many lean times in the area, particularly during the winter months. Easter weekend as with other bank holidays, therefore, always appeared like an oasis in a desert of anorexia devotees.
Local police officers often used the Beacon for bar snacks, as its remote location was also handy for the occasional quiet drink and chat away from it all. Consequently, when two plain-clothes detectives from Cheshire initially introduced themselves, their arrival came as no surprise to the licensee, Caroline Finch, younger sister to Diana Crawford. Far prettier than Lara's mother, she seemed well suited to her profession both by her appearance and her personality. Her greeting was warm and genuine. Only when they added that their visit was business not pleasure did she become concerned.
Her sister was taking a break in the private accommodation and the licensee led D.I. Massey through to a small lounge at the back of the bar. D.C. Jones had accompanied the inspector on the basis that a female officer would be appropriate, given the circumstances of their visit.
This was a part of the job hated by most officers, but it was necessary and Massey always argued, whenever he sent a member of his team on such an assignment, that someone trained for the role was better for the distressed recipient of the tragic news. From his own experience, however, he was the first to admit that it was never easy, especially as people reacted in different ways. So it was with Diana Crawford. Whether it was shock, disbelief or just a refusal to accept the truth, he was unsure, but her calm acceptance of the dreadful tidings took him by surprise.
As Mrs. Crawford and her son had used public transport to make the journey to Derbyshire, they readily accepted a lift back to Cheshire with the two detectives. Leaving Kinder Scout and the High Peak District behind them, they followed the winding road from Whaley Bridge to Macclesfield, dropping eventually towards the Cheshire plain. The return trip gave the officers an opportunity to discuss Lara and thereby learn some interesting facts about her.
At the same time, D.C. Jones learned a lot about the complexities of her new boss. D.I. Massey had earned his promotion, not merely by his expertise as a first rate detective, but his progress could also be attributed to his flexible relationship towards colleagues and members of the general public who crossed his path. His concern for others stemmed from a basic altruistic nature, which, when combined with his analytical approach to every situation and his passion to succeed, encapsulated the perfect ingredients for a natural team leader.
The principal key to his success, however, was his innate ability to switch behavioural styles instinctively. Mingling compassion and empathy with polite but probing conversation, he managed to elicit vital information about Lara's background and lifestyle from his passenger in an efficient yet gentle manner. The Crawfords had adopted Lara as a baby and brought her up as their own, as they had given up hope of having a child because of infertility problems. As is often the case, several years later Diana became pregnant, giving birth to Michael, both children being brought up as natural brother and sister. Lara was unaware of her true origins until her sixteenth birthday.
Early family life was spent in Longridge near Preston. Mr. Crawford had been an aircraft technician at an R.A.F. base at Samlesbury, but his death from cancer changed their lives completely. His wife decided to leave their rented accommodation to live closer to her own mother in Cheshire. Using the insurance money from her husband's death, she purchased the cottage in Moulton and eked out a living from the modest pension that she received from her late husband's pension fund. Unfortunately, the grandmother died shortly after they moved south and the family, alone in a strange area, became somewhat introverted.
Lara eventually escaped into the world outside by starting
Local police officers often used the Beacon for bar snacks, as its remote location was also handy for the occasional quiet drink and chat away from it all. Consequently, when two plain-clothes detectives from Cheshire initially introduced themselves, their arrival came as no surprise to the licensee, Caroline Finch, younger sister to Diana Crawford. Far prettier than Lara's mother, she seemed well suited to her profession both by her appearance and her personality. Her greeting was warm and genuine. Only when they added that their visit was business not pleasure did she become concerned.
Her sister was taking a break in the private accommodation and the licensee led D.I. Massey through to a small lounge at the back of the bar. D.C. Jones had accompanied the inspector on the basis that a female officer would be appropriate, given the circumstances of their visit.
This was a part of the job hated by most officers, but it was necessary and Massey always argued, whenever he sent a member of his team on such an assignment, that someone trained for the role was better for the distressed recipient of the tragic news. From his own experience, however, he was the first to admit that it was never easy, especially as people reacted in different ways. So it was with Diana Crawford. Whether it was shock, disbelief or just a refusal to accept the truth, he was unsure, but her calm acceptance of the dreadful tidings took him by surprise.
As Mrs. Crawford and her son had used public transport to make the journey to Derbyshire, they readily accepted a lift back to Cheshire with the two detectives. Leaving Kinder Scout and the High Peak District behind them, they followed the winding road from Whaley Bridge to Macclesfield, dropping eventually towards the Cheshire plain. The return trip gave the officers an opportunity to discuss Lara and thereby learn some interesting facts about her.
At the same time, D.C. Jones learned a lot about the complexities of her new boss. D.I. Massey had earned his promotion, not merely by his expertise as a first rate detective, but his progress could also be attributed to his flexible relationship towards colleagues and members of the general public who crossed his path. His concern for others stemmed from a basic altruistic nature, which, when combined with his analytical approach to every situation and his passion to succeed, encapsulated the perfect ingredients for a natural team leader.
The principal key to his success, however, was his innate ability to switch behavioural styles instinctively. Mingling compassion and empathy with polite but probing conversation, he managed to elicit vital information about Lara's background and lifestyle from his passenger in an efficient yet gentle manner. The Crawfords had adopted Lara as a baby and brought her up as their own, as they had given up hope of having a child because of infertility problems. As is often the case, several years later Diana became pregnant, giving birth to Michael, both children being brought up as natural brother and sister. Lara was unaware of her true origins until her sixteenth birthday.
Early family life was spent in Longridge near Preston. Mr. Crawford had been an aircraft technician at an R.A.F. base at Samlesbury, but his death from cancer changed their lives completely. His wife decided to leave their rented accommodation to live closer to her own mother in Cheshire. Using the insurance money from her husband's death, she purchased the cottage in Moulton and eked out a living from the modest pension that she received from her late husband's pension fund. Unfortunately, the grandmother died shortly after they moved south and the family, alone in a strange area, became somewhat introverted.
Lara eventually escaped into the world outside by starting
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