Secrets to a Happy Ending

Chapter 26

At 3.10 AM every villager who lived at Happy Endings, was sitting in the hall, the noise was deafening with people wondering what was going on and why they were called for such an unsociable hour.

Ben stood on the stage looking at them, John sat at the side of the stage saying nothing, next to Mark and Joanna.

Lydia approached the entrance with Susannah, she stopped and took a deep breath. She turned to Susannah and handed her a mobile phone.

"I don't want you to go in there, but when I say the word, I want you to call the police, but not until I say is that clear."

"Yes, yes I understand."

Lydia smiled and nodded, she carried a large amount of brown cardboard files in her arm, she turned and walked up the steps, and into the hall. The noise of the crowd began to die down, as people turned and looked at Lydia. There were whispers going on around her, she heard her name being mentioned once or twice.

Ben stood looking at her with a confused expression, he appeared not to have the faintest idea, what was about to come. Lydia said nothing but looked at him as she stepped up to the stage and turned at the podium to face the audience of people in front of her. There was a dead silence, while she looked around the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to apologise about getting you all here at this hour of the morning. As most of you know, my name is Lydia Spalding, and yes as most of you have been told after investigation about me, I am not a blogger, I am a journalist working for the Gazette and Herald in London."

The crowd started to talk amongst themselves, worried looks were upon their faces.

"Please if I may have a moment of your time for me to explain, it's important that I got you here for many reasons."

The noise from the crowd died down again.

"I was sent here to investigate this Village for a newspaper supplement that is being added to the paper, and was asked to contact a man called Mark Ross, whom I was informed purchased the village a few years ago. I have been here for a few days now and met some of the Villagers here and everyone has been so kind and friendly to me. However, after the unfortunate events surrounding Ronnie Ogden I felt I had to do further investigations of my own."

Lydia paused and looked around the room at the blank expressions people were giving her.

"Get on with it!" Yelled a man from the audience.

"After investigating further, as much as I do not want to bring this up, I feel that I have no option. However, before I say what I have to say, I do not do this to bring any harm to yourselves, but I believe many of you are living a life of fear already."

Lydia picked up some of the folders.

"I understand now that everyone in this room is a protected witness of the police in the United Kingdom, you were brought here under a secret scheme to give you a new life, new identities and to offer you some protection. I have many files here with your original information contained in them, and your new aliases."

There was an uprising in the crowd of people, many men were shaking their fists, women were crying. Ben walked over to Lydia and went to put his hand on her shoulder, but Lydia moved away, she said nothing but shook her head whilst looking at him. Putting her arms out she motioned for the audience to calm and that she was not finished.

"I am informing you of this because I have no choice, because evidence has been presented to me that some people here are being blackmailed. Someone is calling you demanding money, for their silence, so that you remain undiscovered."