The Silent Appeal #5
Meanwhile, Nicky-Rose has had a tiff with her business partner, thrown all her toys out of the stroller, and flown back here with just a tote, makeup bag, phone, charger, and a change of pants to her name.
She’s sulking in my spare bedroom. Only discovered that much thanks to SJ, because NR has been in bed with jet lag since she arrived.
When she’s up, she sits in front of Netflix nursing a coffee and scrolling through social media.
Tell me, am I being unreasonable to expect my eldest daughter to look after her own child and my youngest to look after herself?
Sorry to land all that on you. Carol
To: Carol Dearing
From: Marianne Payne
Date: January 4, 2025
Subject: Re: Charity shops
Don’t apologize, Carol. All the more reason for us to get out and have a rummage around the shops together. You can forget your girls and I can forget Karen’s new boyfriend. She met him on a dating app, which he was trying out because he “doesn’t meet the right women” in his line of work.
I thought that meant he worked with men. Maybe a builder or a plumber. Turns out he’s an undertaker. He doesn’t meet many women who are alive.
Can Nicky-Rose look after Sammy for Sarah-Jane? Just a suggestion, but it might solve the problem. Will pick you up at 11. Marianne
Message exchange between John O’Dea and Kevin MacDonald on January 4, 2025:
7:19 p.m. John wrote:
John
7:19 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Sorry, John, what was that?
7:20 p.m. John wrote:
John
7:20 p.m. Kevin wrote:
You’ve sent me your name twice now. Is that a mistake?
7:54 p.m. John wrote:
John Cristow.
7:54 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Ah! You want to be considered for the part of John Cristow! Thanks, John, I’ll make a note.
7:59 p.m. Kevin wrote:
One little question: If I cast someone else in the role of handsome, silver-tongued, dynamic ladies’ man JC, would you like to be considered for a smaller part instead? Gudgeon the laconic butler for example?
8:04 p.m. John wrote:
Please.
Message exchange between Beth Halliday and Kevin MacDonald on January 4, 2025:
8:14 p.m. Beth wrote:
So excited for The Hollow! I’d like to read and don’t mind which part.
8:15 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Thanks, Beth, should be fun. Makes my job easier that you’d like any role.
8:16 p.m. Beth wrote:
Any role except Gerda.
To: Kevin MacDonald
From: Celia Halliday
Date: January 4, 2025
Subject: Re: Character breakdown
Joel will read for Sir Henry only. Please consider Beth for Henrietta, Veronica, or at the very least Midge. She’ll be wonderful in any of those parts, but not Doris the maid and certainly not Gerda. The same goes for me. Celia
Message exchange between Dustin Perez and Kevin MacDonald on January 4, 2025:
8:22 p.m. Dustin wrote:
Too young for Sir Henry, too old for Edward, too short for Gudgeon, too dull for John Cristow.
8:26 p.m. Kevin wrote:
That’s rather harsh on your chameleon-like acting chops, Dustin. But if you’d rather read for Inspector Colquhoun or DS Penny, those are, dare I say it, closer to home for you?
8:28 p.m. Dustin wrote:
Busman’s holiday, more like. Can’t make Monday, but if you’re short of men to play those parts, give me a call.
To: Kevin MacDonald
From: Joyce Walford
Date: January 4, 2025
Subject: Re: Character breakdown
You can put me down for any part, Kevin. Or none. I’ll make the tea Monday. Pick me up at 6:30 and you can buy biscuits at the Co-op. Save me paying for them. Joyce
Message exchange between Barry Walford and Kevin MacDonald on January 4, 2025:
9:28 p.m. Barry wrote:
Any part. Cheers mate!
9:31 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Ah, Barry! Congratulations on Myra’s latest pregnancy. Hope she’s not too tired, what with Kahleesi and Arya being so young.
9:32 p.m. Barry wrote:
She’s fine. It’s Chelsea looking tired right now. Shocking 2024.
9:33 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Hope the team’s had a rest over Christmas. Just wondered if Myra fancies a smallish part that wouldn’t be too taxing? Gerda is a brILLIANT character role.
9:33 p.m. Barry wrote:
She’ll be six months gone by play week.
9:34 p.m. Kevin wrote:
The character can be overweight, no problem. I recall Myra’s outstanding performance as a villager in Jack and the Beanstalk…
9:36 p.m. Barry wrote:
She hated it. Anyway, Mum’ll be making the tea as usual so Myra’ll stay home and look after the kids.
Message exchange between Karen Payne and Kevin MacDonald on January 4, 2025:
9:42 p.m. Karen wrote:
I’d LOVE to play Henrietta. But if that part has gone, I could play Veronica or Midge.
9:42 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Thanks Karen. All noted.
9:43 p.m. Karen wrote:
I can bring my boyfriend down. He’s thirty-one and REALLY good-looking.
9:43 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Brilliant! We need all the men we can get.
9:43 p.m. Karen wrote:
He’s also VERY handy and will help Joel with set-building and lighting.
9:44 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Thank you, Karen. That’s exactly the level of commitment we need.
9:47 p.m. Karen wrote:
There is something, though. If he’s cast in a part and I’m not, that would be really awkward. So, he only wants to be involved if I get a part too.
9:48 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Right. Noted.
Message exchange between Kevin and Sarah-Jane MacDonald on January 4, 2025:
9:54 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Karen’s new boyfriend is a tool.
9:54 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Kevin! We don’t call people names in this family.
9:59 p.m. Kevin wrote:
A bargaining tool. She knows how badly we need male actors and keen set builders, so she’s dangling him before my eyes, saying he’ll only be involved if she gets one of the highly contested female roles.
10:00 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Tell her he either reads for a part or he doesn’t.
10:01 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Dustin won’t read, but says call him if there’s a part going spare.
10:02 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Typical! He’s acting with all the local groups and just goes where the roles are. Never mucks in with backstage work. Whatever happened to commitment?
10:03 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Meanwhile, no one wants to play Gerda.
10:04 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Is that any surprise? In your email you said she’s stupid and has a face like a puzzled cow.
10:07 p.m. Kevin wrote:
That’s how the script describes her, the script we are attempting to deliver authentically.
10:12 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Since when does the cast get to choose the characters they play? I know we’re a democratic and inclusive organization, but casting is the director’s decision. Anyone who wants to dispute that can take it up with the committee, who will support the director’s vision.
10:13 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Your mum still wants to read for Lady Angkatell.
10:14 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
No way. We need her to babysit. I can’t ban Woof from rehearsals then bring in a loud, hyperactive child myself. She can read, by all means, but she must NOT be cast in this play.
10:15 p.m. Kevin wrote:
There’s only one person left who hasn’t yet let me know whether they’re reading or not.
10:15 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Give them a rocket. You haven’t got time to chase people.
10:17 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Will do. Here goes: Sarah-Jane, would you like to be considered for a part in the Fairway Players’ production of Agatha Christie’s The Hollow?
Message exchange between Sarah-Jane MacDonald and Nicky-Rose Dearing on January 4, 2025:
11:34 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
It’s a lot to take in.
11:34 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Same here.
11:34 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
You can tell Mum.
11:35 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
DO NOT TELL MUM SJ I’m fucking serious.
11:35 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Why did you tell me?
11:35 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Because. You’re sensible and whatever.
11:35 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
She’ll find out sooner or later.
11:36 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
She won’t. I’ll deal with it myself.
11:36 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Will you look for a place nearby?
11:36 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
What with? I have no money.
11:36 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Surely there’s something left for a flat?
11:44 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
I’ll make a list of everything in your price range on Rightmove and we’ll go through it together.
11:45 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
There’s NOTHING left.
11:46 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
You could live with us, but we’re bursting at the seams, what with Kevin in the spare room while Sammy goes through this phase of getting into bed with me.
11:48 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Need to get my head around everything and work out what I do next.
11:48 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Am I literally the only person who knows?
11:49 p.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Please, please, please keep it that way.
Femi
Mr. Tanner said the convicted murderer won’t appeal. These conversations don’t tell us much about anything at all.
Charlotte
In Nicky-Rose’s messages to her former business partner, Trina, there’s mention of documents that implicate them both in something.
Femi
It was a company registered in the Caribbean that supplied entertainment for cruise ships. What could go so wrong?
Charlotte
Drugs? People smuggling? Illegal employment practices?
Femi
Money laundering. Financial fraud. Tax evasion.
Charlotte
Nicky-Rose and Trina were friends who went into business together, according to Sarah-Jane. Familiarity breeds contempt, etc.
Femi
A bad debt or false witness case.
Charlotte
She’s sold her house over there. Money trouble might have driven Nicky-Rose back to the UK. Just like Kevin says.
Femi
Sarah-Jane describes Trina as Nicky-Rose’s business partner, yet the letter at the beginning addresses her as an employee.
Charlotte
If she’s just an employee, how did she lose everything?
Femi
Meanwhile the Fairway Players are struggling to get enough members to cast a play.
Charlotte
Especially people who will commit to it regardless of which part they get.
Femi
There’s a core of stalwarts, but fewer foot soldiers than when we first met them.
Charlotte
Fran does voluntary work with ex-cons. Has a rep for bringing along “waifs and strays.”
Femi
Waifs and strays who could use the group to hide illegal activity.
Charlotte
Mr. Tanner has done it again.
Message exchange between Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald on January 7, 2025:
1:53 a.m. Sarah-Jane wrote: