegedly left the kids unsupervised when there had been two other members of staff in the room. Then there had been the incident when Karen had come into her room just after the children had finished their lunch and had told her that the dishes needed to be cleared away, not even listening when Jennifer had explained that one of the children had been ill and she was busy looking after him.
After that Karen told her that she had she had exceeded her lunch break by five minutes and was not setting a good example to the other staff. She had answered the phone when she was in the office, which apparently was ‘not her job.’ She was late handing in the planning sheet for the week’s activities. Now Karen was ringing her at home at 9.30 in the evening to have a go at her. For God’s sake, what was wrong with the woman? Jennifer felt so wound up that she could bloody well murder her.

Jennifer loved her job, the children and the rapport she had with their parents. She got on well with all the other staff and often socialised with them after work in the evenings. But, ever since Karen had joined the nursery things had changed and Jennifer wondered how long she could continue working there. The thought of leaving the nursery brought a lump to her throat and she began to cry. The bloody injustice of it all!

‘The job was mine, they should have given it to me, not you, you bitch. I wish you would just drop down dead,’ she shouted at the phone. She sniffed, wiping her nose on the back of her hand and swiping her tears away. Her lips curved into a sly smile as she imaged getting to work the next day to find her wish had come true and someone had done away with Karen. How wonderful it would be to never see Karen again or have to listen to petty criticism.

Maybe I could pay someone to murder her, thought Jennifer, glancing over at the TV thinking about the programme she had just watched. Or better still, I could do the job myself, it would be so much more satisfying.




Chapter 2

Karen slammed the phone down.
‘Was that Jennifer you were having a go at?’ asked Colin.
‘What has it got to do with you?’ replied Karen vehemently.
‘Nothing really,’ he said, ‘just that you are always complaining that no-one likes you and if you talk to all of them like that it is no wonder.’
‘I don’t talk to them all like that,’ spat Karen, ‘Jennifer just winds me up that’s all.’
‘How is that then,’ he said, ‘she seems quite nice.’
Karen glared at him ‘And what would you know. You don’t have to work with her.’
‘No, true,’ he said, ‘but phoning her up late at night can’t do anything to help. You are in a bad temper and stressed out, and I’m sure she’s not very happy now either.’
‘I am in a bad temper and stressed out because I was made to look a fool due Jennifer’s incompetence.’
‘We all make mistakes,’ said Colin.
‘What are you defending her for?’ snapped Karen, ‘it’s me you should be supporting.’
‘I am not defending her,’ continued Colin. ‘I am just suggesting you calm down and don’t get so upset over what sounds like such a trivial matter.’
‘Well, it may sound trivial to you, but you weren’t made to look such and fool and your pathetic comments aren’t helping. So if you haven’t got anything good to say then just shut up and leave me alone.’
‘Okay, okay, I was only trying to help.’
‘Yes, help her,’ said Karen. ‘You are just like everyone else. Oh Jennifer, let me help you. Oh Jennifer you are so wonderful. Oh Jennifer we love you. Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer, that is all I hear. No-one says well done Karen, or thank you Karen.’

‘Don’t be such a drama queen,’ insisted Colin. ‘You must be good at your job after all you are the deputy manager.’
‘Well, that is it, I am deputy, but no-one would know it. It’s Jennifer who everybody turns too as if she runs the place.’
‘Well, perhaps she is more approachable.’
‘God Colin, you certainly know how to make me feel good don’t you? Let’s just end this conversation now! I am fed up with talking about what Jennifer is and what I’m not.’
‘What have I said now? I