Friday 4th September.
At noon Sarah, who was constantly smiling now, and I made our way to Princes Street for what she described as ‘Alfresco for auld lang syne’.
We both felt extremely happy until we heard the loud squeal of brakes and a scream.
Sandy and Charlie had spied us sitting on our usual bench and attempted to cross the road for a chat, but Charlie, unfortunately, hadn’t seen the bus and was now lying unconscious before it on Princes Street.
A crowd was beginning to gather at the front of the bus by the time we rushed to help.
Sandy looked very shaken, as his buddy lay prostrate at our feet while the bus driver profusely denied any liability for injuring him.
Sarah and I did our best to comfort Sandy, until P.C. Kelly appeared and took command of the situation, then an ambulance arrived to ferry Charlie to hospital.
“I’m sorry,” Kelly sighed coming to our bench to speak to a stunned Sandy.
“There are several witnesses who swear Charlie stepped out in front of the bus, giving the driver no chance of avoiding him.”
“Is he dead?” Sandy asked.
“No,” Kelly replied, “but he’s pretty badly injured. Now sir, can you give me any details about your friend?”
At that moment the cannon from the castle sounded and reluctantly we left Sandy talking to Kelly as we slowly and sombrely returned to work.
I was delighted to see Debbie seated at the table when Jaclyn and I arrived home to the usual hive of activity.
Rachel gulped her meal, as usual, amid the usual warnings from Marcie.
Lynda hurriedly donned her ‘battle-dress’ for her usual weekend of havoc, and Jaclyn changed into a stunning cocktail dress for her usual weekly ‘binge’ with Sarah.
All talk was, as usual, on preparations for the wedding and Debbie looked very excited as she relayed to Marcie how plans were going.
At seven-thirty Sarah arrived to collect Jaclyn, and stopped to thank Debbie for asking her to be a bridesmaid before they waved goodbye and made for the door.
“Hold it,” we heard a familiar voice at the door call, “we need a word with you two?”
“Good evening,” P.C. Kelly, in a smart light grey suit, entered the living room behind Nicola Braid, Jaclyn, and Sarah.
“Can we have a quiet word with you all?”
Taking our places at the table Sarah took Rachel’s place beside Nicola sitting in Lynda’s chair. Kelly sat in my chair as he unfolded his notebook. I stood between Marcie and Sarah as before.
“Firstly,” he began turning to Jaclyn, “we have heard from our colleagues in Aberdeen Miss Turnbull, known to you as Elaine, was sent to prison yesterday for eighteen months, thanks to your testimony.”
Jaclyn breathed a long sigh of relief before smiling “Thank-you. Are there any charges against me?” She was assured there were none.
She again thanked Gerard and Nicola for all their help.
“Now for the bad news,” Kelly continued, “Brian, you and your friend here (indicating Sarah), disappeared before I could ask you if you witnessed the accident on Princes Street this afternoon.”
“No, we didn’t.” I interrupted him.
“That’s probably just as well,” he continued, “because he didn’t make it to hospital and Sandy collapsed when I told him.”
“Poor Sandy.” Sarah and I sighed as we knew he would be lost without his constant companion.
There was a long pause before Kelly asked, “Does Deborah Campbell live here?”
“Yes, that’s me.” Debbie timidly replied.
“We have some bad news for you,” Kelly stated,
“We are very sorry to have to inform you that a gentleman knocked down by a bus today in Princes Street was Charles Edward Campbell - your father.”
Debbie looked shocked and Marcie held her hand as I asked,
“You’re seriously trying to tell me that the drunk guy Sarah and I have been talking to for the last six months is Debbie’s father?”
“That’s correct, Brian,” Kelly replied, “and we’ve been trying to trace Miss Campbell all afternoon as his only next-of-kin.
Apparently after he was convicted of neglecting Debbie he couldn’t face going home to Berwick, so he stayed in a Salvation Army hostel here in Edinburgh where he befriended Sandy Brown.
Fortunately, Debbie regularly wrote to the Matron of Saint Luke’s orphanage, where she was brought up, and recently she tells me she got a letter saying you are getting married.”
“That’s right.” Debbie was smiling again.
“Good for you,” Nicola smiled back, “I hope you’ll be very happy.”
“Oh I know I will.” Debbie beamed at me, much to the bemusement of Gerard and Nicola.
“No - I don’t believe it,” Kelly laughed, “You … and Brian?”
“Me and Brian.” she beamed, we all laughed.
Before Gerard and Nicola left they announced they had just got engaged, so we all hugged and we invited them to our wedding.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Nicola smiled at the door on her way out.
Debbie was quietly deep in thought later on when she and I were alone in the living room talking about the wedding, as usual.
“Oh,” I suddenly remembered, “I have to ask you if you want the same engagement ring as Tracey or would you like a different one?”
“I’m not sure,” Debbie replied, “Whatever you think.”
“It’s just that the ring Tracey chose was returned to Melanie and it’s only proper that you should have one.
Could we get together with Melanie and sort something out – plus you’ll need a wedding band for the ‘big day’ and so will I.”
“Sure, whatever.” she sighed, “We could go sort it out tomorrow.”
