Summerabbacat

“Sorry, Vince. I should have made more effort.” He looked at me and smiled, “Well, I could say the same. As Bas said, it takes two to tango.” Gray and Vince have reached a comfortable point in their relationship, one where they can honestly discuss the past, present and future without fear of offending the other, even if they have differing recollections or points of view. I believe Vince's much improved relationship with Gray is helping his relationships with Freddie and Peter too. A truly delightful chapter @Robert Hugill. I eagerly await "movement" in the relationship between Gray and Matt and further appearances by Moggie.

Detective Grafton certainly appeared to "promote" Laura as the most likely suspect for the murder of Robert Meade at least. Her telephone call to Robert whilst he was talking to Will, her return to Keiyara's apartment after Will and Aidan left, and the fact Joey was arguing with a girl, must make Laura the prime suspect for all three murders, but is it all circumstantial and just a little "too neat"? If she murdered Joey what was her motive? Did she argue with him about his appalling treatment of Will and it was a crime of passion? I still don't trust Caitlin. I may be wrong, but I thought initially she asked Will for $2,000.00 to assist with various tests etc for the baby, but in this chapter he handed over $5,000.00. Her "complaint" that she expected cash also troubled me. I doubt he will ever see that money again, particularly if it is she who was the killer. Will's "reunion" with his father was an emotional one. His deathbed apology will likely provide Will with some comfort, although I have to wonder had his father lived if he would have followed his words with the actions to match. I cannot recall it being said Will is adopted, so unless his father is significantly older than his mother, I assume his father is in his mid 50's to early 60's at the oldest, which seems very young to have "suddenly" had such serious heart health issues. And although I find his refusal to have any surgery because he was placing his faith in God to be complete nonsense, I must admire his stance in choosing what to do with his body, even though I strongly believes his body belongs to God. Riveting chapter again @Josh Aterovis. I revisited the Prolouge and assume it was Dr Wohler Will was seeing after the murders had been solved and the killer apprehended. The only thing I am sure of after re-reading it is that Will is not the killer.

Good thinking @Lee Wilson. I strongly suspect your interpretation is correct.

A very satisfying chapter @Paladin. I thought the arrest scenes were exceptionally well-written, particularly the responses of Horse and Uncle Phil, both such smug bullies. There was even an element of "humour" in both arrest scenes, firstly when Gail Mary Henderson aka Dr Jackson implicated both Horse and herself in the crimes for which they have been arrested, and secondly when Aunty Mary was caught red-handed trying to delete computer records. I was very impressed with Patrick O'Brien's visit to Constable Frank Simpson and Michael Hooper to thank them for their contribution to the success of the raids. This behaviour is likely one of the reasons he is so well regarded within the Police Force. Daniel's decision to disclose to Patrick all that he knows of the child pornography operation will only strengthen what already appears to be well documented evidence and a successfully executed raid.

Leon's defence of Tevin, Ted and himself was one of the highlights of this chapter. He showed remarkable calm and commonsense in his contact with 911 and with the police officer who arrived at the scene of Gavin's assault on Tevin, Ted and himself. Gavin showed remarkable stupidity in attempting to single-handedly seriously assault the three boys. Gavin is seemingly a combination of Jeff's stupidity and Melton's malice. "Friends? We talked about that the past two days you weren't around. You only wanted us around so you could seem like you were like a leader or something. We heard that Terry called you a Nazi and we realized that you basically were one. You always picked on the black or Jewish kids. We're you're 'friends' because we're all at least partially German. Well, feel free to find yourself a bunker and do the world a favor like your idol, Adolph. Get lost, dickhead." I found this observation by Wilhelm (Bill) very interesting. Was this a conscious move on Gavin's part or merely coincidental? Did he know Ted was Jewish and this is why he forced him to perform sexual favours on him? Bill was seemingly the leading dissenter responsible for the break up of Gavin's little clique. Perhaps he "inherited" some of his resistance from that very famous Dietrich who fled Nazi Germany and was one of its greatest critics and the allies greatest supporters during WWII. Like many have said, it was very pleasing to observe Stephen's acceptance by the swimming team at the YMCA. I have to ask @Lee Wilson, was the teenage girl who told Stephen she thought he was cute named Samantha (sorry, a Can't Stop The Music movie reference)?

I remember you stating this in another comment. You must have acclimatised to the colder weather. I grew up on the North Coast of NSW and every year when it was 35°C+ on Christmas day and for much of summer I was very happy.

You have certainly been bingeing @Gary L. I assume you are still visiting Blighty and therefore not at the beck and call of a certain demanding pooch. Will she give you "the eye" when you return home to voice her displeasure?

"MY foster placement after my parents died was with a really nice woman, I have to admit. Karen Fulton. To be honest, when I found out initially I was going to her home, I almost refused. Carla told me she was an older woman, mid-fifties, who had no husband—turns out he passed a decade prior due to cancer—and only had one cat. Benjamin. I was skeptical. My mom hated cats, called them the devil, so naturally I grew up hating them too". And there we have it, the root cause of all the troubles that have ailed Jonah throughout his life, but particularly since the night of the ill-fated party. His mother, who struck me as smart and pleasant at the time, hated cats. Her abhorrent hatred of cats, which she passed onto Jonah, has been his downfall. Hopefully, Benjamin will totally rid him of any lingering doubts he may have as to the superiority of cats when he stays with Karen on this occasion. Karen, she with the totally unsuitable given name, is a delight. Her "brand" of Christianity is obviously totally different to Irene's. She appears to practice the basics tenets of Christianity, whereas iniquitous Irene practices the fire and brimstone "brand" of Christianity. It was wonderful to observe Jonah rebut Irene's claims regarding James, denouncing her for hypocrisy; and even more wonderful to observe Karen's wholehearted support for Jonah's denunciation of her. "She's a bitch", the highlight of this chapter. “So you know how we were trying to get contents from Victor’s phone? “Yeah?” “Turns out there was stuff on it. A whole video documenting him practically putting a roofie into my drink. I leaked it. And now his parents are pissed off and trying to get me expelled next year.” I am not sure what Will means by "him practically putting a roofie into my drink". I would think Victor either did or did not put a roofie into Will's drink. If he did, then surely he can be charged with something. And if he did, and his parents are only pissed off at Will for leaking the video, it once again demonstrates how vile they are, totally unfit to be parents. I would love to see Victor removed from their care and they be charged with something serious like money-laundering, racketeering, insider-trading, anything which results in lengthy prison sentences. What a despicable pair of parasites. A tremendous chapter @irivera.

Now that is what I call a speculation, one which is very appealing @Paladin.

It would be hilarious and very fitting to see Ryder get those bitches alone and "shift" in their presence, and then deny it when they disclose it. They would literally crap themselves I think.

You should know what we Sydneysider's are like @Bft; we have very thin blood. I find anything less than 26-27°C requires at least a lightweight jacket. I have always been like this, even as a child I would often have a coat on and other children would wonder why.

Where my mother lives in rural NSW they recently had the worst flooding for nearly 100 years; over 700mm of rain in 5 days. My brother lives not far away and has pneumonia, which he said is rife in the town because of the flooding, which has left behind significant environmental and property damage and mould.

"Oh yes, he knew guys did that, but Brian had never been able to work out how and wondered whether you could bring on a heart attack or something from the combination of heat and sexual excitement. I had a great chuckle at this thought of Brian's as it is something which I have also wondered in the past. Brian is the one who tends to be a worrywart at times, but he is always reassured but never mocked, by Gordon who has a calming effect on him, just as he has on Toby too. “Depends on your other boyfriends.” Brian was smiling." >Now, listen. Just to be clear. There’s just you two in my life. It works for me, I’m fond of you, of the lot of you and I couldn’t have it any other way. “Good, because that’s us too.” Russ nodded. >So, we’re clear, it’s the three of us. “Living in threes.” Damn @Robert Hugill, you scared the bejesus out of me with the content of the discussion above, which I assume took place via FaceTime or Skype. Given the story title was included in the discussion, I immediately thought this might be the final chapter. I was very pleased and relieved to find this was not the case. You have spoiled your fans to such an extent that the end of any story you publish is a sad occasion. It is officially winter now in Sydney, Australia, which I loathe. The temperature today only reached 17°C, positively frigid as it has been very wet of late too, with moss and mould everywhere out and about. I have my heating on and have been chilled to the bone all day; add to this the mention of Finland and Lapland, especially at Christmas time, had me shivering almost uncontrollably such is the power of your written word (reading Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights has the same effect on me). As is always the case in the Hugillverse, I enjoyed this chapter immensely, apart from the momentary scare that it might have been the final chapter.

A very moving chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, one which I found very challenging to read and to remain objective about. My reaction to Nathan Reynolds family was exactly the same as Tony's. Tony has been where Nathan was, therefore he is acutely aware of the turmoil Nathan must have gone through before he was murdered. Given his own experience, I am certain Tony will be able to work with Shelley Reynolds and the Reynolds family to help others who find themselves in the same situation, regardless of what he thinks of them and their actions which led to Nathan's murder.

