"Alice Elizabeth Thornhill, we have a few questions to ask you." The first officer said to her after escorting her to the side of the train station, the other passengers getting on and off the train gave them as wide a birth as possible while still giving interested looks in their direction.

"Okay, how can I help you?" Ali said trying to figure out what they could want with her.

Have you noticed that the train between London and Plymouth and to a lesser extent the one between Plymouth and Cornwall have been running ahead of schedule?" The tweed suited man spoke. Other than his bushy red eyebrows and his deep voice he wouldn't have a remotely memorable appearance.

"It appears that these incidents only seem to happen on certain days at certain times. You and a few other people have been on the train when this occurres, have you seen anything or anyone suspicious on your trip?" The man in tweed asked, Ali noticed that one of the officers with him was glancing around the train station intently.

The officer tapped his companion on the shoulder and pointed to two men leaving the train with large suitcases in hand.

They nodded to the man in tweed to get his attention and began to walk towards the two men.

"No, not really I tend to sleep through the ride."

Ali didn't like the direction this conversation was going, she didn't do anything wrong but she was certainly affecting the train company even if it was a boon.

"Well then, thank you for your time miss Thornhill. My name is Will Harper, sorry for the delay." He said moving out of her way.

A little shocked at the situation and his response to her answer, she gave a nod and mumbled a quick goodbye and headed out to her farm.

Most people in the area knew her at this point, not for her looks, not for her vibrant personally or for her farm.

It was the fact that she walked to her farm from the train station.

To the people who lived there she was either cheap, an exercise nut, an outdoor enthusiasts or just bodmin.

Ali didn't mind after a few years of people thinking her odd and neither did they. She was a local, just a colorful one.

As for the walk, it was quick, she had never timed herself but after the first few weeks of her walking she was never out of breath and arrived at the farm well before time for the morning tea.

Most people when they came to the farm didn't notice the fact that the place was a farm.

The trees blocked the view.

Just outside and away from most of the tourist attractions in the area.

The fact that trees grew in such abundance was a wonder, apple trees neatly spaced and in bloom.

Which was an oddity with it being Febuary in England and snow still on the ground in spots.

Ali's farm was a mix of old and new, she grew apples and used them to make cider and a type of mead. She had bees, not as much as she would like but more than enough to supply her with honey and help her trees and flowers grow.

If it wasn't for the bills and the travel it would be perfect.

"What sort of time you call this for running a farm, miss." Shawn Tipton said as a way of a greeting, walking out of the farm house with a steaming cup of tea in his hand.

Ali stopped her musings and signed to herself. 'The bills, the travel and the Tiptons'

The Tiptons family had farming in their blood for generations, so Ali hired three of the family to help with the farm, not realizing that she would be dealing with the pomp and splendor that was Shawn Tipton.

Shawn was the type of person to frown at the sun for mucking about instead of rising when he work up.

His saving grace was that he was an amazing worker, and he was going to make her into a proper farmer even if it killed them both.

"The right time to run it, morning Shawn." Ali said as she walked into the farmhouse.

The house was cosy but not big and warm Mary Tipton made sure of that, she handed distribution of the things coming out of the farm to her brothers.

The fact alone that Mary could keep her brothers on course made her one of the scariest people in Cornwall.

"Morning Mary, did the Wandering inn and Delve get their cider orders delivered? And any word back from the bank yet?" Ali asked as she walked through the converted living room, now changed to an office and into the kitchen to have her breakfast, she stopped making it in the morning before leaving London with how early she had to leave if she knew she would make it in time for Mary Tipton's.

All three of the Tipton's that worked on her farm had the same look blond, tall and somewhat attractive if only it wasn't for their personalities, but then again she wouldn't have hired them if they had better personalities.

Ali's head shot up as she remembered.

"Where's Bryan?"

At that moment she heard a loud bang, she turned to look through the kitchen window as the barn door blew open as wide as it could, its hinges rattling as it hit the barn wall. A wall of gray smoke floated to into the sky.