Fire In The Dark, a hustle fanfic

I've never submitted anything to this site before - next time I'll try some chapters! Although I've done some research, I'm not an expert on blindness, computers or conning anyone. If I've caused any offence please accept my sincerest apologies. Please let me know the problem and I will do my best to correct it... Megadog

The disclaimer: I don't own Hustle, it's just the characters can do so much more and I want to explore other possibilities.

...I was thinking we didn't know a lot about Ash, so he just got a family and a past. There's a bit of swearing and sexual inferences but you can skim over them if you want...

Fire in the dark

The late night news came on: images of protest, information and disaster. Only one item caught the man's attention.

"…and finally the police are treating a fire today at a block of flats as arson. All the residents were safely evacuated but three were taken to hospital after breathing in smoke. The fire is believed to have started in the bottom flat, but the homeowner has not been found. Police are appealing for Sarah May to come forward as there is some concern over her safety."

He reached for the phone. "Is Sarah with you?" the other voice paused and confirmed his thought. "Don't let her go home. Come straight here."

He looked thoughtful and then frowned, settling back to wait for the itinerant pair.

"Who was that?" the girl murmured, throwing popcorn gently at his head. "You know you should have turned your phone off."

"Oh, don't worry. Someone wondered if you were with me." He put his arm back around her. "Can't think why." He let her settle back in his arm.

The rest of the cinema glared at them for making yet more noise.

"Albert! Albert! Why the cryptic message?" Pulling the girl behind him, Ash closed the door. The object of his search sat on one of the sofas and he fixed him with a steely glare for interrupting his evening. The object ignored him and instead concentrated on his companion.

"Good evening, Sarah. How are you?" Albert asked.

"Fine thanks, Albert. What about yourself?" Sarah's breezy air of unconcern could have possibly been taken as sarcasm, had he not known her better. He struggled to contain a smile.

"Well, just a little concerned about your safety," he replied. "Have you told Ash what you've been up to?"

"Albert?" she exclaimed in mock surprise. "What do you mean?" she had no intention of giving her secrets away without a fight.

"Don't play the innocent, young lady. Someone has burned out your apartment. The police are looking for you." He was pleased she was safe but he couldn't be sure of Ash's reaction. Sometimes they could bring out the worst in each other.

Ash turned to her. "Oh, Sarah. What have you done?" His exasperation began to show in his body language and his voice gave away his annoyance. Albert began to worry too.

"Just following the bad example you've shown me on numerous occasions. Didn't you mention something about a coffee?" she smiled sweetly at him and then her voice hardened. "I was always told that you should offer a guest a drink, Ashley."

Ash looked at Albert and sighed. He deposited her next to Albert and went to the kitchen and began clanking around in exasperation. He knew she didn't want a coffee; it was only an excuse to get rid of him for a while. He wondered what the pair of them were cooking up between them.

The older man leaned over and whispered to her.

"I've found a set of playing cards with embossed markings. How easy would it be to run a scam with them?" He looked at the kitchen door, hiding their plotting from the temperamental chef.

"I've tried that. Went into Players Casino and asked for a game. Ended up prosecuting them under the Disability Discrimination Act for not making allowances for blind gamblers because they said the odds became stacked in a blind player's favour. I won. You can't touch other people's cards when you're playing, so how can that help a blind person out? You might just as well run a memory trick." She nudged him as Ash's noise came closer. "You'd need a blind dealer and they aren't exactly two a penny, Albert."

Albert felt in his pocket and pulled the cards out. He stared at them for a moment and tapped them against his palm. "I thought this had some promise."

Sarah held out her hand. "I could still try something though. Can I borrow them for a while?" Albert grunted and passed them to her. "I'd like to run some probability tests. You're sure you're happy that I break the pack open?"

"I'm not exactly in a hurry for them back. They're not much good to me unless we come up with something. Let me know if you do, I know where I can get another pack if you need it."

She was surreptitiously dropping them into her bag as Ash appeared with three coffees. He passed one to Sarah, unconsciously wrapping her fingers around it then passed another to Albert. "So?" He took a swig of his own and sat back with an air of expectation.

Albert's face grew grim: "You made the late night news, Sarah. I was worried you were burned alive, that's why I phoned Ash."

She closed her eyes and tried to think of a quick way of getting out of the situation. "I didn't do it. We went to the cinema. There were loads of people there, Albert. You can't blame me. Ash picked me up from home…he knows I didn't leave anything burning." He nodded his agreement.

"I was more interested in who you'd been upsetting…or hacking into." Albert put on his strongest parental voice hoping to get a straight answer out of her. Unfortunately she had been taught by an expert and she was quite good at avoiding a subject when it suited her.

Ash intervened to stick up for her. "I'm sure that she hasn't -"

Sarah hesitated and decided to come clean. "Pegasus Industries."

Ash gaped at her. "You set the Rotorworm in Pegasus Industries?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You can't have."

She turned on him. "And why not?" If she hadn't been so irritated it would have been amusing but Albert still struggled to keep his composure. "Worms are easy to put in place. Don't think I'm capable do you? After all this time you think I'm just some dumb net junkie? I thought better of you, Ash."

"Because… Oh, I don't believe this." He still stared at her. "Do you know what they do? Why them, Sarah? Is that why you phoned? You needed an alibi?"

She shifted under his uncomfortable gaze, aware she had deeply upset him. "Ash, I wouldn't do that to you. You know I wouldn't." Taking a deep breath she realised she had to tell them more. "They're re-branding drugs and selling them as their own. I got caught out by their lies and someone I know died because of it."

She continued through their silence. "Albert, I have a reaction to Corizane. It is patented to one company and I don't take it. My doctor changed my prescription to one of Pegasus' and he couldn't work out why it had affected me so badly. Patrick accidentally overdosed on another of their drugs. It was ten times the strength it should have been. The inquest made out he was depressed."

Ash softened. "Your worm didn't do a lot though. It got them a lot of publicity instead. Were you trying to put them out of business?"

"Trying, but it didn't work. Then I had another idea …I was hoping that you could check some code for me…that was the other reason I phoned, but I hadn't actually got around to asking you yet."

"Code?" asked Albert.

"Longhand hexadecimal code," said Ash absently, leaving Albert none the wiser. He looked at the girl. "You'd better stay here tonight and show yourself to the police in the morning. Then we'd better sort out the flat. That is, if you want my help." The thought of all that made him feel quite ill, especially the second part.

"Did it look really bad, Albert? Are you sure I can't go home?" the mention of the fire made her homelessness sink in and staying the night in a strange flat with a now less than good tempered Ash did not fill her with joy. The last thing she wanted was him niggling at her for the rest of the night.

"Three of your neighbours were taken to hospital because of the smoke. You may not have any friends there anymore." He stood. "It's late, I'm going to bed. Don't set fire to anything else between you." He was glad they both smiled back at him.

"'night, Albert," said Ash. He watched him walk away then turned back to Sarah who had stretched out on the sofa. "Don't get too comfortable. Where's that code, then?"

She leaned back and got comfortable. "Like I have it on me. What do you take me for, an amateur?"

He shook his head and went to pick up the cups. When he returned from the kitchen her eyes had closed and he didn't have the heart to wake her.

Danny stood over the prostrate girl on the sofa. Her arm had fallen and rested on the floor. He debated on moving it for her, thinking it would be numb when she woke, but then he looked closely at her face. He started as a heavy hand smacked him on the shoulder. He wondered why she was sleeping in her clothes on their sofa.

"Ash, who is this bird? Why's she sleeping out here?" he still looked intently at her, thinking she seemed familiar.

Hearing the noise, she opened her eyes.

"Danny, this is Sarah. Sarah, are you awake yet?" Ash prodded her roughly. "…and she's no one's 'bird'."

She swung herself to a sitting position and yawned. Danny took in her crumpled appearance and the blanket pulled around her. "Oh, I get it. You two have had a row. Sorry, I'll let you sweethearts make up." He began backing away, wondering what made them both giggle. He walked straight into Albert, looking dapper in his dressing gown.

Albert saw him struggling with the joke. "Sarah is Ash's sister," he explained.

"Oh, right, yeah, I knew that. I could tell, you know, you look alike." He muttered, not enjoying being the butt of their laughter, but glad he'd worked out why she looked familiar. He hesitated, not knowing if he'd make more of a fool of himself by staying.

"Please can you show her where the bathroom is, Danny," called Ash from the kitchen, "that is, if you want some breakfast."

His eyes lit up. He was perpetually hungry and this was a chance to redeem himself. "Breakfast, yeah, sure. Sarah, hi, I'm Danny, nice to meet you." He held out his hand for her to shake and hesitated when she didn't take it. He looked at her a little more closely.

Albert sat down at the table with the paper and ignored them. He had found something in it far more interesting than Danny's previous embarrassment. There was an article about an old friend that had caught his eye.

"Hi Danny, nice to meet you." She looked towards him. "I'd better tell you that I'm blind so if you could take my elbow and guide me to the bathroom, I'd be grateful."

He felt like an embarrassed fool and the act fell away. "I'm sorry. Would you like me to wait?" he asked when he had shown her the way. "I didn't realise…"

She smiled, although she didn't feel like smiling. "I'll be fine, I'll follow the smell of the coffee – and don't apologise." The door closed after her and he raced to the kitchen.

"I have never felt like such a prat in my life." He pulled the chair out and sat down. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" He accused the other man. He was suspecting it was a deliberate trap he had fallen into. He seemed to fall into a lot of those lately.

"All part of your training, my boy," said Albert from behind his paper. "Now you know, don't make allowances for her. She'll use her disability to her own advantage so don't treat her any differently from Stacie. Sarah is almost totally blind, she can differentiate between light and dark but that's all, but she can act with a confidence that makes you forget she can't see. Just remember that she's a grifter like all of us, albeit a part time one."

"Part time?"

"She teaches for a few hours at a local school. What she calls her straight job." He folded the paper and looked over it towards the trainee.

"Oh," was all the comment he received until the explanation had sunk in. He tried to apologise for his behaviour. "I've never met a blind person before-"

"You need to know the rules then. Don't leave doors ajar as she might walk into them; talk to her when you come into a room she's already in because she likes to know who's there and don't change your language towards her. She won't be upset it you use the words 'see' or 'look'. What else? Oh yes, don't play chess with her because she cheats." He smiled at Danny's confused face. "Sarah is the most intelligent person I know, so don't treat her like she's stupid. That really annoys her. She may not be able to see with her eyes but she can anticipate any fault with a long con. We often use her as a sounding board."

Ash overheard and smiled at the compliments paid to his sister by the old expert but it turned into a frown as he heard the front door close. He shouted back to the others to find out who the intruder was. "Look, just because I'm cooking bacon sandwiches, doesn't mean I'm doing enough to feed the whole of London. Who is it now?"

"One for me please, Ash." Mickey called.

"And me too; is there any sauce?" asked Stacie. He appeared at the doorway and waved his tongs at them, shaking his head and muttering to himself. The intruders took their seats at the dining table and joined the conversation.

"So, Albert. Whatshername, what's her thing?" asked Danny

"Computers." he shook his paper as he turned the page. "Sarah is a hacker when she's not teaching, gambling or testing her latest number theory."

Mickey pricked up his ears. "Ash's Sarah?"

"In the bathroom," replied Danny. "Look, I know I'm not the brightest kid around this morning, but if she can't see, how can she hack into computers?"

Ash brought in a plate of bacon and a loaf of bread in a bag and dropped them on the table. "She had a special computer that was adapted for her as her eighteenth birthday present and I seem to be continually upgrading it."

"…I left it in your car." Sarah walked over and sniffed. "Oh, Ash, bacon sandwiches and coffee. You're a life saver. They're not burnt are they, those rashers?" she cautiously sniffed the air. "Last time you cooked me something I had indigestion for a fortnight. I'm quite capable of poisoning myself these days but I've missed your helpings of charcoal, they don't seem to taste like mine."

She pulled out a chair and Mickey passed her a plate and the butter. They began buttering their bread and Danny watched her out of the corner of his eye. Stacie caught him and waved a finger silently at him.

"Ha, ha, very funny. I need to know you've had a good meal, if we've got to go to the police today." Ash grinned at her, seemingly oblivious to Danny's behaviour. "If you've been hacking again it might be your last and if we survive the police station, then perhaps you can get your own back later." He looked at the table. "Forgot the sauce," he said and went back to get it.

Mickey looked at Ash before he asked: "Have you got a lot on at the moment, Sarah?"

"Apart from sorting out my home that was torched last night, having to prove to the police I'm not responsible for arson and only have the clothes I'm sat here in, no Mickey, I'm not that busy." She took a bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly. "Am I going to regret asking why?"

"How long would it take you to get into -?"

Ash interrupted him on his return. "Mickey, she isn't interested -"

"Ashley Morgan, you don't talk for me. You were saying, Mickey?" Ash slammed the sauce on the table in front of her making her jump. He controlled his tongue which was about to tell her off like a little child. He didn't approve of the high handed way she was treating him, but fine, let her make her own mistakes. He took a bite of his sandwich to prevent him saying something he might regret.

"Pegasus Industries. Can you hack into their payroll before tomorrow night?" He took another bacon rasher from the pile, ignoring the dispute evolving in front of him. Experience had taught him it really was the best solution; they rarely lasted very long.

"You don't need me for that; Ash can do payroll." She looked towards her brother who nodded. He was relieved she appeared to turn down the score Mickey was offering her. "Payroll isn't all that stimulating. In fact, payroll is so easy I could even teach Danny here how to hack it in a morning." Sarah was interested though, and Ash knew why.

"Why Pegasus, Mickey?" he asked cautiously. "What have you heard?"

He stretched back and patted his stomach. "Apparently, someone's got their encryption keys and they don't know they've gone yet. They'll start locking down their systems when they realise – is that the right phrase, Sarah?"

Ash looked at Albert and then his sister suspiciously. "And?"

"Payroll is-"

"The most defended system but it's all automated. You don't go for it directly, but get into the mainframe and tell it that you're on genuine business, no problems. Then you can get access to the interesting stuff." Sarah started to look really interested herself. "But then as I've got the keys… I don't need to do the hard work. What did you want their payroll for, Mickey?"

"Mickey, payroll has to be paid into a bank account. It's traceable and so it's not a good idea." Ash mentioned. "That's why we don't do it. If it was that easy we wouldn't be sat here, we'd all be millionaires." He watched his sister nod and she remembered the time she had nearly been caught with this scam. Between them they did not want to go through the experience again. That was why she had decided on a straight job, for a few hours a week at any rate.

It also made a good cover.

"What about setting up a supplier." Mickey didn't like the sound of what Ash said and was trying to find another solution. There had to be something they had missed.

"Same problem. You can move the cash on, but you need somewhere for it to be paid into first of all. The problem these days is opening a fake bank account in time. The documents are checked more than they used to be and by the time you've got them right…" Ash began to worry. "Who's the mark?"

"Marco Petrie, head of research," said Stacie.

"No. Not him. He's the only decent one there. I won't help you bring down Marco," said Sarah.

Danny and Albert had followed the conversation but were totally lost. "Who the hell are Pegasus Industries anyway?" asked Danny.

"A drug company." Stacie explained. "A local one."

"It's a bent drug company," Sarah corrected her, "and it's too close for me."

Ash caught his sister's arm as she went to stand. "You were trying to shut the whole lot down yesterday. What's changed today?"

"I was referred to him. He's writing a paper on childhood blindness…I've already hacked into the payroll to give his department a bonus so they can carry on their research. How else do you think I got into the company? He's a nice guy – and if you intend taking the money I've just given him, think again." She rubbed her eyes. "I'm setting up an internal funding trust, so don't hit them until I say so, OK? Just give me a few days to set it in place and sort out the technicalities."

She shook off Ash's hand and managed to stand. "Stacie, do you have a hairbrush I can borrow? I 'm fed up with feeling like I've slept on a sofa."

"Of course, Sarah. Come on." The girls went to Stacie's room. The four men exchanged glances, filing the idea for a while.

"We need to go shopping," said Stacie, picking up her bag. "Sarah can't live in one set of clothes. We won't be long, and then you can go to the police, Ash."

The men were discussing their plans. Business had been a bit slow and they were eager for action. Problem was the lack of suitable marks.

"Has anyone got any sensible ideas, then?" asked Mickey.

Danny grinned. "Yeah. I want to take your sister out for lunch, Ash."

Ash's hand connected with Danny's collar. "Over my dead body."

"Boys, boys. Ash, I know she's still your little sister, but she's all grown up now." Albert tried to keep the peace. "Please let go of him before he needs ironing."

Ash growled at Danny who was surprised at the reaction from the normally calm and sensible fixer. "…Or over Danny's dead body..." He ignored Albert's request and Danny swallowed nervously.

Mickey had to intervene. "Ash, how old is she now? Let her make up her own mind."

Ash let go but still left the threat in the air. "Remember we're on a job. That comes first."

"Fair enough," Danny said. "I'll ask her after we're done here."

Ash smiled. "Ask her in a fortnight."

"Thanks, Stacie. I'd never have managed on my own." Sarah followed her into the taxi.

"We'll get a couple of outfits then go back. Ash didn't look too happy."

"He shouldn't treat me like a child then. It won't take him long to cheer up. My computer's in his car. A fiver says he's overridden the access code before we get back."

"Too easy. £5 he's cracked it before we get out of the taxi." Stacie made sure her companion was settled without her noticing before the driver set off.

"That's not fair!" Sarah punched the other girl gently. "You might have given the driver instructions to take a long route. How long are we going to be in this cab? How far are we going?"

Stacie didn't answer and just smiled as the phone rang. "Hello," she said to the caller. "Oh, she's here." She passed the phone over. "Where's your phone, Sarah?"

"Melted in my flat, I think. I left it there when we went to the cinema." She felt the phone and put it to her ear. "Hi, this is Sarah." She listened and laughed. "No way. We're got a bet on you." she passed it back with a smile. "Bet he's done it under fifteen minutes, and no I didn't give him the password."

"That's better," said Stacie. "Look, I thought you'd like to get away from them for a while whilst this all sinks in. If you want to talk…"

"I didn't start the fire," she said emphatically. How many people was she going to have to say this to today? Why did no one seem to believe her?

Stacie understood. "I'm not saying you did. It could have been an electrical fault."

"…or petrol through the letterbox." She sighed. "It's probably not as bad as it looks." A few moments silence between them and she continued, "I gave one of the kids a bad report. He said he'd get me. I didn't think anything of it. It was either him … or someone from Pegasus on to me already."

Ash sat trying to get into Sarah's laptop. She hadn't told him her computer was off limits, just hadn't given him the password, so in his eyes it was waiting for him to play with and she wasn't his most popular person for talking to him like that. Danny sat next to him and was surprised that he got it up and running so quickly, but it wasn't good news. She had put in a few surprises that made him sigh and stare at the blank screen in disbelief. Muttering to himself he ran a finger over the Braille strip and cursed. He looked over the screen and realised Danny had been looking at him.

"Hey, what's that?" said Danny as Ash eventually brought something up on the screen. "I thought Braille was lots of dots."

"It is. This is Moon; this is the easier of the languages she uses." He looked at Danny and explained, "it's similar to ordinary writing but the letters aren't fully formed. A bit like abbreviations sometimes, you know, just put the first letter to show a word. She has a habit of leaving her Moon pad lying about and losing it so if you find a metal grid with some sheets of plastic in it, for goodness sake hand it to her, it's her note book" He went back to the computer. "The reading strip she uses is for Braille. Somewhere here is a Morse code inputter as well. She's been busy with her traps." He closed the lid. "That didn't help us, Moon I can just about decipher but I can't read Braille. She's put a Moon password in place and I can get around that but I can't get further without setting up a network so I can translate this and actually see what she's been up to."

Albert and Mickey were quietly talking. "If we do that, we need another operator. Do you want to ask her?" Albert looked over to Ash. "She is homeless at the moment so I suppose she'll be kicking around for a while."

"Let me guess who you're talking about," he called back, starting up his own computer. The flat was slowly filling up with wires as he began looking for the cables to link the machines together.

"Only some security systems. Not much effort for our genius and just think, it'll save her from getting bored." Albert said. "And you remember what happened last time she got bored."

Ash grimaced. Sarah had hacked into a bank's account system and ran havoc in it whilst she was waiting for the others to come back after a job. She had set up a number of accounts under false names and was transferring money between them. The money didn't exist and the cross firing was discovered. She ran from the system but it left a trail on her hard disk. Good old big brother had to replace it and transfer the good data onto it. It had taken a weekend to sort out.

"Mickey, I'm trying to keep her out of trouble," Ash began. "She doesn't need any encouragement from you lot, especially Albert, and now she is teaching part time, I'm trying to wean her off grifting."

"It's her decision, not yours…but it doesn't sound like she's given up to me, she's spent too long at it. You've only got yourself to blame." replied Mickey. "You know we need you on the ground for this one. Even you can't be in two places at once. Sarah can override the alarm system and you can set it again from inside."

"Name, please."

Sarah held her brother's hand and felt his nerves. She tried not to show hers but they came out in her voice. "Sarah," she whispered hesitantly.

"Full name and address."

"Dr Sarah May Morgan. I live at the garden flat, Ascot House … the one where the fire was yesterday."

"Ahh, we need to speak to you." The policeman looked at her. "Come with me."

They were taken into an interview room and were there for half an hour. Back out in the fresh air, Ash lit up a cigarette in relief. "Now you tell me the truth. I deserve something for going in there with you."

She knew she wasn't going to get away with a flip answer. "Ok, but can we walk back to my place? I'd like to see my flat."

"That'll be a first," he joked, but he knew that only he would have got away with the comment. Their relationship between them was so close they even thought the same at times and the earlier squabbling had all been forgotten. She felt for his elbow and hooked her arm through it.

"Well then, smell it and feel it." They walked arm in arm in silence for a few minutes. "I went to the Parents Evening back on the 9th."

"Oh yes?"

"One of them threatened me for throwing his son out of my class. Apparently the kids get some kind of kudos having a blind teacher. They tell the others that they can do what they like, but they're fantastically well behaved for me and work really hard."

She smiled grimly. "I knew it was going to be tough, teaching sighted children but they don't have the discrimination that adults have towards the blind. Still it didn't help that he threatened me when my department head was with me."

"Threatened, Sarah?" an element of concern crept into his voice.

"He said he'd fix me. Or get me. Or get me thrown out of the school. One of it."

"Why didn't you tell the police just then? And more to the point, why the hell didn't you tell me when it happened?" He was aghast at the non mentioned threat.

"…because I've been playing around in Pegasus and copied their keys. They're still on the laptop - that reminds me, how long did it take for you to get in?" she did her best to side step the second question before he realised she hadn't answered him.

"Eleven minutes. Why?"

"Stacie and I had money on you. Bet you couldn't crack the Braille though."

They stopped to cross a road. The traffic roared past and there was a momentary lull. Ash grabbed the hand looped through his arm, a familiar movement between them to emphasise it was safe to walk faster and they reached the central island safely. "I didn't have a chance to get the network cables from my bag so I didn't try the second level traps. How much did you put on me?"

"A fiver. It's all I've got left." He pulled her to the other side. "I knew you'd do it under fifteen minutes, you're a safe bet. At least I don't feel so destitute now. Perhaps I can do it again but with the new boy this time, what do you think? Did he watch you crack my laptop?"

"If you need to borrow some money you only need to ask. Do you need a trip to the bank? I can take you later on if you like."

"My disability allowance doesn't come through until the end of the month and I used my wages to pay the bills. I've arranged an extra transfer but it won't be released from the Trust for a few weeks. I had a couple of hundred in the flat to see me through but that's probably in ashes – I'd be really grateful if you could help me out with that temporarily."

"…and the code?"

"I'm going to bring them down, Ash, but the code needs checking. It's full of timings, and I need someone to visualise the order for me. Pretty please, big brother, huh?"

Knowing he was lost, he reluctantly agreed. Although it was a long way from keeping her out of trouble, at least she would be near by in case someone threatened her again. He'd had his fill of exercise and called a taxi.

They wandered around the remains of the flat, Ash making sure that Sarah kept hold of his hand. What wasn't smoke damaged was soaking wet. Her books were a soggy mess and her bedroom was newly decorated with soot.

"You're not staying here."

She sniffed. "It's not too bad. After all the effort I put into it recently with the painting, I'm not going anywhere." She pulled him towards the French doors and to her tiny garden. "What about my plants?"

Ash let her go as she bent to smell the herbs and flowers in their pots. He looked behind him at the remains of the flat and understood her feelings but it was impossible for her to stay. He caught up with her and put an arm around her gently.

"Ash…can you get me some more paint? I'll pay you back at the end of the month."

"Sarah! It's not safe! You're coming back with me."

Back at the flat:

"Hey, we didn't get a chance before, you know, to talk. I'm really sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be so stupid."

"Don't worry, Danny. I've been blind since I was two months old, so they tell me. I'm just used to it, and so is Ash. We're the ones who should be apologising and Albert should have known better." She remembered how her reply came out. "I don't like people pitying me. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean it to come out that way."

"Were you ill or something? How did you lose your sight?" He looked at her with new respect. He had certainly been caught out by her confidence. He wondered who had taught her to disguise her blindness and how she used it to pull a con.

