Chapter Text
Chief Superintendent Neville Parker was looking forward to the weekend. He gazed fondly at the photo of his daughter on his screen. She was smiling back at him from the photo he’d taken of her and her mother at her school graduation a few years ago. He thought for the umpteenth time that he needed to change his wallpaper. Why hadn’t he done it?
There is no doubt that Melissa had been good for him, Neville reflected. They met in the year after he returned to Manchester from the Caribbean and married a little over a year after that. She already had a daughter, Scarlett, who was 8 years old at the time. Melissa had been like a tornado in his life. She had blown in and turned everything upside down. She took charge of every aspect of his life except his work. But he had been happy to let it happen. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, he had felt almost as ‘at sea’ when he returned to England as he had when he first went to the island. She had really helped with that. But Melissa never seemed to understand the place that St Marie had in his heart. Neville wanted to take her there, so that she could experience its beauty, but she wouldn’t go. She seemed ‘jealous’ of the island, almost like it was his mistress. So it was that 5 years ago, when Neville got the phone call from Ruby telling him that Selwyn had died, he headed off alone to attend the funeral
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Commissioner Patterson was given a state funeral, befitting his position. The eulogy was delivered by Commissioner Hooper, who had accepted the position when the longest-serving incumbent retired two years beforehand.
The condolence book was a ‘Who’s Who’ of the St Marie Police service:
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Humphrey Goodman and his wife, restauranteur, Martha Lloyd
DCI Jack Mooney (ret) and his daughter Siobhan.
Divisional Commissioner Camille Bordey
Catherine Bordey, retired Mayor of Honoré
Commissioner JP Hooper and his wife Rosie
DI Naomi Thomas
DS Marlon Pryce
DCI Madeleine Dumas
Sergeant Ruby Patterson
Officer Darlene Curtis
Officer Dwayne Myers (ret)
DCI Fidel Best
Superintendent Neville Parker
The 3 DI’s who came after Neville
All of the current police service
The entire St Marie population was also there.
After the ceremonies the police alumni gathered at Catherine’s Bar to reminisce. While Catherine still owned the bar she had retired from running it, handing it over to Antoine as manager. Food and drinks were laid on, and it felt very much like the home the ex-pats remembered.
This was a bittersweet reunion. Even though they had stayed in touch Neville missed the St Marie crowd immensely. But here they were reunited for a sad occasion. Seeing that the group was emotional Ruby had them all up dancing immediately. She had returned from Paris a few years earlier to help look after her uncle. JP’s twins laughed uproariously when their Dad and Marlon sang ‘Tiny Winey’ to them, the song that had become their childhood lullaby. Neville recalled their birth and being caught wiping away tears when they all celebrated the birth together in this very bar. Hard to believe it was more than 10 years ago now.
Later Neville chatted with Humphrey and Jack, having been introduced to them at the funeral. Those two described themselves as having known one another ‘forever’ but they welcomed him into their group immediately, inviting him to their regular/irregular dinners at ‘Sugarcane’ Caribbean restaurant in south London. Turns out Chef Tee had a relative on St Marie at some point so they can always get a table at one of London’s best and trendiest restaurants.
Afternoon gradually turned to evening, and most of the mourners headed home. Soon there was just the core group that knew one another best – Catherine, Camille, Dwayne, Fidel, Humphrey, JP, Jack, Ruby, Madeleine, Neville, Marlon, Darlene and Naomi. It was then that they had to acknowledge the absence they all felt. Florence Cassell was not with them. When she went into witness protection Florence had disappeared from all of their lives. Neville, Naomi and Marlon told the story of her last day with them for those that hadn’t heard it. Naomi and Marlon tactfully skirted around Neville’s farewell as it was clear to them that it was still difficult for him, even ten years later. Then everyone recounted their favourite Florence stories and they celebrated her gentle badass loveliness together. It was very late when they all stumbled back to their homes and hotels, very much the worse for wear.
Neville was staying at Colin Carlton’s place (he had changed his surname on the advice of his lawyers). Neville and Colin had become close friends on St Marie and it had been a difficult conversation when Neville told Colin that the Commissioner had recommended him for a promotion to DCI and that meant he had to go back to Manchester. (Despite what the Commissioner said Neville was never quite sure whether he recommended him because he admired his work or because it meant he could get rid of him. It didn’t really matter in the long run, as it was the right move at the time.)
The next day the former residents had been invited to visit the Shack by its current lodger, Andrew. He let them in and then headed off to work, leaving them to it, having given them the freedom and licence to explore. Not much had changed – some much-needed repairs to the roof, a new bathroom and (slightly) upgraded kitchen. Furniture had been replaced like for like – but the ‘charm’ of this beachside oasis remained. And they were overjoyed to see that Harry was still in situ, by far the resident of longest-standing. He seemed to remember them too, coming down to sit on the verandah railing with them. ‘How long do these lizards live?’, Neville wondered. They spent an amiable day together in their former home, and by the end of it they were firm friends.
Over the next couple of days Neville spent time with Catherine, who was still magnificent if becoming a little frail, and Camille, who he had only known for a very short time such a long time ago. There was also a BBQ hosted by the Commissioner at his official residence for all the visitors. Colin hosted a cocktail party for Neville and his colleagues. And there was ‘down’ time spent swimming or just sitting on a banana lounge at the beach, sipping rum and reading. Neville felt like he’d never been away. Eventually, though, they all had to go their separate ways, back to their various lives.