A Symphony of Echoes

by Jodi Taylor

  ‘Well, can you do it? Or shall I give it to someone else?’

  ‘Over your dead body, sir.’

  He’s not big on facial expressions, but at that moment he looked like a cat who had not only got at the cream, but knew how to open the fridge. And who had possibly just invested in his first dairy herd as well.

  ‘You’d better get on with it, then.’

  I got up quietly, left his office, smiled politely at Mrs Partridge, strolled slowly along the corridor, round the gallery and down the stairs to the half-landing. Down in the hall, a bunch of tea-sodden disaster-magnets shouted, argued, and gesticulated. The History Department at work.

  Eventually, they noticed me and silence fell. I kept my face quite expressionless.

  ‘OK, you lot. Strike the Mary Stuart material and start it packing away. I want this room cleared and ready for our next assignment by the end of today, please. Get the Archive staff in here to advise on what to keep.

  ‘Miss Lee, please set up a meeting for two o’clock this afternoon, in my office with all senior history personnel, together with Chief Farrell and Major Guthrie, if they’re free.

  ‘Dr Dowson, here’s a list of information I need from you as soon as possible, please.

  ‘All of you to clear your diaries for at least the next fortnight.

  ‘Dr Peterson, could I see you in my office at your earliest convenience?

  ‘Miss Lee, please telephone Dr Black at Thirsk and ask her to contact me when she has a moment.

  ‘Tomorrow morning, first thing, we start our new assignment. Thank you, everyone.’

  I never thought they’d let me get away with it, but it was worth a try.

  ‘We have a new assignment? Already? That was quick. I thought we’d get a bit of time off, at least.’

  There was muttering. I let them mutter. I knew what our new assignment was. Gradually, silence fell. I let it settle. Tim got it first, but he knew me very well.

  ‘You’re kidding!’

  ‘Nope!’

  ‘How did you wangle that?’

  ‘Wangle what?’ demanded Van Owen. ‘What’s going on?’

  I grinned at her.

  ‘Come along, Miss Van Owen, think for a minute.’

  They all just stared at me. It was a wonderful moment.

  I held up the file. As I once said to Dr Bairstow – deep down, very deep down, I was having a shit-hot party.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to Troy.’

  THE END

  The Chronicles of St. Mary’s Series

  by Jodi Taylor

  For more information about Jodi Taylor

  and other Accent Press titles

  please visit

  www.accentpress.co.uk

  My thanks to :

  Everyone at Accent Press for their support and encouragement.

  Ahmet for his technical support and explaining patiently that toast crumbs in your laptop are A Bad Thing.

  Mike and Jan for their hospitality.

  Published by Accent Press Ltd 2013

  ISBN 9781783751754

  Copyright © Jodi Taylor 2013

  The right of Jodi Taylor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN