The First Noel

Psychic investigator Hamilton Coe surrounded by allies and adversaries. Featured characters include Annabella Lwin, Mark E Smith, Donna Tartt, Dashiell Hammett, Robocop, Patricia Highsmith, Cornell Woolrich, Robert Morley, Ming the Merciless, Jean Seberg, Del The Automator

Dateline Drumfeld – Friday

Wednesday – My first Christmas cards arrived this morning. No advanced graphology skills were necessary in identifying Hazel Eadie’s savagely embedded scrawl. Not having heard from Hazel since September, I’d hoped that she might have embarked upon some fresh fixation. Apparently not. Her annual newsletter contains its usual trite fantasies about our life together. Does Hazel seriously imagine that normal couples use their Christmas newsletters to subject acquaintances to such nauseating innuendo? At least the reference is veiled. Last year’s was so hideously explicit that I took the precaution of passing a copy to our community police officer.

Later I went into Stirling to collect my own Christmas cards. Last year I made the mistake of allowing Gordon Gilfeather, one of Christine’s clients to design my card. The image of a young Hamilton Coe, partially concealed from behind a couch, peering at an unsuspecting Santa Claus through a magnifying glass was competently executed, but misjudged in almost every respect. Apart from begging the question why I would require a magnifying glass to observe someone from a distance of three feet, Gordon’s depiction made me look sneaky and furtive. Nobody who knows me would deny my ability to take a joke but an advanced sense of humour is accompanied by an instinctive sense of what is appropriate. When I confronted Gordon he completely failed to convey why he thought his caricature was funny. Nor could he adequately explain why Santa Claus was included despite my explicit instruction that the American icon of greed had no place in a Hamilton Coe Christmas. “But that’s why you’re investigating him,” he stammered, a feeble improvisation that failed to convince me that he deserved anything more than half the originally negotiated fee.

This year’s card features a passable likeness of Yours Truly surrounded by characters appropriate to a Christmas narrative – Noddy Holder, for example, makes an appearance, as does Alastair Sim’s Scrooge. I thought it pleasing, though when I showed it to Christine, she queried the incorporation of a Ouija Board. I’d assumed it was some kind of platter.

Comments

  1. Frankodove

    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    European countries have long been famous for their factory development and technological innovation. In final decades, it and components from Europe have become famous throughout all over the world because of own reliability, advanced technologies and demanding standards properties.
    1. Innovation in Design and Technology
    European companies that specialize handicraft of industrial equipment, all the time introduce innovations in design and technology. Modern automation systems, smart control solutions and efficient production processes make equipment from Europe in demand in the world market.
    2. High Standards Qualities
    European countries strictly monitor standards quality, which guarantees highest level of production and long service life of industrial equipment. Certification systems and conformity testing provide assurance that each product meets high safety and performance requirements.
    3. Environmental Compatibility and Energy Efficiency
    Modern industrial equipment from Europe is also renowned for its environmental compatibility and energy efficiency. Companies are actively wanting to do and implement solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact on the environmental environment and optimizing energy consumption.
    4. Elasticity and Custom Adaptation
    This from Europe is flexible and adaptable to different production requirements. This enables enterprises to effectively implement new technologies, optimize processes and satisfy specific customer needs.
    5. Worldwide Recognition and Trust
    The products of European industrial equipment manufacturers have gained worldwide recognition and trust. It is connected not only with the quality of products, and also with the highest level of service provided by companies and customer support at all stages of cooperation.
    Conclusion https://sites.google.com/view/famaga/
    European it and components continue to be at the forefront of global production. Innovation, quality and reliability make them a coveted choice for businesses around the world seeking optimizing their production processes and improving the efficiency of own operations.

  2. Frankodove

    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    European countries have long been famous for their industrial development and scientific and technical innovation. In final decades, industrial equipment and components from Europe have become popular throughout all over the world because of own reliability, advanced technologies and strict standards quality.
    1. Innovation in Design and Technology
    European companies specializing handicraft of industrial equipment, all the time introduce innovations in design and technology. Modern automation systems, smart control solutions and effective production processes make equipment from Europe necessary in the world bazaar.
    2. Highest Standards Qualities
    European countries exacting monitor standards quality, which guarantees highest level of production and long lifetime of industrial equipment. Certification and conformity testing provide assurance that each product meets high safety and performance requirements.
    3. Environmental Compatibility and Energy Efficiency
    Modern industrial equipment from Europe is also renowned for its environmental compatibility and energy efficiency. Companies are actively developing and implement solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact on the surrounding environment and optimizing energy consumption.
    4. Flexibility and Custom Adaptation
    This from Europe is flexible and adaptable to different production requirements. This enables enterprises to effectively implement new technological processes, improve processes and satisfy specialized customer needs.
    5. Worldwide Recognition and Trust
    The products of European industrial equipment manufacturers have gained worldwide recognition and trust. It is strongly connected not only with the quality of products, but also with the high level of service provided by companies and customer support at absolutely all stages of cooperation.
    Conclusion https://joshicity.com/wp-content/pgs/precision_marking_redefined__discovering_the_keyence_md_x1000_3_axis_hybrid_laser_marker.html
    European it and components continue to be at the forefront of global production. Innovation, quality and reliability make them a desired choice for businesses around the world committed to optimizing their production processes and improving the efficiency of their operations.

  3. Frankodove

    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    European countries have long been famous for their factory development and technological innovation. In final decades, industrial equipment and components from Europe have become fashionable throughout all over the world thanks to their reliability, advanced technologies and serious standards properties.
    1. Innovation in Design and Development
    European companies specializing in the production of industrial equipment, constantly introduce innovations in design and technology. Modern automation systems, smart ruling solutions and effective production processes make equipment from Europe in demand in the world bazaar.
    2. High Standards Qualities
    European countries exacting monitor standards quality, which guarantees highest level of production and long service life of industrial equipment. Certification systems and conformity testing ensure that each product meets high safety and performance requirements.
    3. Environmental Compatibility and Energy Efficiency
    Modern industrial equipment from Europe is also renowned for its environmental compatibility and energy efficiency. Companies are intensively wanting to do and implement solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact on the surrounding environment and optimizing energy consumption.
    4. Flexibility and Custom Adaptation
    This from Europe is flexible and adaptable to different production requirements. This enables enterprises to effectively implement new technological processes, improve processes and satisfy specific customer needs.
    5. Worldwide Recognition and Trust
    The products of European industrial equipment manufacturers have gained worldwide recognition and trust. It is strongly connected not only with the quality of products, and also with the high level of service provided by companies and customer support at all stages of cooperation.
    Conclusion https://photoclub.canadiangeographic.ca/profile/21158200
    European it and components continue to be at the forefront of global production. Innovation, quality and reliability make them a coveted choice for businesses around the world seeking optimizing their production processes and improving the efficiency of own operations.

  4. Frankodove

    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    European countries have long been famous for their factory development and scientific and technical innovation. In final decades, it and components from Europe have become popular throughout the world because of own reliability, advanced technologies and strict standards quality.
    1. Innovation in Design and Development
    European companies specializing in the production of industrial equipment, constantly introduce innovations in design and technology. Modern automation systems, smart control solutions and efficient production processes make equipment from Europe necessary in the world bazaar.
    2. Highest Standards Properties
    European countries strictly monitor standards quality, which guarantees high level of production and long service life of industrial equipment. Certification systems and conformity testing ensure that each product meets high safety and performance requirements.
    3. Environmental Compatibility and Energy Efficiency
    Modern industrial equipment from Europe is also renowned for its environmental compatibility and energy efficiency. Companies are intensively developing and implement solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact on the surrounding environment and optimizing energy consumption.
    4. Elasticity and Custom Adaptation
    This from Europe is flexible and adaptable to different production requirements. This enables companies to effectively implement new technologies, improve processes and satisfy specific customer needs.
    5. Worldwide Recognition and Trust
    The products of European industrial equipment manufacturers have gained worldwide recognition and trust. It is strongly connected not only with the quality of products, and also with the highest level of service provided by companies and customer support at absolutely all stages of cooperation.
    Conclusion https://iddaalihaber.com/news/revolutionizing_automation_with_precision__unveiling_the_ipf_electronic_mza70175_magnetic_sensor.html
    European industrial equipment and components continue to be at the forefront of global production. Innovation, quality and reliability make them a coveted choice for businesses around the world seeking optimizing their production processes and improving the efficiency of their operations.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *