Breakfast on the Way to Brisbane

By Ken Blowers

Following the success of his first collection of short stories 'Nightcap at Ningi Creek', Ken continues the theme with a collection of nine more light-hearted short stories set in South East Queensland. Perfect in content and length to read when catching a bite of lunch, and guaranteed to leave a smile on your face!

Once again it starts in the Caboolture region, and then moves on to Brisbane, with these settings serving as the perfect backdrop for Ken's character's to come to life in 'Breakfast on the Way to Brisbane',

This volume of short stories has something to offer everyone. Ken's ability to draw the reader into the everyday lives of regular people is most unique. You too can be immediately transported to a time and era that possibly no longer exists, to either reminisce, or choose your own adventure - in any event, your reading needs are more than catered for, with this smorgasbord of saga's.

Whatever your choice, you will not be disappointed as the unexpected unfolds with every word, slowly revealing the conclusion like a mini Agatha Christie mystery.

Once you start reading these stories you'll be hungry for more. Look out for Ken's next exciting volume of short stories coming soon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ken Blowers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310811845

Ken Blowers

"I like to get well into my stories from Page 1. They are low in background trivia and high in rich dialogue and action. I have no interest in how my characters are dressed, or how they walk or talk – unless it’s directly related to the way they act. This makes my short stories short and punchy. They are all the better for that.” Ken Blowers.Ken Blowers is a 'Queensland Senior' writer of short stories and one-act plays. He was born in 1934, the youngest of seven children in the small fishing port of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. His father died in 1939 when he was only 5. As a 6 year old he suffered the trauma of enforced evacuation from a coastal area threatened by enemy invasion. The returning home a year later to face the rigors of heavy enemy bombing. On leaving school at the age of 15 in 1949, Ken became an apprentice coachbuilder - at that time a woodworking trade! He was made redundant on immediately on completion of his apprenticeship at the age of 21. Thereafter he engaged in a variety of employment spheres to support his young wife and two children: fitter, car salesman, electrical salesman, postman, insurance agent, factory manager, shopkeeper, and barman. Disillusioned with his employment prospects and looking for a new start, he applied, through Australia House in London, for enlistment in the Royal Australian Air Force. He signed up on a Wednesday afternoon, flew out on the Thursday, and arrived in Australia on the Saturday (27 November 1965) which, he has been known to say, demonstrates how desperately Australia needed him!Having enlisted as a clerk he quickly taught himself to type so he could move to a higher pay level!. Having no formal education qualifications at all, he enrolled in the Victorian Correspondence School (for kids in the bush!) and after attaining matriculation standard, he eventually become a commissioned officer.In 1985, at the age of 51 and after 20 years Air Force service, he retired (with the rank of Squadron Leader). Ken and his wife Jean lived on a 28 acre property, where he bought and built a steel-framed home, over looking the valley. In 1992 the author and his wife moved from NSW to Queensland to be closer to their two daughters and their three grandchildren.Interestingly, it was their happy experiences together in their local U3A play-reading classes that encouraged him to take up the pen! He has since become a prolific writer of 1,000 daily quotations, 48 short stories, and 40 one-act plays.He now lives in Mitchelton, a north-west suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.And he recently retired from writing a total of 30,000 postings in Ken’s Corner, in his UK, Suffolk, home town website lowestoftonline.“To write good short stories you don’t have to live to a ripe old age first– but it sure helps. I can’t stop writing short stories. My characters just won’t let me.””___________________________________________

Book preview

BREAKFAST ON THE WAY TO BRISBANE

By Ken Blowers

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First published by Linda Perry at Smashwords 26th April 2014

This second edition published by Linda Perry at Smashwords February 2015

Editing by Eagle-Eyes Editing Solutions

Cover Illustration by Paulien Bats

Copyright (c) 2014 by Ken Blowers

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All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

CONTENTS

An Accidental Death

The Dogs

BINGO

This Could Be No Dream

Murder Made Easy

The Gardens

The Toms’ Brigade

The Body In The Bath

CHAPTER 1

AN ACCIDENTAL DEATH

Jerry Bowman hated his wife. This hatred had smouldered deep within him for years and the desire to be rid of her had become something of an obsession.

As a young man Jerry Bowman had been attracted to Hetty Halthrop, not because of her good looks or her charm, but because of her prospects. Her father owned Halthrop's Delicatessens; there were two of them, both on the Queensland Gold Coast. Jerry had high hopes that if he played his cards right, the old man could be encouraged to open more delicatessens. One day he and Hetty would inherit them and change the name to Bowman's; then under their careful stewardship the business would surely prosper and grow.

That was the real reason he married Hetty. But after they were married, his father-in-law showed no interest in any proposals for expansion. By the time he died some years later, one delicatessen had already closed and the other had been run down to the point where its closure was inevitable. There was hardly any money, or anything else worth speaking about, for them to inherit. In Jerry's mind it all seemed like some gigantic family plot to rob him and deny him his rights - his destiny!

He blamed his wife because she had failed to exercise any positive influence over her father, just as she had failed to give him any children. After the closure of the delicatessen business, she had not been at all content with the decent job he had found for her, tending to the needs of the checkout girls in the local supermarket. She had developed grand ideas about discovering her innate potential. This, according to Jerry, was just a trumped up excuse for her to go flirting with the young waster’s down at the TAFE College.

Ignoring his protestations, Hetty continued with her part-time studies, eventually graduating in both Accounting and Computer Programming. She had a new job in the city now and was bringing in more money than he was. He now felt her new status undermined his position as a husband and provider and it was an attack on his manhood! He now believed more than ever, that she had completely failed him as his wife.

His resentment and brooding continued until it blossomed into a powerful and overwhelming desire to be rid of her. But how, how can I rid myself of this burden? He asked himself this question over and over again, as the days and the months went by.

Then one day while reading his daily newspaper, the Brisbane Courier Mail, he saw the headline: WOMAN KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT. This so-called accidental death occurred when a car, which had failed to stop, had struck down a woman from behind as she walked alone at night. A witness described the car as being small, white - and possibly Japanese. ‘That's it!’ he thought, ‘That’s the answer to my problem.’

That's the answer alright, he thought. All I've got to do is get my hands on a small, white, Japanese car, arrange an accidental death to occur and bingo; problem solved! The Police, the press and any witnesses, will all think it's the driver of the other car, doing it again.

He picked up the local newspaper and scanned the motoring pages for a cheap, white, Japanese car. But on further reflection, he decided that ownership would only increase the danger of being found out. No, no; it

would be better to rent one. By using a false name and paying cash, it would be extremely unlikely that the hire-car could ever be traced back to him. He knew of a company that rented out small cars like that in Redcliffe. This was far enough away from Bribie Island for him not to be recognized - but certainly not too far.

He could easily go and pick up the car by taxi. He felt quite cocky about it now, knowing how easy it would be for him to outwit the Police.

Hetty caught the bus from the Bribie Island Shopping Centre to