"CHATEAU OF DEATH" Part 2

OK people, here is part 2 of this cross-channel classic:

"CHATEAU OF DEATH": Part 2

The darkness slowly lifts from Ben's mind as his consciousness emerges from the caverns of silence. He percieves himself to be lying on the bed as Madame Camboux caresses his head and strokes his hair:
"What.... what happened?" Ben asks confused.
"Giselle the maid found you unconscious on the floor. I cannot imagine who could have done this to you and in my home."Giselle enters with a poultice which Madame Camboux applies to the lump on Ben's head. She looks at the maid:
"Summon all the other servants immediately downstairs, I wish to speak to them".
"Yes Madame" Giselle replies, sheepishly leaving.
Ben looks around the room, his head throbbing:
"I'm not sure that one of your servants did this. More likely to be that Piers after how he spoke to me earlier. I fear you spoil him Madame."Just as Ben speaks, Piers arrives in the doorway.
"What is this? Why do you accuse me? I know nothing of this. This english boy is trying to turn you against me."Madame Camboux looks up:
"Nonsense Piers. Please don't make another scene. Ben is just confused."Meanwhile Ben notices that the wine is missing:
"Its gone. The bottle of 1865 claret I bought for you as a present. Its worth over £150. *looking at Piers* What have you done with it? You are clearly a thieving freeloader."Piers kicks over a chair, tears streaming down his face.
"This is not true."

Meanwhile Katie and Kyle are sitting in a street bar in Aix enjoying a cold beer each. Katie feels relaxed:
"This town is very beautiful. Its a shame that England doesn't have the same civilised drinking culture that the French have. Too many of your type spoil it by binge-drinking on vodka."Kyle sips his beer:
"I ain't a vodka drinker. Never 'ave bin".
"I suppose we'd better make a move. Ben asked me to do an errand for him before we go back" Katie comments.
"What?"
"Return to that exclusive wine shop where he bought the claret for Madame Camboux. He spotted a bottle of finest Duke de Richelieu absinthe and wants it to take home, along with some 1932 Chateau de Bomboux red".As she speaks, Craig and Isobel appear.
"Ere 'ave you two had a good look round?" Kyle asks.
"We found a peaceful French cemetary where we sat and wrote some poetry" Isobel replies quietly, her delicate eyes looking at Craig.

Later the four of them arrive at the wine shop. It has an old fashioned exterior with a range of expensive old wines in the window in dusty bottles. The sign reads:
"Pierre Rouseac: Vintage Wines"
in French. The door is ajar yet there seems to be no one in the shop. Katie strides in:
"Hello? Anyone here? Mr Rouseac?"Suddenly she sees a body on the foor, blood oozing from its head. Kyle and the others enter and Isobel faints.There is a noise from the cellar below the shop.
"Ere you lot stay put and I'll see who's down there" Kyle whispers.Slowly Kyle descends the cellar steps. As he enters the cellar he sees a man with a goatie beard ferreting around among the wines as if searching for one in particular. He hears Kyle and spins round brandishing a crowbar. Kyle decides that attack is the best form of defence and launches himself at the man, knocking the crowbar out of his hand. The man lands a punch on Kyle's mouth then grabs a bottle of wine which he smashes. He goes to glass Kyle however Kyle knees him in the scrotum and grabs his face in the Chelsea bowl-lock. As he does so, he is shocked to see the man's face some away in his hand revealing wires and robotic mechanics. The robot pushes a shelf of wine bottles into Kyle and staggers out and up the staris towards the others..............

............... to be continued.

Ben Chatham in "Chateau of Death" : Part 1

Ben Chatham was relaxing on the sofa enjoying a glass of one of the most exclusive french absinthes available. Opposite him lounged a still beautiful and immaculately dressed woman in her early fifties who smoked a cigarette with elegant grace. Ben congratulated himself on deciding to take up the offer of Gisele Camboux, the successful French actress and a friend of his father, to stay with her in her Chateau on the outskirts of Aix-En-Provence in the south of France. Madame Camboux was intrigued by Ben:
"So tell me darling, what made you decide to visit me again after all this time? You know I simply adore you and yet you wait so long?"
"I've had one of the most stressful weeks of my life. First of all there was the problem with Jake being arrested for selling mushroom flapjack to the woman who runs the canteen at Cambridge police station. Apparently the uniformed officers spent the next two days staggering around the streets of Cambridge seeing turquoise flowers in the sky while two CID officers set up a peace camp outside the station lavatory. I had to use Operation Delta's special status to get him off."
Madame Camboux smiled:
"Oh how drearily bourgeois of them. Here in France we expect our police officers to relax a little."
Ben continues:
"Then I had a chance meeting with an ex of mine Charles in the Fitzwilliam Museum. I expect he was visiting friends in Cambridge as the last I heard he'd emigrated. I tried to talk to him and he just said 'Hi Ben' and walked off. No attempt at conversation at all".Ben's dark eyes fill with tears and his golden fringe falls over his face. Madame Camboux goes over and hugs him closely, stroking his hair.
"Poor, poor Ben."As she does so, a young man of nineteen enters with another bottle of absinthe. It is Piers, Madame Camboux' young boyfriend, a model from Paris. Piers stares angrily at her comforting Ben:
"Hey what is going on? Why do you hold him so close?"
Madame Camboux looks up:
"Don't be jealous darling. Ben was upset."
Piers is petuant:
"You make me very upset by hugging this English boy." He throws a glass at Ben which just misses and storms out.

Meanwhile Katie and Kyle are taking Craig and Isobel round Aix-En-Provence to see the city. Ben wanted to use the holiday to broaden Craig's interests a little. Having looked at the Cathedrale St Sauveur they were about to go to the Musee du Vieil Aix. Craig is unhappy:
"This is not stirring my interest. I'm bored and tired."
Katie frowns:
"Oh stop whining. I'd have thought you'd love gothic cathedrals. You'd certainly like french poetry, you being such a moody, depressed youth."
"Yeah but me and Isobel just want to go round on our own. Then I might appreciate stuff without you slagging it off".
Katie laughs sardonically:
"Ha, you'll be laughed at by the locals because of that ridiculous emo get up . The youth of Aix are immaculately dressed, they don't skulk around in black."
Kyle intervenes:
"Ere just leave him alone alright. Let 'im and Isobel go round on their own an' we'll find a bar or summat".
"Which means I'll be stuck in Aix all afternnoon alone with a chav. Great!" Katie retorts.

Back in the Chateau, Ben has gone to his room fetch a bottle of 1865 claret that he had bought for Madame Camboux as a present. As he fetches it out of his bag he senses someone in the room behind him. Before he can turn around he feels a blow to the back of the head and then the darkness rushes over him........

.......... to be continued.

Two major new Bowie releases

His first album has just been re-released and also a double CD set of the Reality tour. Both essential.

My Big Finish pitch has been submitted!

I'm very proud of it. I've tried to go back to basics with it. Hopefully Ben Chatham will soon be on audio.

Ben Chatham on Big Finish Audio?

I have the pleasure of announcing that I will be submitting a Ben Chatham story to Big Finish.

Coming Soon: The New Ben Chatham Story: "Chateaux of Death"

Watch this space.

Maggie Jones RIP

Sad news that the actress playing Blanche Hunt in Corrie has died. She was the best character in the soap & Maggie delivered her put-downs & acerbic comments perfectly. RIP