by John Glover
click here for cast list

Episode 15: You've never seen "Blow Up"? (May 18th 1998 3.15pm)

Yaxley Farcett and Brian Worthington left 'FotoFinish' looking very pleased with themselves. Farcett had just collected the photos that had been taken by the signalman, Jak Jackson, at the time of Reg Dixon's murder. 'Go on then' urged Brian 'Open up. Let's have a look'. Farcett turned to his new partner and motioned with his hands for him to calm down. 'What's the rush ? If this is good stuff, it's good. Hurrying won't make it better. I suggest a cup of coffee and a slow examination of the evidence'. Ten minutes later the pair were sitting in the corner of a comfortable new cafe; very trendy, very expensive. Yaxley had liked the look of 'La Serene' when he had walked past earlier on. What he didn't know was that up until a week before it had been called 'One Lump or Two ?' and had only benefited from a sign change and a coat of paint over the nicotine stained ceiling. He took a sip of his coffee and deliberately drew out the act of unfastening the packet and taking out the photos.

'Come oooon' said Brian, 'What's in there ?' Yaxley took out the photos and spread them across the table. There were pictures of Jak standing proudly at the wheel of a barge; 'Where's that ?' asked Yaxley. Brian span the photo around to get a better look. "Oh, that's Jak's barge. He lives on it with his girlfriend Fleur. I don't suppose you've seen the river yet have you ? The Snare it's called. If you carry on down Cauliflower Drove another half mile or so you come to it'. Yaxley flicked through more of the same; Jak swimming in the river, Fleur standing on a Market Stall, Fleur and Jak smiling by the riverside, until he came to the ones taken that morning. Three photos of a Fen Blow at full power. Jak had taken a shot from each angle that his signal Box would permit; to the left towards Hadlode, in front along Cauliflower Drove and to the right, the direction in which Yaxley was interested in. He held the picture to his face. 'Can't see a bloody thing' he moaned. 'It's just muck flying about through the air. Why the hell does he take these damn stupid photo's?

Brian took the photo from him and studied it intently. He looked at it in the same way the experts do on Antique programmes just before they say, 'If I were you, I wouldn't insure this for anything less than...thirty thousand pounds'. At which point, the humble punter who has taken the pot/vase/painting to the venue as a favour to an elderly relative starts dreaming of their early death and subsequent holidays in Antigua. 'You've seen 'Blow Up' haven't you ?' Yaxley stared at him. 'Pardon' he said. 'Blow Up' repeated Brian. "A murder is committed and a photograph is blown up again and again and again in a certain section until you can see a gun sticking through a hedge. That's how they catch the murderer. So even if this looks like a load of muck swirling about, there could be hidden clues in here'.

Brian looked extremely smug after giving over this information and he expected to be praised. Yaxley looked again and grimaced 'Hang on ! This is too bloody dark. He had the bloody lens cap on !' The two men finished their coffee and headed back towards Yaxley's Ford Escort. 'Where to now Yax ?' asked Brian. Farcett opened his door and looked across the roof of the car at Brian. 'I think it's time to go and see your Mum, Brian'.

The prologue - Episode One -  Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 -  Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7 -  Episode 8 -  Episode 9 - Episode 10 - Episode 11- Episode 12 - Episode 13 - Episode 14 - Episode 16 - Cast List and Episode Index

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