We have settled the matter of where to live while the builders are at work. Marianna went to look at a room in a shared house a few days ago. Even though the landlord said he’d clean the room before we moved in the blood stained panty liner on the floor was a bit of a deal breaker. So she put a plea on her Facebook page for a room, tent, sofa and Vikki from the year above her on her course responded. We went to look at her house and the room she was offering on Thursday evening after my photography class at college. The deal was soon done although we can’t move in until a week after Max wants us out. I’ll work around the country and stay in hotels during the week and we’ll find a local hotel for that weekend. I’ll be honest. I’m dreading living there for the next few months. It’s not that I’ve anything against Vikki. I don’t know her, hadn’t met her before Thursday. I’m not sure how many times Marianna has. I’m not a good guest or visitor. I don’t relax easily. Perhaps I could have finished that sentence one word earlier. You can tell me to relax and make myself at home as many times as you like and I may try but it’s unlikely that I’ll cease to look any more at home than Anne Widdecombe at a Miss World competition. You might call me shy or persistently and pervasively avoidant but I don’t mix well. Or at least not for extended periods of time. I can do it in short bursts but I run out of steam. Or jokes. So, I feel I have three months of awkward loitering ahead of me but there weren’t any realistic alternatives.
I’ve been feeling a little stressed anyway. I’ve had a couple of memory lapses in the last weeks where I’ll sit for several minutes wracking my brain for an answer to a question. Here are the questions that have stumped me over the past ten days -
Have I ever been married?
What’s the name of the woman I live with?
What’s the name of the town my brother, Kevin, lives in?
I’ve also been extremely irritable lately. I don’t know if it comes across in the notes. Glaciers can normally form in the time it takes me to lose my temper. If any researchers are reading I now know why serial killers kill. Their killing can be traced backwards
1987 – killed 5 people
1986 – killed 3 people
1985 – killed 6 people
1984 - killed 3 people
1983 - bought a house in need of complete renovation
I could have done without receiving some new case papers yesterday including 87 autopsy photographs of a three year old boy. I don’t know why the solicitors needed to send me the photographs or why the autopsy was necessary. I don't know why they needed to open his chest or peel back his scalp. The imprints of a shoe on his chest and cheek said it all.
We went to Montague storage as we do most Saturdays and after looking at a few options hired a second unit which is a third of the size of the one we’ve been using and have now pretty much filled. Phil wasn’t open to negotiating on the price too much, reminding us of the bargain we got last time. Of course, Marianna felt that her powers were weak and she had failed.
She went to see the kitchen designer at Wickes alone, believing sitting through all of that again might tip me over the edge.
You may be intrigued or bemused to learn that after trying to sell his car for three weeks for £2995 with little interest Martin has increased the price to £3195.
So, the builders are due here first thing tomorrow. Who knows when ‘first thing’ is for them? For me it’s 6.00, for Marianna it’s 8.50. We don’t really drink or eat them but Marianna has been and bought tea, coffee and biscuits because working class people like that sort of thing. I’ve done a few things over the years; given evidence at murder trials, played guitar and sung in front of people, presented at conferences. There is an excitement at this point just before it all begins but, for me, the excitement isn’t about the event it’s always that in ten minutes, one hour or whatever this will all be over.
