Web Site Story by Robert Rankin Page A

mentioning money. There might be a story here. A big story. I wouldn't want the nationals to get to it first.'
    'You'd like the exclusive all for yourself
    Derek made a sour face. 'I spent two hours typing it all up, simply to be told by Mr Shields that he was covering the story and I should just clear off home.'
    'Will we be seeing a picture of Chalky the doll on tomorrow's front page?'
    'I shouldn't be at all surprised.'
    The waiter, an eastern European type, dressed in gypsy trappings, was hovering near with the wine list and now made polite coughings.
    'Ah yes,' said Derek. 'What would you like to drink, Kelly?'
    'A glass of red wine please.'
    'A glass of red wine then,' Derek said to the waiter. 'And do you have any beers?'
    'We do Sprout Lager, sir. It has to be tasted to be believed.'
    'Two red wines it is then.'
    The waiter nodded and turned to leave and then he turned back again. 'Excuse me please, sir,' he said. 'But I couldn't help overhearing your conversation.'
    'Ah,' said Derek, thoughtfully.
    'It's just that, well, you see, my sister, she saw the crash happen.'
    'Really,' said Derek. 'How interesting.'
    'I don't think you really meant that,' whispered Kelly.
    'I think he overheard me speak of money,' whispered Derek.
    'Oh no, sir,' said the waiter. 'It isn't that. I don't ask for money. It's only that my sister was greatly troubled by the thing she saw.'
    'Seeing an accident is never pleasant,' said Derek. 'But your sister will get over it in time.'
    'Oh no, sir. I don't think she will. Not with the thing she saw.'
    'Go on,' said Derek.
    'Well, sir, I overhear you say about the lady's son, missing from the crash. My sister see him come down from the top deck of the bus. She say he looked very frightened and lost as if he don't know where he is. His eyes all staring and scared. Then he turn around and walk into the wall of the shop next door to the Plume Cafe.'
    'Did he injure himself?' Derek asked.
    'No, sir, you misunderstand me. He walk
into
the wall.
Into it.
Like a ghost. He walk into the wall and he vanish.'
    Derek looked at Kelly.
    And Kelly looked at Derek.
    'Most amusing,' said Derek. 'You had us going there. Two red wines it is then, thank you.'
    'No, sir.' The waiter looked most agitated. 'I'm not pulling at your plonker nor anything. This is what she see with her own two eyes. In the broad daylight. He come down from the bus and he walk into the wall and he vanish. She see it and it trouble her greatly. She honest and church-going. She say it a very bad omen. She say the Devil walk amongst us in Brentford.'
    'I don't think things have got quite that bad yet,' said Derek. 'But you
are
serious, aren't you?'
    'You can see that he is,' said Kelly.
    'Serious,' said the waiter. 'I not like to tell people of this. But I hear you say that everything seem strange about the bus that is crashing. Everything more than strange, I tell you. Everything evil. Best beware.'
    The waiter now speedily took his leave and went to fetch the wine.
    'Things are never dull around you, are they?' said Kelly.
    'They were until you arrived today. But what did you make of all that?'
    Kelly shrugged and smiled a bit. But her fingers were once more twisting at her hair.
    'It's got to be a wind-up,' said Derek. 'Having one over on the gullible newspaper man.'
    Derek's mobile phone began to purr away in his pocket. He took it out, pressed buttons and put it to his ear.
    'What's that?' he said. 'Sorry I can't hear you very well. Excuse me Kelly, I'll take this outside and try to get a better signal.'
    The waiter returned with two red wines and left again, avoiding Kelly's gaze. Kelly watched Derek through the window. He was a good-looking young man. And for a newspaper reporter, he seemed to be honest enough. She saw him thrust his mobile phone back into his pocket and then rush back into the Laughing Sprout.
    'Forget the wine,' he said. 'We have to go.'
    'You look a little rattled,' Kelly said.
    'I'm more than rattled.' Derek took a