"There was an accident when I was a baby."

"Oh. I understand if you don't want to talk about it." He was relieved to see her shake her head. This was an old, old story that had had many tellings. After a while the truth became blurred and it needed Ash to remind her what happened.

"My parents had wanted to run their own business. They went to their bank to see the business advisor but there was a robbery. There were four of them. One threw acid at my mum. She was holding me at the time and it went in my eyes. My father was shot, my mum died from her injuries a week later. Ash was at school at the time. He was nearly fifteen."

"Oh," said Danny. "Tough."

"Yeah, tough."

"So how'd you get into computers?"

"Ash and I were fostered by a computer engineer and his wife who already had a blind son, Patrick, who was a couple of years older than me. Peter taught Ash what he knew about computers and adapted one for Patrick and me so we could learn too. It took his mind off the accident. Ash took me away when I was nine and looked after me until he went to prison when I was fourteen."

"Patrick was the guy who'd overdosed." He put the pieces together. "I'm sorry."

"Ma Prince took me home after the trial. She put me through school and introduced me to a few interesting people … like our Albert, who ultimately brought me and Ash into contact with Mickey."

"Boring Danny, are you?" a voice asked from above.

"Just old stuff. Who told you about Pegasus, Mickey?" as he sat opposite them. "Is Greg out yet?"

"Not that I've heard. Stephen Collier was in the bar. He mentioned that their doors might as well be wide open after the worm was set. He also mentioned it was the sort of thing you might do, and it had your 7Fs all over it." He looked puzzled. "What is a 7F?"

"My 'tag' for other hackers to see. Mickey, Stephen's got one of the best laundering set ups I know. If you just need cash from them, he's your man…but once the word is out that their doors are open, it'll be a free for all." She stretched. "This was the second part of my plan."

Ash chose the moment to join in. He called over from the table. "Second part of what plan? I can't see an error with your code, Sarah. Do you want your system closed down?"

"No, I've got homework to check. Might as well do it now." She went over to the set up Ash had created on the table, with embosser, printer, cables and feely pad, intent on her other part time job.

Danny wanted to know more of the story. "She was telling me about your parents. I'm sorry, man."

Ash pulled a sad smile to himself as he walked over. "I'd probably never have been doing this if they had lived. I could see myself running my own software company and Sarah wouldn't be blind. But then where would you lot be?"

"Have you met Colin Eastman, Danny?" Mickey looked over at his trainee, glancing at Ash. "Finest Fixer around." He ducked as Ash threw a cushion at him. "…after Ash, that is."

Inspiration was still lacking but there was a new casino that had just opened. The suggestion was to check their security and perhaps find a flaw in it. Sarah was due at school and Ash agreed to take her, leaving the others to think of an 'in'.

The non-Morgan members of the team sat huddled around Mickey's rough drawing of the casino. There were plenty of exits and plenty of places to get caught. Mickey's plan looked good on paper but there were a few things that needed work. Stacie ran through her idea and the others were silent as they tried to find a weakness. The security idea fell flat because it would be impossible to set the system without the key if it had been disabled remotely. This was a standard system they had met before. They were desperate for alternative solutions.

Danny had other things on his mind.

"Have I missed something here?" he looked around. "Where's the fun in this? I mean robbery's never had much appeal to me. We already know their security will be pretty top notch. Surely there's easier way to make money there – apart from on the tables. What about arranging an inside job?"

A silence followed his speech.

Albert started with: "We don't have time and Sarah needs somewhere-"

"Look no offence to Ash, but it's not my problem that his sister's homeless. She'll get that back on the house insurance and she's holed up here at the moment for free. What about us? We can do this without her, surely? She's a liability."

The comment shocked them into silence.

"I didn't think you'd be so greedy, Danny." Mickey was not going to continue the conversation. "Sarah can provide enough of a distraction at the tables and her usual deal is that she returns her set up money and keeps her winnings in lieu of taking a cut of whatever else is going on. She doesn't get a share of the job and has been known to make as much on the tables as if she had had a share. Does anyone have a problem with that this time?"

Albert and Stacie shook their heads. Danny was ignored. "Well, then. A visit I think and we'll do some more research. Tonight everyone?"

Ash waited outside the school whilst Sarah went to get her things. The head teacher was sympathetic to her housing problem and had agreed she could have some time off to find alternative accommodation. She still had coursework to mark for her class, though, and the technicians were downloading it for her.

"Mickey's going to look over a casino tonight. Did you have any plans?" he watched her shake her head. "He wants me to go, run my eye over the operation. You'll be ok on your own in a strange flat?"

"Don't be daft, of course I will." She yawned. "I'm getting the hang of it, but I'd appreciate a proper tour when we get back. I take it that Mickey's spotted something more than the obvious at this casino. Just let me know what he's found - don't leave me out, ok?"

He grinned at her as he drove away. "I don't know. You might beat us to it."

She turned her head away. "Watch it, I might yet."

She was sat in the dark, still and silent in the gloom. There was a curse from the doorway as someone walked into something. It was Danny. She grinned, knowing he wouldn't have sworn if he'd seen her.

"Who left that there?" she heard him mutter.

"You really shouldn't swear so much when there's a lady present, Danny." She commented from the sofa. "Especially if the lady knows more swear words than you do because she's walked into far more things that someone left lying around ..."

"Sarah, why are you sitting in the dark?" he gave up looking for the light and groped his way across the room.

"Why not?" she pulled up her legs as his voice came nearer.

"Sorry, I forgot." He threw himself down next to her. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing really." She went silent. "Danny -"

"What? Can I do something for you?"

"Well, yes, actually. I don't know what you look like. Would you let me touch your face? I understand if you say no."

"Sure, yeah, what do I do?" he moved closer.

She pushed him back. "Just relax." She began tracing the contours of his face, softly talking to him. Suddenly she felt him jump and she was aware of brightness.

"That's enough, you two. Danny, keep away-"

"ASH! I was only trying to find out what he looked like…go away and pester someone else." To her surprise he went into the kitchen and began making a noise out of frustration. Banging things around was a hobby when confined with his sister.

She stopped her inspection of his face. He was a little put out, having just started to enjoy her light and gentle touch. He wondered if talking would put her back in the mood Ash had ruined and if it was leading somewhere.

Something had been bothering him. "If you spent your childhood running scams with Ash, when did you go to school?"

"I didn't until Ma Prince took me under her wing. I spent a lot of time reading anything Ash could get me that was printed in Braille but I never actually went to school for those five years. I just sort of fell out of the system. We'd lived in an old camper van but Ash called it our mobile library. Anyway Albert talked me into getting a degree whilst Ash was inside the second time and he made me realise I couldn't rely on Ash looking after me for the rest of my life. Albert sponsored my doctorate too – I owe him for my independence and my teaching job."

The following afternoon, Albert sat at the bar chatting to the man who had just come in. He was playing the role of rich dumb American on his first visit to the UK and was secretly hoping the man would fall into his trap. If he did, he knew there would be trouble.

Unfortunately, things went exactly to plan.

"You did what?" shouted Mickey to Danny.

"He wanted a lift, so I dropped him off. What's the problem?"

"Danny…" Stacie tried to verbally separate them before she had to call Ash, who looked up from his paper at the noise. She tried again. "Mickey…"

"Look, Mickey, if you say I can't drive Albert somewhere can I suggest you tell Albert and me when you make your decision?" he looked at the other man confused. "I really don't see what the problem is."

"Nor do I," added Stacie. "What's wrong with you?"

Mickey turned to look out of the window. He was worried but didn't want the others to know … but Albert was old enough to look after himself. "I'm going out." He announced, grabbed a coat and left.

"Stace, you know, I'm sure he's getting worse," said Danny to his back, hoping he'd turn and tell them what was up. Realising he wasn't going to get a reply he threw himself onto a sofa. "It wasn't like it was anywhere interesting," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, yeah? Where exactly?" asked Ash, putting the paper down.

"Mackenzies. Some yuppie bar."

"About twenty minutes from the High Street, going west?" he was beginning to get a bad feeling, the same feeling Mickey had had a few minutes earlier.

"About that."

"Shit!" Ash was at the door before he'd asked the next question. "How long ago was it?"

"I dropped him… just after 2 o'clock."

"If Mickey doesn't kill him, I'll get there first. Stupid old sod." The door slammed behind him.

"I am utterly convinced you lot are barmy." Danny said, staring at the ceiling.

"Marco Petrie drinks in Mackenzies. Albert's gone to see what he's up to." Stacie moved over to him. "Albert's convinced he's up to no good, no matter that Sarah thinks. He's gone to get some evidence."

Ash picked up Mickey who had not really got very far on foot. "He's gone to Mackenzies," he offered. "Want a lift so we can carry him out together?"

Mickey gave him a tired smile. "You knew?"

"Danny didn't know."

"I'd better apologise."

"He thinks you're going mad." Ash waited whilst he put on the seat belt. "I'm worried that Albert is. He's really convinced that there is something in Pegasus?"

Mickey nodded. "Yes." He looked at the people through the windscreen. "Where's Sarah? She's not going to like this." he asked almost as an afterthought.

"I don't know. She left early this morning without telling me. That means she thinks I'm about to interfere in something she's doing and wants to set up a defence. She'll call if she wants something."

As they drew up, they saw Albert waving to a man on the steps. He spoke to them as they slowed for him: "Just in time. We have a few things to discuss."

Sarah opened the door with Ash's key and made her way to the table, still strewn with her computer equipment. Stacie caught her elbow.

"You've missed all the excitement," she said. "We took a look at Earl's casino last night and there is definitely a break in their security. Can you do your thing and make enough of a distraction for Ash and Mickey to get into position?"

"How long for?" Sarah shared Albert's interest in gambling and the pair of them had been known to argue for hours over anything, even a game of chess. As she couldn't see the pieces she picked them up, and was not averse to putting them back in the wrong places. Albert had ended the last game by swearing that she did it on purpose, which of course she did. A compromise had been found – no more chess but they had found so many more ways of disputing backgammon.

Stacie shrugged her shoulders. "Not sure yet. Over ten minutes, Mickey says. It seems like a long time to be the centre of attention to me."

"It's the new casino off Key Street isn't it?" Sarah was trying to work out is she'd been there before, and if so, was she barred. "I haven't been there and I don't know their set up. Did you get any of the action filmed or do I have to run it by ear on the night?"

"We've got a film for you, but I'm not sure if it's got what you need. We can always go again."

Sarah thought for a moment. "Who did you have in mind for my guide?"

"Danny. He was moaning about Mickey's plan so he can sit in the thick of it. He wanted to play the tables."

Her friend snorted. "If he's my guide he'll have to do what he's told. I'll see how he does with the film. Albert's setting up a different table then?"

"Yes, but we haven't decided which yet."

"I need to go over the film," she said again as she leaned herself against the table. "Whenever Danny's ready, let me know."

They both jumped as the door opened.

"Have you calmed down now, Mickey?" Stacie asked the next visitor.

All three men looked serious. Danny wandered in and joined the throng around the girls. The men looked at Ash and he sighed. "Sarah, we've been…"

"Let me guess, big brother. Interfering in my affairs?" she made a dramatic sigh and made a point of covering her eyes. "Don't you trust my judgement? I'm blind not useless, remember."

"Not interfering. I was concerned," he grimaced at the others, "this thing with Pegasus and Petrie, it was like we were talking about two different people. Albert went to find out more. And this has nothing to do with your disability so don't take that attitude with me, lady."

"Mickey, I've been going there for three years!" she turned to him. "This may be my brother talking but these aren't his words. Don't make him do your dirty work. Is no one taking any notice of me today?" she tried to glare at him but it just made him feel uneasy.

"Sar-"He began.

"Don't you talk to me – I need someone to take me somewhere tomorrow." If she could see she wouldn't have had to beg. "Albert – are you busy? Good. You've been volunteered."

He wasn't sure where they were going. He hadn't caught the destination when they got into the taxi but hadn't failed to notice they had reached Harley Street. Sarah had pointedly ignored them all since the previous night's conversation and he didn't know why he was with her. He figured she'd tell him in time. He settled back and enjoyed the tour.

"Here you are, Dr Morgan." The driver called back to them. "Are you all right getting out?"

She slithered out of the cab and went to pay. Albert followed and overheard the end of the conversation. She was asking about the cabby's wife who was expecting a baby. The cabby was one she used regularly that was part of a local initiative to help the blind live a normal life and he was used to ferrying her around. He was worried about her, having heard about the fire on television but was glad to see she was unharmed.

Albert stood silently behind her, waiting for his orders. She had a reason for asking for his help and she'd tell him in time. He watched her turn away from the cab and faced the row of converted houses.

"We need number 42. Dr Maguire's expecting us at 10.30." She hesitated, hating her next words. "Albert, I don't know which way to go. Would you help me please?" he took her arm and felt her shaking slightly.

"Who's Dr Maguire?"

"My eye specialist."

"Didn't you want your brother to bring you?"

"No. I want you to hear what Maguire says about Pegasus Industries." He felt her slow down. "There should be four steps up somewhere."

"We're just coming up to the building now." He guided her up the steps. "Sarah, I didn't…" his voice tailed away.

The receptionist looked up at him and then at his companion. "Dr Morgan, Dr Maguire is expecting you. Go on through."

"I never seem to be out of this place, Alex." Sarah remarked to occupant of room D. "and I do so love that aftershave."

He chuckled softly. "Sarah Morgan you'll be the death of me. What do you want?"

"It's test time again. I thought I'd pay you a visit for a change, give Marco a rest from my temper."

He looked at her notes and frowned. "I thought Petrie at Pegasus was looking after you now. There's not a lot of new stuff in the notes he sent over which surprises me bearing in mind the reason I referred you to him."

"…well, let's say I want to know whether it's worth continuing with them, when it's so much more convenient to come here."

"Now I know you're lying. Are you really sure you want to do this today? I'm sure I can find something much better to do and I'm sure you can too."

"I've brought my guide dog – Alex, this is Albert. Albert, this is Dr Alex Maguire." They shook hands as she felt towards the bed and lay down on it.

They carried on talking and ignored her. "Albert, Sarah has to have a general anaesthetic when she has her eyes examined. She's always found it a discomfort and it saves us both from screaming at each other. Will you sit with her whilst she comes around?" as Albert nodded he assembled his tools. "This will take about quarter of an hour. If you want to use the waiting room, I quite understand. Some of the tests are a little intrusive."

"She asked me to come, it's the least I could do." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Are you happy with that, if I stay?"

The drug was beginning to take hold and she smiled. A nurse joined them and the examination began. Shortly before the end he left. The water cooler in the waiting room seemed to call him. He sipped from his cup, listened to the receptionist and filled another for the patient.

The bed seemed to rock. Her eyes stung and she had a headache. There was a nasty taste in her mouth and she was desperate for a drink. A hand wrapped her fingers around a flimsy cup and the contents were cool. "Albert?" she croaked.

"I'm still here."

"Are you ok?" her lips found the cup and she took a long drink, waiting for his reply.

"I'm ok, what about yourself?"

"She'll be fine," said the voice from the doorway. "Are you ready for your results? I've got a Braille and sighted copy for you, but I know you can't wait."

The voice came nearer and Albert looked up. Maguire nodded to him and he moved away.

"Do you remember the last test you had before you went to Pegasus?"

"Yes."

"I told you then that there was some minor nerve improvement and if you carried on with the treatment Petrie recommended there was no reason not to think that the improvement wouldn't continue."

"It hasn't then."

"No. Did he change your drugs?"

"Yes. He put me on Corizane." Albert watched her shake again. "I had an allergic reaction and they had to clear my system in intensive care… What about the others on the program?"

"I'm going to recall them. Pegasus has had three years of Special Grants from the Department of Health because of my recommendations. I can't let this carry on." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry. This has put our plans back, hasn't it?"

She bowed her head as the tears began to form. "Plans can change. Albert, can you take me home, please?" as he moved to help her from the bed she looked towards Maguire. "I'd better have my old medication back."

"All ready for you. Come back next week, I want a proper follow up exam." He passed a bag to Albert. "I've given Albert a bag for you to go through when you get home." Alex patted her shoulder as she passed. "I'm sorry, I feel so responsible."

"Don't Alex… I'll arrange an appointment for next week."

Albert opened the door and pulled her behind him. He sat next to her on the sofa and passed her the bag. She felt the boxes of eyewash and drops and she sighed. Sarah pulled the two envelopes out, feeling for the one she could understand. The other she carefully placed on the table.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry too." He said to break the silence.

"It's not your fault." She left him to go to her room, returning just a few moments later. "This is for you. Screw him for every damn penny I gave him." She passed him a CD box and he looked at it in confusion. "We didn't have an account to run the Pegasus payroll through because I thought Petrie was legit. Now we know he isn't, I have absolutely no problem running the heist. When Stacie comes back, I'll load the onwards details to one of your offshore accounts."

"How much did you give him, Sarah?" asked Albert quietly. Although he knew it would be a substantial sum he was not prepared for her reply. Knowing Sarah for as long as he had, he knew that this was a subject close to her heart and she felt deeply for other people who had experienced loss of vision. If she was in a position to help others, she would.

"1.3 million." she put her head in her hands. "I feel so stupid, cheap and used. Ash'll love this. I can't wait for him to find out."

"You couldn't know; Petrie was in a position of trust. He shouldn't have done what he did. Ash will rant and rave for a while but only because he'll blame himself for not looking out for you."

"That's not the point. I'm supposed to be old enough to look after myself. If Social Services find out about the fire they'll have me under supervision and how the hell will I be able to do the things I do if they're spying on me."

"Sarah, we pull cons all the time. You do it, I do it, Mickey does it, but we all follow the same code. We only con those who deserve to be conned. Old people, the sick and … you'll hit me for this … the disabled, do not deserve to be marks. It's wrong."

"That's not exactly making me feel better, Albert," she sniffed. "I had realised I'd been conned by an utter bastard, thank you."

They waited outside the prison. Mickey and Stacie sat in the front and Danny sprawled in the back.

"You know, I don't like these places. Reminds me of when I was a kid. Always got dragged along to pick up the old man or one of my uncles. Who are we waiting for?"

"Matty Holland." Stacie looked behind her. "He's our wheels, amongst other things."

"…and apart from that if we didn't pick him up he'd probably come home in a stolen police car. Matty loves a fast car." Mickey didn't take his eyes off the gate.

"And fast women too, I bet." Danny closed his eyes in boredom.

Stacie laughed. "Well, I wouldn't call Sarah fast." That made Danny open his eyes. "Matty always had a soft spot for Sarah. He got caught doing 145 on the M1 in a Ferrari he'd taken for a 'test drive' because he'd forgotten her birthday present."

"You don't get banged up for doing 145."

"No, but you do if you make it a hobby. When he gets bored he steals a car, drives it to death and abandons it somewhere. Unfortunately he has a twin brother who likes security vans. A brother who robs vans and needed a getaway driver."

Danny finished off the story: "You don't turn down family when they need help." He sighed. He'd been there. "Is this him?"

The door had opened to a tall dark haired man carrying a plastic bag. He watched the door close behind him and walked slowly away. Mickey pulled up next to him and grinned. "Want a lift?"

"Nah," replied the Irishman. "Not the way you drive Mickey Stone; only if I can have that seat."

Stacie leaned forward. "Not until you get your paperwork completed. Haven't you looked at the rest of the welcoming party?"

He glanced behind him and swore softly. "Sarah will kill me if I go back inside without seeing her." He looked again and waved at the other car. "Point taken. Room in the back?" he looked at Danny with interest.

"Move over, Danny," Mickey ordered. "Make way for Matty."

"Hiya, Danny. You the new boy?"

"Could say that." He replied warily.

Matty got suspicious. "Not a driver are you?"

Looking at Matty's scarred fists, Danny gulped. "No way."

Stacie called back to them, "come on boys. Behave yourselves." She turned around to look at them both. "Danny's a talker, Matty. Short con expert, learning the big game."

"Oh, ok then. Where's everyone else?" he realised there wasn't room for them all to pick him up, but that didn't excuse Sarah from not being there.

"Sarah kidnapped Albert for something secret, Ash has just vanished." Mickey called from the front. "First treat?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"See the lady."

Danny was quiet as he realised why Ash had asked him to wait. The tall Irishman looked quite capable of taking care of Sarah and himself and Danny liked his face the way it was. The fact wasn't lost with Stacie and she smiled at him.

"Thought as much. You're getting predictable, Matt." They headed towards Eddie's bar.

Ash gave Eddie an envelope. Being suspicious, he checked it really had money in it before he gave him the drinks. He nodded to the other man and let him have them.

As he walked over to Sarah and Albert he caught the end of their conversation. Albert was trying to convince her to do something. "Am I missing something?" he asked as he sat down next to his sister.

"No." Sarah snapped at him.

Albert sighed. "You don't mean it."

"Yes I do."

"Sarah…"

She leaned back and rummaged in her pocket. She pulled out her collapsible white stick and slapped it on the table. "This, this shows I'm blind. What I haven't realised before is that you're all just putting up with me… I'm giving up... I'm going to the council and putting myself in their hands. Social Care. Before they start following me around and I have to be assessed – because, don't you remember, someone set fire to my home and they think I can't look after myself."

"Oh, right." Ash muttered, having heard this tantrum before. "When are you going then? Before or after Matty gets here?"

"When they open on Monday morning."

"… and does Matty get a say in this?"

"No, and don't try and talk me out of it, Ashley Morgan." She sat back and fumed at him.

Ash winked at Albert and took a swig of his pint. "This is because of what Alex Maguire said today isn't it?"

"No." Sarah didn't like the way this was heading.

"Come on, Sarah. You don't fool me. What did he say to you? I know you went; there was one of his envelopes on the table at the flat. Did you want me to read it, because I haven't yet."

He watched her eyes water and she turned her head away. "Leave me alone… I'm just a blind useless fool who had hopes of being able to see one day, who's been conned by someone who should have known better." She wiped her tears away with the handkerchief Albert thrust into her hand. "Sorry, Ash. I didn't mean for it to come out quite like that."

"I'm the one that's sorry, Sarah." Matty's voice carried over their heads. "I should have been here, and I wasn't. Are you still going to marry me?"

The question was so out of the blue, Albert coughed on his drink. Matty slapped him on the back and helped him stand.

"Are you intending to drive for your brother again?" she asked cautiously.

"If I say no, will you say yes?" he gently pulled Ash away and took up his seat. "You're not useless; you're the best hacker I know. You're not daft to want to be able to see and when I get my hands on that so called specialist, he'll wish he never changed your drugs…" he put an arm about her shoulders and she leaned into him. "…and it's not your fault you were ill…and I should have been here for you, not in jail."

He wiped her tears away. "If you really want to go to the council, I'll take you, ok? I don't want to, I want to marry you and look out for you, but if you've made up your mind..."

Albert moved away and joined the others at the bar. He passed the CD box to Mickey. "We're going for it," he said and looked back at the bird and the jail-bird. "But not for a while yet. Let them say hello to each other again."

Sarah and Matty were lost in their reunion. They didn't notice the others leave and when Eddie collected the empty glasses he pressed a key into Matty's hand. "From Ash." He stage whispered. "Welcome home."

"Dammit. Too slow." Sarah leaned back, yawned and cracked her fingers behind her head. "They've caught up already. I should have done this yesterday but instead I got distracted somehow." Matty smirked from the sofa but decided to remain silent. They had spent a night at a hotel at Ash's expense and had only arrived back at the flat before lunchtime.

"Problems?" asked Stacie, coming to stand behind her.

"The keys I had, they're no good. They've realised they've gone. I need another password."

"…and how can we get that?"

"Torture this Petrie guy," suggested Matty cracking his knuckles. "Make the bastard suffer."

"Matty, I think we were going for subtle." Stacie said. "Mind you…" an idea began festering in her mind.

"Are you both sure you want to do this?" Mickey was worried that the pair of them had agreed to the job without thinking it through. "You both could get hurt."

"Michael, I've been driving cars since I was twelve. I think I can crash one pretty well by now but I really think Ash has walked out in front of more cars than is good for him. I'm sure there's been some lasting damage."

"Less damage doing the Flop than sitting next to you driving, mate."

The good humoured banter continued as Stacie appeared. "Matty, you swerve to avoid Ash and hit Petrie in his car. Make sure he gets out and we'll take it from there. We need his briefcase and then we're out. Danny picks you both up. Any questions?"

Matty: "do you want me to give him fake details? I don't have any spare at the moment, you know, just having got out of chokey."

"Already covered." Albert passed him a wallet. "Took me a while to find someone as ugly as you, but I persevered."

"Thanks, Albert. I love you too. Danny, what's your driving like? Is it better than Mickey's?"

"Well, I passed my test first time."

Ash looked at Matty. "He has a future as a driver, too."

"You're trying to upset me, and to think we'll be family soon."

"So she did say yes then?"

"Not exactly yes or no…"

One briefcase later they all sat around it, consulting its depths.

"So, what's the joke?" asked Danny.

Stacie let him in. "Matty never took a driving test."

"I'll have you know I was the best driver in my group…at the young offenders' institution. I never liked tests. I learned to drive a tractor at my father's stables and it all went wrong from there."

"Perhaps you should have stuck to tractors then, Matty." Sarah sighed. "Then I wouldn't have had to live without you these last twenty two months and keep you out of trouble for the next fourteen."

He put his arm around his girl. "But then I'd never have met you and you would have lived without me for ten odd years. That would have been far worse for you." She wriggled in response to the comment and he kissed her loudly on the top of her head before letting her go.

Danny shook his head. "Are you two always like this?"

"Yes, but not normally quite this bad. You have to bear in mind they've been separated for quite a while." Albert looked at Matty and waited for his reply.

"Sorry – forgot this was work and not a family reunion." He began to look serious and watched Sarah go back to her computer.

They each took a handful of paper and tried to make a password from the contents. Sarah sat impatiently waiting for them, frustrated at not being able to join in.

"What are we looking for?" Albert asked.

"A fourteen character password possibly containing both words and numbers." Sarah drummed her fingers on the table. "Might look like an address, or date of birth, birthday, that sort of thing."

It went quiet for a while. Sarah ran a random generator program in a fruitless attempt to break the code. The last password she had found out had been an address, the only one that didn't make sense to Petrie's computer address book.

Danny looked up. "What about this." He held it out to Stacie. "It doesn't make sense. Why keep this newspaper cutting?"

"Ascot House fire." Stacie read it aloud. "You live at …"

"I tried fireascothouse, but not the other way around. It seemed to be a pointless shot in the dark." She went back to the table. "Keep reading, there may be something else there we can use." The sound of tapping keys became the only noise in the apartment. She used the phrase as a keyword and ran the program again.

A few minutes later a tinny fanfare announced that one of her searches was successful. "Thanks gang – I'm back in. Have you got those account details, Stacie?"

Stacie read them out and the funding trust was emptied to a Swiss account. They had made just over a million pounds in a matter of minutes. Mickey moved over to watch.

"How are you going to hide it from there?"

"Route a message back to the originator as an admin error. Tell them the wrong details were quoted, but not send it back. Then send it on to another Swiss account. From that one to a Cayman account via the Philippines. Then route it back as US dollars to Switzerland and a third Swiss account. Easy when you know how and put a few delays in place."

"But we're losing on exchange rates aren't we?" asked Danny.

"What's a couple of tens of thousands when we're moving a million? You can't leave it the same amount, far too obvious. I'm not really after the prison experience that so many of us have enjoyed during our careers." She kept on tapping. "Do you want the million or not, Danny? I can always send it back."

Danny held up his hands in defeat. He forgot she couldn't see him and Stacie saw his gesture. She put a hand to her eyes and he realised what he had done. "Sorry, you know best." Danny looked gratefully at Stacie.

"Just like driving a getaway car." muttered Matty. He was still reading the contents of the briefcase and didn't like what he found. "Always abandon it in the obvious places but out of range of CCTV."

"That subject is currently off limits, Matt." His potential brother in law reminded him.

"Sorry, I forgot. Sarah, it says here that they have got someone on suspicion of arson. Do you know anyone named Warrener?" Matty asked.

"No, but Billy was talking to someone called Warrener a few weeks ago."

Ash looked at her in surprise. "How do you know?"

"I heard him on the phone – they weren't after Billy were they?" she looked concerned. "He stayed with me for a few days until I threw him out for leaving his stuff around for me to fall over. Then when he'd gone I found out he'd moved everything in my food cupboard… I should be secretly glad my flat burned down, I was getting sick of opening canned peaches for baked beans. I don't know where he moved to, he's sulking. He hadn't spoken to Ma either by last Tuesday."

"Maybe this Billy paid Warrener to do it." Danny commented.

Ash spluttered: "he'd better not have."

Matty laughed softly. "You haven't met the rest of the Morgan family yet then, Danny? I'll see if I can find him." He stood and checked his pockets. "How many of you aren't speaking to him?"

Albert looked at Stacie. Mickey looked at Ash. Danny pulled a face. Only Sarah replied. "I only asked him to shift some boxes and he took offence."

"Right. So do you want me to drag him back here or not?"

For some reason everyone looked to Mickey. "He might be in trouble. Bring him back please, Matty."

The others went back into the briefcase.

Matty toured the bars and betting shops that Billy used to frequent. He saw old friends and made people aware he was out of jail. It took a few hours to find Billy in an old snooker hall.

The game was only for show. Both players knew the real reason for their meeting.

Billy was losing in style. Two heavies stood on guard at the end of the hall to make sure he didn't leave before paying his dues. But he didn't have any money and the game was drawing to an end. He gulped and looked for a way out.

"Pay up, Morgan." He was commanded by the insignificant man opposite him. "You know the terms."

"Remind me how much?"

"Well, it's built up a little. You give me a grand now and we'll trim the rest of the debt down to two more jobs. I can't say fairer than that without appearing soft in my old age, now, can I?"

"That's very fair. Shall we forget the grand and just make it three jobs?"

"On your recent performance, I'm afraid you don't make me a grand a job. It really is a shame about that." The man looked at him with a piercing eye. "Big shame if I have to collect another way."

"How much does he owe you?" Matty intervened. Billy looked at the man with interest. Was there a way out of his problem?

"Two and a half thousand pounds. The amount of aggro I've had collecting means I'd be happy to sell the debt to you for…three grand." The man looked pleased as Matty felt in his pocket. The heavies moved forward. "So if you could settle for him now, he'll still have his legs to walk out with."

Matty slapped a bundle of notes on the table. "There's five there. I need some information you may be able to help with. The Ascot House fire. Who started it?"

Billy's eyes opened wide and Matty shook his head a little.

The man leaned back. "A nice profit on my original loan… I sent one of my people there to persuade Mr Morgan to pay his debt, but there was no one in. He left his calling card, but apparently it just burst into flames…"

Matty grabbed Billy by the shoulder. "Thank you, Mr Warrener. I'll deal with this one now." He took the cue from the other man and broke it. The broken pieces were waved menacingly at Billy and he got the message that Matty wanted him to leave.

Their taxi ride was in silence for a few minutes.

"Don't let on about that, back there."

"Billy, you owe me five grand. Sarah and Ash will go mad if they get to know about this, but I won't tell them if you do something for me."

"What?" he had ceased to be suspicious. "A job?"

"Yeah – I want to know more on a Marco Petrie, works at Pegasus Industries."

"Found him," said Matty. "He's outside; now, no fighting with him, either of you."

Sarah called her brother as Matty opened the door. "Billy?"

He breezed in, as if he had never been away. "Hi Sarah, Ash. Everyone." He casually sat down and grinned at his brother. "What's up?"

"Sarah is homeless because of you – not content with making her life awkward with boxes – someone torches her flat just because you stayed there." Ash left the comment hanging in the air. "And what's all this I hear about moving her food around?"

"Sorry, I'll sort you out a new place, sis. What about the Century Development in Bridge Lane? Fancy a flat there?" he sidestepped the tins incident.

Matty made a space between Sarah and Billy. "We were going to need a house, near the school for after we're married." He waited for the silence to end and the congratulations to begin.

"You don't want to marry a car thief; I can put you in touch with loads of burglars." Billy grabbed her knee. "This is Ash's fault – keeping it within the family. Do you really want your kids to have engines for brains? When you change your name do you really want to be Sarah 'Mrs Petrol head' Holland?"

"That's it, is it? Your apology?" Ash tried to rise above the baiting but it didn't work. Billy shrugged his shoulders as he carried on. "Do you remember how long it took to get the flat sorted for her and you just let them burn it? And talking about brains, how come no one's spread yours over the ground yet? Someone called Warrener."

"Oh, that's old news." Billy said casually, looking at Matty. "Someone bought out my debt and I'm doing a job for them tonight… Sarah, where are you living then, if you're homeless? Not with the old misery here, surely?"

She gave a tired smile and leaned into Matty. "All I'm saying is that there isn't storage space."

Matty had sat silent for long enough. "Calling me a misery are you? Got a problem with what I do as well?"

"No way, man." He gave him a stare. "When's the stag do? Must make sure I'm not double booked. I've such a busy life at the moment. I'm Mr Popular, me."

"…why? Who's after you?" Mickey asked, walking over to the squabbling siblings. "If you're on the run from someone, it's only fair to let us know now, Billy."

"Believe me, Mickey, it's sorted now. Hi Stace – didn't see you there." He winked at her. She glared at him and left the room. Albert followed her. "She still can't take a joke then."

Danny coughed.

"Billy, you haven't met Danny yet. He's the one with the cough." Mickey waved Danny over. "I think I'll catch up with Stacie and let you enjoy the family reunion. See you all later...please don't kill each other and please stop bickering."

"Hi mate," said Billy.

"What's your thing?" Danny asked as they shook hands.

"Other people's property." Billy smirked. "To my brother's disgust. I let the family down, don't I, Ash?"

Ash gave him a piercing stare. "Yes, you do - frequently."

"It's not his fault he wasn't fostered with us, but it was a good thing in the end wasn't it? How did you expect him to turn out to be anything more than a thief?" Sarah tried to reason with him. He sighed in acknowledgement and she smiled before continuing. "Danny, Billy likes to be called a specialist security expert."

"Oh, right," said Danny. "Breaking and entering or something more elegant?"

"Cat burglar – one of a dying breed, I am." Billy tried to make himself more important.

Ash interrupted. "Mind the dogs..."

Stacie and Albert stood on the terrace. Albert turned to see who was joining them. He was glad it was Mickey. "Any problems?"

"They haven't killed each other yet, if that's what you mean." He breathed deeply. "He'll be out of here as soon as I can arrange it, Stacie."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not working with him, not after last time." She faced him, focusing on the room behind him. "I'm not saying it's him or me; I can be professional about this. I mean, he's Ash's brother and I don't want to disrespect Ash in any way. But…"

"I understand."

"No you don't because you weren't here. Billy is the most annoying bastard in the world; he's just waiting for his prize. And I'm not it."

Albert tried to soothe her with a few gentle words. She brushed them aside. "Albert, you saw him! How can you stick up for him?"

"I'm not, but you need to go beyond the experience. Grow from it."

She groaned in exasperation and went back inside.

"Albert, what exactly did he do…?"

Stacie tapped Sarah's hand to get her attention. "Shall we finish that shopping? I need to get out of here." She picked up the other girls bag. "Don't wait around for us, just do what you need to and go, Billy."

Sarah stood and was whisked away.

"Some girls don't appreciate a joke. You try hard to please them and where does it get you? Nowhere. Waste of time, me coming here, Matt. I'll do that job you wanted and we're square, right?" Billy commented as the girls escaped to shopping heaven.

"Right," said Matty. "What's all this about a joke?"

"I wrecked one of her scams. She nearly got caught. Albert saved the day. That's all."

This was the final straw for Ash. "That's all? No wonder she doesn't want to work with you. You're a liability."

"No, bro, she doesn't want to work with me because I broke into her room by mistake. She said if anyone was that stupid then they deserved all they got. She said I didn't do enough research. I got the wrong floor, that's all. She nearly broke my arm." He rubbed it without thinking.

"Let me check here – you've annoyed her TWICE?"

"Yes, that's about it." He looked at the rapidly shrinking distance between him and his brother. "Ash?"

"Bloody hell, Bill, you know by now, you don't screw with family."

Billy giggled nervously. "But it's OK for Matty though."

"Don't bring me into this. Sarah and I are sort of engaged." Matty leaned back and waited for the entertainment to begin. As Mickey and Albert came back in, Ash's hands connected with Billy's throat.

"That's enough!" shouted Mickey. "Ash, come with me. There's something I want to check with the casino job. Now!" he looked back at Billy. "This is going to be really hard for you, but for goodness sake behave yourself."

Billy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know why everyone wants to kill me."

Albert put his arm around the younger man. "Let me explain."

Danny and Matty were left looking at each other.

"How far have you got looking for a new place, seriously?" Stacie looked at her friend over the coffees they were drinking outside in the sun.

"I phoned a couple of estate agents, asked for some details for Matty to look at. I haven't had a chance to pick them up yet. I don't expect they have the details in Braille so I can read them." Sarah stirred the sugar in and looked glum.

Stacie looked at her homeless friend. "I'm sorry, this is tough on you."

Sarah sighed. "It's pride, Stacie. I just don't like people having to do things for me. Reminds me how helpless I am. Having to rely on other people wasn't the way I was brought up." She drifted into silence for a while. "I'd just got it how I wanted it. Knew where everything was…until Billy came to stay."

"I know he's your brother -"

"But he's a complete prat. I know. You know, Ash knows. Matty's bailed him out again and is pretending he hasn't. What am I going to do with him? He's been living on borrowed time for the last fifteen years. One day soon Ash'll put him in hospital if he doesn't upset someone else first." Sarah pushed her cup away and munched on the end of her biscuit.

"Don't let him stay in your new home." Stacie smiled and drained the last of her cup.

"Some hope - haven't found one yet."

Stacie looked at the estate agents window across the road. "There's an estate agent over the road, fancy a quick look?" She dragged the reluctant girl across the busy street

An hour later they were in an empty house.

"What about the layout? Can you -" Stacie watched Sarah feel her way around the ground floor and bit her tongue, knowing she was about to offend her friend.

"This room is about the same size as my entire apartment. We can't afford this." She said flatly.

"What about as a wedding present? From all of us?"

"That's…far too generous. And Matty needs to see this. It might not be right for him."

Stacie smiled. "He really doesn't care where or what it is. As long as he has you." She looked through the dirty window. "It needs a lot of work though. I'd suggest getting Billy to sort it out for you, until it's ready. Doesn't he have to make amends for the fire?"

Stacie explored the upstairs as Sarah went out to the yard. They decided it was time to go home. When they arrived there was no sign of Matty or Billy. Ash looked in a better mood and they were all playing cards. They listened as Stacie described the house they had seen.

Billy sat tapping the papers on his knee. "Let me get this straight. This guy that my sister was seeing for her eyes was conning her?"

"Apparently so. I didn't know anything about it – I was inside. What's your excuse?"

"Ash always sorted out her eyes." He stared out of the window. "Ash sorts out lots of things for Sarah, he never did for me."

"Jealous sibling time, is it? Remind me, what's the age difference between you?"

"He's five years older than me and nearly fifteen older than Sarah." He looked back at his companion wondering what he was getting at. "After we were fostered I didn't see either of them for nearly two years. Sarah wasn't a baby any more; she was a little person with her own ways and a lot of Ash's. I missed all that. It wasn't fair to split us up."

Matty started the car. "Don't you think then, that you ought to start making yourself useful rather than causing her bother? Do something to make her proud of you."

"Like break into Pegasus."

"It's a start."

The others had gone to bed leaving Mickey and Sarah watching TV. She stretched and yawned as the programme drew to an end. Mickey switched off the television.

"You didn't want me to leave that on did you? Are you waiting for Matty?"

"No way. They won't be back tonight; they need to sort out alibis." She reached for her book and paused. "I'll talk to Matty tomorrow about Billy. I don't want Stacie bothered by him and I don't want to upset your team. We'll find somewhere else for Billy to stay until this is settled."

Mickey nodded, forgetting she couldn't see him. "I think that would be best."

"There she is! Hey, Doc!" Sarah turned in surprise, trying to find where the voice was coming from. A gaggle of schoolgirls quickly surrounded her, separating her from Albert.

"What are you doing here, Miss?"

"We thought you'd left."

It was part of her fifth year class. She smiled in relief. "My flat burnt down. I'm looking for a new home. I'm back on Monday, so you get a couple of days to finish that work I set you."

"Will you help out with the show? We can't run it if there isn't a teacher involved."

"I thought that Mr Collins was doing it."

"He's sick. He's off with stress."

"How do you know that, Shelly?"

"We were in class and he went all funny, started writing on the board about his wife running off with someone. We were sent out and Dr Clay took him home."

"Oh. So you want me to go the same way then, do you?" Sarah smiled at her class. "Monday lunchtime we'll have a meeting. Do you want to let the others know?"

"Ok, Doctor Morgan. Doc, do we still have to do that boring story? Can't we do something more interesting?"

"You'll have to reuse the sets and a sighted teacher will have to check everything is safe, but I agree with you, I can't see the point of doing some ancient old play. Why do something no one wants to see? I'll see what I can arrange for you."

"Great! Can Scott play his guitar?"

"We'll sort this out next week. I'm sorry girls, but you've separated me from my friend. Can you see him?"

Albert was nonchalantly looking at a stall in the market. He had caught every word and came over. "Sarah, we have to go or we'll be late."

"Ok. Don't forget that work girls."

Albert took her elbow and walked her away. "Who was that?"

"Part of my tutor class. I seem to have got roped into the school production." She giggled. "They seem to think I know how to run one."

"Treat it like any other scam."

"I'll remember that, thanks Albert. I've lost my bearings. How much further is it?"

"Nearly there. By the way, has Ash been giving you lessons again? 'I'll see what I can arrange for you' indeed!" He was rewarded with a smile and they walked on in silence for a while until Albert took her along a path and rapped on the front door. A plump lady in her sixties opened the door.

"Well, well, Albert. Where've you been hiding yourself?"

"Here and there. I've bought you a visitor."

"Hi, Ma." Sarah stepped forward. The women caught her wrists and braced herself as Sarah overbalanced on the low step. "That damn step."

"Sarah, you should know by now that step is there. Where's your cane, young lady? I'm getting too old to catch you each time you come home."

Sarah reached out and hugged the other woman. "Yeah, yeah. Ma, I need to talk to you about Billy."

"Not in the street then. Come on in, both of you."

Matty and Billy were back at the flat, nursing headaches. Mickey looked at them twice as he walked in.

"Worth while was it?" he asked.

"I picked up some computer stuff. Where's Sarah? We need her to sort it out." Billy looked through his fingers and closed them again with a groan. "Matt, remind me never to drink again."

"We can't tell her until we know. If the lady isn't here is Ash around to translate this?"

After a bit of sweet talking, Sarah managed to get Matty out of bed and drop her off at school on Monday morning. He was more than a little annoyed not to spend more time with her but it didn't show as she went to work. As he drove back he saw a smart café bar that must have opened whilst he'd been away. He noted the name and decided to book a table for them later that evening.

He had a busy day ahead of him.

After a meeting with the head teacher Sarah's morning class went smoothly. She hadn't forgotten the show meeting and was surprised that there was so much noise coming from her tutor room.

It was packed. The girls had done a good job in spreading the word about the meeting and the original crew had been joined by about twenty others. The noise died down as she opened the door and she waited in the doorway for a moment. She had hoped for back up from another teacher but they had all shied away. She heard movement and realised they were moving away from her desk. She walked towards it and was glad to find it empty. She leaned back and rummaged in her bag for her lunch.

"Hmm, anyone want a sandwich?" she joked as the room was silent, "or do you want to talk about this production."

A faint muttering was heard. After a few moments a couple of girls nudged one of the boys and he spoke up. "Dr Morgan, we've been talking and we don't want to do that Shakespeare thing. Can we do something else?"

"Such as?" she asked cautiously.

"A musical." He was met with jeers. "Decent music though. Modern stuff."

"I think there should still be some acting, you know, a play or something." One of the girls joined in. "what about a story with some musical breaks, you know act in between songs."

Sarah unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite, letting them carry on.

"Pete's band has written a few songs. They're quite good."

There was more muttering from the acting supporters. "That modern folk rubbish?"

Sensing things were about to get out of control, Sarah decided to join in. "We won't get permission to do just anything. Can't it be tied in with one of your other subjects? What about a local theme? If the only music you've got is modern folk, what about a story based on the songs? Maxine, ask Pete nicely if he's got a tape of his music. If it's any good I may be able to find somewhere out of school for rehearsals."

"We can ask Mrs Jackson if we can make our history project local and use this for the story background."

Sarah sat back and finished her sandwich. Things seemed to be going quite well.

Matty waited in the reception for her with a silly big grin on his face. Sarah walked in with another teacher and they were laughing.

"Dr Morgan, there is a man here waiting to see you." The receptionist looked annoyed that he had disrupted her routine.

Matty stood up. "Sarah, you didn't forget that I was picking you up today?"

"How could I?" she kissed him on the cheek. "Matty this is Marg, Margaret Kaye. Marg, this is Matty Holland, my fiancé."

"Sarah, we didn't have any plans for tonight did we? Only I've arranged something."

"Oh, well I was going to cook something for us, but if you're going somewhere it can keep for another night."

Marg smiled at Matty. "I'll leave you to your plans. See you tomorrow, Sarah. Oh, Matty, if she cooks you something, check the tins for her. When she cooked me a meal it didn't quite go as planned. We ended up with rice pudding and tinned carrots."

"I said it wasn't my fault." Sarah replied indignantly. "Someone put them in the wrong place on the shelf."

"Thanks for the warning, Marg." Matty winked at the other teacher. "I've eaten Sarah's meals for a good few years and I'm still here. It's always good to be kept on your toes and I'm sure she does it on purpose."

"I'm going off you two." She pretended to be in a huff.

Marg went on her way and Matty checked Sarah had all her stuff. "I've booked a table for tonight. Just for us. I need to spend some time with you away from everyone else."

She looked embarrassed. "Matt, I don't have any money." She'd just paid Ash back out of the money she'd borrowed from him. He hadn't been amused that she was trying one of the oldest cons in the book on him.

"Don't worry. I've been collecting my wages."

Sarah was silent. She knew what that meant. He'd seen his brother and been paid for driving the getaway car that took him to prison. She hadn't forgotten his brother was the reason he went to jail in the first place and that he had only looked in on her once whilst Matty was in prison.

They drove home in silence.

"Hi Sarah," said Danny as they walked in. "Busy day?"

Matty tapped her wrist. "You've got thirty minutes. Race you to the shower." Sarah stopped indignantly and refused to play. Matty re-emerged and grabbed her around the waist and dragged her into their bedroom, making her giggle.

Danny shook his head after watching the caveman act. "How long was he inside?"

Albert wandered in from the kitchen. "Was that Sarah and Matty?"

"Yeah," said Danny. Albert had stopped by their bedroom door. "But Albert, I kinda think they're busy right now."

"Oh."

The bar was quiet. It was early and they nearly had it to themselves. Matty had found himself a suit and Sarah was wearing one of her new outfits bought on a recent expedition with Stacie.

"I was hoping you'd bought a dress," he muttered through the starter.

Not to be outdone she reached out and checked what he was wearing whilst they waited for the main course. "I was hoping you had a dinner jacket and bow tie."

"I didn't want to look like a bouncer."

"…and I didn't want to look like a tart," she said acidly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to make tonight special."

She was intrigued. It was their first meal together for nearly two years and he was concerned what she was wearing. At times she really wished she wasn't blind. She'd give anything to know what expression he was wearing on his face without him knowing, but there were some things that were not meant to be.

"I'm sorry too, Matt. We can go and look for one at the weekend if you like." She didn't add that she still didn't have any money. He knew. He also knew she'd never had a dress in her life, let alone worn one.

The dessert came and went and they were left nursing their coffees. Matty's hand strayed to his pocket and he remembered what had been so important. He reached for her hand across the table.

"Sarah," he began.

"What's up Matty?"

He lost his flow and started again. "Sarah, you know I want to marry you."

"Mmmm," she said to her coffee, making him struggle.

"I was going to give you this, you know, before…" he didn't say the obvious. "I had this made for you, we didn't have chance to sort anything at the time and I know you thought I'd forgot, but-"

"Hey, slow down. What is it?"

He took the ring from the box and placed it in her hand to examine. "I hope I got the spelling right. I can get them to change it."

She ran an index finger over it. It felt like a curtain ring. Matty saw her struggle and turned it on its side for her. Then everything became clear. "Oh, Matty." Sarah's eyes watered and she was overcome.

"I hope its right. Ash lent me one of your books."

"Oh, Matty." She still fingered the ring. "It's lovely. Can you describe it to me?"

"Its made of Welsh gold because of your family name, you must have been welsh some when; its supposed to say 'my lady' in Braille made up of tiny Irish crystals to symbolise my part in this." He took it from her. "And it won't be right until it's on the right finger."

She offered her left hand and he kissed it before putting the ring on her third finger. "I had no idea." She touched it gently and smiled again. "Thank you Matty."

"I've got another surprise for you." He handed her a piece of paper.

"A piece of paper. I take it that this has something written on it."

"I took a driving test today. I passed."

She reached up to his face and gently touched his lips... "You have been busy. Congratulations."

"I've kept my word and taken the test – even bought a car and got insurance. Can we set a date now?"

Their solitude was broken by a voice above. "I thought it was you, Sarah."

Albert met the man again. Mackenzie's was busy and he felt out of place in the yuppie bar. Realising his discomfort they moved to a quiet table to continue their conversation.

"Yes, well I've always been interested in early manuscripts. Thought they all had hidden treasure maps." The younger man explained his hobby. "Course I've got too many now, which is why I've decided to auction some. For charity, of course."

Albert's quick intelligence sized the man up. Although his mark thought he had roped the older man in, Albert knew exactly the con that was being played to him but he didn't know if he was working alone or with a team. Best to stay safe and let the man play him against the wall.

"Really? Would it be possible to have a private viewing?"

"I can arrange that. Give me a call tomorrow afternoon and I should be ready for you."

Albert could see the delaying tactic here, but it worked both ways. "Would it be alright if I brought my nephew? I don't drive, I'm afraid. He does a lot of chauffeuring for me, his mother likes him to stay out of trouble .He dropped me off here today."

