Dimensional Observer Part Iii:: The Cause of It

By Michael Retsina

“Both Susan and Michael were disappointed because of Lisa having left. Will she come back and confirm she is a traveller from the past, like they think?” to be written on the back cover.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665592703

Michael Retsina

The author works as an accountant from home and has been writing for the last four years as a hobby.

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Dimensional

Observer

Part III:

THE CAUSE OF IT

MICHAEL RETSINA

AuthorHouse™ UK

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www.authorhouse.co.uk

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© 2022 Michael Retsina. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   11/02/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9269-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9270-3 (e)

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of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

1       Game of Snooker with Andrew and Laura

2       A Surprise Visitor at the Cinema

3       Susan’s Accident

4       Lauren Pops In

5       The Postcard

6       Evening at the Pub

7       Lisa Returns

8       Lisa’s Story

9       Paul’s Gambit

10     Paul’s Move

11     Lisa’s First Night

12     Susan Comes Round

13     The Breakthrough

14     Lisa Lodges with Michael

15     That Weekend with Lisa

16     The Birthday Party

17     A Game of Monopoly

18     Bonfire Night

19     Searching for the Boy

20     The Glove

21     Gathering Information

22     The Stake-Outs

23     Lisa’s Birthday

24     Trying to Flush Him Out

25     Office Christmas Dinner

26     Office Christmas Disco

27     The Giveaway

28     James’s Story

CHAPTER 1

Game of Snooker with

Andrew and Laura

I t was the third of July, and Michael Morrow was driving home in his blue Vauxhall Astra on this warm Sunday evening. He wore glasses and a blue shirt with charcoal-grey trousers and black shoes. He thought of Susan Morrow, who was a laterally inverted version of himself from an alternative universe. He then thought about Lisa O’Connor, who he and Susan were absolutely sure had travelled here from around 1874. Both women had arrived at about the same time last January. Lisa, who had recently lodged with him for three days, had left two days ago.

When Susan and Michael looked on an ancestry website, they had realized Lisa was Sukie Elizabeth Doyle, who was about 30 years old in 1874. They had come to the conclusion that the world she had come from was parallel to the one we are in. Lisa had appeared to have travelled through time because the world she had come from moved fractionally faster than this one.

When Michael arrived at the flats, he noticed Gary, Martin, and Lauren Scully, a rough-and-ready trio in their early twenties. Lauren’s elder brothers each stood about five foot nine. They wore black jeans with brown leather jackets over white T-shirts. Lauren was quite a lot shorter than them, but had similar chestnut-brown hair. She had large dark-brown eyes and wore baggy, oversized blue jeans, which helped cover up her plump figure, although she wore a tight white T-shirt over her bulging bra. They were drinking and making lots of noise in the woods to the back of the flats, as they competed with each other to do wheelies on their bicycles. Michael saw Lauren quickly look in his direction. She waved to him as he walked to the main entrance of the flats.

That evening, as he prepared his meal, he missed Lisa and wondered what she might be doing. He had a few drinks to make himself feel better before putting on a DVD, which he watched as he ate. He’d cleared up and was just about to go to bed when he heard Lauren and her brothers, sounding quite drunk, near to the back entrance. He heard what sounded like Lauren burping loudly and then a bottle smash.

She said in a broad Yorkshire accent, Shit! That’s Rottweiler piss. Fuck! They shouldn’t be marketing such crap.

Her brothers laughed. One of them said, You’re fucking right. Michael heard an empty can noisily clatter on the ground. The same brother said, I won’t be fucking shopping there again. They talked about the recent England football match.

The other brother said, All right, Richard? Apparently one of the elderly residents, Richard Steadman, had arrived back at the flats.

Richard responded calmly in his deep, elderly voice, Yes, fine, thanks.

Lauren said, Well, it’s rickety Rick with the stick. The bellend! What have you been getting up to tonight? Been to Blue Jean’s again, have you?

Richard replied, Yes. There was a pause. Michael imagined what he could easily say in reply: Mind your own bloody business or She wears better jeans than you.

Lauren continued, I hope you haven’t worn yourself out with that dipstick an’ all. Err! What’s that fucking shit at the end of it? Ooh! You’ve picked up some crappy chewing gum. I shouldn’t try that bit of crumb, though—it looks fucking worse than the piss I spat out earlier. The bloody shit! She laughed loudly.

Richard said, Oh. Bad fermentation, aye?

Bad enough to blow you away, old fart. She giggled.

There was a pause, and Richard said, Oh. I best get in then, before I light my … ciggy. He chuckled.

One of the brothers said, Good one, mate.

Lauren said, What? That was crap.

Richard said, Well, that could amount to being even more dangerous. Just watch what you put your foot in. A door closed.

She said loudly, Well, you cheeky bugger! Fuck off.

One of the brothers laughed. I think he just has. Oh, let’s go in. I could do with another Guinness.

Lauren said, Yeah. I need to take a leak.

The door finally closed, and it was quiet. Michael thought about the rum lot they were, and then thought about Lisa again as he got ready for bed.

The following Tuesday morning, he arrived at the office wearing a plain, blue, long-sleeved shirt and maroon patterned tie with a dark-grey suit and black shoes. He saw Melanie Ward talking to Susan. Everybody other than Lisa and Michael knew Susan as Sarah Morrison. This was so nobody else would have any inkling as to whether she had accidentally travelled from a laterally inverted universe. Melanie was about his height and quite thin, with dark-brown hair and turquoise-hazel eyes. She was dressed in the same standard ladies’ work uniform as Susan, which was a plain long-sleeved white blouse with dark-blue trousers and black shoes. Like Michael, Susan was almost thirty. She had dyed ginger hair, and she wore brown contact lenses. Her natural eye colour was hazel-blue-green, just like his, and at about five foot five, she was two inches shorter than him.

She said in her fairly deep voice, which was a little lighter than his, Hi, Michael. How are you?

I’m OK, thanks, and ready for work as usual. Are you all right, Sarah?

Yes, I’m fine. There is quite a lot more than usual for me to do today because I have to look at my quarterly stock. I’ll verify it with you later.

Melanie said, Yes. I’ll be helping you with that too. I just hope it balances as easily as it did for the March quarter.

Susan smiled. So do I. I have enough on with the purchases we did yesterday to replace those extra sales Paul made last week.

Melanie said, Yes, but we’ll get through it. Anyway, see you soon, Michael.

Yes. I’ll see you later.

Susan said, Well, I’ll catch up with you later, Michael.

OK.

Susan and Melanie went into Susan’s office. Michael went into his to prepare for the work ahead of him.

Two days later, when he was cleaning his teeth before going to bed, he heard the sound of somebody breaking wind outside. He knew that it was Lauren when she said, Wow! Relief at last. She then shouted, What are you two fucking looking at?

There were a few oohs from whoever they were.

Lauren shouted, sounding very drunk, Just naff off! Have you never seen a woman take a leak before?

Michael remembered seeing the remains of dried-up pee occasionally around the flats.

There was a momentary silence before Lauren started singing, very much out of tune, Daisy … Mikey, Mikey, give me your answer too. I’m just so fucking crazy, all for the love of you. Just sit me in your carriage so you can do as much to me as you … manage. Then we’ll look sweet, with me on top of your— She giggled and sounded to stumble slightly. —sweet thing. On a bicycle made for two. Ooh! She paused. Oh, what I could do, oh, what I could just fucking do, if I had another drink. Ooh!

A door shut loudly, after which it was quiet.

Michael thought, What a … what a girl! He remembered her occasionally serenading and flirting like that with a few of the other lads around. He thought about the misfit she actually was, but he was amused by her ways just as he had been by Lisa’s. He thought about Lisa again as he got ready for bed.

The following Friday afternoon, just after half past two, he was processing the last few June invoices. David Evans, who was the senior accountant he worked for, came into his office to give him some more. David was five foot eleven with grey hair. He wore a dark-blue suit, white shirt, and patterned maroon tie. He said, Good afternoon, Michael. This should be the last lot of these for June. There’s not so many as I’d thought, considering. Quite a large pile of them landed in Michael’s tray.

His heart sank a bit when he saw them, but he said, OK … thanks for those.

David smirked slightly. You’re OK. You’ve got until Monday to complete them and all of this week’s. You’ll be all right.

Of course. Michael decided to do at least some of what was left over from this afternoon before meeting Andrew Thomas that evening.

Well, I’ll get back to my office. I’ve quite a lot to do before the day’s out. I’ll catch up with you later.

Yes. See you.

David left Michael’s office and quietly closed the door behind him.

That evening, Michael went into town to play snooker with Andrew. Andrew was six foot two with dark-brown hair. He wore a dark-blue T-shirt with blue jeans and brown trainers. Michael wore a blue long-sleeved shirt under his tan summer coat, with light-grey trousers and black shoes.

Andrew said, Well, hi, Michael. Are you OK, considering the extra work you must have had this week?

Fine. I should have it completed by Monday. Anyway, how has your week been?

Andrew told him a little bit about the accountancy work he did for the council.

Laura, who was Andrew’s girlfriend and also a friend of Lisa’s, came into the snooker hall. She was fairly tall for a girl at five foot ten, with a medium build and an Asian complexion. She had hair dyed deep-purple, and her brown eyes were highlighted in purple eyeshadow, but she was wearing less pink lipstick than when he had last seen her. She was dressed smartly in a pretty dark-blue patterned blouse with smart blue jeans and white trainers. She said in an Eastern European accent, Hi, Andrew. I’m here at last. I was just held up a little because we had quite a lot of extra things to sort out in the store.

Fine. I know that Fridays can be busier than usual. Anyway, are you OK? He gave her a kiss.

She smiled. Yes, I’m good, but it’s been a hard afternoon.

Andrew hugged her.

Laura asked Andrew, Are you OK too?

Yes, I’m fine, thanks, and looking forward to a good evening’s snooker. Andrew smiled at Michael.

Laura asked him, And how are you, Michael? She smiled.

I’m all right, thanks.

Andrew said, Well, we’ll just order a table. They looked on the screen to see which ones were available.

Laura said, We could play on that one in the corner. We’ll have more room to take our shots then, without being in the way of anyone else playing next to us.

Andrew said, That’s good thinking. He ordered that table, which was at a higher rate due to where it was. He ordered the drinks for Laura and himself, and then asked Michael what he wanted.

Oh, I’ll have a Coke, please. Thanks, Andrew.

OK. Andrew ordered them. Michael collected the set of snooker balls and went to set them up. He thought about putting the green in the wrong place to the right. That would look to be in the correct place for Susan if she were here, according to the rules where she had come from.

Laura and Andrew came back with the drinks. Andrew said, I suppose I’ll break off first, since you did when we last played.

OK then.

Laura smiled and said, I hope it’s a good one, by how you tell me that Michael plays.

Andrew said, I’ll try and make it as such. He hit the right side of the pack, splitting them up a little with the cue ball, which finished near to the top cushion.

Michael said, Good shot, for you.

Andrew chuckled. Hey, cheeky! I must try and give you a good game now.

Michael took his first shot, hitting a red too hard. It finished near to the middle pocket.

Andrew said, Well, then. He potted it.

Laura smiled and said, Good shot. Well done.

The white finished near to the black. Andrew potted it. Michael felt he could be a little up against it. Since there were no easy reds then, Andrew played a safety shot, which finished just off the baulk cushion. Michael relaxed and tried quite a difficult long shot. It went into the bottom left pocket, leaving an easy pink to the middle, which he potted. The white fortunately finished in a position where he had a pot on a red to finish on the black, which was still on its spot. He potted that for a fifteen break and a seven-point lead. Michael then played a safety shot near to the top of the table.

Andrew said, Well done.

Laura smiled and said, Good break, Michael. That worked out well for you.

Thanks. Have you seen Lisa recently, Laura?

Well, no. I haven’t since I saw her begging over a week ago, when she was staying with you.

Michael said, Oh. I haven’t seen her either. Had she said anything about leaving?

No, she’d never talked about it. I wonder what she’s doing. She’s never had a mobile, and has quite often gone away unexpectedly before coming back.

Michael remembered that he had rarely seen Susan with a mobile except at work. He said, That’s what Maureen said. She’ll most likely turn up again soon. He tried to play safe after Andrew’s good shot from safety, but unfortunately he left a red too close to the top right pocket.

Andrew said, I think so too. She’s quite a free spirit. He potted that red and left himself a straight blue to the middle pocket. Andrew potted the blue with confidence to leave himself on a red to finish level. He potted that to finish on a black, which he managed to pot in the bottom right corner. He said to Laura, I didn’t expect to do that well. He looked contented after he had shown Laura how well he could play.

Michael was pleased for him in that way. Yes. That was a good shot. He left out the for you bit, which he had almost said again.

Andrew replied, Thanks for that. He played a safety shot to the top cushion.

Laura and Andrew then talked about a few things they had done last night, which made Michael feel more of a gooseberry. He didn’t want to interrupt the rapport between them, so he concentrated on his game. Andrew became more relaxed in Laura’s company and built a further lead by potting a red and a blue. He followed with another red as he twirled his cue, which impressed Laura. She laughed. Andrew potted the pink and had further short breaks with reds and blacks. That made Michael feel frustrated. He felt even more out of it when all he could pot were single reds.

Michael covered up all right when he conceded and said, Well played, Andrew. I’ll let you two play and just watch for a bit.

OK, if you want to still play, Laura.

She smiled and said, Yes, I’d still like to. I’m ready, I think, now.

Michael passed her the club’s cue, which he had borrowed. Andrew set up the table and said, I can break off if you like.

Laura said, OK.

Andrew thinly hit the pack of reds, sending the cue ball to settle near the top cushion. She took her shot, looking a little clumsy while doing it. Andrew said, Here. I’ll just show you. He went to the side of her and showed her how to bridge with his queue.

Laura said, Oh, of course. She made a rather loose and shaky bridge. He steadied her hand with his to make her bridge more stable. She giggled. Oh! I think I’ve got it now.

Andrew looked pleased and said, I’ll give you twenty start to help you on a bit.

Well, OK, but you don’t really need to.

Oh, I will. It’ll be a little like golf and give us both something to play for. He smiled.

She said, Thanks.

Andrew moved back to let her take her shot. When she did, she played it rather hard on to the pack of reds, splitting them a lot. The cue ball settled back on the top cushion where he couldn’t see any easy red. Laura smiled. That turned out better than I thought.

You’re telling me it did. Andrew saw the funny side of it. Yes, good shot. He quickly glanced at Michael. Andrew took his time over his next shot, knowing that it was a difficult one to get safe with all the loose reds around blocking an easy path back. He played a hit-and-hope shot. The cue ball finished in the middle of the table after having knocked a few reds around. It left two easy ones to the bottom left pocket and a sitter to the right middle one.

Laura chuckled and said, I have quite a choice. I’ll take that one in the middle. She pointed to it with her cue and then potted it. The white ball naturally finished on a straight black to the bottom right-hand corner pocket.

When she potted that, Andrew said, Good shot. I should have thought more before giving you all that start. Ten would have been fairer.

She giggled. Possibly. But it’s early days yet, knowing how well you can play. She looked serious as she concentrated on the nearer of the easy reds to the bottom left pocket. Laura potted it to leave herself a similar shot on the black, which she managed to pot again.

Michael smiled and said, It looks as though she should have given you a start instead.

Andrew said, I’d just thought that myself. You weren’t bluffing, were you, with that cueing you were showing me at the start?

Laura smiled. Could have been. She bent double with laughter to say, Oh, just kidding. Call it beginner’s luck. She potted the second red, which was near to the bottom right pocket, finishing on a blue to the middle pocket. Laura potted that for a twenty-two break, and then played safe off a red to the top cushion.

Andrew said, Well, I’m forty-odd behind. Michael sensed that Andrew so wanted to take back the start he had given her.

Andrew tried to play safe, but knocked a red over the top left pocket, which she potted to leave herself on the brown. She said, Oh well, it’s only one game. She chuckled and potted it.

Andrew said, You’ve bluffed me well. You’re playing a blinder here.

I know. It’s just the way I spread the balls earlier and all the opportunities I’ve had since.

You’re telling me. I’ll have to watch you! He smiled at her broadly, and she curled up slightly to giggle again. That reminded Michael of how Lisa could be.

Andrew managed to pot a fairly long red. It was too much like a shot to nothing, so he didn’t finish on a colour. From then on, they just potted odd reds until her lead was too big a target for him to reach, even before the remaining colours. So he conceded. Well, I knocked Michael out, and now you’ve made me the runner-up. That means you’ve beaten us both, Laura. He smiled at Michael.

Michael responded, It appears like that, but you can’t really compare them. They’ve been two completely different frames.

Laura said, That start, I suppose, gave me the confidence, especially when I’d got off the ground so quickly with it. But it’s nice to be tops, especially the way you both played in that first one. She looked pleased and stood up straight at her full height, showing how well-endowed she was. She had a lovely figure. Andrew looked at her too. Yes. We both played well, but I was on a bit of a roll in that one.

Andrew said, Shall we give snooker a break? I wouldn’t mind having a drink.

I’m all up for that. She looked towards Michael.

He said, I don’t mind. He thought that it would be better to leave them shortly so they could be by themselves, so he said, I’ll just have a cola, please. Thanks.

Andrew said, OK, but I’ll have a burger as well. What would you like, Laura?

I’ll have a cola and burger as well then, please.

OK. I’ll just go and pay for the snooker and order. He went to the counter.

Laura said, I enjoyed the snooker. I’ve only played a few times before. It just so happened there that I got the chance to pot so many by splitting them up so well. It was a totally open frame, not like the safer one you played before that.

Michael said, Yes. The frames depend on who gets most chances. I tend to play safe rather than give too much away. Of course, if I can do.

It’s great fun when you can just pot. I’ve watched the tournaments, and when the players play too much safety, it takes it out of their game.

Andrew came back with the drinks and said, They’ll be bringing the burgers soon. He mentioned the cost of the table. Michael paid him more than half of it, to cover the cost of his drink. They talked about football during the time it took for the burgers to arrive, by which time Michael had finished his drink and they nearly had.

As they started eating their burgers, Michael said, Well, I’ll get going. I’ll see you on Sunday around two, Andrew, for the golf.

OK. I’ll look forward to that. See you then.

Laura said, I’ll see you again sometime, Michael. She smiled.

Michael said, Yes. I’ll see you both. He waved to them on the way out to go back to his flat.

CHAPTER 2

A Surprise Visitor

at the Cinema

T he following Saturday evening, Michael went to the cinema after having been to Maureen’s. He wondered if Lisa may have come back. He took the chance of possibly not being able to see the film by not having booked in advance, but fortunately there were enough places available. He chose one to the right-hand side of the middle aisle, nearer the back. He relaxed with a large cola. As the film was about to start, he caught a slight smell of booze. Lauren Scully sat down in the seat to the left of him. He thought, What a coincidence this is. It’s so dark in here; I’ll pretend not to see her and hope she doesn’t know that it’s me she’s sat next to. He held his breath, not wanting any of her ridiculous aggro. He just wanted to enjoy this film, which he had wanted to see for a while.

A large tub of popcorn was waved in front of his face so he couldn’t see the screen. Lauren asked quietly, Want some popcorn, Mick? Or is it Michael? He heard her snigger as he caught a whiff of her body odour.

His shoulders slumped with the rest of him. He thought, Oh no! What now? She’s followed me in here as another one of her larks and to take the piss. Is she going to start burping, letting off, or using foul language on top of all that? We’ll be thrown out. He whispered, Well, I like Michael.

She said a little louder, OK, Mick. Just kidding, buster. She dug him a little in the arm and asked, Oh, what’s happening? Trust me to bloody miss the start. Whenever you frigging miss that, you just can’t back get into it, and then it’s a load of crap. She uttered that last word loudly and drank some of her cola. She looked in his direction as she burped loudly, which he caught the breeze of. There were some loud shushes from behind him. She said, Oh, fuck off, you lot! I want to hear the film.

A lady with a fairly deep voice said, You do too, and then we can all hear it. Her voice reminded him of Lisa’s. Michael wondered whether it could be her, but the voice wasn’t Irish or husky enough to be.

Lauren said, We get some fuckers around here, don’t we … Michael?

Let’s just watch the film. He wanted to maintain the atmosphere and mood of it. There were a few sighs from the back, which quickly subsided. Michael noticed that all Lauren was interested in was stuffing her mouth full of popcorn. The smell of that became more apparent than her BO.

She said loudly, Come on, Michael. Have some. It’s lovely.

He felt a few slight drafts from behind him, as though the people were wafting the smell away. He really wanted to plead that she wasn’t with him, but he didn’t want to embarrass anyone, especially a girl. He thought, I’ll try and ride this out. She should simmer down, the less I say. He tried to retrace some of the film’s dialogue in his mind. OK, thanks. He took a few bits of popcorn, hoping that would keep her calm so he could enjoy the film.

Lauren said a little louder, "Oh, go on! You can have