Revenge of the Adventurer! 3.

Jason Stock the script-writer for 'The Adventurer' had been murdered! Found at his home, dead by some unknown means. I thought at once of the scene I'd witnessed at the studio. Barton had clearly been very angry about what Stock had done. But murder? I didn't know whether Barton was CAPABLE of murder. Then again, I didn't know that he wasn't. As a writer he'd often written murders. But he was a law-abiding citizen, he even paid the Congestion Charge when he came into London! He paid his taxes, his bills, he'd even given extensively to charity when he'd been rich.
Yet he had a very protective attitude towards his characters. I didn't blame him. He'd never married, so in a sense his characters were the nearest things to children he'd ever had. At the same time, Stock had been a very real flesh-and-blood person. Yet I knew fans often reacted angrily to writers' treatment of fictional characters, to the extent of sending death-threats. And Barton might have gone further. After all, those characters were HIS creations!

"Scruff, do we have a file on Barton?" I asked. My sister nodded.
"Sure we do, Sis. I'll pull it up. You think he did it?"
"I think he might have done it. Do we know his address?"
"Of course. Between us we've got most addresses in London and the Home Counties. Until a few months ago Barton lived in Hadcombe Court, Surrey. Now he lives in a flat in Carshalton."
Carshalton is officially Surrey, but really it's a part of Greater London.
"Then the Girl in Grey's going visiting tonight. Emily, do you feel up to paying Mr. Barton a visit?"
"Great!" Emily exclaimed. "I love the idea!"
"Then we'll do it, tonight." Owing to some disagreements with the Mayor of London, I can't operate during the day as the Girl in Grey and have to do that sort of thing under cover of darkness.
"What about Mr. Galliard?" Scruff asked. I'd forgotten about him. And he was the man who'd bought the rights to the characters which he'd abused. Of course, Mr. Stock's death might have nothing to do with 'The Adventurer', but like I was going to take that chance. I had to solve a murder, and probably prevent one too, because I knew EXACTLY what would happen to Galliard if I was right. And it was more or less what had happened to Stock, but probably nastier.
And I don't mean maybe.
But first Scruff and I had to visit Mr. Galliard at the studios. We left Emily at home looking after important things like lunch and headed off in my grey Jag. I drove, and Scruff sat besie me tapping away on the computer that lives in the glove compartment. I had no idea what she was doing, but I hoped it would be something useful. I like having a teenage computer whizz around the place, but it can still get a little wearing at times.
And she doesn't look like a secretary. Not even in her Robin costume (having said that, how many secretaries wear Robin costumes? none I know So no, Scruff wasn't wearing it). I mean, how many secretaries do you know who don't brush their hair more often than once a month? But family can get away with most things, at least with a nice girl like me.
I wondered what we would find at the studio. Even my imagination could not have predicted what we DID find.