I agreed, “The sooner the better.” Then Debbie became very quiet.
“What is the matter?”
“I was thinking about my father,” she whispered,
“I don’t know if I should feel happy that he’s dead.
I couldn’t feel sorry for him. I just don’t know what I should feel?”
Monday 7th September.
I asked Sarah the same question on Monday, just before lunchtime, as she sat upon my desk as usual.
“How should Debbie feel?”
“Probably a mixture of both,” she replied, “but there’s one question I’ve tried to figure out since Friday.”
“Remember back months ago, before all this mess began, you took me to have lunch in Princes Street where I met Sandy and Charlie for the first time?”
“I remember it well.” I smiled.
“Sandy mentioned murder and rape and lesbians because they were there when Lynda told you about herself and Debbie and Rachel.
Did Charlie not realise it was his daughter you were talking about?”
I vividly recalled the day, as if it were yesterday.
“No,” I replied, “Charlie was there with Sandy that day but he was asleep at the time and missed the entire conversation between Lynda and me.”
“Gosh,” Sarah placed her hand to her mouth in shock,
“Poor Sandy, I wonder how he’s feeling right now?
And if he knows that his buddy was the man who caused so much grief?”
“Okay Sarah,” getting to my feet, “Let’s go and see if we can find him?”
He wasn’t hard to find.
Sandy was sitting on our usual bench on Princes Street.
“Hello Sandy.” we both called sitting on either side of him. “How are you doing?”
“Hello Chief, hello Miss, I’m really fed up.” he sighed.
“I’ve been sitting here all weekend wondering what life is all about.”
“Most people never find that out.” I sighed.
“Most people just give up trying to find out.” Sarah sighed.
“And most people,” P.C. Kelly smiled, appearing from behind us, “Just carry on regardless.”
; He sat beside Sarah as the four of us stared expressionless, arms folded, looking at the people scurrying along Princes Street.
I’ll bet” Sarah sighed, “Not one of those people has the slightest idea what life is really about.”
“I reckon,” I sighed, “that question has baffled many a great mind since the dawn of time.”
“There ought to be a law against it.” Kelly smirked.
“I don’t want to end up under a bus like Charlie did,” Sandy sniffed, “there must be more to life than this.”
Sarah assured him, “Life is what we make it and with God’s help - who knows?”
“But,” Kelly smirked again, “where does a down-and-out go when he’s down and out?”
“I might be down, officer,” Sandy assured him, “I’m definitely not out yet.”
“You tell him, Sandy.” I smiled.
“When you’re down,” Sarah smiled, “The only way is up.”
“You’re right, starry eyes,” Sandy smiled getting to his feet,
“I’ve been a bum long enough, It’s time for me to get up off my bum and do something good for a change.”
“Good for you.” I smiled.
“You go for it.” Sarah laughed and applauded.
“I may have the very thing for you,” Kelly smiled, “I know where there’s a job going, it’s not much, but it’s an honest crust and would suit a man with your talents.”
“I’ll take it,” Sandy chuckled, “lead on MacDuff.”
“Firstly,” Kelly smiled getting to his feet, “We’ll get you cleaned up a bit before I take you.”
Sandy chuckled again, “For a man who has nothing - I have nothing to lose.”
With our best wishes I saluted him while Sarah blew him a kiss as they walked away discussing Sandy’s future while Sarah and I put our arms around each other laughing wildly.
“Do you know something?” Sarah sighed, “I sometimes wonder what it is that makes you such a nice guy?”
“Oh, that’s an easy one to answer,” I smiled hugging her, “it’s because I mix with such nice people - like you.”
We stayed arm in arm silently watching the world go by for a while until a loud bang from the castle revived us.
“Do you know something Sarah?” I sighed as we meandered slowly back to the office with our arms around each other,
“I really hate that bloody cannon.
It has interrupted some of the most peaceful moments of my life.”
“I know what you mean,” she sighed before resuming the boring tedium, “I know exactly what you mean.”
“I don’t quite believe this.” Emily asked astonished.
“Your trying to tell me that the man who caused all the grief with Debbie was the same drunk you had been speaking to for all those months?”
“Amazingly nobody realised it was him until that very moment.” I assured her.
“Charlie was there when we met him with Sandy on the day Lynda assaulted me outside the Waverley Centre - the day after the night with Debbie. Charlie was asleep for the entire conversation and hadn’t heard anything before the cannon from the castle revived him.”
“How did Debbie react to the news of the death of her father?” Emily asked.
“Debbie believed her father had passed away several years earlier,” I explained, “It came as quite a shock to learn he was still wandering the streets of Edinburgh and she could have bumped into him at any moment.”
“The good news was Debbie struck up a friendship with Sandy from that day forward and he treated her like the daughter he had always longed for.
Debbie suddenly went from having no father to having two in as many weeks and revelled in the new life she had found with Tony and Sandy.
Out of this latest tragedy, Emily, some good has come out of it as things settled down again.”
“I somehow think,” Emily smiled, “things won’t be settled for long.”
“Nonsense, Emily, things have settled down for good this time and we are almost at the end of the story – only a wedding to get through.