"He had spoken the truth earlier. He would never love Theodore. But he could see himself loving Danny Wilson the human, and that was a dangerous thought. Wolves didn’t mate with humans." and "It was easy to dismiss Danny as a puny human being. Yet right now, he had more power over Ryder than anyone else ever had." and "A wolf and a human couldn’t be destined for each other. He and Danny had proved that wrong. No, he shook his head and let out a soft whine, pressing his cheek against Danny’s leg, still resting against his shoulder. This was only pleasure, a fleeting delight before he returned to his duty and the cruel nature of his fate." and "He jolted as Danny’s right hand clutched at the hair on his chest. And then, blunt fingernails moved over his skin, following the traces of the wound Theodore had given him, replacing them with a new sensation." Ryder's doubts regarding his fated mated Theodore Pembroke increased exponentially in this chapter, doubts he is finding it increasingly difficult to silence. Danny may be small in stature but he possesses a sexual power over Ryder which could send a rocket into orbit. Given how scent-oriented Ryder is I am still surprised he has not realised, or if he has he is denying it, that it is Danny's scent which is all powerful and alluring, whereas Theodore gave off no scent at all. If he was Ryder's fated mate surely his scent would be stronger than the incense from Eclipse Aromatics. @drsawzall got Sweet Mystery Of Life from this chapter, I got: Well done @Laura S. Fox, this chapter sizzled, burned up the page like a Disco Inferno.

Laura! Say it isn't so @Josh Aterovis. If Robbie Meade shows up dead then it will only strengthen Aidan's hypothesis the killer is either Laura or Caitlin. I am hoping it is Caitlin, even though I am not a fan of Laura either. Whomever it is, they need to be caught soon before they kill again, which I think is a strong possibility. The impending marriage has taken a back seat to the continuing investigation. Is Aidan having doubts now given he sought reassurance from Will that he is committed to proceeding with the wedding? I was somewhat amused (actually very amused) by some of the questions posed by Aidan, particularly regarding Will's upbringing in a strongly religious home. My immediate thought was, these questions should have been raised and the responses examined and/or debated before either agreed to marry. Are Will and Aidan following in Britney and Jason's footsteps? Will they be Lucky in marriage or will their relationship become Toxic when they realise how little they really know each other. Once married, Oops I Did It Again becomes much harder to resolve than if they are merely cohabiting. A revelatory chapter @Josh Aterovis; one which if Robbie Meade spoke the truth, strongly suggests the killer is a female. Will the killer determine it necessary to silence Robbie Meade, will it be a case of murder .... Baby One More Time?

I vaguely recall reading Carlotta was in it but did not know who she was at the time (I was only very young and lived in rural NSW). I knew about Pat and Bunney, although not at the time. There was another actress in the show, Thelma Scott, who in real life was the long term partner of Gwen Plumb.

@drsawzall it is an indictment of Jean Lundgren that she seemingly views Liberty Academy as a threat to her "patch", that it is in "competition" with DCFS, even though DCFS has more "clients" than they have homes to provide for them. I wonder how much of her opposition to Liberty Academy is based on a personal prejudice against the known or perceived sexuality of many of those involved in it at all levels. If this is the case, which I strongly suspect it is, perhaps a discussion with Sandra Mack and/or Oliver's parents may be of some use. Of course, this would require her voluntary participation in such a discussion, which is about as likely as the Cuntess becoming a reasonable and caring person. “That’s why I’m here!” Emilio teased. “Just turn down your brain and turn up your heart.” What a moving sentiment, one which may have emanated from Thomas I suspect. Emilio and Elio Cicero nee De Luca have blossomed under the tutelage and care of Roger and Thomas. Their natural curiosity regarding the boy wrapped as if he is a mummy, may be the catalyst for the identification of Henry and his reuniting with Angelica. As commented by @Cane23 above, when the "Lioness" discovers the Turd's negligence and verbal abuse led to Henry's assault and subsequent near death, she will tear him apart. Speaking of the Turd, it appears the police had doubts as to the suicide of the Turd's father, Walter Samson II. If the Turd killed him in revenge for having been repeatedly molested by him, then I can perhaps understand him having done so. I so hope this observation is correct @drsawzall. Another outstanding chapter @empath

