The Silent Appeal
To: Femi Hassan & Charlotte Holroyd
From: Roderick Tanner, KC
Subject: Dear both
Dear both,
I’ve reached the morning of the first set-building Sunday, which takes place just after Valentine’s Day.
This case appears to start like most do, with ordinary people doing ordinary things.
Of course, it’s when ordinary people do extraordinary things that we are called to the plate. I’ve noted the following points:
Three bunches of red flowers
Three love triangles
A proposal. Will it result in an “I do” or an “I did it”?
Let me know what you’re thinking.
RT
Roderick Tanner, KC (retired)
Charlotte
Mr. Tanner is still reading these? I thought he wanted us to confirm his deductions, as usual.
Femi
Asks what we’re thinking? He doesn’t know what happens either. That’s new.
Charlotte
I’m thinking of getting a premium Deliveroo subscription.
Femi
A proposal. We’ve had several so far.
Charlotte
Have we? Barry proposed to Myra.
Femi
Nicky-Rose’s proposal to Trina. An exchange to settle their differences and help her move on.
Charlotte
A proposal that’s technically blackmail. She must feel she can’t go to the police about whatever Trina did.
Femi
Fran’s proposal to Lucas that she get flowers and chocolates for him to give to Amelia, to make it look as if he cares enough to remember Valentine’s Day.
Charlotte
She’s exhausted by people wanting her help, yet here she OFFERS to help.
Femi
In an email to Father Josh, she wonders if she attracts people who want to lean on her, but then crosses the line between helping and meddling all on her own.
Charlotte
She’s trying to date and wants a relationship. There’s definitely a spark between her and (married) Father Josh?
Femi
More than a spark. He sends her flowers.
Charlotte
She may be over-keen to help Lucas and Amelia fix their relationship because she feels guilty about having feelings for a married man.
Femi
True. She is religious.
Charlotte
Have you spotted three love triangles?
Femi
Kevin sends his sister-in-law, Nicky-Rose, expensive roses, and cheaper yellow roses to his wife, Sarah-Jane.
Charlotte
Not Kevin and Nicky-Rose!
Femi
They’re working and directing a play together. Nicky-Rose describes the flower-sender as “hot but very married.”
Charlotte
Then tells Kevin they don’t want things to be awkward. Shit.
Femi
We need to talk before we answer Mr. Tanner’s email. What are you doing tonight?
Charlotte
Getting noodles delivered to the office. Typical Friday. Come round at eight?
To: Roderick Tanner, KC
From: Femi Hassan
Cc: Charlotte Holroyd
Date: September 6, 2025
Subject: Our thoughts
Dear Mr. Tanner,
We are surprised to learn you are still on your first read, when in the past you’ve always been a step ahead of us. Some of your bullet points correspond to facts we’ve noticed and others not so much.
Three bunches of red flowers
Received by Fran Elroy-Jones, Amelia Stibson, and Nicky-Rose Dearing.
Fran’s flowers seem to be from Father Josh, who admits he can’t take their relationship any further.
Nicky-Rose’s flowers cause much speculation from her mother, and it seems they’re from her brother-in-law, Kevin.
Amelia thinks hers are from Lucas, but Fran bought them on his behalf.
We note that Sarah-Jane receives roses from Kevin, but they are yellow.
Three love triangles
We can only confidently pinpoint one: Fran, Father Josh, and his wife, Elizabeth.
A proposal that may result in an “I do” or an “I did it”
Barry proposes to Myra.
Nicky-Rose proposes selling the Twin Star documents to Trina for $500k.
Lucas proposes to Barry that he work at his club and Barry accepts.
Issy proposes going for coffee to Nicky-Rose, who seems keen, despite being warned about Issy’s tendency to become attached.
We will read more tomorrow.
Yours sincerely,
Femi Hassan & Charlotte Holroyd
To: Femi Hassan & Charlotte Holroyd
From: Roderick Tanner, KC
Date: September 7, 2025
Subject: Sharon
Dear Femi and Charlotte,
This is Sharon. I’m emailing from Mr. Tanner’s laptop, which he brought with him in the ambulance—can you believe it?
I’m afraid he was rushed to UCH last night with more heart problems. They want to keep him in for further tests. I’ve brought his overnight bag and will try to take this laptop home.
He works too hard. Volunteering, charity cases, helping former colleagues. I keep reminding him he’s retired. I’ll try to keep you updated if he can’t.
Best wishes, Sharon
Charlotte
MORE heart problems? He never mentioned ANY heart problems.
Charlotte
This is why he’s sent the evidence to us before he’s even read it himself.
Femi
I hope he’s ok.
Charlotte
On the train. Gutted. Mr. Tanner always seems superhuman.
Femi
He must be in his late sixties at least and like Sharon says, won’t slow down.
Charlotte
He doesn’t seem to have a home life, either. Has he ever mentioned a wife or family?
Femi
He has neither. Married to his work.
Charlotte
Have to get this hellish morning out of the way before I can read any more.
Femi
Hellish morning? But it’s Sunday.
Charlotte
Crisis Zoom with demoralized witness. Then reading prep. You?
Femi
Visiting a client in Wormwood Scrubs. Not a satisfied client, obvs.
Charlotte
Whatever. We have to nail this one.
Charlotte
Before it’s too late.
Message exchange between Fran Elroy-Jones and Isabel Beck on February 16, 2025:
3:09 p.m. Fran wrote:
What did you want?
3:10 p.m. Issy wrote:
Gasp! My texts and emails to you have gone undelivered for months—now they’re getting through!
3:11 p.m. Fran wrote:
Why did you follow me outside just now?
3:12 p.m. Issy wrote:
Just wondered if you’d like to go through your lines or have a chat.
3:13 p.m. Fran wrote:
I need to be alone. I have work emails to send.
3:13 p.m. Issy wrote:
On a Sunday?
3:14 p.m. Fran wrote:
Yes. That’s why I told you to go back inside. I didn’t mean to be rude.
3:15 p.m. Issy wrote:
You weren’t rude. You’re always lovely.
3:19 p.m. Fran wrote:
Look, I believe in forgiveness and in the power of people to change for the better. I also don’t want the play to be affected, so won’t consider renewing the restraining order—unless I have to.
3:21 p.m. Fran wrote:
I hope you learned from it and can now manage your obsessive behavior. If not, then I will take out a new RO.
3:24 p.m. Issy wrote:
Aw, Fran! Please don’t worry! I’m totally different now and in a very happy place!
I did have some dark times, boo, but ophthalmology saved me.
I have very happy memories of the counseling group and don’t bear you any ill will whatsoever.
I just wondered where you went in the middle of set-building, that’s all.
[Undelivered]
To: Nicky-Rose Dearing
From: Isabel Beck
Date: February 16, 2025
Subject: Hello!
Hiya Nicky-Rose,
You’re onstage at the moment, with Kevin, Joel, Nick, Barry, Mark, and Lucas helping you move the flats around, so I don’t want to disturb you, but just want to say how excited everyone is for the changes you’re making.
I overheard Joyce and Denise talking while they washed up.
Joyce said, “Look at them all, hanging on her every word,” and Joyce is not someone who throws praise around.
Denise replied, “Hmm, yes, I noticed that.”
Have you spoken to Georgia and Amelia? I haven’t spoken to either yet and get their names mixed up.
Do you find it’s like that when you meet two people together?
They become inseparable in your mind. Georgia is Lucas’s cousin and she’s staying with them.
They rent one of the studio apartments on the new estate.
I’d love to live there, but had a snoop on Rightmove and a studio would be too small even for me, let alone three people.
No wonder they don’t seem very happy. Amelia sits reading the script, then every so often she looks up and glares at Lucas.
Georgia is scrolling on her phone all the time.
I can’t complain though. If it wasn’t for Georgia giving up the part of Gerda, I wouldn’t be here.
You were speaking to Beth just now. She’s Celia and Joel’s daughter. According to Joyce she dropped out of uni and now works in admin for Mendham Council.
Have you spoken to Fran yet? I know her VERY well.
Our paths crossed a few years ago and for a while we were really close friends.
But she’s one of those people who lose interest and then rewrite your entire friendship.
She’s been spreading lies about me. It’s understandable, because she needs a reason to tell people why we aren’t besties anymore, it’s just irritating.
She’s been gliding about, scraping off wallpaper, and disappearing every so often.
I can’t help wondering where she goes, because there are times when she completely disappears.
The set is looking better already! You’re so right about the patio doors.
I’d love to learn stage craft from you and hear all about what it’s like to dance on a cruise ship.
It must be such a glamorous life. Those enormous ships on TV adverts, with pools and trees and free drinks and food, like a floating paradise.
Do you fancy coffee tomorrow? I’m off because I worked yesterday and swapped with another girl. Love Issy xxx
To: Kevin MacDonald
From: Celia Halliday
Date: February 16, 2025
Subject: A few things
Joel is not displeased with how set-building went. He said Nicky-Rose had some interesting ideas and that the French windows are perfectly acceptable center stage. She seems to know about lighting, too, and we wonder if she should be in the lighting box on the nights.
We’d ask her ourselves, only she’s YOUR sister-in-law and this is YOUR play.
We also wonder if she’ll be sticking around for the next play because—heads-up—we’d like to do Noises Off by Michael Frayn.
It’s a rite of passage for amateur drama groups, and Fairways won’t ever be listed among the greats unless we’ve staged it.
However, that set is not for the faint of heart and we’ll need someone with professional experience.