Chapter Nine: The New Year, Dueling, Movies, And A TV Programme
The New Year came around pretty quickly. The London weather was just as miserable if not quite a bit colder now. There was more than a touch of frost on the ground.
The Bull did have an open fire in the Lounge Bar Restaurant, just down from 'Slippery's Chair'. This was a classic log fire and added a lot of warmth to the room. Both cats took full advantage of this, curled up snugly by the fireside. All the festivities had gone well. There were good music events held in the Entertainment Bar. The Lounge Bar Restaurant had filled back up again with a more balanced mix of people. The 'news' circus always wants something 'new'. They need new novelties all the time. Slippery was old news for them now. Having said that there were developments in the offing, more on those later.
Yes, the first Friday came around again. The new Oxford University terms were about to start but both Professor James Hudson and Dr. Amelia Smith were there. Pamela Parsons also found time to be present. The Christmas period had been busy at the BBC, but now there was a slight hiatus before the Spring programming kicked in. Isabella also came along with me. She had a rare evening off. She was also starting to develop a real interest in all these 'Slippery Jake' matters.
Professor James had come with some very interesting new information.
"There is something we have overlooked regarding the life of the Right Hon Jake Horatio Higginbottom. He was a very proficient duelist."
The Professor took a sip of his beer, licked his lips, and carried on.
"Our Highway Man much preferred dueling with a rapier sword. He was very proficient with pistols needless to say, given his occupation. He considered a sword more 'gentlemanly'. Pistols smacked of his 'trade'. Yes, he was a total snob as well."
"He had a ' second' which was recorded as his cousin. Formal duels took place at Putney Heath or Battersea Fields. These were a convenient horse ride away for our resident ghost."
"These were technically illegal during this period. However, the venerable judges quite often indulged in this from time to time. They also accepted this was an 'Honorable thing to do.'"
"Sometimes letters of apology were received and often accepted. In the case of Higginbottom, he never accepted any."
"Informal duels often took place in this very room. Those 'Russian Mafia' may well have sparked a memory in this ghost?"
"Here I go again ascribing consciousness to the specter ."
"This seems to be the case here." Pamela Parsons added.
"Yes Pamela, indeed!"
Then the professor got into the 'meat'.
"All these duels involved honour. The records show this, the letters and newspaper account we have found so far, that these all related to affairs of the heart.
"Ah, the young ladies again!" Detective Chief Inspector Higgins exclaimed.
He was there with his two 'apprentices'. They were fully involved in any interaction they could get with their beloveds. Yes, the Bull was now ostensibly an extension of his office back at the Police Station. He had his laptop there and a pile of 'case papers', as did his two 'understudies.' They feverishly typed up reports and discussed ongoing 'cases' in between having the odd pint.
I had picked up on this and had my laptop there too. This was for filling out lesson plans plus bringing along students' folders and books for marking homework. Isabella looked askance at all of this. Typical lazy men, she was thinking to herself, which maybe was fairly close to the truth.
"Yes, Detective Chief Inspector." the professor replied.
"This could be a rival lover, a gentleman who had questioned the honour of any of the ladies. Yes, many were of a certain profession shall we say, but he did not like any inappropriate comments being made against any of them. Plus husbands."
"Husbands?" Percy had just woken up with that comment.
"Yes, Major, husbands!"
"And he got away with this!?" Percy continued.
"He certainly did. The law courts then and magistrates always seemed to find mitigating circumstances. Even though he was often caught in flagrante delicto. His 'luck' did run out eventually. This was one of the many reasons for his hanging. So that is where he got the name 'Slippery Jake' from, his ability to escape the law?"
The professor added something critical and very relevant to the present.
"He was very protective of the barmaids and the landlady at the time. There were also many 'love children.'"
"With all of them?" I added.
"Could well be. As Amelia points out, a lot of records were destroyed, but we have enough to go on. Birth certificates are very interesting from that period. This is something for the Ph.D. students to get 'their teeth' into."
"Yes, very much." Dr. Amelia Smith interjected.
Professor Hudson continued. " Our 'ghost' was very 'protective' towards the Public House, or Inn as it was then."
"Records show that he often gave out 'summary justice' with his rapier, to any miscreants, groups, or individuals causing any excessive disturbances within the Tavern. This could be the nonpayment for drinks, mistreatment of customers, especially, ladies, and excessive lewd and drunken behaviour. Reflect on the ghost's recent behaviour here and I think you can see the same pattern repeating itself recently just as he was in life."
"So he put it about a bit?" The Detective Chief Inspector added cheekily.
"More than just a bit!" Replied the professor laughing.
The second half of the meeting was very much concerned with Pamela Parsons. She had some very important information.
"To get to the point. I have been approached by two Hollywood producers who see potential in a 'Slippery Jake' movie."
We all produced a collective gasp at this.
"Plus, I am toying with the idea of producing a documentary for the BBC on our ghost. 'Slippery Jake Productions' would be involved as part of the production team. Like me, I know you are all very busy people."
Majors Percy and Humphrey looked a bit sheepish at this, as they were both retired.
"Gentlemen, I noticed your responses. Obviously, you too are both now retired, but we would all welcome your worldly wisdom."
"Thank you madam", came a reply for Percy. "We will endeavour to do our best."
"As for Hollywood and other movie outlets, we have no direct 'copyright' over our ghost. However, we do control a lot of the information. Plus coming back to the very pertinent comment regarding the ghost you made previously professor, we need to respect the memory of the Right Hon Jake Horatio Higginbottom, as well as everyone currently working in the pub plus anyone else for that matter."
"I have asked story outlines to be sent to me regarding any movie from Netflix etc. There have already been some. Our ghost had been reported quite extensively in the States, Fox, CNN, etc. There seems to be an appetite for 'him' out there. There are hints even of a new 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise. Actors are already being sounded out for the possible role of 'Slippery Jake'. A new Johnny Depp even, I kid you not ladies and gentlemen. I have already had a number of inquiries. Plus, thanks to Sandra and Kevin for the website and FaceBook page. You two quickly update everything."
"Yes, we will get the professor's findings up very quickly. Plus and will add this, TV/Movie proposition, ah very interesting." Sandra added.
"Skype me later and we will discuss this." Was Pamela's reply.
"So we could have a family-friendly production, a full-on horror flic, or even an old 'Carry On'?"
"The late great Sid James would have made a brilliant Slippery Jake." The Detective Chief Inspector added half-joking.
Pamela laughed a bit. "This is pretty much the range I have been getting already. This is my world, but I will involve all of you. I have a legal team looking at what rights we would have and if we could all get paid."
Smiles all around with this.
"I can't guarantee all of this. 'Slippery Productions' would have to be credited on any movie for starters."
Half laughing again she went on. "Old Slippery would have loved all this notoriety."
Dr. Smith and Professor Hudson nodded at these remarks.
Professor Hudson then added, "The records clearly show he loved publicity. He was pretty vain. Given this apparent consciousness, this ghost has, I wonder how long before he becomes aware of his new notoriety?."
"A very moot point, we will wait and see." Dr. Amelia Smith added.
Isabella then observed. "Pamela is this all going to be too much for you, given all the work you must have at the BBC?"
"Thanks, Isabella for your concern. I can cope and as I said the website does make things a lot easier. Also, Dr. Smith and Professor Hudson thank you for forwarding any new finds."
They both nodded smiling. "We will both keep you appraised, as and when we have updates'" Came the response from Dr. Smith.
Carrying on Pamela added.
"I will discuss all of this with you first and send you all the information, However, if I feel that any of the Hollywood proposals are inappropriate I will send you all the details. Some already are pretty 'iffy'."
"Our documentary on the BBC will be an altogether different matter. I have outlined some proposals which I will discuss with you all the next time we meet. I thought we had enough to discuss today as it was."
With that, the meeting wound up. The Majors stayed on. They would leave just before their wives' WI meeting finished. The 'detectives' had to move on as all of us did.
Isabella gave me a reassuring look as we left.
"Love this is all starting to sound exciting. Luckily, we have Pamela Parsons."
"Yes love, she certainly has her head screwed on."
Isabella drove back. She really enjoyed driving 'Haku'. The end of another week. Again Isabella had no scheduled shifts, but she could be called in at any time. We did have a pretty pleasant and relaxing weekend though.
A brief note on Slippery's cape, three-cornered hat, and the rapier sword. There was also a small whetstone. The Old Ghost wanted to make sure his rapier blade was as sharp as possible at all times. A shoulder red velvet cape plus the Highwayman's original dueling blade and hat were kept securely locked in an old oak trunk in the pub's basement, directly below 'Slippery's chair' along with the whetstone.
With the cellar restorations, it was felt that this trunk and 'his chair' should not be moved. Any attempt to move it or even examine either item led to Slippery really getting very upset.
What was really strange was both these real objects could somehow appear to be used and worn by the ghost? Slippery Jake liked to use his original rapier blade in any violent manifestations. Of course, he had to wear his beloved three-cornered hat. How otherwise would he produce the extravagant twirling of his hat as he bowed? How these objects could be moved from out of the trunk was also a total mystery.
Also the 'real' was seamlessly combined with the ghostly. He had appeared in a pair of 'ghostly' blue and orange striped pantaloons/trousers. Although there could be some variations of these. There was the 'ghostly' pale blue or sometimes red, full-breasted jacket with enormous lapels. Also, the totally over-the-top, seemingly silk, white cravat. Plus of course the occasional OTT wig. With his reappearances to the Bull, Old Slippery has been puzzled by one thing. Why does everybody dress up like peasants in the 21st century with all those blue jeans, some deliberately ripped?
He really did not like men wearing blue jeans. Well, tight-fitting jeans for young ladies did interest him a lot.