The other man had no problems with this request and they agreed to meet the next day.

Mickey was growing exasperated. Danny was being temperamental and deliberately awkward. They had a tight deadline and were working a strange pitch. Stacie and Ash had gone for a look around but the others had to learn their lines.

"Danny if you want to play this as a sulky kid, you're doing a good job."

"Look, what's your problem?"

"My problem!?" he sighed. "Just take some pictures, alright? Try and get them in focus if you can for Ash. Albert, are you sure you don't want Matty for this?"

"He's already been seen with Sarah. Ash can't play it because he and Sarah look alike…"

"…in a bad light and if you squint a bit." Danny quipped.

"I've said nephew, so Stacie can't. Remind me what you were going to do?"

"I've got something planned." Their eyes met and Albert nodded.

"Right." Danny stared at Mickey. "And like I haven't?"

"Not like this, no. Just do it Danny, you said you were getting bored."

He sighed and eventually acquiesced.

The man took Albert and Danny on a tour of his office. Danny fidgeted and looked out the window and Albert glared at him. This was noticed by the mark and he smiled.

"Perhaps your nephew would be happier looking at some of our other artwork?" he opened another door and there were three pictures hanging in a dimly lit room. Eager to split them up, and pleased to see that Albert was looking longingly at a document, he turned his back on the older man.

Albert took the pictures that Danny refused to take and then looked at the others hung on the wall. He thought about the conversation with Billy and took a few photos with the security systems behind them. Just in case they might be useful.

After her morning class, Mickey brought Sarah back for some completely different work. Hoping for some peace and quiet he set up her equipment but their conversation turned to matters far away from the current job.

"…so I've got to oversee the school production!"

Mickey smiled. "Get Ash to help. Tell him you're putting up a big store and need his input."

"He's got other things on his mind, you know, with June. I don't feel happy lumbering him with another problem."

"It must worry him, in case his plate moves too." Mickey was hoping he'd find out how the team's fixer was feeling. He'd noticed he was more withdrawn than usual.

"Nah, he's more worried that Matty and I won't last and I'll get hurt. He doesn't want me to end up like him." She lapsed into silence after voicing what had previously just been a thought. Then she realised she had said too much and put a hand up to her mouth.

Mickey was concerned and stopped what he was doing to touch her. "Sarah? Is there a problem with you and Matty?"

"We've … we've just not been with each other for such a long time. You know what it's like when you've just got out. He's not giving me any space; in fact he's behaving like Ash and Billy do when they're feeling guilty for not being around for a while."

"Would you like me to talk to him?" Mickey knelt before her and squeezed her knee. "I'm sure he's only being protective."

She put a hand on his hand that was still on her knee. "That's the problem, Mickey, I don't like being protected. Just because I can't see doesn't mean I can't do anything for myself. I don't need my food to be cut up for me and I don't want anyone to stop me doing something I want to because they're frightened I might injure myself."

"But Sarah-"

She sighed in exasperation. "Mickey does anyone discriminate against you?"

"Because I'm-"

"Yes or no?" she insisted on a reply.

"I can't answer that, Sarah. Yes and no."

"Why do they? Because you're a man?"

"Because I'm black, Sarah." He looked curiously at her, wondering where this conversation was going.

"There are laws for Sex and Race Discrimination. There aren't any for the blind. Sorry, I'm not blind any more, am I? I'm visually impaired or is it sight challenged this week? The blind get lumped in with every other disability under the DDA and not enough people understand it yet to make it work."

"What brought this on?"

For once she thought before she answered. "Matty proposed properly last night." She held out her hand to show him the ring. "He gave me this. Its lovely and its Matty all over, but I've never had anything as girly as a ring before. I don't think I handled it very well."

"It's very nice."

"I don't want to let him down, Mickey. He's had these ideas of what we'd do when he got out, you know, buy a house, make a decent bit of money but he didn't ask me. He just took it for granted that I'd be grateful for him doing it for me." she thumped the cushion next to her in frustration.

"I'm sure that's not the case at all."

She went quiet again. Mickey could tell she was still bothered and refrained from talking about the work they had intended to do. He waited.

"I don't want his pity."

"He loves you. Haven't you realised after all this time? Do you want to give him back the ring then?"

She twirled it on her finger. "No."

"Sarah-"

"I've been offered a research position." She put her head in her hands. "I applied last year and I didn't think I'd get it, but I have – they kept my details on file. I haven't told anyone yet, Mickey, so please…."

"Do you want me to congratulate you? You don't look very pleased about that either."

"Matty'll go mad."

"Why?"

"I applied after he went down. I wanted something to take my mind off of things. I haven't told him I applied let alone that I've got a chance at a higher teaching job."

Mickey moved to a chair. This wasn't over and his feet were going to sleep. "What was your research topic?"

"Probability theory for cracking a safe and its application in relation to security products."

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard. When we were living in the van, Ash got me a small safe door and used to set the combinations and get me to unlock it. Kept me quiet for hours, it was better than a Rubik cube. I'm a bit out of practice so I put it on my application."

Mickey laughed to himself and looked at his companion. "And Matty doesn't know you want to write about cracking safes?"

"No, but he'll say I can't do it because he'll worry that I'll get into trouble."

"He might not."

"He will because I'll have to tell him that I did a job for Ma with the safe from the security van that his brother robbed…that he got sent down for."

"You're serious about this aren't you?"

"It may be better if I turned down the post."

"I think I like the sound of Professor Sarah Morgan."

"That's another problem, so do I." she smiled. "But I also like the sound of Professor Sarah Holland. Whichever name I end up with won't have the Professor label for quite a while though."

Mickey smiled at her. "You enjoy teaching don't you?"

"More than I thought – and I like the local school. Reminds me what I missed out on. I don't want to leave there either."

"You won't have to worry if I don't get you back in time. We have work to do, lady."

Billy went to the cash machine and asked for a balance. He thumped it in disbelief when he saw he had no money left in his overdraft. It was time for some creative thinking.

He went to find where Marco Petrie lived. Perhaps something would turn up.

Mickey and Sarah sat surrounded by timers and cards. She had left a tape recorder running as they worked in case they missed something. Ash and Stacie sat back and watched them. Matty had dropped them off and then said he was going to meet someone. They didn't know when he'd be back.

"Play it then." Sarah ordered. "Just talk it through and we can analyse it later".

"What do you want to know?" Mickey had watched her work before but had never read a tape to her. Ash saw his problem and took over.

"We've walked into the hall. There are a number of tables in a circle around the walls. In the middle is a roulette wheel."

"Is it busy?"

"No. There are about four tables with no one at them. Dealers are waiting for business."

"Which table did Albert play?"

"Second on the left. He sat through five hands. Do you want me to call them?"

"Not this time."

Mickey took over. "There was a lot of noise from the next table. The punter had taken them for six grand or thereabouts. He's gone to cash up."

"Where is it in the room?"

"At the back." Mickey said.

Ash elaborated. "Furthest left corner. There are two teller positions. The counting area is screened off. You can only see the cash in bundles."

"So they could have set up their own big store." She thought out loud. "Any note counters or uncounted money?" she was answered with silence as the men stared at the screen.

"Sarah! Surely not!" Stacie was alarmed at the suggestion. They had no intention of wrecking another team's con.

"I hadn't thought of that," said Mickey. "It could be, you know. There aren't any uncounted notes that I can see."

Sarah looked thoughtful. "Could someone call the hands now? I'd like the deals timed."

Stacie called out the values of the cards on the table as Mickey timed the dealer. Ash watched the scene again, this time more intently.

"Albert's dealer is too slow." Sarah knew that the dealer's aim was to take as much money as he could during his time at the table, so hands had to be dealt quickly. "He's not a pro."

"He's a she, Sarah." Stacie picked up a point the men had missed. "There's a woman dealing." She went on to describe her and Sarah became more puzzled. She knew most of the local female dealers and this one didn't sound familiar. Just as they moved to examine Mickey's table Matty returned.

"Busy?" he grabbed Sarah's shoulders as he came in. She put her hands on his and he kissed her on top of her head.

"Where've you been?"

"Went to see a few people. Eddie's was quiet. He said to tell you it would be ok to use the back room during the day, but he needs it back by six, or six thirty at the latest." He looked at the frozen image on the television. "Oh, this is it, is it?"

"The new casino."

He looked more closely. "That's a familiar face there in the background, but I can't put a name to it. Ash, do you know who it is?" he pointed at the picture and seeing the other man puzzle over it, he moved over to the screen and put his finger on the face.

Ash moved over to join him. "Charlie Meeks."

Stacie asked: "are you going to let us know who he is?"

"He's a policeman," Sarah said mildly. "Billy smacked him when he was arrested last time. After they let him go, Billy was beaten up one night on the way home from Eddie's. Pure coincidence?"

"…and that's another old friend." Ash looked at Matty. "But that's…"

"Robbie Prince."

Although Mickey had been following the conversation he was lost now. "What are you saying?"

Ash looked grim. "Either Robbie doesn't know there's a copper in the house, or he does and something bad is about to happen. Key Street is Hartley territory. Something is going on here, something more than a new casino."

Matty unexpectedly had the answer. "Ma said Robbie had been set up in a new business nearby and she was worried about him. He's got a short fuse at the moment; things aren't going to plan apparently."

"Charlie Meeks always was a devious sod. Sounds like he's interested in finishing off the Hartley/Prince squabble for good." Ash's eye was drawn from Matty to Sarah. "Where did you hide Billy?"

"Ma's," said Sarah. "Out of the way... so I thought."

"I'm sorry to say we might need his services again."

Albert and Danny had got there first. They found Billy playing football in the street with a load of kids. They jeered him as he left the game. He gave them a rude gesture as a parting shot.

"I thought you were keeping a low profile." Albert asked.

Billy shrugged his shoulders. "I need the business. The economy's not good to the self employed these days."

"So you'd have a space in you diary for some work in the near future."

Billy grinned. "In the very near future would be better for me."

"We understand you've already broken into Pegasus for Matty. What did you get on Petrie?"

"He likes old bits of paper. Looks like a load of rubbish to me but he's got more security on them than on the rest of the building. I brought a load of computer stuff out and Ash was going to go through it some when."

He looked at the sky. "Course I went through his house as well but there was nothing worth pinching. Just books and more paper."

Danny smiled at him.

"No, no. you don't want me to get into those high spec rooms in his office do you?" seeing the others expressions didn't change, he realised what they wanted him to do. "What do you want me to nick?"

"…maybe not nick, just mislay for a while…" Albert thought creatively.

Sarah sat at the bar and held her head. "Sorry about the noise, Eddie. The show's on next week and some of them are getting the shakes already."

He passed Sarah her usual drink. She took a grateful mouthful of icy mineral water and turned as the noise stopped. "If I put some money behind the bar, would you let them order their own soft drinks, Eddie?"

"So they can pretend they're grown up?"

"Isn't that something we all do? And grifters most of all?"

He smiled at her and carried on drying glasses. "there's never much trade on a Thursday afternoon. I'll put the private function sign up for you, how about that?"

"You're a star." She pulled herself away from the bar and went to find out why the noise had stopped. She found them having an argument.

"Hey, why has everything gone quiet?" The argument stopped and it went even quieter. "I've arranged with Eddie that you can all have a drink from the bar, a soft drink Simon before you knock me down in your rush. Five of you can go at a time."

She held the door open and counted them through. After giving Eddie a few minutes to serve them she let another five and followed with the rest. They pulled chairs around her and apologised for the disagreement.

"So, do you think we're ready then?" Sarah asked her students.

"Yes, miss."

"No problem." another said.

She was glad they were feeling confident, which was more that she was. They had talked her into playing the piano for them and she had been practising on Eddie's old piano when he'd been quiet.

"What do you think about tickets? Should we sell them or give them away?"

"A fiver each." Simon the drinker said.

"The rest of the fourth year wants to know what we've been doing, they'll pay." Shelly nudged her younger sister. "Won't they?"

"How many in the audience, Pete?"

"We could get a hundred and fifty in."

Sarah thought for a moment. "There'd be nothing worse than charging people and find they walk out. Why don't we have a free first show for the school then charge friends and parents if we do another one?"

They mulled that over. "If we did one hundred and fifty and charged them a fiver we'd be rich." One of them said confidently. "We'd have lots of money."

They talked amongst themselves for a while.

Eddie came over and picked up the empty glasses. "What are you going to do with all this money you're going to make then?" he asked the kids.

They looked at each other and then at Shelly.

"We'd like to give it to Doctor Morgan's blind club."

Sarah interrupted. "No, please don't. You'd offend a lot of people."

"Ok then." She looked at the others. "Plan B – we'd like to sponsor a guide dog."

Eddie patted Sarah on the shoulder as he picked the last glass. "Nice kids you've got here. Still, you need to sell a lot of tickets to buy a dog."

Sarah shook her head in sorrow. "You don't buy a dog, Eddie." She looked towards her students. "You don't have to do this; don't you want to put it in the youth club project or something for the school?"

"No, miss." Simon spoke this time. "You're the best teacher we've had in a long time. Other teachers just left after a while but you've stuck us the whole year. You could earn more money in a posh school but we want you to stay here."

"We'd never have known that blind people can do normal things if you hadn't come here and we'd like to give someone else the chance to be able to live normally."

Sarah was touched but covered it with a joke. "You lot have a funny definition of normal… now I think it's time we let Eddie have his bar back."

"I'm glad you came back to me. Of course, I will withdraw it from the auction if you are genuinely interested in it." The man looked pleased with himself.

Albert smiled at him. "Maybe I'll wait until the auction to get a better price."

The man's expression turned to concern at Albert's reluctance to complete the deal.

Albert carried on. "I have clients who may be interested in your auction, but they'll need to see the item. Surely you'll put them on display?"

"They will be from Tuesday, at Hampshire's book store."

The first show went better than expected and they charged at the door for the second … And the third the following night. In all they had made fifteen hundred pounds. The kids still wanted to give the money to the guide dog appeal and thought they had enough to sponsor one. When Sarah said they needed seven thousand to cover the costs, the kids were a little disappointed. They wanted to go out and find five and a half thousand pounds.

The other teachers had seen what Sarah had done with the children's morale and how they had this sudden urge to help others, they were keen to let it continue.

In other lessons, the 'helping others' initiative was continued. The kids suggested a number of sponsored ideas, a car wash and boot sale. The summer holidays were only a little way away and the teachers left the kids with the money making ideas to see what they came up with over the summer break.

Sarah, meanwhile, was arranging a trip to Earl's casino. Matty was reluctant to take her but she convinced him it would be a good night out. When he found out that she wanted to make some money to put in the school fund he was even more reluctant.

"Any sign of trouble, we're out of there." He watched her nod. "I mean it Sarah. If Charlie Meeks is plotting something with Robbie Prince or if it is a Hartley big store we are leaving before they notice us."

"Matty, you're being a spoil sport. If you don't want to come I'll take Marg and we'll get a cab."

He sighed, knowing she was firmly fixed on going and nothing he said was going to talk her out of it. All he could do was protect her, to be her eyes and to find some escape routes in case of trouble.

Billy waved at Danny from the other side of the street. Acknowledging his wave with a crisp nod, he then grinned at Mickey, who shook his head in exasperation. Sarah emerged from the shop Billy was lounging outside. She had two very full large bags. Danny looked again in surprise. She was using her stick and was wearing an unattractive pair of shades. She was acting the typical blind person. Billy took the bags from her and led her to the edge of the pavement.

"Still want to run with this?" Mickey asked Danny.

"I can't see how it'll work. You steal her bags, I pick her up, and Billy runs after you." Apart from causing a disturbance he couldn't see the reasoning behind the exercise. "What am I missing?"

"Matty's around the corner to pick us both up. Ash, Albert and Stacie are in place to liberate the manuscript from the bookshop as a separate scam. The additional diversion will cover their escape, they can walk away if need be." He looked at his trainee. "We all have a way of stopping this. Sarah can give a bag back to Billy. Billy doesn't cross the road. I don't take her bags. You walk by and don't pick her up. Billy doesn't run after me. If any of us sees a danger for the others, we stop and walk away."

Danny looked back across the road. Sarah and Billy were arguing. She was demanding her bags back and he reluctantly gave in. They began crossing the road and waited at the central island.

Then things did not go to plan.

A 4x4 shot around the roundabout. It had no intention of stopping; instead it swerved violently towards the island. Billy saw it coming and moved Sarah to his other side. He pushed her down without warning and she cried out, catching her head on the pedestrian railing and banging it on the ground. The railing bent to shield her but the car carried on over her. The railings protected her a little, but Billy was not so lucky. A sickening crunch was heard as it passed over his lower body.

"Tell me I didn't see that." Danny said in a strained voice. "This wasn't in your plan was it?"

"No." Mickey looked down the road towards the bookshop. Ash had also been in the street and had witnessed the gory decimation of his family; he broke into a run towards them.

The world passed in slow motion as Danny called an ambulance.

"Danny, get Matty here. He's parked around the corner. Tell him the job's off." Mickey waited for a gap in the traffic to find out the extent of their injuries. He met Ash in the middle of the road.

"There's an ambulance coming. Go to Billy, I'll see to Sarah." Mickey ordered the confused man, forcing him into action. Sarah was unconscious, her arm bent at an odd angle but it was the blood pouring from her head wound that worried him. He felt for the bag behind him and pulled out the contents. They were already ruined so he used some of the fabric to clean off the blood.

"What a pretty jacket." Matty murmured. Mickey turned in surprise. Time was playing its tricks. How had he got here so soon? "I didn't know she was buying her wedding dress here. She's dead, isn't she? We haven't been back to see her eye specialist yet either. She isn't dead, she can't be."

"No she isn't. Not yet anyway. Hold this on her head and don't move her." He glanced around for Ash, worried he was as shocked as Matty. "I'm going to check on Billy."

Ash was stroking Billy's head. "Don't die, Bill. Please don't die." He didn't know if he should move him so just kept talking to him. "Little brothers are supposed to be a pest aren't they? What am I going to do if you die, huh?"

Billy groaned in pain.

"And we didn't finish that argument about who was going to give her away. We need to get this sorted." Ash was gabbling and he knew it. For the second time in his life he was unscathed as his family was injured around him and he just gabbled. Life wasn't fair.

Mickey looked over his shoulder. "How -" he could see the mangled lower part of Billy's body and the pool of blood that emerged from a gash above his groin. Instead he changed the subject. "Sarah's unconscious. She fell badly and caught her head on the railings. I think she has a dislocated shoulder."

A paramedic moved him away and left Ash with his damaged brother.

"What's his name?"

"Billy." Habit made him hesitate before giving the family name. "Billy Morgan. He's my brother."

"Hello Billy, can you hear me?"

Billy groaned again, this time more weakly.

"You'll be fine." The paramedic pulled the mangled material away to see the injury and began packing it to slow the bleeding. "What do you do for a living, Billy?"

"Ladders and windows." He rambled.

"You clean windows do you? Might be a while until you go back up a ladder, but we'll get you to hospital now. You'll be fine." Ash would have smiled if he hadn't realised how much of Billy's blood he was sat in.

Sarah felt the bandages about her head. She wished the headache would go away and raised a hand to connect with the painful area. From the snoring in the corner she knew someone was nearby but she couldn't work out who it was or how she got into the hospital.

"Hello? Can you be quiet, please?"

Matty moved like a shot. "Sarah, it's me. You're going to be all right."

She went rigid. "Sorry, who are you? Where's my brother?"

Matty's eyes opened wide. "I'll, I'll get him for you…what's his name?"

"Ash, no not Ash he's inside. My other one. Billy. Billy Morgan."

"I'm not sure if I know him. Describe him to me. How old is he?"

"Ten years older than me, so he's twenty-five. Weedy looking. Dark hair. Big mouth. No brains." She reeled off the description as if she had been taught it.

"I'll see if I can find him." Matty left slowly and let the door close behind him. He sagged against the wall with tears in his eyes. Stacie rubbed his shoulder in sympathy. She was bringing him a coffee.

"Matty?"

"She doesn't recognise me. She thinks she's fifteen and Ash is in prison. I can't tell her about Billy if she's like this." Stacie pulled him into a hug.

"They did say that there would be some confusion until the swelling goes down. I'll get Ash to her. Can you sit with Billy while he sees her?"

Matty pulled a sad smile and allowed himself to be led away.

The door opened again in Sarah's room. "Sarah?"

She put her head up in confusion. "Ash? How?"

"Sit still and listen to me. I know you've got a headache and things are a bit strange for you but you need to know -"

"Know what?"

"You're not fifteen; you're nearly thirty. There was an accident. You and Billy were both hurt; you've a bad head injury. Billy's in intensive care. The man that was here earlier was your fiancé, Matty."

She sank back into the pillows. He finished with: "it doesn't look good for Billy. He might not walk again, so I can't be with you both at the same time, can I? So get some sleep and don't upset Matty."

"Yes Ash." She said meekly. "Ash-"

"Not now, Sarah." He growled and closed the door.

Danny passed him a packet of cigarettes and he took one gratefully. They sat in silence whilst they smoked.

"Why did this have to happen?" Ash put his head in his hands. "My sister thinks she's living in 1989 and my brother's looking at the rest of his life in a wheelchair."

"One blind and one crippled." Danny lit another fag and again passed the pack to Ash.

"The blindness I'm used to." He lit up again. "Matty looking at me as if I can fix all this, that I'm having a problem with. Have you seen Albert around?"

"Albert?"

"Sarah knew him then. Hopefully she'll remember him. Matty's miserable because she didn't know him until just before her eighteenth birthday – her memory is out by a few years and she thinks she doesn't know him." He took another long drag. "Billy's connected to more bits of machinery than I care to think about. Oh God, this is worse than when my parents died."

Danny patted him on the shoulder. "I can't say I know what you're going through, 'cos I don't. Can I do anything?"

He realised that he was genuine in his offer but there was still nothing that anyone could do. He shook his head with regret. "Thanks for the offer, Danny, but no one can do anything right now."

Sarah's headache had not abated. Albert talking continually had not helped and she wondered how she could politely tell him to shut up. A nurse appeared and saved her the bother.

"Sarah, I'm here to change your bandages."

"Would you like me to leave, nurse?" asked Albert, offering Sarah hope of some peace.

"No, this won't take long." She began unwinding the crepe bandage, leaving a pad above her right eye. Albert could see a pronounced dent in the side of her head and when the pad was removed there was a red matted mess below. "Hmm, I need a new pad on this. How does it feel?"

"I've got a really bad headache."

"Anything else?"

"It's in my head and down my face. My shoulder hurts too. Why can't I have a pain killer?"

"I'm sorry, you have to go back to theatre soon and it will affect the anaesthetic."

Albert had to find out more. "Why is-"

"Plate, Albert. Like Ash's." Sarah mumbled as the nurse touched a painful part.

"That's right, Sarah. It will put some structure back on your skull because your fractured bones had to be removed when you came in. Your brain had swelled up where you knocked your head. So when they put the plate in and stitch you up again, then I can give you a pain killer."

"Sorry Albert, if I get as miserable as Ash."

"Don't worry. Just get better." He watched her sink into the pillows and followed the nurse from the room. "She still thinks she's living in the past. Will she get her memory back after the operation?"

"I can't guarantee that, I'm sorry."

"Mr Morgan?"

Ash came to with a start. "Mmmm. Yes. What's happened?" he unwrapped himself from the plastic chair that had become his new bed.

"Nothing to worry about. Your sister's operation went well, the plate's in place. She'll have-"

"Bad headaches and a bad temper for a while." He smiled at the surprised nurse. "Someone hit me with a chair about ten years ago." He touched the tender spot on his head. "I had a plate put in too. It seems that some of our family have fragile heads."

"Ten years? You're sure it wasn't longer?"

"No, why?"

"Sarah remembers you have a plate, but she thinks she is fifteen years in the past. That's a good sign if there's a conflict in her memories...it gives us something to work with."

Ash looked at the door he was sleeping outside. "…and what about Billy?"

"No change there, I'm afraid. It's a matter of waiting."

Matty paused as he heard voices.

"Why the hell didn't someone tell me?"

"Like Billy or I was in a position to? If you want to interrogate Ash, he's been living outside Billy's room since we were admitted."

"Ma Prince phoned me because she thought I should know. Why couldn't you have?"

Matty opened the door, wanting to know who she was arguing with. He pulled it to again when he saw the man's uniform.

"OK then Rich, you go and see Ash and Billy, make yourself feel better and then go away again." She took a deep breath. "We don't want you to ruin your career by hanging around us for too long."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Sarah, you know it's not like that at all."

Matty had heard enough and marched in. "Hello, my sweetheart," he said. He walked over to her ignoring the other man and kissed her on the lips. "How's the head?"

"Hurts like mad, Matt. You haven't met Rich have you?" She held out her hand to the stranger. "We don't talk about Rich, he ran off and joined the army when he was sixteen; he's in the Military Police now. Rich, Matty's my fiancé."

Matty looked at him slightly confused. Sarah continued, "Rich is my middle brother. He's straight and doesn't approve of any of us. Watch what you say. He might arrest you if he hears we're planning something."

"It's not like that, Sarah-" began Rich.

