Yaxley Farcett and Fiona Morgan were sitting next to the window in 'Like Chips In The Night'. She took a sip of her coffee, stared over the rim of the cup and said, 'What about my Dad ? You don't think he killed Reg Dixon do you ?' and she laughed out loud. 'Bugger' thought Yaxley, because that's exactly what he did think. He didn't think his chances of another date with Fiona would be greatly enhanced if in their second (sober) conversation he accused her dear old Dad of first-degree murder. 'Don't be daft' exclaimed Yaxley, treading water while he thought of what to say next. 'I just wondered how he'd been lately. He must be under a lot of stress, what with the opposition to the Power station and all that'. Fiona put her cup down and said, 'Yeah, I suppose he has. He's been a bit pre occupied lately. It's been as if Mum and me haven't existed. He breezes in and breezes out again without having time to sit down for a chat'. The reason for Cedric Morgan's air of indifference to his family wasn't just the fact that he was on 
the verge of selling land to a large power generating company for a small fortune but also because he had been given extra responsibility by the Prime Minister. Morgan had impressed the PM with a presentation he gave when he opened a new plant-breeding farm on the outskirts of Ealham. The farm, owned by 'FaztVeg' (Yup..), was developing a self-peeling potato. The theory was that the skin would fall off and dissolve during the boiling stage thus saving people that extra five minutes of their lives so they wouldn't miss the last bit of yesterday's 'Neighbours' that they tag onto the start of every programme. Unfortunately, to enable the potato to 'self peel' the scotch seed had to be subjected to forty-eight different processes, most of which would make Dolly the Sheep blanch. As Cedric had cut the ribbon and pulled back the curtain to reveal a 
plaque he had proclaimed, 'This is not a day for soundbites !: We stand on the foothills of the Scientific Mountain !' The PM was so impressed that he had used it himself in Northern Ireland the following week.
the verge of selling land to a large power generating company for a small fortune but also because he had been given extra responsibility by the Prime Minister. Morgan had impressed the PM with a presentation he gave when he opened a new plant-breeding farm on the outskirts of Ealham. The farm, owned by 'FaztVeg' (Yup..), was developing a self-peeling potato. The theory was that the skin would fall off and dissolve during the boiling stage thus saving people that extra five minutes of their lives so they wouldn't miss the last bit of yesterday's 'Neighbours' that they tag onto the start of every programme. Unfortunately, to enable the potato to 'self peel' the scotch seed had to be subjected to forty-eight different processes, most of which would make Dolly the Sheep blanch. As Cedric had cut the ribbon and pulled back the curtain to reveal a plaque he had proclaimed, 'This is not a day for soundbites !: We stand on the foothills of the Scientific Mountain !' The PM was so impressed that he had used it himself in Northern Ireland the following week. Since then, Morgan had been invited to cabinet meetings and was generally regarded as someone who had the ear of the Prime Minister. So, when Cedric had to come back to the dingy church halls of his constituency for his monthly surgeries, he felt as if he was slumming it. 'So, he's been a bit off with you ?' said Yaxley, wondering, against his better judgement, if Fiona could be aware of the depth of her father's involvement in all this. Fiona looked directly at him and replied, 'Well, yeah....and the more I think about it the more I realise that he has been a bit of an old sod just lately. I assumed it was his career, but he always used to get a buzz out of his politics. In fact the more involved he got and the more hob-nobbing he did, the happier he was'. Yaxley finished his coffee and set the cup down, nodding to himself. 'Anyway' continued Fiona, 'what about it ? Why the sudden interest in my Dad ?'
Yaxley reached into his back pocket, withdrew his battered wallet and threw a twenty-pound note on the table nonchalantly. He beckoned to Lucille Hall to come over and he handed her the note, 'Take the bones out of that Lucille', he said and winked. 'And thanks for the cups. I couldn't let your glamorous workmate drink out of cardboard could I ?' Lucille gave Fiona a dirty grin, which Fiona dismissed with a wave of the hand as the younger girl went off to sort out Yaxley's change. 'Blimey. What's got into you today Detective Farcett ? Yesterday it was...d d d d do you t t t t take cr cr cr credit cards and today you're winking at people and being, how shall we say ? 'Fruity' I think is the word'. Yaxley coloured up and realised that he had become infinitely more confident with Fiona over the past day.
'Well we did sleep together last night' he said in his defence. 'Yeah' Fiona laughed, 'Me in the bed, gripping hold of the duvet, ready to thwart a drainage Inspector love attack and you snoring on the couch looking ready to throw up at any moment. You give a girl a really good night.....what's next I ask myself ?' Yaxley grinned and said, 'C'mon. Let's get Brian. It's the Cup Final in an hour. We're going over to The Skater's'..............
