Saturday, January 18, 2020

Chapter 5 Homework

Jazzlynn Ben Chapter 5 Problems Dr. Ennis 5. 1. You were asked to investigate extremely high, unexplained merchandise shortages at a department store chain. You found the following: a. The receiving department supervisor owns and operates a boutique carrying many of the same labels as the chain store. The general manager is unaware of the ownership interest. — It is a red flag warning so it is a fraud because there is a conflict of interest situation which should have alerted the auditor to the possibility of fraud. b.The receiving supervisor signs receiving reports showing that the total quantity shipped by a supplier was received and then diverts 5% to 10% of each shipment to the boutique. –There is a false representation so this is a fraudulent act. c. The store is unaware of the short shipments because the receiving report accompanying the merchandise to the sales areas shows that everything was received. –There is intent to deceive as indicated by the effort s to conceal the act so this is also a fraudulent act by the supervisor of receiving. It is not due to an act by the buyers. d.Accounts Payable paid vendors for the total quantity shown on the receiving report. –It is unrelated to the investigation so this is a weakness in the system of internal control. e. Based on the receiving department supervisor’s instructions, quantities on the receiving reports were not counted by sales personnel. –The receiving supervisor is advocating a system of a weak internal control so this is an indicator of fraud. Required Classify each of the five situations as a fraudulent act, a fraud symptom, an internal control weakness, or an event unrelated to the investigation.Justify your answers. 5. 2. A client heard through its hot line that John, the purchases journal clerk, periodically enters fictitious acquisitions. After John creates a fictitious purchase, he notifies Alice, the accounts payable ledger clerk, so she can enter them in her ledger. When the payables are processed, the payment is mailed to the nonexistent supplier’s address, a post office box rented by John. John deposits the check in an account he opened in the nonexistent supplier’s name. Required a. Define fraud, fraud deterrence, fraud detection, and fraud investigation. Fraud- Any and all means a person uses to gain an unfair advantage over another person. †¢ Fraud Deterrence- Actions that are taken to discourage the perpetration of fraud. †¢ Fraud Detection- Identifying the indicators of fraud sufficient to warrant recommending an investigation †¢ Fraud investigation- Performing the extended procedures needed to determine whether fraud has occurred, as suggested by the indicators. b. List four personal (as opposed to organizational) fraud symptoms, or red flags, that indicate the possibility of fraud.Do not confine your answer to this example. o High personal debts or great financial losses o Bragging about exp loits o Collectors and creditors appearing at the place of the business o Strong desire to beat the business c. List two procedures you could follow to uncover John’s fraudulent behavior. 1) Trace all of the payments back to the supporting documentation. No record of the receipt of the goods would be listed in the receiving department, as well as the purchasing department. 2) Inspect the documentation supporting the release of a check to a vendor. . 6. An auditor found that Rent-A-Wreck management does not always comply with its stated policy that sealed bids be used to sell obsolete cars. Records indicated that several vehicles with recent major repairs were sold at negotiated prices. Management vigorously assured the auditor that performing limited repairs and negotiating with knowledgeable buyers resulted in better sales prices than the sealed-bid procedures. Further investigation revealed that the vehicles were sold to employees at prices well below Market value. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3Three managers and five other employees pleaded guilty to criminal charges and made restitution. Required a. List the fraud symptoms that should have aroused the auditor’s suspicion. ? Management’s justification for departing from established policy. ? Departure from the established policy of requiring sealed bids to dispose of vehicles being salvaged. ? Vehicles, in fact, have been repaired before they were sold for salvage. b. What audit procedures would show that fraud had in fact occurred? ? Review thoroughly of sales documentation, identifying persons to whom sales were made at â€Å"negotiated prices. ? Evaluate the adequacy of proceeds obtained in negotiated sales. ? Review maintenance records for charges associated with salvaged vehicles. Case 5-1 1. How does Miller fit the profile of the average fraud perpetrator? How does he differ? How did these characteristics make him difficult to detect? 2. Explain the thr ee elements of the opportunity triangle (commit, conceal, convert), and discuss how Miller accomplished each when embezzling funds from Associated Communications. What specific concealment techniques did Miller use? 3.What pressures motivated Miller to embezzle? How did Miller rationalize his actions? 4. Miller had a framed T-shirt in his office that said, â€Å"He who dies with the most toys wins. † What does this tell you about Miller? What lifestyle red flags could have tipped off the company to the possibility of fraud? 5. Why do companies hesitate to prosecute white-collar criminals? What are the consequences of not prosecuting? How could law enforcement officials encourage more prosecution? 6. What could the victimized companies have done to prevent Miller’s embezzlement?

Friday, January 10, 2020

The “Boundaryless” Career

The â€Å"Boundaryless† career serves as the status quo for 21st century career literature. (Dany,Francoise 2011) Based on the development of information and technology, researchers see the requirement to develop a more useful employment model for the â€Å"new organization era†.Contrasting with the previous career concept, now workers are more independent and more responsible for their own future. Although the definitions of the â€Å"Boundaryless† concept seek to explain modern career concepts, some researchers do criticize the theory as being difficult to operationalize (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) due to its ambiguity, and multiple definitions. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)In this paper I will critically analyze the theory of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and some of its criticisms, and at the same time attempt to cross reference the essay along with my own career development plans. Today labor market changed greatly and careers are becoming more complex and uncertai n. (Walton, P.304)The strengthening economics, forces organization to become more flexible with employment policy while the definition of career slowly changes to a lifelong learning process (Arnold, John1997), and the concept of the traditional job or job security are becoming obsolete. (Arthur&Rosseau,1994 Sommerland,Julie2007) Career can be understood differently by people from different back ground, culture or country.For those differences, still most individuals share a similar drive for a career. At any point in life we associate with career, example my education aim to master in business management studies is part my career. For an established definition, career is a sequence of work experiences over time-unfold (Arthur, Rousseau P.3).The notion of career offers a vantage point from which to understand the evolution of relationship between organization structure and strategy, as well as the relationship between individual and his/her behavior. (Inkson,Kerr 2012) Career can al so be described in two different ways.The subjective career or the psychological dimension and the objective career or also can be understand as the physical dimension of career. (Arthur,MB 2005) Since I started my career my focus is to work in an environment that I am comfortable to learn and continually seeking for new challenges.In the 21st century â€Å"new career† theory, these two aspects act as an important factor for worker’s decision about their own career. (Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) Most my transition between companies I made  were made to get closer to my career objective and in the same time being able keep my life style as much as possible, which really help me to balance out my physical and psychological demand for my career path.The â€Å"new career† literature has become a hot topic for researchers, and two concepts particularly grab the attention. The two modern career concepts are â€Å"Boundaryless† career and â€Å"Protean† career. Protean theory focus on achieving subjective success through self-directed vocational behavior while â€Å"Boundaryless† focuses on crossing both objective and subjective dimension of career at multiple levels of analysis including organizational position, mobility, flexibility, the work environment. (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006, Briscoe,Jon P. 2006) As the present backdrop, â€Å"Boundaryless† career became an uncontroversial description of the way things are. (Arnold,John 2011)In 2011, â€Å"Boundaryless† career is one of the leading â€Å"new career† theories, in terms of published scholarly articles. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) Although, according to some recent research and criticism, scholars emphasized physical mobility across organizational boundaries at the cost of neglecting psychological mobility and its relationship to physical relationship. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) That is simply because Physical mobility is easier to measure than psychologic al mobility.However, despite the assumption of increasing mobility across organizations boundaries have rarely been analyzed in the career literature (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010). Contrary to much of the rhetoric mobility between employers has not been increasing during the 1990s and 2000s. (Arnold,John 2011)Evidence from several countries suggests that most people still have long term employment setting and significant increase in mobility across organization boundaries (Inkson,2012) also in patterns of career mobility in the U.S.A and that key workers can still count on organizations for their career (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010)The evidence also suggest that the type of career mobility commonly associated with â€Å"Boundaryless† has been present in the U.S.A and other countries in period considered to be dominated by hierarchical careers with organization. (Rodrigues,Ricardo A. 2010) From evidences and my own experience, I am certain that modern day worker still do seek for a secure job and a traditional like culture for the future.Other criticisms found on Arthur and Rousseau’s â€Å"Boundaryless†Ã‚  career as being problematic (Arnold,John 2011, Rodrigues 2010) as well as inaccurate labeling, loose definition, over emphasis on personal agency, normalization of â€Å"Boundaryless† career and poor empirical support for the claim dominance of â€Å"Boundarlyless† career. (Inkson,Kerr 2012)My experience during the economic recession, many people including myself needed to be mobile and act for own interest to get the best opportunity out in the competitive market. Then again in normal economic situation it seems to underestimates the degree of stability and the desire for stability in industry and employment.In conclusion as the new social contract between employers and employees seems to be propelled by the globalization process and by rapidly improving information technology (Sullivan,Sherry E. 2006). Research and theory on â€Å"Boundaryless† career has been responsive to changes in the economic and organizational context of the past 25 years (Inkson,Kerr 2012)The author argues for the need for a new career concept to grab the suitable policies for the modern workers who are changing in technologies and security disorder caused by the dynamic change. (Arthur&Rousseau P.4) Criticism suggest that the â€Å"Boundaryless† career offers confusion and ambiguity regarding whether the concepts provide description of how career are these days, especially concerning which particular boundaries are crossed.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Private School Scandals and Controversies

Every school, public or private, has had its share of unpleasant news. With many private schools and boarding schools having histories that span hundreds of years, its highly likely that in some fashion, each school has some skeletons in its closets. Public schools have scandals, too, but private schools tend to be the focus of the media because of their independent status and tuition rates. What kind of scandals happen at schools? Everything from bullying and hazing to sexual misconduct and embezzlement scandals. Each school will handle the scandals in their own way, but the goal is to protect the victims, the other students, and faculty at the school, and the schools reputation.   The most recent headlines have involved sex abuse scandals at private schools, and with many of these institutions dating back hundreds of years, very few have squeaky clean pasts.  Many of these scandals that hit the media are the result of past actions being brought to light years later, in some cases decades later. The schools that handle these cases the best are those that provide support for their students and alumni and work to ensure that their campuses today are safe and supportive for students.  Background checks, particularly for staff and faculty, are common practice in most schools today. Even the best schools are sometimes met with controversy. Its the way a school deals with these crises that is the best measure of its competence. The best ones recognize how important it is to deal with bad news promptly. They know that the Internet, including social media, and cell phones will spread rumors as quickly as you can text your classmates. They also know that members of the media are lurking just waiting for some juicy morsel about an elite school to surface, so they can fan the flames of indignation and mock self-righteousness. Scandals are not limited to private schools, though, and can be found at schools of all kinds, including public schools and even top colleges and universities. The safety of students is the utmost concern of school officials, and most schools take swift and serious action when transgressions are discovered. Heres a brief look at some incidents which have occurred in private schools over the years. June 2017:  The Boston Globe  reported on Phillips Exeter Academy and its protests by students because of the lack of response to accusations of racially insensitive comments by faculty.  May 2017:  New York Post published an article about a student at Kent School in Connecticut, who alleged abuse by her French teacher, who she claimed seduced and abused her repeatedly.April 2017:  USA Today reported on the investigations into Choate Rosemary Hall and its four-decade long history of abuse involving more than a dozen teachers.  March 2017:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Philips Exeter uncovered instances of sexual misconduct from five former faculty members.June 2016: Top Administrators Fired at William Kochs Elite Private School:  According to the  New York Times, Billionaire William Koch fired the head of school at Oxbridge Academy and declined to renew the contracts of the athletic director and the football coach. The moves came after a sexual harassment complaint and an internal inves tigation into accusations of kickbacks, grade-changing, excessive spending and violations of the rules governing high school sports.May 20​16:  Boston Globe Releases Article, Private Schools, Painful Secrets:  This article focuses on sexual abuse at private schools in New England. Including Fessenden, Deerfield, St. Georges, Taft, Exeter, Thayer, and Concord.May 2016:  New York Time Reports on Sex Abuse at Private Schools:  Focuses on private schools in New England, including St. Georges, Taft, Exeter, Thayer, and Concord.  January 2016/October 2016:  In January, Connecticut newspapers reported on an  evacuation  of a dormitory at Cheshire Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut, after gasoline was found on campus. No one was hurt and students were allowed to re-enter the dorm that same night. In October, however,  reports from local papers revealed  that two juvenile boys were arrested for attempting to manufacture bombs in the woods near the main campu s.  Headmaster Scandals:  This article from  Town Country  outlines five private school scandals involving heads of schools. From murder and mysterious finances to drugs and abuse, these ordeals read like a script from Hollywood.  Parents Sue Conserve School Trustees:  Read Conserve School Changes From 4 Year High School to 1 Semester Model to understand how the economic downturn of 2009 has wreaked havoc on one private schools endowment to the point where the trustees are changing the schools business model. The parents of current four-year high school students were not happy with that decision and have sued the trustees.Five Hockey Team Members Expelled from Milton Academy:  Milton Academy rocked by expulsions  is a Boston.com story detailing how five members of the Milton Academy hockey team were expelled for receiving oral sex from a 15-year-old sophomore girl.Parents Sue Miss Porters School Over Expulsion:  At a Prep School, the Gloves Are Off  details what happened when a prestigious Connecticut girls school expelled a senior student.School for Scandal:  Groton was rocked by accusations of sexual abuse and hazing in a  2002 story reported on ABCNEWS.Rector of St. Pauls School Retires:  The Rector of St. Pauls School, Concord, New Hampshire,  retired  after an outcry regarding what many alumni considered to be  excessive expenditures  on renovations to the Rectors housing as well as a lavish compensation package for himself and his assistant.  In the fall of 2004 St. Pauls also had to deal with a  drowning  and a hazing incident in addition to all the controversy over excessive spending and the investigation by the New Hampshire attorney general.Sex Scandal Hits Selwyn House:  I wrote  about  this story  in May 2008. This incident hit home as this Montreal boys school occupies the building which was Westmount Senior High School when I attended it in 1960-61.Counterfeit Currency Scheme Uncovered at Lower Can ada College:  It seems that internet gambling debts forced some LCC students to print money to cover their balance.Academy X:  Horace Mann teacher Andrew Trees was fired for his fictional account of life in a private school,  Academy X.Death of Student at The Hill School:   Suicide scatters grief and guilt in every direction. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the close-knit world which is a boarding school  community.  The headmaster and staff dealt with this very sad incident with compassion and sensitivity.Upper Canada College Teacher Found Guilty of Sex Charges:  It was a sad day for UCC when former master Doug Brown was found guilty of sexually abusing 18 former students. One of those students released a memoir article in 2013 that appeared on the  Toronto Life site.Incoming Students at The Landon School Caught in Embarrassing Activities: Incoming Landon boys apparently were creating  a list of girls  they knew in a bizarre sort of draft selection process . Naturally the girls parents were upset.    Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Essay about The Pell Grant Program A Necessity - 1516 Words

In 1965, the United States legislature passed a historical legislation called the Higher Education Act of 1965. This was an important legislation intended to strengthen the resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance to students in postsecondary and higher education. Today, this act remains the foundation for most postsecondary education subsidies, including the Federal Pell Grant program. Since its inception, the federal government has continued to provide varying amounts of funding for higher education in hopes of encouraging college enrollment by reducing college costs. Yet, according to the Department of Education, the United States, once ranked a global leader in postsecondary education, has†¦show more content†¦Therefore, students begin dreaming of college; where they will attend and what they will become when they grow up. Unfortunately, the absurd college and university tuition hikes have forced many prospective college bound s tudents to shift gears on their journey to receiving a college degree. One of the modifications made to the dreams of many, is college selection. Thousands of students have opted to start their college careers at a community college. Community colleges are designed to serve as a pathway from high school to college and most offer two-year transfer or university parallel programs that prepare students wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution. Community Colleges are generally more cost efficient therefore, grant access to many more students desiring a higher education. CNN Money journalist, Kim Clark reports that, â€Å"While community college tuition posted a sharp 8.7% gain, its still a bargain: only about $3,000 a year for full-time tuition† (Clark). Clark also suggests that due to recent increases in federal grants and tax benefits, the average total aid was raised above the average tuition price of community colleges, therefore, â€Å"the typical community college student got the cost of tuition and most textbooks fully covered† (Clark). According to the College Board, â€Å"four out of 10 graduating high school students begin their college careers at community colleges† (Why Community College?). Typically, courses that areShow MoreRelatedPrivate And Private Education943 Words   |  4 Pagespublic section. In view of investigations and discoveries, the chain of command of advanced education envisioned by Winston may have changed after he wrote this article. As the systems for educational cost rebates have been moved from need-based grants to merit-based aids, numerous postsecondary establishments are progressively engaging in exercises to contend and draw in more students with high scholastic capabilities (Heller Nelson, 1999). By deliberately reducing costs and apportioning helpRead MoreIs College Education A Tax Policy Program? Essay1635 Words   |  7 Pagesemployment companies should establish a tax policy program for their employees to reduce their debt. Every year, the consumption of student loans keeps on increasing. Students are put into helpless positions to afford a college education. Since it’s a necessity for almost all students, the problem of the consumption of student loans may not be fixed as a whole. Borrowing loans will always be a necessity. The government does not provide enough grants and support for postsecondary education, even thoughRead MoreEnemy Of Title Ix : The Department Of Health, Education And Welfare918 Words   |  4 Pageswomen to participate in sports was very detrimental to Title IX in a system openly discriminated women from sports and education opportunities. By dropping the term Affirmative Action, women were not assured a place in the system and educational programs and sports team were left to their own devices; many who were against funding women in the first place. Needless to say, complaints to the incompetent HEW piled up accusing schools of not abiding by the new law. In reality, HEW struggled with findingRead MoreShould College Be A Professional Sports Athlete?1478 Words   |  6 Pagesstudents enrolled full time in 2011-12 received grants that reduced the actual price of college. In addition, many states and institutions grant tuition waivers to groups such as veterans, teachers, or dependents of employees.† Also, the government aids families that have lower income through federal grants. This is a way to â€Å"equal the playing field† for all individuals to have an opportunity to go to college. In fact, the US government has doubled Pell Grants between 2008 and 2011 to help water-down theRead MoreIs Education A Tax Policy Program For Reduce Their Debt? Essay2253 Words   |  10 Pagesemployment company should establish a tax policy program for their employees to reduce their debt. Every year, the consumption of student loans keeps on increasing. According to the statistics graph at the bottom, 71% of all students graduating from four-year colleges in 2012 had student loan debt, increasing to $20,000 more since 1993 (Gale Cengage Learning, 2016). Students are put into helpless positions to afford a college education. Since it’s a necessity for almost all students, the problem of theRead MoreCollege Plays An Important Part Of Social Reproduction1707 Words   |  7 Pagescareer, however, the importance of a college education is not finished. Having a college degree often gives employers even more of a reason to provide you with promotions. College makes you a very marketable citizen for employers’ ever increasing necessity for a college degree from their employees (National Association of Colleges and Employers 2). The only issue that lies here is when a person applies for a job that they are overqualified for. A person with a master’s deg ree will more than likelyRead MoreThe Current Social Problem Of Poverty Essay1368 Words   |  6 Pagesin the marketplace. (Hamilton et al., 2014). In society, we have been brought up that consumption is a good consumer and perceived as hard-working. Poverty is not solely focused on economic and material shortage of resources but it is a lack of necessities. (Hamilton et al., 2014). Poverty is more than just one problem; it shows the effects of how lack of education can influence people finding jobs. This has an ongoing effect on our future generations. When people don’t have an education, it is difficultRead MoreEssay On Rising Tuition Prices1241 Words   |  5 Pagesbudgets on superfluous investments such as buildings and extra administrative staff, not on the students or teaching staff. This instantly inflates their budget and makes it extremely difficult for the students. Kevin Carey, the Education Policy Program Director of the New America Foundation, spoke on the matter, saying Colleges and universities compete with one another not to make money, but for status and prestige, so they buy things that increase their status and prestige in relation to theirRead MoreGetting into Debt for a College Education1385 Words   |  6 Pagesalso the economy, and needs to be resolved. With societys stress on the necessity to obtain a college education in order to get a well-paying job, be considered successful, and have a higher quality of life, everyone desires a degree and many try for one. However, the typical middle-class family cannot afford to attend college without taking on moderate amounts of debt, and largely depending on scholarships and grants to send themselves or their children. Lower-class families have an exceedinglyRead MoreRising Cost Of College Tuition2509 Words   |  11 Pagesreceiving federal aid. Institutional grants took second at 37.5 percent (Berkner, p. 53). Although the amount of money given to students in the form of financial aid and grants has increased in the last decade, these numbers seem less impressive in real dollar value. Major federally funded grant programs, the Pell Grant and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, make up a large portion of the federal student assistance. Though funding for the Pell Grant has increased in the last two decades

Monday, December 16, 2019

Unusual Article Uncovers the Deceptive Practices of Extended Essay Maths Topics

Unusual Article Uncovers the Deceptive Practices of Extended Essay Maths Topics The Foolproof Extended Essay Maths Topics Strategy Do not Push an excessive amount of Double work isn't just waste of time but in addition waste of resources. Water help keep the body temperature and aids to carry away the human body's waste solutions. The outline should offer you a brief guide of what you ought to write where. You've got to give references of all of the information sources you have used. The significance of offering an outline is straightforward. Therefore, ensure you have sufficient material to strengthen your arguments. Want to Know More About Extended Essay Maths Topics? If your school isn't one already, learn to turn into an IB World School as a way to implement the DP. A thesis is a rather important document which you can always use. Popper food in our everyday life results in a lifetime habit toward a healthier extended life. It is normal for students like you to seek out professional aid in writing an elongated essay for International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. You must be really sure of what you will achieve from your extended essay. For instance, you might find there are 3 sub-topics under the very first principal topic that you want to discuss, and that means you will create sub-headings f or them. Since selecting a topic isn't a kid's play, it is going to be useful if you're likely to look at a number of the subsequent topics you might rather research on. If you're really stuck trying to discover a not too broad or narrow topic, I would advise attempting to brainstorm a topic that employs a comparison. On the opposite side, students expect to add new info and skills and to think about each 1 circumstance. In most cases they are faced with a challenge of landing a topic and they are in dilemma on which topic to write on. At the very beginning, they should find the right topic for their project. Every student is provided an opportunity to do a research in their areas of interest. Therefore, if there's any reason why you cannot have your extended essay written on time yourself, all you have to do is place your order on our site, and leave the rest to us! The first thing which you ought to keep in mind when deciding the elongated essay topics is the length, as it's a lengthy essay then the topic needs to be something that has a wide selection of information on it. Sometimes references are handwritten, and it has happened on occasion I start to suspect all of them are written by exactly the same person. Be that as it could, the topic for your essay is a crucial thing that has to be chosen carefully and with higher precision. The research question has to be explicitly mentioned in the introduction. Data, if unavailable, will require that you acquire them manually time-consuming. Do a little research and produce an acceptable research question. Your supervisor will schedule a meeting with you to speak about how you intend to structure your essay particularly. On the flip side, you may be writing a thesis on computer science. If your instructor or professor would like you to adhere to a particular style and deal with a specific subject in your paper, then you cannot ignore to achieve that. For that reason, it's very important that you speak with your professor to offer you the essential format. Some schools will provide you with a timeline of when you must think of a topic, when you want to meet up with your advisor and when certain drafts are due. Another superior resource may be the class book, read it and receive all the info in the world about your topic for elongated essays. Say, for instance, you're a high school student, and you should compose a 3-page essay. Each grade of the essay is going to be written by means of a writer who's qualified to that level maths for wa two homework book or higher, to make sure you receive the degree of content that is needed.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Social Class and Doolittle free essay sample

The social hierarchy is an unavoidable topic in the play pygmalion by george bernard shaw. Shaw includes members of all social classes from the lowest (Liza) to the servant class (Mrs. Pearce) to the middle class (Doolittle after his inheritance) to the genteel poor (the Eynsford Hills) to the upper class (Pickering and the Higgins). Shaw highlighted the errors in people’s ideas of how the lower classes lived, and highlighted all the social prejudice, including stereotypical views of women and of the poor. Instead of writing a book about the prejudice and stereotyping, Shaw used the characters in his play, Pygmalion, to put forward his opinions. Pygmalion also showed that whatever class you were in, whether you were born rich or poor, you had a chance to succeed, as we can see with Mr Doolittle and Eliza, where Doolittle is given money by Ezra D. Wannafeller and becomes middle class. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Class and Doolittle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When Doolittle ‘sells’ Eliza to Higgins for ? 5, Higgins offers him ?  10 and Doolittle says, â€Å"Ten pounds is a lot of money: it makes a man feel prudent like; and then goodbye to happiness. † This proves that lower class people felt that if they were to have more money than they needed then they would lose who their personality and become a stereotypical upper class person, having to stay without the higher class’s boundaries and following the rules. The social hierarchy is an unavoidable topic in the play pygmalion by george bernard shaw. Shaw includes members of all social classes from the lowest (Liza) to the servant class (Mrs. Pearce) to the middle class (Doolittle after his inheritance) to the genteel poor (the Eynsford Hills) to the upper class (Pickering and the Higgins). Shaw highlighted the errors in people’s ideas of how the lower classes lived, and highlighted all the social prejudice, including stereotypical views of women and of the poor. Instead of writing a book about the prejudice and stereotyping, Shaw used the characters in his play, Pygmalion, to put forward his opinions. Pygmalion also showed that whatever class you were in, whether you were born rich or poor, you had a chance to succeed, as we can see with Mr Doolittle and Eliza, where Doolittle is given money by Ezra D. Wannafeller and becomes middle class. When Doolittle ‘sells’ Eliza to Higgins for ? 5, Higgins offers him ? 10 and Doolittle says, â€Å"Ten pounds is a lot of money: it makes a man feel prudent like; and then goodbye to happiness. † This proves that lower class people felt that if they were to have more money than they needed then they would lose who their personality  and become a stereotypical upper class person, having to stay without the higher class’s boundaries and following the rules. The social hierarchy is an unavoidable topic in the play pygmalion by george bernard shaw. Shaw includes members of all social classes from the lowest (Liza) to the servant class (Mrs. Pearce) to the middle class (Doolittle after his inheritance) to the genteel poor (the Eynsford Hills) to the upper class (Pickering and the Higgins). Shaw highlighted the errors in people’s ideas of how the lower classes lived, and highlighted all the social prejudice, including stereotypical views of women and of the poor. Instead of writing a book about the prejudice and stereotyping, Shaw used the characters in his play, Pygmalion, to put forward his opinions. Pygmalion also showed that whatever class you were in, whether you were born rich or poor, you had a chance to succeed, as we can see with Mr Doolittle and Eliza, where Doolittle is given money by Ezra D. Wannafeller and becomes middle class. When Doolittle ‘sells’ Eliza to Higgins for ? 5, Higgins offers him ? 10 and Doolittle says, â€Å"Ten pounds is a lot of money: it makes a man feel prudent like; and then goodbye to happiness. † This proves that lower class people felt that if they were to have more money than they needed then they would lose who their personality and become a stereotypical upper class person, having to stay without the higher class’s boundaries and following the rules.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Murder Mystery Essay Example

Murder Mystery Essay The cottage was always quiet; the soft blue walls made it seem bigger than it actually was. Rachel had always lived there ever since her auntie died and left it to her. It was very remote, along a heavy-hedged back country lane, miles away from anyone else. Rachel returned from work one evening late and lay back on her sofa after opening the french windows to let the warm grass scented breeze blow through the stuffy cottage.She lay back; her long brown hair was released from its clip and hung over the arm of the sofa. She kicked off her shoes and lay back picking up the stereo controller from the floor and turning on the CD player which began to play the CD she had put in the night before. A relaxed song started up; it was her Stereophonics album. The song which came on reminded her of the previous night when her new man Steve had cooked for her then by nine the next morning hed performed a magical disappearing act.Rachel had been single for about a year and a half and now she was tw enty-five and shed decided she needed to get out and meet a new man after her and Andrew had split up. She was now working as a family law solicitor after years of training; her job had been the cause of the break up with Andrew. Doing the job she did she got involved with a lot of jealous ex wives whose husbands shed help divorce them. This one woman called Silvia Ripley had attacked her and she had a restraining order put on her and shed never bothered Rachel again. This was about the same time that Andrew got fed up and bailed on Rachel and funnily enough for one of her clients who had just been filing a divorce from her possessive husband and had been spending a lot of time at the cottage when Andrew was also living there. Rachel had never quite recovered from finding out about it because she had been with Andrew for five years and it came as a pretty huge shock.Rachel had met Steve in a pub when she was chatting with Andrews younger brother Rob, Steve was his best mate. Steve w as younger than Rachel by two years, he worked as a chef in a restaurant in the town. He was quite muscular built with short, black, tight curly hair and gorgeous dark eyes. Rachel liked him immediately and the next night when she was at home in the bath the doorbell rang. It was Rob; hed come over for a chat. He knew she was home because all the lights were on and when she didnt answer the door Rob opened the letter box and shouted, Rachel, its Rob, are you okay?She sat up in the bath and shouted back, Rob, Im in the bath, the spare key is under the blue flower pot, let yourself in.Alright.He let himself in and she got out of the bath and put on her night shirt and dressing gown (it was about ten o-clock) and went into the sitting room where Rob was sat grinning.What? said Rachel.Rob looked at her and smiled and said, Oh dear Rach what has happened to you, you used to always be out with all your mates on a Saturday night.She looked up with a sad look on her face; Your brother is wh at happened to me, you should know that Rob.Rob and Rachel had always kept in touch because theyd always got on well as friends. When she broke up with Andrew, Rob had been a shoulder to cry on, which seriously got to Andrew and he got a bit violent with him.Yeah, but you have to move on Rach, hes an idiot to have done what he did to you and its been over a year and him and that woman didnt exactly last, it was all of a three month thing before she got back with her husband.I know Rob, but wed been together for five years it wasnt exactly a little fling we had was it?Very true but hes an idiot as I said and you can do much better and that is why I am here.Rachel looked at him puzzled, tying up her hair in a loose ponytail. Oh god here we go, this better be good.He looked at her and smiled cheekily then said, Well, I think youll like it.Come on then get to the point.Okay, Okay. You know my mate Steve who I was with last night.Yeah.Well he thinks you are quite nice and he wants you to come out with us two next Saturday night with one of your mates.Rachel was intrigued, shed thought Steve was rather nice when she first saw him but hadnt really given it a second thought because he hadnt given her any signals.Really! she saidYeah, do you like him?Like is an understatement, hes gorgeous.Oh good well you wont mind if I bring him here tomorrow to meet you then.She raised her eyebrows. No I have no objections to that, but you know my best mate, the blonde one who laughs a lot calledAlly.Yeah.I know, she came on to me at that party you and Andrew had that Christmas.Oh yeah, that was so funny, shes going to be here tomorrow.Yeah I like her, well well come around at about eight.Yeah okay, youre not going yet are you?Yeah I dont want to interrupt your evening alone.Oh it really isnt as good as it sounds, you dont want to stay here tonight do you, its just it is actually quite scary here alone and we havent had a really good chat for ages.Okay, we can have a chat about Stev e.So Rob stayed the night in the spare room after they had stayed up until three in the morning talking.The next day he left at about one and Rachel started to tidy her house before the others came round that evening. Rob was a good friend to Rachel, he checked up on her most days. He was very like Andrew in his looks; they both had short, light brown hair and bluey green eyes. They were both smooth talkers and could always make people smile. The only difference was Andrews temper sometimes when hed had a bad day or drunk to much he would totally fly off the handle, which always upset Rachel and she was the only person who could calm him down.Sunday night and Ally, Rob and Steve came around. Rachel clicked with Steve right away and Rob just sat their making Ally wet herself laughing all night with his filthy jokes. They all left at about midnight and arranged to meet at a pub on the next Saturday night for a bit of fun.The week passed quickly and it was Saturday night and Ally was a t Rachels and they were both getting dressed to impress. Their taxi arrived at half past eight and took them to Rezzas Bar. They met Rob and Steve outside but as they went through the big silver doors the first person Rachels eyes met with at the bar were Andrews. He didnt look all together too happy and he was sat alone and he looked pretty drunk. She was worried about Steve because she knew what Andrew was like when he was drunk. They went over and sat in the corner of the pub then Ally and Rachel went up to the bar to get the drinks. They ended up right next to Andrew. Ally stood between them but it didnt work and when Rachel was walking back with the drinks he whispered coarsely in Rachels ear, Youll regret this, Rachel. She just ignored him and walked back to the corner and didnt tell the others what he had said to her. It did worry her and that night when she arrived back home alone she was so scared that she had to carry a golf club around with her. It was about four in the m orning when she heard a crash from outside, she woke up with a start and sat up in bed petrified, she tried to move but couldnt, she was like a rabbit in the headlights of a car which was gradually getting closer and closer. Her eyes started into the darkness off the room her breathing became faster and faster and she was finding it hard to hold back the tears of sheer fright. She was sat up, dead still for almost fifteen minutes before she plucked up the courage to turn on the lamp next to her bed. She began to cry with her head gripped firmly in her shaking, pale hands. There was nothing she could do and noone she could call who wouldnt be fast asleep or drunk. She lay back in the bed with the light on; wide awake until it gradually got light outside. That night her and Steve had actually got somewhere, theyd chatted all evening and at the end she got a goodnight kiss and he arranged to come around to cook her a meal the next day. It became light and Rachel couldnt stay in bed any more, she got out of bed at about quarter to seven and checked everything was okay. She sat watching television clutching a cup of tea in her hands. At about half past ten she decided to ring Rob and tell him what had happened and what Andrew had said to her. Rob told her not to worry and that Andrew wouldnt do that to her.During that day Rachel had to work on a case about a man who was trying to sue his wife because she found another womans underwear under their bed and torched his new car and broke his wrist with a tennis racket. It was confusing and she didnt have much information to work with. She spent most of the day working and then at seven the doorbell rang, it was Steve with a bottle of wine and all the ingredients he needed to make Rachel dinner. Rachel had cleaned the kitchen that morning which was lucky because later Steve told her he hated working in a messy kitchen and commented on how clean hers was. Rachel carried on working for another hour or so while Steve contin ued cooking away in the kitchen. At eight Steve came into Rachels study and said, Its all ready.They both ate in the dining room and the both talked, by eleven they were both shattered and slightly drunk. Steve couldnt drive home so he stayed the night and not on the sofa!That evening Rachel returned home from work and dreaded spending the night alone.A week or so had passed and Steve had been around quite a lot, Rachel was still working on her case and it was going really well because she was winning.One Tuesday night Rachel returned from work and picked up the post from the doormat. Most of them were bills but one was had a hand written address which intrigued Rachel. She thought it might have been from her sister Beth who lived in South Africa but then saw an english stamp. She opened it and unfolded a plain piece of paper and typed on it in big black letters was, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE AND NOW IM GOING TO RUIN YOUR LIFE LIKE YOU RUINED MINE, RACHEL!Rachel was written in red lette rs, this was just another thing that scared Rachel after the night when she heard the noises outside. She didnt know anyone who would have written something that twisted and deranged as a joke so Rachel rung the police. The police came to her house and looked at the letter. There were two policemen, Inspector Mark Gates and Inspector Peter Fielding. They couldnt do much to help but apart from that she should have someone living with her.Back at the station Gates and Fielding looked at the letter.Its a wind up, noone round her would write something like that. Said Fielding.Mark Gates studied the letter and then said, Nah, I doubt it, its probably a mate trying to scare her. Do you think we should find out a little more from her just in case?Fielding looked up from his newspaper and said, I suppose we ought to really.Back at her cottage Rachel was sat looking at her phone list to see who she could call, she didnt really want to ask Steve because if it was Andrew messing around it woul d make it worse. She decided to ask Ally. Ally was all for it and that evening brought round all her stuff and they watched a film. That night they shared Rachels bed because they were both scared, they talked about memories and Andrew. Rachel had known Ally ever since she was seven and theyd been best friends all the time.Another fortnight passed and Ally was still staying with Rachel it was an early Friday morning at three thirty when the phone rang, Rachel answered it, her voice shaking. From the other end nobody answered but she could hear them breathing. She hung up to see Ally stood in the doorway looking like a ghost. She picked up the handset again and rang one, four, seven, one. From the other end the womans recorded voice said, You were called today at, three thirty Am. The caller withheld their number.Rachel held the phone away from her ear, her whole body was now shaking, who was it Rach. Said Ally in a faint voice.Rachel put the phone back on the hook and said, I dont k now, they didnt say anything and with held their number.Oh Christ Rach. Said Ally, Andrew wouldnt do this to you would he?Rachel looked up now looking quite angry and said, I dont know, I havent spoken to him properly since we broke up so he has no reason to do this. Maybe hes changed I dont know but Im going to his house tomorrow to find out. If it isnt then itll get the picture of it being him out of my head.Are you sure Rach? What if something happens.He wouldnt, not in the house and anyway his little brother Ed will probably be there or his parents.He doesnt come across as the kind of person who would do this to a girl?I know but it was just something he said to me one Saturday when I was out.What?Yeah, he said Id regret something, I didnt say anything because he was drunk and I didnt want to deter Steve.Rachel. Said Ally in shock, Why didnt you tell those police men that.She didnt say anything at first then said quietly, Andrew isnt like that, everyone has got this notion that hes aggressive, he isnt he never laid a finger on me all the time I was with him. Just because he beat Rob up so bad when that woman finished it with him, everyone reckons he used to hit me.So he didnt hit you, but what about at that party when you arrived not speaking and you had a huge bruise on your face just before you split up.It wasnt him, it was that woman who beat me up and had the restraining order put in place on her. We werent speaking because I refused to go to the police about it and he had a go and we didnt speak.Rach has it ever occurred to you it might be her.Rachel went quiet and began to tie up her hair then said, No she had the restraining order put in place and that was ages ago, she hasnt touched me since.Well I havent got a clue but can I sleep in your bed?Yeah.They both went to sleep and the next day they both went off to work. At work Rachel had a message from Peter Fielding that asked her to ring the station because he wanted to make an appointment to see he r the next day. It was all okay and he was coming around at seven the next evening to get some more information. That evening after work Rachel went up to Andrews, she pulled in the drive and saw his sixteen-year-old brother Ed sat in his mums car. Andrews car was parked next to that. Rachel got out and walked up towards the house and as she walked past Ed he said, Oh my god, who is that, is that Rachel. Havent seen you here for a few years.She laughed and said, Yeah tell me about it. She walked on and gave him a cheeky grin then knocked on the door. Andrews mum Marcia answered, Rachel! Hello darling, I havent seen you for ages, since Rob moved out, hows it going?Rachel smiled and said, Im okay, getting a bit snowed under with work but Im going okay, thanks and you.Yeah Im okay, so why do we get the pleasure of your company then?I actually came here to see Andrew, is he in?Marcia raised her eyebrow and said, Yeah, hes upstairs go on up, Ill see you later, Ive got to go shopping.Alri ght then, bye.Rachel walked up the stairs and realised that she was alone in the house with Andrew. She walked across the landing and into the doorway of Andrews room. He looked up and gave a half smile half frown look, Rachel said softly, Andrew, I really need to talk to you.Andrew looked up again from his computer where he was typing something for work and said, What could you possibly need to talk to me about?Andrew, Im serious, I really need to know what you meant when you said I was going to regret something.Why?Just tell me what you meant Andrew. She said in a strained voice.Okay, calm down Rach. Steve is what I meant. Rob obviously didnt fill you in on what he did to his last girlfriend.She looked him worried about what he was going to say next, What did he do?He used to hit her, once he put her in hospital when he pushed her down the stairs. Hes bad news Rachel. Rob says hes changed but some people dont change. Anyway why did you want to know so badly?Rachel was quite stunne d by what Andrew had just told her then with her voice starting to shake and tears starting to trickle from her eyes she said, I got a death threat a few weeks ago and then this morning a half three someone rung up and didnt speak I could just hear them breathing.By now Rachel was crying and she knew it wasnt Andrew because of the shocked look on his face. He said, Rachel, babe I didnt mean to scare you with what I said in that pub. You didnt think I would do that to you did you? She looked at him with her face wet with tears and didnt say anything; You did didnt you? Id never do that to you Rachel or anyone its sick, come here. He put his arms around her and she continued to cry. Andrew held her and said, Im really sorry about everything Ive done to you, I was such an idiot, I dont even know why I cheated on you because I loved you so much.Rachel was quiet and for a moment Andrew thought she was going to run right out of there. She didnt, Look Andrew, I dont want to confuse why Im here, I loved you too but you hurt me so much, do you understand why I have hated you so much over the last year?He looked quite stunned because he was hoping for some kind of reconciliation but instead she was just rubbing the fact that basically she hated his guts into him, Yeah I understand so if youre not here for that reason, why do you think Id do something so petty as to threaten you if I dont love you which I obviously didnt because I wouldnt of run off with Jules.Andrew, Im not here so you can rub the fact that you cheated on me in my face, I went through enough at the time dont you think.Andrews temper was starting to kick in and he said in a annoyed tone of voice like a father, I didnt exactly get off easily, my whole family hated me for doing it to you, I even had a fight with my own brother because of it.Dont expect me to be sympathetic with you, you brought it all on yourself and got everything you deserved.Yeah exactly so why cant you just forget it Rachel, I made a r eally huge mistake and I wish I hadnt now because I came off worse in the end because I lost both her and you.Rachel went quiet, she was perched on the end of his bed and he was sat opposite her on a chair, she couldnt resist and they kissed. After about two minutes Rachel pulled away and said, Wow, well you havent changed I dont know whether thats a good or bad thing. Anyway look Andrew I have to go home because Ally will start to get worried if I dont go back. Im glad were friends.Andrew gave her a really cheeky smile and said, Look if youre worried about staying alone or if you and Ally are scared you know where to find me.Rachel raised her eyebrows as she was walking out of the door on to the landing and said, Lets not go jumping the gun, remember Im still loosely seeing Steve.Andrew rolled his eyes and said as he began to follow her down the stairs into the hall, Yeah I know but just be careful with him Rachel, hes got a weird temper and it doesnt take much for him to get out o f control.They were now at the front door and Rachel was making her way out of it towards her car and Andrew was stood propped up against the doorframe looking happy and Rachel said, Thanks Andrew, for warning me about Steve and if I need anything Ill give you a ring.Okay then see you around.Yeah bye.She got into her car and drove home. She walked in the door of her house smiling to herself, secretly she was really pleased that she hadnt lost her touch with Andrew but she was major worried about what Andrew had told her about Steve. Ally was there and said, Well did you go to Andrews? Rachel smiled, What did you do? said Ally in an expectant tone.Rachel began to giggle then said, Oh not much, we kissed and it isnt him.Allys jaw literally dropped, Rachel, I thought you hated his guts?I did but he apologised for everything and it was a long time ago now, Im willing to forget.Oh well but did you find out what he meant about the regret thing?Oh my god, yeah, he used to beat up his girlf riend big time, he put her in hospital when he pushed her down the stairs.Ally didnt believe her, Yeah right, are you sure that isnt just Andrew trying to scare you off him because he wants you back.Rachel thought for a second, Andrew wouldnt do that Ally, hes not like that.The conversation drifted off in other directions and the girls decided to go out for a meal together. Rachel hadnt seen Steve for a few days now, so she was hoping that maybe hed gone off her. They ended up in a pub and had carvery and sat there talking until kick out time. When they returned home Rachel looked at the front door and in red paint someone had written R.I.P on the white painted wood. The girls looked at each other and were totally freaked out by this, this was getting seriously scary now and a little past a joke and they both knew someone was serious. Rachel opened the door, shed picked up a garden fork, which had been outside the door, and they went in. On the floor, infront of them was an unmarked envelope on the doormat infront of her. They looked at one another with fear shooting through them. They quickly got into the house and shut the door and turned on all the lights. Rachel carefully opened the letter on the kitchen table; out of the envelope she pulled a piece of white paper and unfolded it. It said this time in big, typed, red letters, HOW MUCH LONGER WILL I WAIT?Both of them began to cry with terror and Rachel picked up the phone and rang the police. The two original inspectors soon arrived and came in and saw the letter and the door, even they were getting worried now. This time they sat and took some thorough notes on Rachel and called some more detectives to inspect all around the property. She told them she was a solicitor and she had to tell them all the details about Steve and Andrew. Afterwards Gates said that hed have someone there to watch the house all night and that they should call up someone else to stay with them. It wasnt surprising for Andrew when h is mobile phone started ringing at midnight. He recognised Rachels number and answered sleepily, Hey Rach, whats up?She explained to him and he came around right away with loads of his stuff and a baseball bat. As he drove into her drive the policeman sat outside watching the house saw him and he had to explain to him and call up the house to tell Rachel some weirdo with a baseball bat was coming to stay. Rachel answered the door and as soon as he saw her he hugged her. They went indoors and they all went to bed. The night went quickly but all of them found it hard to sleep with all that was going on. The next day the police had managed to discover where the prank phone call had been from and unfortunately it was from a phone box out in the middle of nowhere. During the day they tapped Rachels phone line so if someone rang again they could trace it straight away and hopefully catch who was tormenting her.In the next week unfortunately for both Andrew and Rachel, Steve discovered tha t Andrew was living with Rachel but he didnt know why because Rachel wasnt allowed to tell anyone what was happening apart for Andrew and Ally of course because if there really was some psycho out there theyd be the most vulnerable and they might scare them off if they went around telling everyone or it might endanger their lives as well. Steve wasnt happy about it and he rang Rachel and had a real stress out on her and got quite aggressive towards her which unfortunately the police were tapped into the phone call and heard and it made him a prime suspect and also the fact that he had been reported to the police by his neighbours when he was with his last girlfriend because they thought they could hear screams but his girlfriend said it was on the television and they couldnt pin anything on him. Rachel didnt have a clue who would do this to her and what with the last letter she didnt know what to do next, even with the police living outside her back door she somehow still didnt feel one hundred per cent safe. That Friday night when Ally, Andrew and Rachel had a quiet night in Rob turned up. The policeman had had to ask him who he was and had to ring the house up to check that Rachel actually knew him. Rob came in and didnt look to pleased with Rachel or Andrew.Hey Rachel. He said, So whats going on, the police played Steve a little visit yesterday, do you want to tell me whats going on here and why Andrew is living here and why there is a policeman outside your drive.Rachel didnt know what to say she couldnt not tell him after all the things hed done to her. Look Rob if I tell you what is happening you have to promise not to tell anyone not even Steve.Yeah, yeah. He said.Just listen Rob. Said AndrewRachel took a deep breath, I keep getting death threats and phone calls, the police questioned Steve because he got quite aggressive down the phone the other day and they were tapped into it. Im not meant to tell anyone but now you know you cant tell a soul.Rob look ed totally stunned by what he had just been told, Christ, Rach you didnt honestly think Steve had done that.No I thought it was Andrew, I honestly havent got a clue who is doing this to me and I dont want to endanger any of your lives but I when youre here I know youre safe.The three carried on talking for most of the night and Rob stayed the night. The next day they all went out which was a bit of a mistake because when the post came there was yet another two death threats and they were numbered one and two. The first one said, HOW LONG? and the second one said, WHERE, WHAT WITH AND WHICH ONE OF YOU? FOUR IS A BIG CHOICE!!!That did it they were all totally freaked out, now they had to tell Rob that he was a target as well. Rob took it quite badly and Andrew was about ready to bail on them because he knew that it was seriously getting bad now. Ally couldnt sleep; the inspectors managed to get her some sleeping pills so she could at least get some sleep. A week or so passed and nothi ng else had happened, they had managed to see the bright side of things using alcohol as an aid but it was only temporary and when reality did hit in, it was ten times more frightening.Another fortnight passed and that is when everything started to go totally wrong. It was a Saturday night and Andrew, Ally, Rachel and Rob had all been out together and they all went back to Rachels for a safety in numbers reason and as the drove towards her house they could see that Rachels bedroom light was on. They didnt think much of it until they were walking up the garden path to see the back door wide open. They couldnt go any further when they saw it and they ran back to Allys car. They then noticed there wasnt a police guard there and they rang the police straight away. Inspector Gates and Fielding turned up again and behind them were another group of detectives who went through the house they went into the house and they saw nothing, they went upstairs and thats when they saw what had happen ed, Rachels room had been ransacked and hanging for the roof by string were pictures of Rachel, Ally, Andrew, Rob and Rachels sister Beth.The police took them to the lab to be fingerprint tested and the four stayed at the police station. They didnt go back the next day but the police had finished inspecting the property by the Sunday morning, Rachel, Ally and Andrew were steering clear and decided that they were going to go back on Monday morning.Monday morning came and they all jumped in Allys car and went back to Rachels house. As they walked to the front door they saw a suitcase outside the front door. It was daylight so they werent so scared about someone being there. Rachel looked at a tag on the suitcase handle. It said in block capitals, PROPERTY OF: MISS BETHANY SARAH BRADBURY, MILL FARM, COOMBE MARTIN, DEVON. EX31 5LH.It was her sisters old suitcase, deep down Rachel knew that Beth was dead it was imminent that what with the photo and her not being in sight that someone wou ld have done something to her.Its Beths, where is she?Rachel couldnt hold back the tears, the door was still locked but the door that led around the side of the cottage to the back garden was open. They walked through the doorway and they knew what was going to greet their eyes. On the white flag stones outside the french windows lay the dead body of Beth lying in a pool of blood. Her lips were purple and her skin was white, Rachel broke down into tears. Within minutes the place was crawling with policemen and the whole place was turned upside down looking for anything that would be a clue to who it was. They found nothing and whoever it was they were good at not leaving clues. Rachel, Andrew, Ally and Rob were now put in new accommodation because there was no way that any of them would spend a night in that house ever again.It took a few weeks before Beths funeral but the day soon came. Rachel and Ally were at the church and at Rachels parents all day and Andrew was coming later fo r the actual funeral because he had to work. He finished work at twelve and realised that he had to go back to his parents house to get his suit. The funeral was going to start at half one and he had to have a shower so he decided to have it back at his old house. His little brother Edward was at school and his parents were both at the church helping Rachels mum and dad. He went in and had something to eat and then had his shower and then put on his suit and was just about ready. As he stepped through the door to go outside something hit him hard on the head and he fell to the ground unconscious.At the church the funeral was beginning. Rachel was quite angry that Andrew hadnt turned up. As they walked down the aisle of the church behind the coffin she noticed Beths husband James, who she was separated from sat in one seat and right infront of him was Steve. Rachel was baffled as to why they were both there but as soon as it was over and all the guests went back to Rachels parents fa rm she soon found out. James was stood alone with a drink in his hand and Rachel was talking to him and he asked her something, Tell me Rachel, who is the bloke in the dark blue shirt?His names Steve Manning.Oh right.Rachel moved on and went to talk to her cousin and as she did so she saw from the corner of her eye James walk up to Steve and hit him full pelt in the face. They were soon split up and thats when she found out why it had all happened from James. Steve and Beth had been having an affair behind James back for a year when they were first married two years ago, then they moved to South Africa. James had been tidying up their bedroom before he was about to decorate it and found Beths diary. A few bits of paper fell out and one had a photo stapled to it. It was a letter from Steve talking about their affair and how stupid it was, and Beth must have stapled the photo of him to it. Thats why Beth had come home because they had split up and she wanted to see Rachel first.It was about half five the same day that Rachels mobile phone started to ring. It was Andrews home number that flashed on the screen at her. Andrewss parents were still at Rachels parents house so it must have been Andrew. She was just about ready to give him a full blown earful when a voice she recognised but not Andrews spoke down the phone to her, Rachel, its Edward here, you have to come here and tell mum and dad. Ive just got home from school and found Andrew unconscious outside the back door. Ive called an ambulance but I cant feel a pulse.Oh no. said Rachel. Ill tell them and come straight away, keep talking to him.Okay.Rachel was as white as a sheet, she went and told Andrews parents and they all rushed to their house, it wasnt very far away so it didnt take long. As they came down the last few metres of their lane they could see the lights of the ambulance flashing from outside the house. They pulled into the drive to see Ed with his head in his hands and Andrew being lifted into the back of the ambulance. The ambulance crew had managed to revive him and were taking him back to the hospital to make sure his head was okay and that there werent any blood clots or severe damage to his skull.After spending a week in hospital they gave him the all clear and sent Andrew home. Rachel was now feeling totally responsible for Beths death and the attack on Andrew it was starting to get to all