You forgot about Vera @Bft, who was raped on more than one occasion, and if I remember correctly, on one of those occasions it was by a gang of bikies. If I remember correctly she also had a thing for Don Finlayson, which was never going to happen. Was the lesbian scene with Maggie, the "bitch" who planted the bomb that was the cliffhanger at the end of one the seasons? I was only 8 when the show started and was not allowed to watch it but did read about it, probably in TV Week, because it was so scandalous. I remember one episode where either Don or Dudley paid a visit to a new tenant in the building. The new tenant had a son who walked away from the front door when he answered it and dropped his towel to reveal a naked butt. I remember instantly feeling "sick" with desire, my hormones surging. I had snuck out and stood behind my mother's lounge room chair at a very fortuitous moment. Did you know the apartment block was actually at 83 Moncur Street in Woollhara? It is hard to believe Paddington was an inner city "working class" suburb given what it is now. Did you also know Elisabeth Kirkby who played Lucy Sutcliffe and later in life became a politician is still alive and is 104 years of age?

I had assumed the eponymous "Kings Boy" foreshadowed the role Étienne would play in Charles' life when he eventually becomes king. It appears I may have assumed incorrectly, with Thomas referred to as the King's Boy as he is the head page currently serving King James who, if I remember correctly, is Prince Charles brother. I don't trust Thomas at all, and because of this I fear greatly for the safety of Étienne and Corin. Will they be able to flee via the river under the cloak of darkness? I certainly hope so. The suspense in this story continues to grow. Just when it appears Étienne's fortunes may have changed for the better, life throws him another challenging and invariably threatening situation to deal with. He is certainly a resilient and adaptable lad. Fine work @E K Stokes. I just hope it will not all end in tragedy for Étienne as he is such a likeable lad.

I have to wonder what Gavin's home life is like. Is his father a bully and a homophobe, similar in his attitudes and in the treatment of his son to Rod Quincy Sr from My Roommate Teaches Me. Gavin appears to either be very stupid or very cocky. His only "friend" is Ted, someone whom he has bullied into being his lackey, therefore it is unlikely he will receive any support if he tries to exact revenge on Terry for his humiliation of him in this chapter. The title of the next chapter prognosticates (sorry @Lee Wilson, I had to use this word now I have become aware of it) Gavin has not learnt his lesson. Seemingly he thinks he is a real Macho Man. Perhaps his father will intervene (if he is not a bully like his son), and enrol him In The Navy or send him to San Francisco to volunteer at a LGBTQI crisis centre. Or maybe all the other boys will join Terry at the local YMCA to learn self defence so they can all cause Gavin to soil his shorts again if he tries to bully them. Another enjoyable chapter @Lee Wilson. I am still waiting for that out-of-control semi trailer driven by a male who has had a heart "episode" to make an appearance as a bully or bigot payback in a Wilsonian story.

What a contrast this chapter and the prior chapter have been to the rest of the story @drsawzall. Calvin was already comfortable with, and in fact revelled in his role as, the bottom in his relationship with Alan. His topping Alan has boosted his confidence in himself, such that his "brand new toy" (LOL) is alive and kicking and ready to play. I don't think he will "wear it out or overshare" @drsawzall as he appears well-grounded; his frank discussion with his father a good indication of Calvin's moral compass. By contrast, Alan appears to have "lost his way" and his current behaviour is at times disturbing. His fucking Calvin during the night whilst Calvin was almost asleep did not bother Calvin, it troubled me somewhat as it appeared to me Alan was reasserting his "property rights" to Calvin's body as the rightful top in their relationship. Calvin's flirtation with Jonny surprised, but I doubt it will lead to anything further, whereas I won't be at all surprised if Calvin and Jordan have at least some initial intimate contact. @KKirk a thoroughly enjoyable chapter, with the role reversal brilliantly handled and very entertaining.

I thought John Inman was funny too. His camp affectation was no more exaggerated or "distasteful" than Mrs Slocombe's constant reference to her "pussy". Some would no doubt think it very "low brow" comedy, but frankly I don't care. I have never seen Larry Grayson in anything @centexhairysub, which is surprising as in Australia we were exposed to many British TV programmes in the 1970's through to the early 2000's (when I stopped watching TV to any great extent). I reviewed his Wikipedia entry and he looks vaguely familiar, but not one of the TV shows/appearances listed for him is one I can ever recall viewing.

I don't either @Al Norris, and for me anyway, this is one of this story's most appealing, yet at the same time most frustrating, characteristics. The action in this chapter was like splatter-coloured vinyl, beautiful colours but with no distinct pattern.

Do you think given his prior treatment of his wife and Joey he would have cared though @Al Norris? His "grief" appeared to be solely focussed on what he has lost, not the fact that Joey is dead and his wife raised Joey as a single mother.