Box SetTrentbridge Tales Lee Wood Contents Book One Map of Trentbridge Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty-One Chapter Fifty-Two Chapter Fifty-Three Chapter Fifty-Four Epilogue Book Two Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty- Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Epilogue – March 1965 Book Three Christmas Eve Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Book Four Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty-One Chapter Fifty-Two Chapter Fifty-Three Chapter Fifty-Four Chapter Fifty-Five Chapter Fifty-Six Chapter Fifty-Seven Chapter Fifty-Eight Chapter Fifty-Nine Chapter Sixty Chapter Sixty-One Chapter Sixty-Two Chapter Sixty-Three Chapter Sixty-Four Chapter Sixty-Five Chapter Sixty-Six Chapter Sixty-Seven Chapter Sixty-Eight Chapter Sixty-Nine Book One Mr Lucky Lee Wood http://leewoodauthor.com The Trentbridge Tales series Book One: MR LUCKY Book Two: LUCKY BREAK Book Three: DEAD LUCKY Book Four: THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS Copyright © 2017/2020 by Lee Wood / Sound Publishing Lee Wood has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental or used with consent. Every effort has been made to obtain necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition. Published by SOUND PUBLISHING Map of Trentbridge Chapter One JAMES SHELDON It’s a bitterly cold Tuesday afternoon in October. I can feel the temperature dropping as the dark shades of evening descend, and to add to my misery, it’s started raining. I’m sitting in a grubby shop doorway on Sidney Street with a sign saying ‘Homeless. Please help.’ crudely written on a piece of brown cardboard and my green woolly hat is upside down in front of me. I’m desperately hoping someone will add to the eighty pence I have to show from being here for the past three hours. Every time someone walks near, I ask politely, “Spare some change, please?” I guess on a grey day like this no one wants to spend time fumbling through their pockets or bags to find loose change. I’m surprised when a man stops in front of me. He looks every inch a successful businessman. I’ve seen enough Italian handmade shoes to recognise they must have cost upwards of £500. I can tell he’s expensively dressed as he’s short in stature and somewhat overweight, yet his blue suit fits him perfectly. It’s obviously made to measure. The small pin badge on his jacket lapel reveals he’s a member of the local small business association. At a guess, I’d put him in his mid-fifties. He puts down the large package he’s carrying and smiles at me. “Let’s see what I’ve got,” he says, as he puts his hand into his trouser pocket. From his rough accent, you wouldn’t know he’s got money. He pulls out a silver clip and peels off a twenty-pound note. I can hardly believe my luck. He bends forward to hand it to me and then suddenly takes it back, produces a lighter from his pocket, and burns the note right in front of me. “There we go. You wanted change. I’ve changed the cash into ashes.” With that, he picks up his package and walks off, laughing loudly to himself. I guess a lot of people would say “serves you right.” After all, to them I’m just a dirty, smelly, homeless tramp. “Get a job” is the most common comment I hear. But things haven’t always been as bad as this. If you’d asked me eighteen months ago what life was like I’d have given you a big smile and told you it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty damn close. Back then I had a gorgeous wife, two lovely kids, a beautiful house and a challenging career which I really enjoyed. I couldn’t have asked for more. Then came the day my nightmare began. I remember it was a beautiful spring morning and I was at home enjoying a rare day off from work. Many of the flowerbeds were just coming into bloom. I’d been pottering around in the garden and mowing the lawn and by the time I locked the mower back in the shed it was close to lunchtime. I made myself a cheese sandwich and a coffee, and sat down to watch the midday TV news. I was sad when they announced that blues legend B.B. King had died, so I turned off the TV, played my B.B. King & Friends album and drifted away into a world of my own, letting the brilliance of the guitar playing send shivers down my spine. I was expecting my wife, Miriam, and our two kids, Jack, aged six and Abigail, three, back after a few days visiting her parents, when there was a knock at the front door. I thought perhaps Miriam must have mislaid her keys, as she often did, or maybe Jack had run ahead from the car to give me a hug, but the moment I opened the door I knew something was wrong. A fresh-faced