"To think I've known them all this time and thought there was only the three of them." Matt held out his hand. The other man shook it. "You're the black sheep, then."

"More like a white sheep born in a flock of black ones. She didn't mention you to me either." Sarah's brother took a good look at him and confessed, "We only manage to talk on average about every few months. I'm not stationed in the UK."

"The uniform startled me. I thought you were taking her away."

"Uniform!" Sarah exclaimed. "Richard!"

"I'm here on compassionate leave; I've come straight from work. Sorry, I was worried about you both. Perhaps I shouldn't have wasted my time. That wouldn't have been right either, would it?" He began rummaging in his bag and pulled out his civvies. The room's occupants ignored him as he changed.

Matty had to comment to her, "Nice to see you're better now, lady. Remind me what year it is?"

She was confused. "What are you going on about Matt? Someone banged you on the head now have they?"

"It doesn't matter," he smiled. She pulled back the covers and swung herself up. "Where do you think you're going, lady?"

"Referee Ash and Rich. Are you ready Rich? Come on." She waited for him to take her arm and swayed with the effort. Matty found a wheelchair in the corner and made her use it. All three headed off to see Billy.

Ash didn't see them coming. He was looking through the glass into his brother's room, just staring. Another cold cup of coffee in his hand, he looked like he had been living there for weeks.

"Ash?" Sarah called out to him uncertainly as the wheelchair slowed. He turned in surprise, not aware she was allowed out of bed. "Don't go too mad, but Rich's here."

"I haven't the energy to… Just happened to be passing were you?" he asked nastily to his brother.

"Something like that." He moved next to Ash and looked in at their brother. "How bad is it?"

"His pelvis was crushed. He had internal bleeding. He might be paralysed. He certainly won't be climbing in people's windows in a hurry."

"Look, before we go any further with the snide comments, I'm not passing judgement on what you do – I'm here for Billy. Just don't involve me in anything illegal." There was an undeclared truce between them for a while. Sarah held Matty's hand enjoying the peace until a nurse caught them and took her back to her room.

"We need to do something." Danny was bored.

"Such as?" Stacie asked. "We can't help at the hospital and the casino needs looking at again to see if it's a set up, but Ash and Matty have their hands full."

"What about the house you saw, Stacie? Is it worth looking at?" Albert had the beginnings of an idea. "If we worked on that, it might take our minds off the accident."

"Sarah wasn't sure. She thought it was too big, but there was another one in the next street that was smaller. When I described the layout from the estate agents details she said it sounded familiar." Stacie looked at Albert. "She said it was like Billy's foster mum's house."

"Well, apart from the front step she's fine there. Let's go and see it, Stacie."

"Mickey, what do you think?"

"Well, she's due her share of the Pegasus job, but I think you should bring Matty along. Give him a break from the hospital. I wanted to speak to him tonight anyway."

"So, you really don't have any other brothers hiding away somewhere?" Matty used his serious voice on her.

She laughed. The painkillers were working and she felt fine. "No. I never knew Rich very well, he was fostered with Billy. When he joined up I was only three. He'd only really been a voice on the phone until my eighteenth birthday. Remember the party Ma threw for me? Just about every con man and thief in London was there. He didn't know where to look."

"I realised Ash and Billy were your brothers, I just thought Rich was a friend of Billy's."

"Ash never forgave him for running out on us but then the pair of them never did get on. Rich and Billy are very alike and you know how Billy winds Ash up. Perhaps it was a good thing after all that we didn't all stay up together." She felt for his hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry to drag you through all this. You don't need the entire Morgan family history rammed down your throat."

"When I was joking to Ash about being family, well I never expected this." He admitted after a pause. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" he didn't bother waiting. "Why did Ash take you away from your foster family and take you scamming? You had everything you needed there surely? Didn't they take you on when you were a baby?"

She moved her hand away and leaned back into the pillows. "Oh, Matt." She struggled to find a way not to answer the questions and hoped for a miracle to walk into the room. It did, his name was Ashley.

He had heard the questions and knew her reluctance to answer. "Matty, Sarah." He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. "Good news, Billy's out of the coma. He's breathing on his own and things are looking much better for him." He looked across at Matty. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No," said Sarah.

"Yes," said Matty. He noticed her reluctance. "Why did you take -?"

He raised a hand. "I heard. Sarah?"

She didn't answer.

"Sarah, he deserves to know." Ash said gently, "and I'm going to tell him."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not here. I don't want to be reminded of it." She sniffed the air and changed the subject. "Aren't you due for a shower? Matty, would you take him home please, and clean him up a bit for me?"

Matty sat behind the steering wheel waiting for the reply. They sat in silence whilst Ash organised his thoughts. "I know you've slept together."

"We don't need your permission."

"Did you see her back?"

"She told me it was when the acid was thrown at her."

He pulled a wry smile. "She was beaten by our foster father. He hit her with a belt with a big silver buckle… I came home and found him half killing her for breaking a cup."

Knowing how easily things broke around Sarah when people tried to help without telling her, this was not a surprise. Matty nodded. "Special cup was it?"

Ash glared at his sense of humour. "She was unconscious when I got there. She had lost so much blood she needed a transfusion and the bastard got away with it. She doesn't remember much after he dragged her down the stairs and hates to talk about it." His face softened. "She's spent far too much of her life in hospitals, Matty."

"But surely-"

"It wasn't fair on a nine year old kid to be dumped in another kids home. It wasn't her fault things turned out the way they did. Rich was in the army, he couldn't take her. Billy – well I wouldn't trust Billy to look after a hamster let alone a blind kid."

He stared into time for a while before he carried on. "Billy and Rich were fostered by the Prince family so they didn't have too much disruption with changing schools and losing their friends. Sarah and I were the rejects. I made sure we weren't separated. I had this feeling I'd lose the rest of my family."

Matty looked at him. "Sorry. I shouldn't have pried." He apologised belatedly for bringing up the subject. Ash shook himself from his reverie.

"So every time she's a pain in the arse and goes off somewhere, you can blame me for making her too streetwise. Sarah was fourteen when Billy and I were both sent to jail. Ma Prince said she'd take her in as a favour to Billy. She didn't know what she was taking on. Sarah visited me in jail each Wednesday for over a year. I thought she was being brought by someone but she did it on her own. Ma thought she was in school. The school thought she was having special lessons. You know what she was like when I got my second sentence because you were around then."

"Hey, mate, I'm sorry for bringing this up. I only wondered why she'd missed so much school." Matty started the engine. "At times she drives me up the wall not knowing stuff, and yet she's the most intelligent person I know."

"The only member of the family ever to get a doctorate and what did she write her thesis on?" Ash laughed. "What was it now, oh yes, "The Science of Winning." She spent far too much time with Albert learning how to play poker and backgammon."

"Albert?" Matty looked in the mirror and pulled away. "She wrote about gambling? Crafty bitch told me it was all number theory so I switched off. Sarah really got her doctorate for gambling?"

"It was mainly card theory for the degree. It was later on that the pair of them decided to seriously try it in practice and she found it needed tweaking. Sarah borrowed a grand off me and I went mad with her when I found out what she was doing, until she explained how it worked."

"Did it work?" Matty was fascinated in what his fiancée had been up to when he thought she had been working hard at college. "Ash, did she win?"

"Mostly. She had to rely on Albert reading the tables to her. It was when he got distracted that things went wrong. Oh, and he taught her about horse racing." He came back to the present with a bump. "Why the hell is Mickey trying to fleece a casino when Sarah can do it on her own? We don't need to do this job he's so keen on."

"Don't know anything about it, sorry." He pulled into the private garage of the apartment block they were staying in. "She's going to be in hospital a bit longer anyway. Her shoulder's better, they're concerned about her head."

"I thought she had been doped up pretty high."

"There were some problems with her right eye; there was a haemorrhage at the back of the eye or something. I'm sorry, to put you through it again but I thought you ought to know."

Stacie opened the door to them. "There you are, at long last. Come on in. Matty sit down, we've got a surprise for you."

Mickey passed an envelope across. "What do you think?"

He caught the wrong end of the conversation. "Is this about the casino job 'cos if so Sarah can do it on her own when she's better."

Stacie batted him on the head. "Not that. Open the envelope."

Ash leaned back and closed his eyes. "And the winner is…" he muttered.

"A house? What's all this about a house?" he stared at Stacie and then Mickey.

Ash opened his eyes again. "Lets see." Matty passed him the paper. "It's like Ma's house." He passed it back. "She can find her way around that house blindfolded." He didn't realise what he had said and dropped off to a long awaited sleep.

"Would you like it?"

"Err." Matty was speechless. "Does the lady know about this?"

Stacie looked at Albert. "Sort of. We talked about it. Go and see it, you and Ash. Let us know what you think."

Ash's response was a loud snore.

Matty sat in silence. Something had been bothering him and he wasn't sure if this was the time to mention it. Perhaps he would later.

Mickey needed Matty's expertise. "I want to arrange a visit to the casino, but I'm worried it might be a set up. Can you sort out a few escape routes and times in case we need to leave in a hurry?"

Matty looked into his eyes. "I will, but don't leave the lady out of a casino job. We were going to go earlier; she wanted to make some money towards the school appeal. We didn't get there. She'll never talk to you again, Mickey if you do this without her."

"I wouldn't dare."

Billy muttered to himself. Rich leant forward to catch what he said. Then he wished he hadn't. Billy was talking about the Pegasus job.

"Arrogant bastard, not getting the better of our Sarah."

"Who isn't, Bill?"

"Petrie. Got his number marked though. Wait till he tries-"

Rich sat back. "What about Sarah?" for all the time he hadn't really known her, she was still his only sister.

"Her eyes. Bastard won't know what got him when I've finished."

"Ok, Bill. Listen, you get some rest and tell me about it tomorrow." He made a note to speak to his other brother the next time he saw him, but in the meantime he could ask Sarah.

A few minutes down the hall: "Sarah?" Not sure if she was awake or dozing, he patted her on the shoulder.

"Mmmm?"

"Who's Petrie?"

"Eye specialist, Pegasus Industries. Why?"

"Something Bill said. How are you feeling?" she looked pale to him and he couldn't tell if she was concentrating on him or not.

"Head hurts, Rich." She raised a hand to the painful area. "Rich?"

"I'm still here." He replied absently. "What's up?"

"My flat burnt down."

"Did it? How did that happen?" he spoke as if to a child.

"Billy was in trouble again. Upset someone and they burned it."

"Oh dear." He wondered where this was going. "What's he doing about it?"

"Stacie and I were looking for a new place."

"For you and Matty? I'm not sure I like you being engaged to a criminal."

"Don't pass judgment on someone you don't know. Matty loves me and looks out for me and I don't want to live anywhere without him. I don't care if you don't approve." This long speech took a lot out of her.

"Matty looks out for you, does he? What's he got Billy to do then?"

"Dunno, they went out and got drunk. Celebrate him getting out."

Did they really? Rich thought to himself. That's one way of securing an alibi. He added to his note to talk to Matty as well. "Did I wake you up?"

"Mmmm," she replied.

Matty looked at the keys in his hand. Ash sighed and took them to open the door. Matty still stood looking at the doorway. "All seems a bit permanent." He said.

"What's the difference between this house and the old flat?"

"That was Sarah's – this will be ours. Together." He turned his gaze from the door to his friend. "Am I good enough for her, Ash?"

"I can't answer that. I know she loves you and I get the impression you love her too. What does anything else matter?" he thought back to his own wedding and how he'd felt that day. "Just remember she's got three brothers to sort you out if you hurt her."

Matty grinned and went inside. He called back, "as long as you don't force me to change my name to Morgan."

Ash smiled and followed him.

Two doors led off the hall, one to the sitting room, another to the kitchen dining room. The stairs had a small turn at the bottom and someone had removed part of the banister. Matty commented on this, worried that Sarah would fall.

They wandered into the large back room. The kitchen units needed replacing and positioning for Sarah. The floors were level and there was a gentle slope from the patio doors to the garden.

"Well?" prompted Ash.

"I'm waiting for you to take me upstairs."

"I hope you don't use that cheap tacky line with my little sister."

"Nope, something far more dirty." Matty slapped Ash, laughing at his attempt at prudishness. "And there this subject ends."

"There's three bedrooms and a bathroom up there. Could knock a couple of bedrooms in the loft if need be. How many kids you planning on?"

Matty stopped in his tracks. "How would she look after them?"

Ash became annoyed. "Blind people do have children, Matty. Do you really think she hasn't thought about it? It's not like your kids will be blind too."

"How much for the conversion?" Matty realised he had said too much and changed the subject back. "Is it worth doing?"

"Add about fifty to the price. Possibly more. Got a few favours I could call in if you like."

They wandered through the rooms and ended up sitting on the stairs. Sitting in silence for a while, Matty thought about his 'lady'.

"Did she talk to you about the wedding?"

"No. Are you about to spoil her surprise?"

"Will you give her away? I'm going to ask Mickey to be best man."

"I thought she hadn't agreed to set a date."

"Speak to her Ash. Let her tell you... I like this house; do you think the lady will?"

"I think it will do fine. There's only a bit of work that it needs to be done to make it safe for her but that won't take long to do. Let's go back to the others."

Matty locked the door behind them. There was still something bothering him.

The next morning brought an interrogation. They had settled into an unspoken arrangement to keep out of the others way, Rich did the nights, Ash did the days. The only time they had to be civil was in the corridor.

"Who's Petrie and why's Billy going to get him, Ash?"

Ash jumped at the question. "Sarah's eye specialist was lying to her. Not only her but a lot of other partially sighted and blind people on his program."

"And?" Rich prompted. "What else?"

"Bill got into Pegasus and stole some computer disks and papers. He had a good look around when he was in his office. Petrie has a number of manuscripts in his office. He donated one to a charity auction; we were going to pick it up before it got there. It was the only real one there. They're all fakes and he's about to run an insurance scam." He stared at his honest brother. "Going to arrest him now are you?"

"I take it that Matty was Billy's driver?" he watched as Ash nodded. "This had far too much planning for Billy to have thought of it. Was it your idea?"

"No, and I don't like what you're implying. It's none of your business."

He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm not on duty. I was just asking out of concern. Just for once, had anyone thought of doing this the legitimate way? Why the hell didn't you just buy it at the auction?"

"Because it would have been switched by then. Go and get some sleep, Rich. It might make more sense to you then." He looked at his brother more softly. "You need to start thinking less like a cop and more like a con. And this isn't the army."

Rich wandered away still deep in thought. Ash opened the door to Billy room and was pleased to see him sat up in bed. He wasn't prepared for Billy's worried frown.

"You look better," he said to his brother.

"I'm getting out of here."

"Really? When?"

"I don't care, as long as it's before Rich comes back. I think I said more than I should have last night. Funny things drugs. I think I told him where the paper thing is." He brought his legs round with some effort and grunted with the pain. "Give me a hand then .I need to move it" Ash shook his head and Billy swore at him.

Ash stood and watched. He knew Billy shouldn't be moving and he also knew that his brother wouldn't listen to him. Yet again, Billy had to learn the hard way and it was easier than starting another argument.

"Ash?" he looked earnestly at his brother. "I told him about Petrie and Pegasus. I told him about the break in and I told him about Matty helping." He realised he couldn't get up and fell back on the bed with a groan. "Do you think they could sew my mouth up whilst I'm here? I'm beginning to realise my big gob is the cause of all my problems."

"I'll ask and by the way, do you want to know about your sister?"

Billy looked sheepish. "Well, I thought she was probably ok, no one said anything to me."

"She caught her head on the railing before she fell; she was unconscious before she walloped her head on the ground. As she was unconscious she didn't fall as she was taught. She dislocated her shoulder, they've put it back in but she had to have a plate put in her head." He tapped his right temple. "She hit a weak part of her skull and it shattered. They spent twenty minutes picking bone splinters out of her brain."

"Oh, shit. Why have the two of you got to be so much alike? So, the big bad temper is back." He grimaced as he tried to get comfortable. Ash could see him struggling and tried to help. "How long is she going to be here?"

"Until she gets full use of her shoulder. She has to be able to get up again if she falls." He bashed the pillows a little harder. "If you hadn't pushed her you could have both been killed." He hid his gratefulness under a bad tempered exterior and false blame on his little brother, but he didn't know yet if it had something to do with Billy in the first place. He would wait for the moment he knew.

Billy leaned back gratefully. "Can I see her?"

"I'll ask if she can come and see you. You've got to stay in bed until your pelvis has healed, I'm afraid, and as they can't plaster you up yet, I'll ask them sew up your mouth and to drug you for the foreseeable future. If you don't mind I'll go and see her now. Any message?"

"Ask her if she's got any interesting reading material she can lend me," he joked as Ash sighed and left.

"Leave me alone. Just sod off."

Ash met Matty backing out the room as something hit the wall next to him. Matty shook his head. "I wouldn't go in there again if you paid me."

"They've taken her off the painkillers already?"

Matty nodded. "They need to do some tests. Apparently the painkillers distort the results so superbitch in there is in full flow. Thank god she can't see me – her aim's still pretty good though."

Ash pushed past him and took his life into his own hands. He didn't what he saw when he got into the room. Sarah was writhing in the bed with tears streaming out of her left eye, the one that was uncovered.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked gently as he sat on the bed. He prepared himself for her violent reply.

"Go away." She raised herself to hit him. "Leave me alone."

"No way." He pulled her into a hug and she relaxed. "I know it hurts. It'll hurt for a long time, Sarah. I'm sorry, but I'd rather you had a headache than you were dead. I expect you're thinking the other way, aren't you?" he rocked her gently.

"Sorry. Tell Matty sorry too." She wiped her eye. "Ash, it really hurts."

"I know sweetheart, but I'm not going anywhere. You looked after me, remember? At least we've got more space now than when I shared your room at college." The door opened quietly and Albert hovered in the entrance. Matty had obviously warned him not to go in. Ash shook his head at him but Sarah caught the movement.

"Who's there?" she stiffened her neck trying to find a sound she could recognise.

"It's Albert. I'll ask him to go." Ash whispered.

She wiped her eye again. "No, its ok."

"Sarah? I wondered if you were up to visitors." Albert looked at Ash who was still holding her. "I've brought you some flowers."

Ash broke away to take them from him. He let her smell them and smiled at Albert. "You've been talking to someone. What's there, Sarah?"

"Lavender, rosemary, spearmint. This is what Matty planted for me in my garden. Just missing my roses." She pulled a painful smile. "Thank you Albert… Albert is Matty still outside? I think I hit him with my box of tissues."

"He went to get a coffee. He's fine, don't worry about him." Albert looked pointedly as Ash and he got the message to leave. He excused himself by getting a vase and water for the flowers, and then to look for Matty.

"Are you up to talking?" Albert sat in the chair next to the bed and stroked her hand.

"Don't get too loud and don't make me have to think too much." She put her other hand on his. "What's up, Albert?"

"I don't expect Ash mentioned the disk. Do you remember it?"

"Disk?"

"That Billy stole from Pegasus." He looked concerned that she didn't remember. "It had patient information on it. Your information."

"Oh, right. So what?"

"Did Petrie mention to you that there was an experiment in America for -?"

"Electrodes into the brain feeding it data from a mini camera. Yes, he mentioned it."

Albert looked at her, glad she couldn't make out the expression on his face. "You knew?"

"He asked if I wanted to go onto the program because the type of blindness I have is the same as the successful trials so far." She sighed. "I said no."

"Why not?" Albert was amazed she hadn't taken him up on the offer when all she'd ever wanted was to be able to see.

"Because I would be away for about two months. I couldn't leave Matty for that long. Not when he was still in jail. I think I know where this conversation is heading, Albert."

"Ash found this on the disk. He hasn't said anything but I don't think he understands why you didn't take the offer. He thinks you didn't know about it."

"Oh, I did."

"Then I think you should tell him before he gets the idea that Petrie was hiding the trials from you."

"I will. Some when, when the subject comes up in conversation." A wave of pain passed over her face and Albert felt her grip his hand whilst it passed. Her eye closed in concentration and when it opened again there was confusion on her face. "Sorry, what were we talking about?"

He ran his fingers through her untidy hair and stroked the side of her face. "Nothing important," he smiled although he didn't feel like smiling. "Next time I come I'll bring a chess set."

"Thought you'd given up with me and chess – do me a favour and make it something more interesting. How about backgammon?"

He kissed her on the forehead. "Whatever you say, my lady." He met Ash and Matty outside the door and held it open for them to go in.

"I'm worried. She seems to have intermittent memory loss. She can remember some things, but others she's totally blank. Take it slowly," he warned.

She had drifted into an uncomfortable doze. The two men looked in at her and decided not to wake her. Matty spoke quietly over the bed and jumped as she joined in the conversation.

"We were wondering if you'd give Sarah away at our wedding. If it's awkward with Billy and Rich, we'll ask Albert." Ash's face broke into a smile. "I'd like to take her to Las Vegas and let her play the casinos on honeymoon."

"Casinos? What casinos?" she muttered.

"I thought you were asleep. Shouldn't mention casinos in your earshot I suppose."

"Couldn't sleep, thought I'd hit you and you never wanted to see me again."

"Not yet, but your aim is improving. I'm sure you can see really – this is all just a con for some sympathy."

"Sorry Matt. I love you and I'm sorry and I'm sorry I'm a pest."

"Go back to sleep and let me talk to your brother."

"Give me some peace and quiet then. Honestly, how do you expect me to sleep when you make so much noise?" she settled back and smiled.

The room was empty. There was evidence that someone had been there but they had just left. Stacie turned on her heel and spun out of the room. She knew where to go.

Looking into Billy's room, she found Sarah. She watched them for a moment and then decided to interrupt the family gathering. Billy was asleep, just the way she liked him.

"Sarah – what are you doing here?" Stacie whispered. Sarah was half dressed in the hospital gown and half in the trousers she had been wearing when she was knocked down. "Are you supposed to be up?"

"Stacie? Ash refused to bring me any clothes. I can't go home like this. Can you bring me something clean?" her brow was creased and she appeared to be in pain.

"No, but I can get you something new." She thought back to the fire and Sarah's lack of possessions. "Anything special?"

"As long as its plain tops that button up and plain trousers, it doesn't matter."

Stacie patted her on the good shoulder and sat down. "Did you dress yourself?"

Sarah snorted. "Well, with what I have. And in front of an audience. Next time I'll sell tickets. I think I still owe Ash for the hotel room. I might have a new career ahead as a reverse stripper."

Stacie looked at Billy. "How is he?"

"He'll have to walk with a stick, if he walks at all. He's not in any pain." Sarah unconsciously rubbed her head and screwed up her eye. "It's actually quite nice when he's asleep and he shuts up for a while."

"I wanted to talk to you. Can we go outside?"

Sarah was intrigued. She reached out for her stick and Stacie looked at her concerned. She had only seen her use it when she was running a scam, never out of necessity although she knew she used it at school.

"The house in Printers Row that we were going to look at. Do you remember it?"

"It was like Ma's." she rubbed her bandaged eye and screwed up her face in concentration.

"Do you still want to see it?"

Normally a turn of phrase Sarah would ignore and laugh off; today she was missing her sense of humour. "If by that do I want to wander around the inside and struggle with someone changing around a house layout that I think I know -"

"I didn't mean that at all and you know it. Do you want to get out of here or not?" said Stacie sharply.

She didn't reply. Stacie couldn't read the expression on her face and was worried about her. She didn't have to worry for long as Matty walked towards them.

"Fine." Stacie waved her hands at her. "You sort yourself out, miss-I-can-do-anything-on-my-own. I won't offer again."

Matty had reached them and heard the last comment. He looked at Stacie and she shrugged her shoulders. "Matty can sort you out then." She turned away from Sarah and only turned back as he leapt forwards. "Oh no, I'm sorry Sarah."

She had collapsed on the floor.

She groaned and tried to roll over but there was something on her head stopping her moving it. She tried to sit up but couldn't manage that either. Her head hurt.

It hurt big time.

If she was betting with Albert she would have said her head had been removed and kicked around the floor for a few hours and then put back on again and given evens for it but he wasn't there. There was no one there.

"She collapsed, Ash" Matty called him from the payphone. "Just collapsed after she went for a wander to see Billy. She was in a really weird mood and then passed out."

He listened to the reply. Someone squeezed his hand and he smiled at his companion. "Ok then."

Stacie tried to reassure him. "You heard them. There were so many splinters they just missed one. They'll dig it out – she'll be fine."

It was the intervening brain damage they weren't talking about.

Ash looked at the small terraced house that he'd seen a few days earlier with Matty. Not knowing now if he should carry on with his survey or not, he sat in the car and watched Mickey walk back to the car.

"I thought we were going in?" Mickey asked.

"Sarah's collapsed. Is there any point?"

"And when she comes round and wants to know why we didn't get the house for her, you're volunteering to tell her there didn't seem to be any point?" Mickey said through the window. "She's in the best place, Ash. They know what they're doing."

Although he didn't feel like going on he nodded to Mickey and followed him inside.

Rich sat outside the room, waiting. He did remember Matty from years ago, Sarah's birthday party and her odd mention of him. He didn't really approve of his sister's fiancée - the car thief and getaway driver who also acted as Mickey's hired muscle - but he was intrigued that Matty had asked to see him.

He settled down to wait but it wasn't long before he arrived and sat next to him.

"I hope you don't mind, but something has been bothering me. Before the accident we were having a meal at some new bar called Mackenzies or something like that, and someone came up to the table as we were finishing our coffee. Sarah said it was her eye specialist."

"Carry on."

"Cars are my thing, you know that. When we left we had a taxi back. In the car park was a grey four by four. Top of the range, brand new. I thought to myself that it was a stupid place to put such an expensive motor. Mind you there were lots of posh cars there."

Matty looked at the floor and carried on. "Billy said it was a jeep like think that knocked them down. I'm worried it was this eye guy. He might have recognised Billy or the lady." He looked at Rich. "I'm sure you can reassure me that she isn't in any danger. There was CCTV on the shopping precinct; it might have picked it up. Or the jeep might be parked outside Pegasus Industries still."

Rich looked at him carefully. "I might have a couple of contacts I can call on but I can't do anything official."

"I'm not talking to the police, you know. I can't be here all the time and I'm scared that someone wants to kill her."

"You think a lot of her, don't you?"

"Of course. I think I've always loved her. We're getting married." He didn't mention that every time they tried to arrange something a disaster happened.

"Matty, you know Sarah gets a lot of support from Ash because of the way things turned out. Are you sure you want to be second in her affections?"

"No. Joint first will do me fine."

Rich stood and looked in the window. He hoped Sarah would manage it.

"Careful now. Don't rush."

Billy was struggling to take a few steps. He was determined that he wasn't going to be prematurely retired. He was doing it for his sister.

Ash looked at the piece of plastic in his hand. "I don't believe it."

"Thought she'd see how much I want to be with her. I told her I'd done it the day I passed." Matty took the licence back. "Seems a bit pointless now."

"Mickey wanted to know if he should go ahead with the house." He looked over the coffee cup and waited for the other man's reply.

"No." Matty brought out his surprise. He had finally worked out the problem that had been niggling at him since he spoke to Ash about the house.

"What?"

"No. Something had been bothering me for ages. Stairs. You said it to me." Matty took a mouthful of his own coffee and hoped his answer made sense.

"Matt, you've lost me." It obviously didn't.

"She's never lived in a house with stairs." He thought back to his tour of the house with Ash, and the line about taking Sarah upstairs. He'd never used that phrase and he had finally realised why.

"Yes she has, when she lived with Ma."

"She slept in the dining room, or what used to be the dining room. There was a downstairs bathroom – she never had a reason to be upstairs. And the flat. That was on the level as well."

"She never visited Billy when he was living in the Gateway Tower..." realisation was dawning on him and he was annoyed he hadn't spotted it.

"She did, but not on her own. I took her a few times and we only went if the lift was working."

"I didn't realise."

"And apart from that, there were no stairs in that rickety old van you both used to live in either." Matty tried to lighten the mood.

"Point taken. I'll tell Mickey." Ash paused. "She's only really had one home, and that's the flat. If the others want to do something for her they can sort it out for her." He looked at Matty. "For both of you."

Ash's phone rang. He listened and said very little. When he hung up he slapped Matty on the back. "Sarah's going to be ok. That was the hospital. She came around a little while ago and she's asking for you." He put the phone away, still quietly thinking to himself...

Billy reached for her hand. "You've been making us all worry."

"Sorry," she mumbled. "How's the legs?"

"I'm getting there." It was true. He had walked, admittedly with crutches and very slowly, to her room unaided and had only needed a rest once. "How's the head?"

"It hurts, but not like before." she drifted into silence. "Billy…"

"It's ok." He held her hand as she lost the fight for sleep.

Rich sat on the bench outside.

"I'll come in later," said Ash. "Have some time alone."

Matty looked at them gratefully and made his way to Sarah's room. The brothers watched him smile as he opened the door.

"Rich?"

The fighting had stopped, the battle left at a stalemate.

"What do you think of him, Ash?"

"He's been minding Sarah for years. I'd say he knows her better than you do." Not meaning to be rude he couldn't leave it there. "I know he loves her very much and she waited for him to come out of prison."

"He's a criminal."

Ash snorted. "Billy and me aren't, are we? Matty likes cars, fast cars. He isn't averse to thumping someone but he was arrested for driving for his brother, not GBH. Do you know what its like to be put in such a position by your own brother and the only way to help him is to share the blame?"

"Ash?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter."

Rich gazed into the distance. "I've been doing a bit of research. The car that ran them down, it wasn't Marco Petrie."

"How do you know?"

"I have my secrets too, Ash." Rich shrugged his shoulders. "Where did Sarah get the encryption keys for Pegasus Industries payroll?"

"The what?" he feigned ignorance but it was a poor disguise.

Rich sighed. "You don't trust me, do you? You never have. Ever."

"Sarah got them from Petrie, via his address book. She hacked into his office machine and ran a comparison on his backups. I wouldn't have thought of it myself."

"So who helped her?"

"I don't know."

"At last, the first honest answer."

Ash nodded slowly to himself. It was time his brother knew the rest. "Sarah was threatened by one of her kid's parents for getting him chucked out of her class. She said it was nothing. She also didn't tell me about it until after her flat burnt down. She only told me then because she had to."

"The kid was Luke Hartley." Rich paused for effect. "Billy's debt for Warrener was originally held by Andy Hartley, the kid's father. Bill owed him three grand for equipment for a job that fell through. Sarah was threatened by Andy Hartley, Ash… and she didn't say anything to you?"

They were both silent for a while. They both knew the gangster family who had lived along the street with them and Andy who had been in the same class as Rich at school.

"Shit." Ash stared at his brother.

"…and Matty used to work for him."

Ash was still quiet.

"Are you sure this had nothing to do with Matty?" Rich was not going to let his questioning skills go to waste.

"He's just come out of prison and he would never hurt Sarah." The reply was empathetic. "If she's been so stupid to mix with the Hartleys after all I've ever said to her…what the hell was Billy doing, taking a job on for them?"

Rich offered Ash a cigarette and they lit up together.

"Tell me the rest." Rich wanted to know what Ash had stopped himself saying before. "Did you go to jail for Billy or was it your own fault?"

"I don't want to answer that."

"You have. Did Billy ever learn anything by it? I can answer that. No he didn't and he made you suffer as well."

"Leave it Rich." He ordered. "I had to help him, that's all you need to know. It couldn't be helped and if you want to know anymore, ask Bill."

Rich smiled grimly. "How did all our lives go so wrong?"

"I thought you were happy in the army."

"It's a job. It was a way out at the time."

They looked at each other with new respect. "Do you need any help?" Ash volunteered.

"I've still got a few leads to follow, but I wouldn't say no."

"I know just the people to help you."

Stacie picked her way around the flat. "Does she know it's like this?"

"This is beyond us." Danny kicked a charred piece of something.

"No its not." Mickey's keen eyes were taking stock of the damage. "Ash says he can get it cleared by Tuesday so we just need to get the stuff replaced that she lost. Anything that is specialist gets paid for. No one is scamming the blind charities, ok Danny?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Albert was taking stock of the ruined bookcase. "I'll deal with the books and tapes. I bought most of them for her anyway."

"Furniture?" Mickey asked.

"How hard is furniture?" Danny volunteered himself.

"That leaves us with the decorating and kitchen. Up for it, Stacie?"

She smiled and rose to the challenge.

Weeks passed.

The hospital wouldn't release Sarah until she had a place to live. Matty explained about the fire and that they were living in a rented flat for the time being. She was only allowed to go if he agreed to look after her.

She didn't know the terms and would have gone crazy with them if she'd known. Suing the hospital for discrimination was not going to get anyone anywhere and Matty wasn't going to give her the chance to. That was why he'd elected the quiet life. What she didn't know would not be a problem.

Billy was making good progress but had to stay in hospital until he was more mobile. There were some things he couldn't do in his cast and he hoped he could talk Stacie into doing them for him. But then, he was still on drugs. Sarah promised to drop in on him when she was settled and he drifted back into his dream world.

Matty installed her in the new car he had bought. She was speechless. She didn't think he had really bought a car and now she was sat in it. As they drove out of the car park she felt the sun on her face and frowned as it moved.

"What's the time Matty?"

He glanced down at the dashboard clock. "Two fifteen. Where's your special watch? The talking one?"

She ignored him as there were important things on her mind. "Why aren't we going back to the apartment? Was it getting hot?"

"No, its fine still. We're going home."

She misheard. "You're dumping me in a bloody home? You bastard."

He smacked her on the knee as she fought with the seat belt. "Ascot House, you dozy cow. I'm taking you back to your flat. Now try and look surprised when you get out." Matty shook his head and wondered why he put up with her.

Sarah apologised quietly and wondered again what made this man put up with her. She rummaged in her bag trying to find the watch Matty had bought her for her twenty first birthday, hoping desperately that she hadn't lost it.

Albert allowed himself a smile. It looked pretty good to him, the only problem was that they knew things weren't in the right places and she'd struggle for a while. Matty would be there to sort her out though, but they'd done their best. He carefully placed the book back on the shelf.

Danny lounged back on the sofa, Stacie was busy in the spare bedroom and Mickey was leaning cup in hand against the kitchen door sipping a coffee. They'd all worked hard and now it was time to see Sarah's reaction.

"Something satisfying about completing something like this," Danny commented. "When's she coming home?"

"Matty's picking up Ash then coming here. We've got about half an hour." Albert moved the younger man over and sat next to him. "Our orders were to let her get settled then go for a meal later if she was feeling up to it. Matty wants to talk about the wedding."

Stacie walked in with a big bunch of old English roses. "These are gorgeous Albert. Where did you find them? They have such wonderful scent."

"I didn't – they're Matty's. They're supposed to go in the bedroom." He smiled at the thought of Matty being a romantic at heart. He remembered the time that he and Ma had taken Sarah for a day out to an old country house. Sarah had been bored by the musty smelling Tudor house with its uneven floors and things she wasn't allowed to touch. Matty had sat with her in the garden and described the layout and flowers to her.

A guide overheard him and showed them the way to the sensory garden they had won awards for. Ma caught them kissing in the rose garden and although Matty had worked for her for a few years, she had no idea that he was in love with her blind charge. Matty had given Sarah an old English rose on every special occasion since that first kiss and each one reminded her of that day.

Stacie sniffed them again. "Ok." She vanished again.

Mickey looked around at the clean flat from his position in the kitchen doorway. He was proud of the way they had pulled together after the accident and Sarah's flat had given them a focus. He didn't know how things would go now that they didn't have anything to work towards, but at least they deserved a rest.

"Carefully now." Matty warned as he turned the key. "I've not been here but they had strict instructions for what went where. Ash don't let-"

"Stop worrying Matty. She'll be fine."

"Too damn right she will." Sarah was not going to be left out of the conversation. "If any harm comes to me in my own home, both of you will be in big trouble."

Ash propped her up and let her slowly follow her fiancé. She had made her point.

"Hallway looks good," Matty began. "Do you want a decent cup of tea to wash away that hospital muck?" He opened the lounge door and let Ash take her in.

Mickey appeared with a tray. "Welcome home, Sarah. We tried to put things back where we remembered them." He passed around cups of tea and the others appeared from the kitchen. Albert took her arm and steered her to a seat. He spoke quietly to her to reassure her. He could only imagine how weird it must feel being stranded in your own home.

"It looks good," Ash commented. "I'm beginning to wonder if you still need me."

Danny laughed. "Well, I for one will not miss furniture stores or paint. You can have your job with my blessing. This made me wonder how you get it done so fast."

Sarah sipped her tea. She was eager to know what they had done to her flat and the only one who had really noticed her was Albert. He picked something up and sat next to her on the arm of the sofa.

"I found this when I was out and about. Is it any good to you?"

He watcher her tear off the paper and her nimble fingers stroked the cover of the book. "Mark's book! You got me a Braille copy? Oh, thank you Albert." She reached for his face and pulled it towards her and kissed him on the cheek. "I always wanted a copy of my own and it's never the same on tape. Thank you so much."

"This is it, what you've been going on about for ages?" Matty's hand brushed the writing he couldn't read. "Is it a good story?"

"It's Mark's theory, Matt, extrapolated integral theorems and the reasoning behind them and their application in -"

"…right." He took his hand away as if it stroking a vicious dog. "Where on earth did you get this Albert?" his confused face made them all smile at Sarah's expense.

"Oh, I have my sources." His secret was to remain his own.

"How are you feeling Sarah?" asked Mickey. "Would you like us to go?"

"My head hurts but it's not too bad." She felt for the person sat next to her. "I feel a little tired though." Ash gripped her hand in sympathy. The gesture was caught by Matty and he vanished into the bedroom.

"We'll leave you to get some rest. Give me a ring later on." He kissed her on the cheek and stood to go. Matty reappeared with a single rose. He held it as he let the others out and there was just the three of them left.

Matty, Sarah and the rose.

"Welcome home, lady." He wafted it temptingly in front of her nose. She smiled and took it. It smelt beautifully. "They've all gone now. Would you like me to show you around properly?" she held out her hand and he took it.

The rest of the day was spent moving things to where they should be.

Sarah and Matty had pulled out of the meal but Ash replaced them with another of his siblings – Rich. After introducing him and the compulsory moment of silence when they found out his occupation, Ash filled the others in with Rich's findings.

And that he needed some help.

"…and I'd appreciate it if we could help him with his investigation. I want to know who tried to kill my little brother and sister."

Mickey looked around and the others nodded. "Looks like we have a new project, then. What do you need done?"

Rich had never sat down for a meal with five conmen (was there a female version?) before and certainly wasn't going to suggest they committed any crime on his behalf. He cleared his throat and began:

"So Ash has given you the background but there's more you should all know."

He looked around and Stacie smiled to give him confidence.

"I think you know that Matty used to work for the Hartley gang. He met Sarah when she fell over in the road in front of him. He got out to help her and the crew he was waiting there to drive were caught. He took Sarah back to Ma Prince's to make sure she was all right but the Hartleys followed him. They thought he was double crossing them. He lost his job and his heart that day. He also got the beating of his life."

He sipped his mineral water.

"The two families had never got on and this was all they needed to fuel a minor war. They'd been pestering each other for years but nothing had really happened between them. Things went back to an uneasy peace after the Princes stood up at the trial and said they had had nothing to do with the robbery. This was until Sarah stuck her oar in. She threw one of the Hartley kids out of her class. She was threatened at the parents evening because they thought she'd done it on purpose as a Prince and was starting new hostilities."

Danny interrupted. "This sounds more like 1960s gang warfare."

Rich pulled a face at him and looked uncannily like Ash. "Oh there's more. Billy was inadvertently working for the Hartleys when he owed Warrener money. The Hartleys told Warrener to burn down the flat. When he saw Ma last she said he was acting a bit odd but then, that's Billy."

Mickey thought hard before he spoke. "So you're saying they could be caught up in an East End gang war. How on earth did they get involved?"

Rich looked at the table cloth. "I went to school with one of them before our parents died. That was when we all lived together and before Sarah was blinded."

Mickey was still thinking. "…and they still remember after all this time?"

Rich and Ash looked at each other and didn't answer.

Stacie had been following the conversation but she knew the reason why they didn't want to speak. It was the painful memories. "It was the Hartleys that did the bank job that went wrong, wasn't it? They had to pay compensation to you all for losing your parents? "

"Yes," said Ash. "The court ruled that a trust had to be set up for the four of us to be paid until we were twenty one with the balance to be kept for Sarah's needs as she was going to need support for the rest of her life."

"We got pocket money from the trust until we were sixteen and it stopped unless you went to university. I never drew mine after I was sixteen. Ash?"

"I went to university remember? I needed something to live on."

"Billy didn't take his after he was sixteen. What about Sarah, Ash?"

"We used it to pay for her books and stuff. I haven't a clue what's left in it. She was going to transfer some money from it after the fire."

"Can I interrupt and ask how much was in this trust?" Albert became interested in the subject of money. "What happens to it when Sarah dies? I presume the balance reverts back and she can't pass her claim down in a will. She is the only beneficiary still entitled to claim the money, isn't she?"

Rich and Ash looked at each other again. "We don't know – it was all laid down with solicitors. We were only kids at the time," Ash looked astounded. "You're not saying she was run down to get the trust money, surely?"

"Someone might want get their money back. Money is always a motive."

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Matty had found the bed empty and couldn't sleep without her. "What's wrong?"

Sarah sighed. "I've got a headache." She leaned forward on the kitchen stool and rested her elbows on the work top. "I've had it for hours."

He slid his arms around her. "When did you last have a pain killer?"

"When we went to bed." His warm arms warmed her spirit. She managed a weak smile. "Don't worry, go back to sleep. I'm fine here."

"You're not." He put the light on and then filled the kettle.

Sarah was blinking under the light. "Matty, that's rather bright." Her eyes were streaming.

This was not a normal comment from his blind friend and he turned to look at her. Sarah held a hand over her right eye and appeared to be in some discomfort. "I'll turn it off in a minute. Go and sit in the lounge and I'll bring you a hot drink." He watched her walk back into the gloom puzzling over her comment. He waited for the kettle and it took an age.

"Hi." Matty said simply when he returned with the hot chocolate. He'd managed to find a packet of biscuits to go with their midnight feast and he put the tray down on the table to open them.

"Thank you." She reached out for his hand and he allowed her to take it. She brushed his fingers on her face as if teaching him how to read a person's expression as if he too were blind. He gave up and tickled her. She wriggled away and he leaned over to put the table light on. Again she reacted to the light.

"Come here, you." He gently dragged her into the light. "You can see something can't you?"

"Something much brighter than before. It hurts, Matty." She blinked.

He sat her with the light behind her and put his hand in front of her face. "Dark and light. I know you can tell the difference. What's changed, Sarah?"

"I don't know. I don't know what it is!"

"Show me," he ordered. He was surprised to watch her move towards the wall.

"This, it's not like this." Her hands moving over it she smoothed the lilac paint. "Its something isn't it?"

"The wall?"

She slapped it with her hand in a temper. "I know it's a bloody wall. What's this Matty?"

He understood at last. "Oh, Sarah." He got up and took one of her wild hands. "The wall is painted lilac. That's its colour. Come on -" he took both her hands and didn't give her the chance to pull away. They went into the hall and he put the light on.

"Is there anything here?"

"Brighter. It's not like the other one."

"This is yellow. Come on."

The spare room. "Anything?"

She looked confused. "Something, but I'm not sure. Bright like the light."

"This is a very pale green. I'll let you have that one. Kitchen."

He propelled her into the kitchen. "This might confuse you."

She stood silent for a moment. "There are two things. The walls and the cupboards are different. The cupboards are like the other bedroom. The walls are…" she felt them as if to reassure herself. "Dark."

"Dark red."

"There's one more room to show you and that can wait for a while." He pulled her back to the sofa. They had forgotten their hot chocolate in the excitement, but it was now drinkable. He passed her a cup and after she had drunk it he smiled.

She could always catch him smiling at her. Usually she responded with a solid thump and told him not to be so irritating. This time she fell into his arms and enjoyed the cuddle he was offering her.

"So, what colour's the cup?"

She picked it up again and held it close. "I don't know."

"Pink. For a girl. For my girl."

"Oh."

"Headache still bad?"

"Yes. Can we have the lights out again? I've had enough of a lesson in seeing."

"Come on, let's go back to bed. You'll be better after some sleep."

Matty called Albert to sit with Sarah whilst he went shopping. She was still asleep and he was happy to watch her breathe slowly. It was good to see her at ease.

"It's Matty, isn't it?" a voice called behind him. "Sarah's friend."

"You're her friend from the school. I'm sorry; I've forgotten your name."

"Marg." She looked at the trolley he was pushing. "Fresh food, so you must be cooking. Sarah's meal didn't kill you then."

"I like cooking. I've always done it for Sarah."

"How is she? I heard about the accident. And her brother how is he?"

"Sarah's better, much better, but she is still very tired and gets bad headaches. She was up most of the night last night so I thought I'd cook her something special. Her brother's still in hospital."

"It was a terrible thing to happen and to a blind person as well."

Matty was used to this type of comment but chose to ignore it. "If you want to visit her any time, just pop around. We won't be going far just yet."

She smiled and nodded. "I'll take you up on that."

Sarah heard someone moving around. It wasn't Matty but it was familiar. She stretched and yawned, shaking off the bad night they'd had. The headache had gone, or at least dropped to an annoying thud.

"You're awake then."

She leaned into the pillows and smiled. "How long have you been here, Albert?"

"About half an hour. Matty popped out for some shopping. He said he wouldn't be long. Cup of tea?"

"Yes please."

He brought the tea to her in bed. She smiled thinking of the previous night. "What's funny?" he asked.

"I didn't get the pink one."

"Pink what?"

"Mug. Matty gave me the pink one yesterday. This one's different. It's like the bedroom."

"Blue." Albert said absently. "Stacie chose it."

"Would you tell her it's very pretty? I think I like blue."

He looked at her very intently. "Sarah, you've worried me. Is this a new con you're practising?"

"No." She looked at him, knowing where he was by the absence of the sunlight streaming in the window. "I had a really bad headache last night and when Matty got up and put the light on I reacted to it. He tried to teach me what colour the rooms are."

Albert was silent.

"Albert, would you make another appointment with Alex Maguire for me? I don't want to get my hopes up that this really is an improvement. It might not be permanent." How ever much she hoped it would be, she had to be realistic. It would just be her fate to have this, and more, taken away.

He patted her on the hand. "Do you want me to tell the others?"

"No, not even my brothers. Just you, me and Matty for now."

"Ok." They heard Matty open the door and sing as he came in. "Some things don't change though, do they? One of these days he'll sing in tune." Albert joked.

"Hello sleepy. Met your friend Marg when I was out. She might call on you some time." His head popped around the door. "Has she been behaving, Albert?"

"She gave me a fright. Talking about colours."

He darted a glance at Sarah. "Things the same as last night then?"

She nodded. "I asked if Albert would make me an eye appointment. I'd like to speak to Alex before we tell the others."

"All the others? What about Ash?"

"Including Ash most of all. I want to know this is real."

Mickey, Ash and Rich waited in the foyer of the law firm. They were going to find out the terms of Sarah's trust. The building looked impressive and the décor top of the range.

"This must cost a packet. I remembered the offices that were here before." Rich commented to Ash. "Funny how you forget things isn't it. When did this lot go up?"

"Last time I met a lawyer was when I was sent down for deception. Useless bastard he was. He should have been sent down for the fees he charged. At least I didn't beat one up, Mickey." Ash winked at his other companion.

Mickey smiled and didn't comment. The few moments of satisfaction had vanished when he had heard the cell door close on him.

"Mr Adams is free now. Would you like to go through?"

They followed the receptionist to a large office on the first floor. They were met by confident middle aged man who shook their hands before seating them.

"Ashley and Richard Morgan. I don't suppose either of you recognise me after all this time." They shook their heads. "You've come about your sister's trust, I understand."

The Morgans looked at each other and the elder took the lead.

"Sarah's flat burned down recently. There are some things she needs to get replaced. I'm sorry, but I don't have the money myself…"

Mickey realised they were both a little overwhelmed and took over. "It's been quite a while since either of them thought about it and they wondered…"

"You want the trust to cover the costs? Of course, that's what it was set up for."

"How much is it?" Ash asked bluntly. "What's she got left to spend?"

"Well, she can't exactly spend it on frivolities; she must use it for a purpose on top of her monthly allowance. She receives £1000 per month at the moment and the trust fund currently stands at approximately £800,000. We do pay her eye specialist direct from the trust as well as a cleaner twice a week. If there are any other costs incurred through her blindness, the trust is able to cover them."

"You're kidding." Rich looked at him in shock. "£800,000! That much really?"

"There were relatively few withdrawals from you boys; only for Ashley's university subsistence and Sarah's Braille books. I think her university studying was funded separately. The balance has brought a good return for her. We can maintain an income for life for her."

"What happens to the fund when she dies?"

"Half goes back to the Hartley family; the other becomes part of her estate."

Mickey nodded and said nothing further. The lawyer passed them an envelope containing copies of the trust and bank statements. They thanked him and left.

Albert had convinced Dr Maguire to make a house call. He called in on his way home for a quick chat. He wondered why she had missed her second appointment and broke his own rules for seeing clients only in office hours.

He waited for the door to open and was met by Albert. He smiled faintly with the feeling her had been expected all along. "I've come to see Sarah," he said.

He was let into the lounge where she was reading her new book. She raised her head at the sound of his voice and looked directly at him in the doorway.

"Alex?"

He walked towards her, acknowledging the other man with a nod. "What have you been up to Sarah? Why didn't you make the other appointment?"

"Oh, I had an accident. Had to have a plate put in my head where I bashed it. The hospital found some bleeding behind my eye and a bone splinter they'd missed so they opened it up again."

"Oh. Headaches getting better?" he sat next to her and tapped her legs to make her sit properly.

"Yes, but-"

Matty put his hands protectively on her shoulders. "Last night I put the light on and her eyes were streaming and she said it was too bright. I think she's picking up colours. I'm not sure what to do."

"It's not unheard of." He reached in his bag to find an instrument and asked for the curtains to be drawn. "Can you see this Sarah?" Alex asked.

She moved a hand in front of her eyes. "Don't - it irritates."

He made an adjustment. "What about now?" the light had changed colour.

"A bit like the kitchen."

"And now?"

"Bedroom, that's Stacie's blue."

He made a note on his pad. "I thought Albert was making this up. How does it feel to see after all this time?" she didn't look overjoyed at the prospect and he understood her reluctance to be happy.

She paused for a moment and tried to find the right words. "It hurts," was all she could think of.

He nodded. "Sorry, it will for a while and with the headaches as well, for the time being I must insist you wear dark glasses. I can't have you straining this little bit of sight, so I want you to keep a very dark pair on until I see you next."

Matty had a question. "Is this the start of her actually seeing?"

"Sarah's type of blindness has been known to be reversed by severe trauma. She's experienced that and she may have had a very slight form of brain damage." Matty looked worried. "Please don't get alarmed. The damage may have increased the blood flow to the injured cells behind the eye and the irritation she's feeling may be the start of improved vision."

"May?" said Sarah. "So am I looking at a change in my registration?"

Albert looked confused and Matty enlightened him with her registered blind status.

"Yes. Possibly – from most severe to partially sighted at best." Maguire was blunt. "I can't say that you won't get better than that, but I think we need to reassess after a couple of weeks of rest. Complete rest away from everything you have to put up with. I'll see you in three weeks and if you don't make the appointment, I'll come here to find you."

"Will it be permanent?" Matty voiced all their fears. "Will she be able to see properly?"

"I can't say until after the assessment. I'm sorry." He put the instruments away and stood to leave. "Take a holiday. After all you've been through it'll do you both good."

Albert let him out. They were talking when he came back.

Matty sat with his arm around her, trying to convince her of something. "I'll phone them," he said with an air of authority that he seldom used.

"I'm fine here." Sarah leaned into him and insisted to her fiancé.

"Holiday, he said. Rest he said. You've no excuse not to visit my parents now." Matty tried harder to get her to have a rest but he knew her reluctance was due to the times before they had arranged a trip to Ireland and had never actually got there.

She sighed, knowing he was right. "I don't want to fly." She gave in, knowing Albert was also going to insist and she didn't have the energy to argue with both of them.

"Fine. I'll take the new car. How long will it take you to pack?" he slowly moved away to find his phone and she pulled herself to the edge of the sofa. She had no intention of packing straight away, for all she knew his parents might be on holiday.

Albert interfered with their plans. "Don't forget you're on parole – you'll need to sign in to a local police station. I presume you have one in mind?"

Matty pulled a grim smile. "Oh, I can think of several I've visited in a professional capacity."

Rich caught the two of them arguing. Billy was bored and looking at the same four walls was making his as mad as when he visited him in prison. Sarah just had a headache.

"No way." Although she said she'd visit him, she was not going to take abuse from him. She was getting ready to leave and he wanted her to change her mind.

"C'mon sis." Billy pleaded.

"No." Her mind was made up and she was going.

There was a sudden unexplained noise.

"Billy let go or you'll have something else broken."

From the change in tone of her voice, he thought it was time to intervene. "Hello, children." He smiled at how his innocent appearance made them both look guilty. "How are you both?"

He wasn't surprised at the silence. Billy let go of Sarah's cane and she released his pyjamas. They still did not acknowledge his presence.

"Ok then. What are you fighting over?"

Billy calmed down. "She's going on holiday. I only asked if I could use her flat as a mailing address in case I can get out early."

"And I said no, not after last time. I'm not coming back to a bonfire again."

"Where are you going, Sarah?" Rich asked mildly.

"To stay with Matty's parents for a while. He said it was about time I met them and when we were going to go before," she shrugged her shoulders, "things happened."

Rich knew which things. Matty met up with his brother and the trip never took place. "Would you feel any differently if I stayed with him? I'm fed up with living in a hotel."

"That's different. I don't mind if you want to stay, Rich, and if you can keep an eye on him…"

Billy looked at him. He was confused. "Aren't you due back, y'know the army?"

"No not yet. I'm considering my options."

It went silent again as they thought about his comment.

"You might leave?" Billy asked. "Did you have something else in mind?"

Rich looked at him in all seriousness. "Ash is giving me lessons in pulling a con."

Sarah snorted. "Yeah, right. And we don't pull a con, Rich. Grifting is an art. If you want to pull a con go find someone else for lessons. That's for losers."

He shook his head at her. "The long con is a dying art played by dinosaurs."

"Really?"

"In my experience-"

"…of being a cop…"

He frowned and began again. "In my experience as soon as one of you gets on TV or in the papers then it will all crumble. Your marks will come out against you…and you will all go down."

"See. It's always better to be on your own. Then if you get caught it's down to you. No one else to blame." Billy prided himself with his athleticism.

"Come round later and I'll give you a set of keys, Rich." She resigned herself to having her least favourite brother in her house again. "But please can you make sure you put your shopping in the right places in the cupboards?"

The car journey was a long one. Matty watched Sarah sleep as they made the ferry crossing and settled to listen to her quiet breathing. Her medication was still taking it out of her and she was exhausted. He felt his own eyes close.

The drive to his parent's home made him realise how much he'd missed the greenness and the mist. The early morning sun made him smile and he was still smiling as he drew into the yard. His mother was looking out of the window and she was at the car as he stood and looked around him.

"Welcome home, son."

He hugged her. "Oh, Mam."

She freed herself from his arms and looked down into the car. "This is her, then?"

He looked proud. "My Sarah."

"Wake her up and we'll have a nice cup of tea and some breakfast."

"Where's Dad?"

"County race meeting. We've three horses running today. He spent the night over."

He woke her gently. She stretched and sniffed the air.

"What do I smell?"

"Horses and horse manure." He reached into the glove box for his mother's present. "And a cooked breakfast if we hurry."

That made her move and she got out of the car and waited to be led inside.

He hesitated. "Sarah, don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't think to tell them that you're blind."

"So what?" her usual comment. "It doesn't make any difference."

Matty's mum watched as they wandered inside and she waited to be introduced to Sarah.

"Mam, this is Sarah. Sarah, my Mam." He looked at his mother.

"Hello Mrs Holland," said Sarah. "Has Matty told you about me?"

"Only that you've known each other a long time, since he went to London."

"Did he tell you that I'm blind?"

"No." Mrs Holland looked at her son. "Just make sure you have someone with you if you go near the horses. We don't want anyone kicked." She smiled at her guest. "I don't expect you know much about horses, coming from a big city?"

Alarm showed on Sarah's face. "No … but I know a bit about racing form."

"You'll have plenty to talk to Matty's father about then." Still looking at Matty she added: "but I dare say we'll have you on a horse by the end of your visit."

"Mam…" Matty warned, "I've just said she's blind."

"…and we don't run riding for the disabled anymore?" she turned back to Sarah. "My cousin lost her sight through diabetes and rides here on a Friday morning. She can give you some tips, I'm sure."

Sarah gave a worried smile and Matty squeezed her hand. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I've never touched a horse, let alone thought about getting on one. In fact the closest I've been to one is in the bookies."

"Come on, then," Mrs Holland pulled her from the kitchen and into the yard. "I'm going to introduce you to Dancer; she's our oldest horse here. She's very gentle."

Sarah felt her hand being pulled towards something. Matty called reassuringly from the doorway and she felt very alone. Then she came into contact with something warm. Dancer enjoyed being patted and stroked by the children that visited from time to time. This one was just a little bit bigger.

Sarah's smile made his holiday.

Ash pounded the buttons on his phone and glared at it.

"Problems?" asked Danny.

"She's turned her phone off. I wanted to know…"

Albert looked at him sternly. "It'll have to wait. Matty asked me to look after her phone and laptop so none of you can contact them. Let them have some time together."

"Only another two and a bit weeks." Danny enjoyed Ash's reaction. "You could always write them a letter."

Ash scowled at him and put his phone away. "Fine." He muttered to himself and went to find the rest of his family. The door slammed behind him and Danny jumped.

Stacie and Mickey were pouring through the local paper. "There is it!" she exclaimed. "I knew we couldn't have missed it."

"Missed what?" Danny asked, moving over to them.

"The manuscript auction." Mickey smiled. "We've only managed half a job. What do you say if we finish the Petrie problem?"

Albert looked pleased. "I for one would love to see Mr Petrie squirm. We're running short of players though. It's only you and Stacie that haven't met him."

Stacie looked thoughtful. "I suppose at a push we could use Rich."

"And Billy." Danny mentioned as Stacie was not going to.

"Hmmm," she replied.

Mickey thought seriously, "we can arrange a room full of extras to make sure we get it. Well done Danny for getting Billy to swap the real one with the fake."

"I think we're nearly there…" Albert spoke aloud. "It would be even better if we can use his own money to buy the thing and to go public with the charity money."

"What a good idea!" Stacie smiled and they started hatching a plan...

Sarah's flat was still intact.

There were a few kids loitering around outside and he ignored them. He felt in his pockets for his spare key but the door was open when he pushed it. He walked in cautiously, concerned that something had happened.

"Hello?" he called.

"In the lounge," a voice called back. He approached cautiously but was relieved that Rich was on his own.

"The door was open."

"I'll kill Billy. I told him to shut it. Did you see him out there?"

"No, but then I wasn't looking."

They both heard a bang on the door. "Rich, come on, let me back in!"

Ash gestured to him. "I'll go."

Billy was looking the other way when he opened the door and instantly looked guilty when he realised who was there. "Oh," was all he said. He hobbled in on his crutches and Ash shook his head closing the door behind him.

Rich was still lounging on the sofa. "Well, I think I finally figured out who ran you both down, Bill." They looked at him in expectation and he carried on. "It was the kid. The Hartley kid she threw out of her computer class. He's got a record for TDA already and he's too young to have a licence let alone get a ban."

"Great. What times we live in." Billy did not sound amused. "I'll give the little shit a driving lesson he'll never forget."

"Actually, I thought Matty could do that." Rich looked at Ash. "Give him a talking to, I mean."

Ash still didn't say much. The others were concerned and asked what was wrong. They knew there was probably only one answer. Sarah.

"I didn't like the way she went. It was so sudden and we were in the middle of something and she runs off with Matty." Ash finally voiced his concerns.

Billy patted him on the shoulder. "She was going before he got caught, and I know they were talking about the wedding. They can't do that without seeing his parents. It wouldn't be polite."

"Don't worry; she wouldn't get married without you giving her away." Rich looked at Billy who nodded. "We're not going to fight you for the job. You've always looked out for her, and as you said, I don't really know my own sister."

"Yeah, and like me and her would get down the aisle without an argument." Billy grinned. "I'm not one for speeches anyway. She has far too much respect for you to let you miss her big day."

This made him feel a lot better. "Thanks guys," his weary smile returned. "I get the job by default."

"No," said Rich, "you get the job because you've been more like a father to her and you're the only one she listens to. Poor Matty has to compete with you for her affections. It might be an idea to let him win sometime soon."

Matty was hot and bothered from mucking out and his mother caught him making a mess in her kitchen. He grinned, reached for a glass and filled it from the tap as his father came in after him.

"Where's Matty's girl? Only we've cleared the yard ready for her lesson."

"Her name's Sarah, Dad." He put the empty glass down. "I can't see you getting her on a horse today."

"No, you won't," his mother looked grim. "She said she had a headache and she was going to take something for it. I think she's asleep."

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" His father leaned against the sink and waited for his reply.

"When?" Matty thought they didn't really want to know about the security van job but wasn't really sure.

"The accident…not what Sean asked you to do for him." His mother wasn't daft, she didn't want to know how one of her sons had got the other to do something illegal and end up in prison. It was safer to blame them both.

"Someone tried to kill her and her brother. She had to have an operation on her head and have a metal plate put in it. Until it settles she'll get bad headaches. The pills the doctor gave her knock her out sometimes, but if it's a really bad one, they won't even touch it."

He was more worried than he let on and the stress of the last few weeks was taking its toll. "She says it's getting better, but I'm worried Mam." He wiped his eye, refusing to resort to tears.

"Look in and see her. I'll finish clearing up here." Matty's dad pushed him gently. When he'd gone from earshot he finished his thought. "She's a lovely girl to put up with him and what he's done."

"I was talking to her earlier about her family. Did you know her parents were killed when she was a baby and she seems to have been in and out of foster homes ever since. She never had a proper family life. I think her brother brought her up, from what I understand."

"Patience of a saint, the man must have."

Sarah was curled up on the bed with her head buried in the bedclothes. She was having one of the worst headaches ever and she knew the strange surroundings didn't help. She wasn't going to say anything to Matty; she could hear how much he was enjoying being at home. She buried herself deeper hoping to lose the pain.

"Hey," said Matty. He sat next to her. "Want me to draw the curtains?" he watched her shake her head but she didn't take it out of its hiding place. "How long have you…"

"All day. I slept on it. It's killing me." She eventually raised her head. He saw the swelling between the stitches on the side of her head. "Is there any ice I can put on it?"

"I'll ask. I won't be long."

As he drew nearer the kitchen he could hear his parents talking.

"She seems like a nice girl, Eve, but he'll have his hands full looking after her."

"I think she'll keep him out of trouble now. It is nice to see him again."

He made a noise to warn them. "Mam, do you have any ice?"

"Ice?"

"Sarah's stitches are swollen, she slept on them. Her face is all puffy."

"I'll see what I can do. I'll see to her Matt, finish helping your father."

Matty's dad smiled uncertainly, unsure what had been overheard. Matty saved him the bother.

"Just for the record, Sarah looked after me more than I looked after her. She doesn't need anyone's pity, dad. She's the best."

"As long as you're sure you know what you're letting yourself in for."

"Dad, when she's better, you'd never know she couldn't see. Honest."

"…but she can't see, can she. She'll never see your children's faces; she'll never see you grow old."

"But she sees into my heart and soul, dad, she can see right through me."

"That does look painful." Mrs Holland brought the ice wrapped in a tea towel ready to apply to Sarah's head. "Matty said you wanted some ice?"

Sarah brought her head up from her knees. "Thank you Mrs Holland."

"There's no need to be so formal. Call me Eve." She sat on the bed.

"It's not right. I can't, I'm sorry."

"Well call me Mam, then."

She watched Sarah's eyes water. "I've never had a mum, a proper one I mean."

"Well I've never had a daughter, so we're even there then. If you're intending to marry my son, we'll be family anyway. What difference is it going to make if you start now?"

She held the ice in the cloth and carried on. "Do you want to do this, or shall I put the ice on?" Sarah reached out for her hand and let her do it, a gesture of trust.

Stacie smiled at Rich and it amused her to see him blush. He was a sweetie really, it made up for his younger brother being such a prat, she thought. Ash caught her looking and cleared his throat.

"Rich, if you want to leave, I'd suggest going now." Ash warned. "We're about to talk about things that may be awkward for you."

Rich was enjoying looking at Stacie, "you carry on. Perhaps I can help."

"Yeah, right." Billy looked down and tapped his foot with his crutch. "We'll go to the auction and arrest them all."

Ash stared at him. "Billy, you're only here because you've got the original. Behave yourself." He took the unsubtle hint and shut up. "You had something in mind, Mickey?"

"We'd like to buy the manuscript…but with Petrie's own money. Any ideas?" he looked about him. For all their plotting earlier they hadn't really come up with anything.

"Gambling it is out." Albert mentioned.

"You won't let me nick it again, and I can't at the moment anyway," Billy added.

Danny looked at Stacie, "what about the Mondrien trick?"

"There's no aspect of revenge for what he did to Sarah. Nice try though Danny."

"Do you fancy hacking into his personal accounts, Ash?" Mickey asked.

"Not really my thing. It would take too long for me to set up. The timescales we've got are too tight. We'd need Sarah for that."

The room fell into silence.

"I've got a story that will make you laugh." Rich looked at Ash, asking for his help. His brother took the hint and played along.

"An army story?"

"Kind of." He stretched back. "Of course I don't condone this behaviour but it was interesting at the time."

"Come on then. Get it over with."

"Ok, the shortened version," he looked at his watch, "because I have a feeling I'll have to be going somewhere after this." He looked at Ash again.

"I'll give you a lift," he said softly.

"Right then. Well, we had a call from a soldier to say there'd been a burglary. When we got there, there was nothing left. No furniture, carpet, curtains. Nothing. Not even a light bulb."

Stacie leaned towards him, interested in the way things were going.

"Turns out he was having an affair with an officer's wife. Her husband had turned up with a truck and got his men to take everything. Literally, everything. The soldier's wife was back in England, she didn't know what was going on. The soldier was totally gob smacked."

"What did the neighbours say?"

"They thought it was official. It was official equipment and they carried it out like a manoeuvre. No one really noticed them."

"The soldier had to replace everything before his wife came back. It cost him a small fortune. He couldn't claim on his insurance because they'd used his spare key, the one the officer's wife had. He had to save face as well as his marriage."

"What happened to the officer?" Albert asked.

"He was called back to the UK, on compassionate leave, I believe." The silence returned. "Well, I said I had to be going somewhere. Is that lift still available, Ash?"

He nodded. He had worked out the story behind the story and looked at his brother with pity. He saved his comments until they reached the car.

"Where did you want to go?" Ash asked.

"It doesn't matter." he paused. "Did you work it out?"

"I'm sorry."

"Hmm."

"…and you're a crafty bastard. If they've found out it was you, you won't have a job…or is that the reason you wanted to learn how to pull a con? They've already sacked you?"

"Who said anything about me?" he looked about him. "It's just a story."

"If we strip his house, what do we do with all the stuff?" Danny enquired.

"Storage, and forget to pay?" Stacie thought aloud.

"That gets auctioned off. We want money to buy the manuscript." Albert said.

"Shame to give him money though." Billy didn't like the idea.

"Shame to empty his house and let him make on it." Mickey explored other possibilities. "It still needs to be done so he can't claim on his insurance. Danny, any ideas?"

He thought for a while. "He mentioned moving soon. Didn't I hear somewhere that a removals van has to have separate insurance; I mean the house insurance only covers the things in your home, doesn't it?"

"Ash can set up a long firm to get rid of the stuff. I'm sure the Princes can help with that for Sarah." Billy tried to think of his connections.

"Matty won't be happy if he misses a driving job. I hope they're both back soon." Mickey gazed into space. "Anyone else fancy driving a lorry?"

"Ummm, well…" Billy began.

"You can't drive in your state." Stacie was ready with her reply.

"Not me, Rich. His licence covers tanks and things I'm sure." Billy smiled at her. "He'd do anything for you, Stace."

She didn't answer.

"When did he say he was moving, Danny?"

"That's the thing. He didn't give us a date."

"Ok, are you really sure you want to do this?" Matty asked Sarah as held tightly to his hand. "It's not a problem if you don't want to do it. Everyone will understand."

She pursed her lips and stopped herself biting a reply. "Would you rather I didn't, Matt?" she passed the buck back to him. He noticed and smiled to his father.

"I told you she'd do it."

"If I find you've got money on me, Matty…" she warned, "the wedding's off."

"Would I?"

Yes, you would, she thought. She was nervous though and Matty had seen it. He squeezed her hand gently and pulled her into the yard.

"We're putting you on Lilly."

"Sounds like a seaside donkey," she muttered but he didn't hear her. The hard hat she had been given was deliberately too big for her so it didn't press on her stitches. It still itched though and she wriggled it to find a comfortable fit. She was fed up with the uncomfortable sunglasses and was hoping Alex Maguire wouldn't make her wear them for too long.

The black and white horse was a favourite with the disabled riding club. She was so patient and forgiving to her riders. She was also taller than Sarah was expecting.

"Oh, my goodness." Matty had left her on the block whilst his father moved the horse into position. She reached out and touched the animals neck and realised she was off the ground and there was still a way to go to get on the horse.

"Stand still, Sarah. I'll be right back." He called from somewhere to her right. Used to the same tone in Ash's voice, she could hear the worry in it and froze until she was told it was fine to move. He came back with a leather strap and fixed it around the horse's neck.

"Now, Sarah, I'm going to stay this side and Matty the other. If you have any problems just say and we'll stop Lilly for you." Matty's dad checked the saddle ready for the rider.

"Ok, Mr Holland."

"Matty, get your girl to call me Dad or I'll have to call her Miss Morgan all the time."

"Actually Dad, its Doctor Morgan." Matty shot a glance at her before looking at his father and smiling at him.

Sarah smiled. She loved Matty's parents' attitudes and their family life. She loved the way they treated him and the respect he returned. She could also see what she hadn't had and it made her a little sad. "So what do I do?"

Matty joined her on the block again and took her hands. He let her touch Lilly again and feel the saddle and reins. He brought her hands down to the stirrups and to the girth around the horse's body. Knowing how quickly she picked things up, he made her take her hands back to the saddle and feel front and back.

"I'm going to put your left foot in here, in the stirrups, and I want you to hold onto the saddle with both hands, here and here. Then I'm going to bring your right leg over the horses back and sit you on the saddle. Ok?"

She took a deep breath. "Ok." Before she realised it she was sat on a horse for the first time in her life. "Matty, how do I hold on?"

He moved her hands to the neck strap he'd just fitted. "Just hold here for the moment." He could see she was nervous, something that didn't happen often, and swung himself up behind her.

"You're doing fine," he reassured her. "Remember to breathe and try and relax."

"Easy for you to say." She was tense and worried she might fall. She felt a lurch and cried out: "what's happening?"

Matty's dad answered. "We're going into the school. If you decide to let go or fall off the ground is nice and soft, you can't hurt yourself."

"Relax." Matty whispered again to her and put one arm around her waist. The other reached for the reins and she began to get the fell of the horses walk. He felt her slowly come to trust the horse and his father commented on this.

"Put the weight into your heels, girl." Matty's dad moved her foot in the stirrup. "That's right. Now you need to take the reins, Matty'll show you how."

He watched as Matty wove them around her fingers and they walked for a lap of the school in silence. "Will you be comfortable if Matt walks next to you?" at her nod her fiancé slid off the horse and she felt his hand on her leg.

Lilly twitched with an itch. Sarah felt the horse and realised she wasn't about to explode or something and gave a little laugh. The men looked at each other a little unsure of the blind rider.

"Sarah? How do you feel?" Matty took his hand from her leg and his father did the same. Sarah didn't seem to notice and grinned.

"This isn't too bad. I like the way she sways when she walks." She felt down to her feet and adjusted her foot. "This doesn't feel comfortable though."

Matty's dad moved her foot gently. "Put the ball of the foot on the metal bar and press down with your heels. That'll make you more stable and spreads your weight for the horse." Seeing she had the hang of that he suggested she sit more upright and she changed position. After a few circuits of the school he suggested to his son that she might be better on a lunge rein and left them to find one.

"For the last time, she isn't here." Eddie grew frustrated at the question he had been asked far too many times lately. "I don't know where she's gone or when she's coming back."

The man pulled himself away from the bar and left without another word. Eddie watched him go and commented to the bar's only other occupant: "Ash, tell your sister to put her mobile back on. This is really starting to be a pain."

He put his head around the corner. "Why? Who's been after her?"

"Andy bloody Hartley and his followers."

Ash shot from his seat. "I hope you're joking."

"I wish I was." Eddie picked up the dirty glasses from the next table. "She said it wasn't bothering her so I'm trying not to react to him. Tell her he still wants to talk to her, would you?"

"…yeah, I will." He didn't reveal the fact he couldn't contact her.

"And just because I let her play the piano when she needed to practice for the school show didn't make for a permanent arrangement. Andy Hartley seems to think I'm her agent." His grumbling took him back to the bar and Ash followed.

He stared into space for a while and drummed his fingers on the bar. "Did he say-"

Eddie leaned towards him. "I'm not interfering in the lady's love life, but if she's marrying Matty Holland then Andy needs to get the message loud and clear. If she's breaking it off with Matty she needs her head examining…sorry, that was unintentional."

"I'll mention it to her."

"Hi."

"Stacie, hello. I wasn't expecting…"

She smiled and walked in past him. "I know. Is Billy here?"

"No. he said something about getting some exercise but knowing him it will involve climbing something. Did you want him?"

"Not him, Rich."

"Oh."

Danny and Billy sat in the car watching Petrie's house. They were struggling to come up with a way of finding his moving date and had resorted to watching him. Both were getting grumpy at the boredom and ultimately the subject of Sarah came up.

"…so I asked Ash if I could take her out to lunch and he nearly flattened me!"

Billy looked at him with sympathy. "Sorry, I've given him too much practice."

"Why the hell did no one tell me she was engaged to someone? I'm sure he did it on purpose when he said wait a fortnight."

"Oh. When Matty got out. He wanted him to flatten you too, by the sound of it." Billy looked sympathetic. "Ash doesn't realise Sarah can look after herself these days and he treats me like I'm something stuck on his shoe most of the time."

Danny slouched back in the driver's seat. "That's what you get for being the little brother. Sorry."

Billy shrugged. "Doesn't bother me any more. God knows what we'd have turned out like if we'd been fostered together as we should have, but Mr Perfect said he was going to stay with Sarah and made us feel guilty."

They drifted back into silence.

"Sarah should have gone to that boarding school, then she wouldn't have got hurt and he wouldn't have blamed himself ever since…"

Danny opened his eyes at Billy's sudden silence. The sight of two heavies leaning against the car was not the sight he wanted to see.

"Mr Hartley wants to talk to you." Billy's door opened and he was helped from the car. "You too," he said to Danny.

"William, how nice that you dropped by."

"No problem, Andy. I was in the neighbourhood." He looked at the gangster. "Something I can do for you?"

"Just pass a message to your sister that you've seen me."

"Ummm, why?"

"I have the feeling you'll be congratulating us soon. Perhaps you'll give her away at her wedding."

"No, Ash is doing that."

It went silent. "She's marrying him then."

"Yeah, Matty got out a while ago. They haven't set a date-"

"Get her here. Just do it Billy." The heavy released him and he glared at him.

When they had been returned to the car Danny had one thing to say. "Oh shit."

Ash had been nosing around. He'd been concerned that Robbie Prince had been involved in something he shouldn't have been and there would be repercussions. A little digging around brought him the answer he needed.

Andy Hartley was in severe financial difficulties. The trust documents were interesting reading in that it granted a loan to be made to the Hartley's if they ever needed it.

And did he need it now.

The interest rate was set at 30. A huge amount that wouldn't have to be paid if Sarah died before repayment. He was suddenly very very worried for his little sister.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her.

"What for?" she broke away from his cuddle to question him.

"For not giving you space before. I love you. I didn't mean to act like you were helpless. I was so worried about you, not having anyone around."

"Ash and Billy were around, and I had Ma and the people at the school. Matt… I'm sorry too."

"What have you done?"

"Ma asked me if I knew a safe breaker and I admitted I could open a combo."

"I didn't know you could crack safes!"

"I can't, just combos. She needed someone who could open the safe from Sean's robbery…"

"You did it for her?"

"Yes, but Andy Hartley knows and thinks I can open anything. He's been pestering me Matt, interfering when I was playing the piano at Eddie's, just being a pain. He's doing it to cause trouble between us."

He went quiet. "Is there anything between you? I understand; I was away for a long time."

"No there isn't and I don't like the way you said that. Do you really think I'd go off with someone else when you were away, especially when I said I wouldn't have the operation?"

"No, of course not. I know how much you want to see and I know you gave up the opportunity for me." he softly pinched her nose. "Still, we'll see what Alex says when we go back."

She was silent again. "Oh, Matty, I really hope it's the start of some improvement."

He looked around at the gloomy room. "Take the shades off girl. Let me have a proper look at you." At her hesitation he put his hands to the frames. "Please?"

"Ok." She pulled away.

Without the glasses he could see her scars were healing well. She blinked a few times and he traced along her face in a way she could understand. She smiled at him.

"The headaches are better, aren't they?"

She nodded. "And the light isn't so bad. It doesn't hurt so much. Things are still different to how they were before. I have to go back to the hospital for a check up."

"It's been a quick three weeks."

"I'll miss your mum and dad. Can they adopt me?" Sarah joked.

"No, sorry." He smiled at her crestfallen face. "You get automatic membership when we get married. Which reminds me, Mickey has agreed to be best man."

"And Ash will give me away. Stacie and Marg to be bridesmaids but I haven't asked them."

"The only other question is where shall we get married then?"

Ash explained what he had found to the others. Billy and Danny looked at each other and revealed the conversation with Andy Hartley. Rich sighed and they all looked worried.

Albert said nothing but instead felt in his pocket. "I think is time I gave you this." It was Sarah's phone. Loaded into it were Matty's parents' phone numbers.

"I'm not going to knock you out this time Sarah because I need you to talk to me. This won't be like your other tests; this is devised for the partially sighted."

Alex watched her squeeze Matty's hand and continued.

"It will be awkward for you because I want you to tell me things you haven't seen before and probably don't know the words for. Matty will you help her?"

At his nod Alex turned the light down to a much muted glow. He hen asked her to take off the glasses and she admitted her happiness at taking them off.

"I know you can tell the difference between dark and light, so this is an easy one to get you started. I'm going to move a light source around the room and I'd like you to point at it or say what its doing."

He moved silently to his desk and picked up a remote control. "I'm not giving you the opportunity to listen to me walking around so I'm using a remote control. Talk to me Sarah."

"There is a bright object directly in front of me. It's smaller than your office window."

He began the movement. "It's gone right, now down, now left, now diagonal towards the door."

"Ok, I said it was an easy one."

Sarah smiled nervously. "Go on then Alex, let's get this over with."

He was thoughtful for a moment and nodded. "Matty please sit her in the chair. I need to check something before we go any further."

Matty obediently led her to the seat and Alex adjusted it. He swung the metal viewer in front of her and blocked off her right eye. He thought there would be little change on this side and he was correct. The accident had caused her vision to improve and now the healing was well underway it may have deteriorated again.

"Here's where it gets interesting." Alex adjusted the viewer again and the traditional eye test came into view on the wall. "Can you tell me anything about this?"

"Dark and light."

"Anything else? If I give you a pen can you draw what you can see?"

"I'll try." He passed a small whiteboard to her and she drew a shaky rectangle. He changed the image and she drew a rough triangle.

"Now I'm going back to the first test. Is there anything on the light part?"

"Yes, but I can't tell what it is. Can I get closer?"

"Ok"

She wriggled from the chair and moved to the wall. Both men watched her trace the A on the wall although she could see little else. "Is this something, Alex?"

He looked at Matty, whose own eyes were watering. He gestured to him, inviting him to answer her.

"Sarah, it looks as though I'll have to teach you to read." Matty took her hand and traced the letter again. "This is an A."

"Sarah, come back to the chair. There are lots more tests to do I'm afraid."

Sarah opened the door to her flat and Matty came behind with the bags. She called out, not sure which of her brothers was staying there. She desperately hoped Billy hadn't been left there on his own. At that thought she started sniffing.

Matty caught her. "Do you need a tissue?" he asked politely.

"No, perhaps a fire extinguisher." She opened the kitchen door and inhaled deeply. "Its ok, we're not on fire."

Matty shook his head to hide his amusement, glad Sarah couldn't see him. He watched her fill the kettle and announced he was going to put the bags in their room. She ignored him, concentrating on making them a cup of tea and as she waited for the kettle to boil, she felt for the French door key to her little garden.

"Someone's been watering for you." Matty commented from the doorway. "I think we need to prune those roses, they are getting quite high."

"I like them like that. They fill the evening with their scent and I can smell them inside as well." She wandered back to him and he moved to let her inside.

"I meant that your upstairs neighbour might object."

"Our upstairs neighbour, Matty." She left him in the doorway and went to put the hot water on the tea. "Was that a roundabout way of saying the weddings off?"

He sat on the sofa, glad to be home. At least there were no early morning rises to muck out or drive to races. He watched her bring in the tray of cups and smiled. It was good to be happy, he thought, and it was good to be here with his Sarah.

"Tea," she passed him a cup. "Did you want anything to eat?"

"Not at the moment. Would you like to go out later?"

"That'd be nice." She sat next to him and took a sip.

"I'm glad you liked my parents. They hoped the farmhouse wasn't too confusing for you. If we go again we can stay in a cottage if it's easier."

"When we go again not if. They'll come over for the wedding won't they?"

"As long as it's not in the middle of the season, they'll be far too busy then. That's a good cup of tea, lady."

"I've been able to practice whilst you've been away." He pulled her towards him and they collapsed in a pile on the sofa. He was busy tickling her when they were interrupted by the lodgers.

"Sorry to interrupt, but thanks for letting us know when you were coming back." Rich said dryly. "We'll leave you to it and come back in an hour." He wasn't sure if they heard him but they closed the door behind them.

"Sorry about the interruption, Mr Holland. I do believe that was all three of my brothers."

"It was, Dr Morgan. What was it we were doing?"

They giggled again and Matty kissed her briefly. "Unfortunately I have something to do. I won't be long."

"Matty?" Sarah looked after him as he stood. "Not now, surely?"

"I want to see Ma. Ask her about the Hartley's. I don't want you in any danger."

"Well, I'm coming too." she could see movement and moved towards it. He had reached the lounge door the brothers had closed for them. She took his hand. "Wait for me. I don't want to be here on my own."

Weeks went by and they seemed to have fallen into a new routine - preparing for the wedding of the moment. All the preparations finished, it was time for the main event.

Stacie smiled at her nervousness and left her alone in the room. She called to the man who had been waiting impatiently outside.

"Ash, if you're still there you can come in now."

She held the door open and smiled again. He entered hesitantly and stopped when he saw his little sister.

"Oh, Sarah. You look…"

Her nerves broke. "I told you it was a mistake, Stacie. I can't wear this."

He managed to finish his sentence. "You look beautiful. My little sister can't say she's never worn a dress anymore." He reached out for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Oh." She was quiet for a moment. "You don't normally say things like that to me. Are you feeling ill?" she was serious and he knew.

"I'm not ill, just feeling very old." She squeezed his hand back. He pulled it away and it went to his pocket. "This is for you."

She felt the square red box and struggled to open it. Seeing as Ash wasn't going to help her, Stacie reached over and opened it for her. Even with it open Sarah was confused and the other girl took the fragile necklace from the box. She fastened it and Sarah managed to feel the tiny pendant.

"Ash? This is too delicate for me, surely?"

"It was your mothers." He peeled Sarah's fingers from the pendant. "I couldn't keep much but I wanted you to be able to have something of hers for when you got married."

"What is it?"

"It's a tiny dragon. She wore it on her wedding day." He was smothered by a spontaneous hug. "Hey, you'll crush that dress."

Matty hovered from foot to foot and Mickey sighed for the umpteenth time.

"She'll be here." He didn't hear a reply but he saw the other man muttering something. He moved closer to hear.

"… Eight steps from the car and two steps up. Three in the porch and twenty six in the aisle… eight steps from the car and two steps up. Three …"

"Matty!"

He looked at his best man in surprise.

"She'll be here. Calm down."

"I really can't get over seeing you in a dress." Ash tried to lighten the mood in the church porch. "Thinking of making this a habit?"

"Not if you don't keep me from falling over." He let her feel for his arm and let her hook her arm through in the familiar way, as though they were going for a short walk rather than meeting her fiancé at the altar. "Were you this nervous?"

"Everyone is on their wedding day. You don't have to do this if you've changed your mind."

She put her hand out and felt for his face. "No way. You're losing me to Matty, and it's taken me too many years to actually get here. You're not going to talk me out of it now."

Her finger gently on his lips she felt him smile. "Come on then, he's probably doing his nut in there."

"Twenty six more steps to go."

The reception was held at the school hall. Somewhere she knew, until it was filled with chairs and tables. She stubbed her toe against a table leg and released a volley of curses. Danny turned in surprise.

"Blimey, you do know some good ones," Danny said as he steered her around the obstacles. "Was that all of them or do you know any more?"

She smiled grimly. "That was the edited version. Thank you, Danny. I don't know where the tables are, much less the chairs. I need to sit down for a minute. These shoes are killing me."

"Ok?"

"Thank you. I don't suppose Ash picked up my cane, did he?"

"I'll ask him. Won't be long." She heard his footsteps fade and turned as someone else complimented her. Making polite conversation she waited to be rescued.

She heard two sets of feet return. One of them stopped in front of her.

"Are you hurt?" her biggest brother asked.

"I walked into a damn table."

"No one thought to bring your cane, you didn't say-"

"Well I didn't know some prat would change the layout we'd agreed, did I."

"I'll ask one of the others if you can borrow-"

She grabbed him as he was about to escape. "No way. You can guide me to the table, thank you. Danny, I'm sorry about the mouthful you heard."

"…I have this problem with my hearing." He banged his ear with his open hand and drifted away.

Albert gently took her hand. "My turn for a dance, lady."

"I'm not sure-"

"No argument. I'll make sure you don't fall. Matty's dancing with his mum, so you have to dance with one of your relatives. Billy can't, Ash's getting drunk and Rich is eying up Stacie again. Do I qualify?" she grinned.

It was as she was swaying about with Albert that the commotion began.

Five men burst into the hall. One of them walked up to Matty and pointed a gun at his head. He released his dance partner and the floor cleared. Except for Albert and Sarah.

"Sarah, why didn't you listen to me?"

"Andy?" she didn't know what was going on. "Piss off and let us enjoy our wedding."

"Get it annulled."

"No."

"Divorce will take a year. If I kill him now, you can marry me in three weeks." He cocked the trigger and she realised what was happening. Albert moved her slowly away and shielded her with his body.

One of his men spoke up. "You can't kill him."

Hartley was very, very calm. "I can."

The man took off his balaclava. "Look, scaring them was one thing. I'm not helping you kill my own brother."

"Sean?" Sarah whispered to Albert. "Matty's brother is working for Andy Hartley?"

"Looks that way."

"No, Andy." He went to confront the armed man. "No."

He was casually shot for his valour.

Matty's mum gave a small cry from her seat. No one had noticed Rich. He crept towards them and struggled with Hartley. His men stood on, too concerned to join in.

There was another shot.

Sarah stood silent in Albert's arms. Although everyone in the room was aware of the situation, she thought her husband was dead. She began to feel faint. Albert sat her down and calmly explained what had happened.

Matty had spent the day planning for the meal. Knowing what problems Sarah caused in the kitchen, he had asked Mickey to take her away.

He had taken her to Eddie's and they discussed the situation with Marco Petrie.

They had no solution.

No way of using his own money to pay for his fake manuscripts.

Mickey needed inspiration so he turned to the smartest person he knew.

"So, you're telling me the auction is in two days and you were planning what?" Sarah was having trouble understanding what the problem was. "Buying his manuscripts with his own money might have seemed a good idea at the time, but Mickey, he'll only defraud Pegasus and take the money from what's left of their research program."

Mickey sighed. "I'm stumped, Sarah. Really."

She drummed her fingers on the table. "You don't have an 'in', do you?"

"Yes, the manuscripts. Albert's expressed an interest; Danny's the bored nephew who gets dragged around behind him."

"But it's not enough – the auction is still going ahead. Why?"

"To make more money?"

"He could just quote a higher price to Albert and not have the bother. There's something else he needs from this sale."

They were both quiet. Eddie tidied away the coffee cups and looked hard at them. "I take it you want another?"

They both answered with a nod and he was ignored.

Mickey gave a soft laugh. "Of course. We missed it. Sarah, he wants the publicity. He needs to be giving something to those he's lied to. His conscience is pricking him."

"I don't see…"

"The proceeds are going to the blind. He feels guilty for misleading you and needs to settle his conscience. He needs to make a public image that he will believe himself."

"Ok, but how is that going to help us?"

He looked at her before he uttered his measured words. "How do you feel about an appearance at the auction, white stick, dog et al?"

"I do have better things to do and you can't hire a guide dog for the day." Sarah didn't want to have her disability emphasised.

"Don't you want to receive the proceeds of the auction as a representative of the charity? See him squirm when he has to stand next to you after he nearly killed you with the wrong drug?"

"No Mickey. But I do know a lot of his patients who can be there and I'm sure you can find some interested journalists who would like to talk to them." Her mind started racing. "Billy has the original, Petrie's selling the fake. Does he actually know they're swapped?"

"I don't know."

"That's his 'out' then. He has the option of stopping the auction and losing the publicity if he wants. Otherwise I'll buy the fake manuscript and we'll sell the real one later on."

Eddie reappeared. He put down two steaming cappuccinos and walked away before he heard anything but all he heard was Sarah's plans for the next school term.

Sarah sniffed as she came in. "Matty, that's a gorgeous smell."

He stood in the kitchen doorway and blocked her entrance. "No way, lady. You stay out of my kitchen."

She turned to Mickey. "See what I have to put up with in my own home?"

"What time tonight, Matt?"

"Seven thirty."

"So who's coming?"

"The team and I suppose I'd better include my wife as she lives here."

"Billy?"

"No. Stacie wanted a business meeting and we had the venue. Oh, and the excuse."

Sarah sniffed again. "I smell something hot, Matty."

He vanished into the kitchen.

Ash arrived first. Sarah was still banned from the kitchen so she was reading in the lounge when she heard the door and went to let him in.

It was a good thing she couldn't see. He hadn't slept for days and looked a wreck. Matty looked at him twice as he passed him a can of beer from the fridge. Sarah was oblivious and dragged her favourite brother to the lounge. She sat next to him and tried to make conversation. She failed miserably.

"Sarah, I got this from Rich's room. I'm sorry I didn't say before."

He passed her an envelope and she ran her fingers over it. It was in Braille.

"Is this all there was? When…?"

"He typed it when you were away. I set up the equipment but he did it all. There wasn't anything else apart from his clothes."

She stroked the envelope again. "Have you read it?"

"Sarah, you know I can't read Braille. Please would you let me know what it says."

She reached for his hand and he pulled it away. "Ash?"

"Just read it, Sarah." Matty said from the doorway, seeing Ash's reaction. "I think Ash already knows what it says."

Her fingers skimmed the page. Then they skimmed it again, this time more slowly.

"Why didn't he say? Why didn't he tell us the real reason?" she put the letter down. "He says that he has a brain tumour and the doctors can't operate and he has less than a year to live."

"He wanted to die like a hero."

She was quiet, remembering how he had wrestled with Andy Hartley to save Matty's life. Matty reached his arms around her shoulders remembering his own brother's death.

She woke him from his thoughts. "Burning, Matt."

He dashed back to the kitchen.

"Ash, are you ok?"

He didn't reply. She reached for his hand again but this time he allowed her to take it. She reached up to touch his face with the other hand. It was wet.

"Talk to me."

He tried but the tears overtook him. Sarah held him as his agony expressed itself. Matty watched from the doorway.

"Come on, I'm going to clean you up a bit." She dragged him by the hand to her bedroom as the doorbell rang again.

Danny and Albert came bearing wine.

Albert looked questioningly at Matty, aware that Sarah was on door duty when he was cooking. "What-?"

After he had shown Danny into the lounge with can of beer, Matty closed the door behind him. "We've got a problem," he said to the other man. "Ash."

"He's been busy I know."

"He's been busy keeping out of everyone's way. He's not even been here."

Albert was quiet. "It hit him hard."

"He wasn't the only one who lost a brother." Matty was beginning to show his bitterness. "At least he's got another one." Matty shrugged off Albert's affectionate arm. "I didn't mean that, I'm sorry."

"Where is he now?"

Matty indicated with his head. "The lady's sorting him out. Sounds like she's thrown him in the shower from the protest I heard."

Albert looked at him. "Are you sure I can't do anything?"

He pulled a face. "Give them ten minutes then get them both out of there. I'm worried the meal will be ruined."

"I'm not wearing Matty's clothes," he said flatly.

"You're not wearing the rags you had on when you came in. They stank."

"Sarah…"

"Ashley…"

He sighed and opened the wardrobe.

"Where've you been? I was worried." Sarah pulled her knees to her chin and looked in his general direction.

"Around."

She sighed at this reply. "One word answers won't get you fed tonight."

"Fine." He went to open the door. "Bye."

She heard the squeaky floorboard and beat him to it. She blocked the door. "Ash!"

"Leave me alone."

"No." she stuck her chin out and defied him. "No way."

"You don't need me now you've got Matt, Billy can get along fine on his own."

She felt the door handle move in her back. She grabbed it and was glad of reinforcements. Ash turned and sighed again.

"Matty said to remind you that his work of art is nearly ready. Is everything ok?" Albert looked at the difference between them and saw the isolation Ash was making.

Sarah looked at Albert and shrugged. "I don't know. He isn't speaking to me." she closed the door behind her and left them alone.

"Is this one of those one minute arguments or something more serious?" Albert asked.

He knew he wasn't going to get away now. "I should apologise. It's not Sarah's fault."

"No it isn't. When you're feeling better you'll realise that every time Matty and Sarah celebrate their wedding anniversary they also have to remember what happened." He saw his words were making an impact. He went on to reveal a secret. "Alex Maguire did some more tests for Sarah. She's able to differentiate between some colours through her right eye."

"Oh no." The realisation began to sink in. the comment was not because he wanted her to remain in the dark.

"Red is one of the colours she can see, especially when it's on a white background."

"I thought …"

"She saw the blood on her wedding dress, Ash."

Seeing Ash slowly close his eyes and try to compose himself, Albert continued.

"It was meant to be a surprise and they were going to announce it at the reception. She wants to tell you she can see some things, but you're pushing her away. How do you think that feels?"

He was silent. "I'm sorry."

"Tell your sister. Then we can sort the problems with the score for tomorrow in a civilised manner over some decent wine and excellent company." Albert was relieved to see Ash smile. "Just talk to her."

Mickey and Stacie had arrived in the interim. Albert went to find Sarah and found Danny trying to get her to smile. Ash went to see Matty.

"If you drop my dinner down my new shirt you're for it." He passed him the plates. "Be useful for a change and take these in."

"Sorry, Matt."

"Tell the lady. You've not had to live with her worrying. I thought she was bad before, when you were inside, but this -"

"I'm sorry about Sean, and I'm sorry I was being selfish."

Matty stared at him. "Ok, but you still have to take those plates in."

Everyone looked around as he came in. He coughed nervously and apologised to them all. Putting the plates on the table he went to his sister.

"I'm sorry Sarah."

She didn't reply. He knew he'd hurt her and didn't want her upset anymore.

"Sarah, did you hear?"

"I can see, Ash. I needed to talk to you. You weren't here."

"Oh, God."

"And after that in there, I need more than a few words."

"I feel really bad."

"Feeling really bad is seeing yourself covered in something you don't know the words for but tastes and smells like blood. Someone else's blood. Really bad is feeling a pain I've lost a brother I never had a chance to get to know. Feeling really bad is Matty's mum wailing because her eldest son is dead. Spending my wedding night in casualty with Rich instead of the reception-"

He pulled her into his arms. "Sarah…"

She cried and he rocked her. The others were embarrassed to intrude on their grief but Albert took charge and went to help Matty carry the food in.

Ash and Sarah were quiet throughout the meal and Mickey and Stacie saw the mood needed lifting so they decided to give Danny a history lesson. The boy was quick and played along.

"You asked before how we all met up, didn't you Danny?" Stacie asked sweetly.

He looked at her and winked. "Yeah and everyone laughed. What's the joke?"

Mickey smiled at his answer. "It just sort of snowballed, eh Albert?"

Albert shook his head. "Now this isn't fair on Danny. Sarah, do you want to start?"

She shook her head and carried on chasing peas on her plate. She gave up and used her fingers.

Ash looked at her. "I will." He reached for her pea free hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Well, Danny, I met Sarah when she was three hours old. Sarah met Albert at my trial and he was … romantically attached to Ma Prince."

"You got sent down." Sarah muttered. "I got left behind when you and Billy went to jail. Some bastard traffic warden got our van towed away and when I got back to it, it wasn't there."

"They towed it away when the trial was running." Albert explained. "Sarah caught a chill walking back to the court."

"Chill?" she looked up. "It was pneumonia."

"It was a chill before you decided to sleep on the streets for the rest of the trial."

"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. All our stuff got crushed remember?"

Ash raised his voice. "Before we were taken down I asked the judge who would look after Sarah, and Ma Prince volunteered. She'd looked after Rich and Billy so I knew she'd be ok."

Albert carried on. "I gave her a few lessons in chess and we played over the phone. Ma told me the first Christmas that she didn't have a chess set and that Sarah was memorising the moves."

"Albert bought a chess set from me when I was working in a shop, just up from the sticks." Mickey thought for a moment. "I caught him trying to do the change score and we hit it off. He introduced me to Sarah and made us play chess."

"Then I took you on as my apprentice." Albert looked at Ash. "When he got out of jail he had the sense to leave his sister where she was because she was settled for once. Ma didn't have space for him so he rented my flat with Mickey."

Mickey looked at Ash. "God, you showed me some dives, Ash."

"Introduced you to a few people as well, didn't I? You can't say it wasn't educational." Ash grinned. Stacie and Danny glanced at each other, aware the mood had changed. "While this was going on, Matty met Sarah."

Matty's turn. "I was her driver. I went to Ma for a job but she couldn't think of where to send me. I'd seen the local blind kid walking about and I volunteered to drive her."

"Thank you Matty." Sarah said quietly.

"Turned into a permanent arrangement. When she went to university I went as her helper."

"So we must be at the stage when I got sent down again." Ash thought aloud.

"I'd split up with Ma but I kept in touch. Knowing Sarah had been pretty upset when Ash went down before, Mickey and I went to see her and Matty."

Danny thought for a moment. "What about Stacie?"

Mickey's turn to smile. "She tried the dip on me but I caught her. Albert's training had already started."

"Then I met Albert and Ash when he was released. Then Sarah and Matty."

"After that you met Billy too, for the first time." Sarah looked towards her friend. "Sorry about that Stace, he's been a pest ever since."

"Hmmm."

Matty spoke up. "What about Danny?"

"Blagged his way in, didn't he." Ash smirked. "Nearly didn't make it though."

Danny waved his hands. "Look I told you all, I wanted to learn. Thanks for giving me the opportunity."

Matty looked hard at him. "I give him a year before he starts his own team."

At the prospect of a bet, Albert and Sarah's eyes lit up. Danny made the light go out. "I'm not going anywhere."

Mickey looked around and saw a happier collection of souls than he'd seen earlier. He reminded them all of the job in hand and they began working on the score for the manuscript auction.

... Which I'm working on too! Shouldn't be long now, I hope.