A phone rang again. Elyra slipped off the shoe, tripping slightly as she attempted to run while doing so, and managed to grab it on the last ring. "Yes?" she said, her voice distorted by the mobile smushed into her cheek by her hasty movements.

"Elyra, is that you?" It was her mother, who was getting older every day and had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. They tried to do their best not to worry her about anything, but she was a natural worrier.

"Who else would it be? This is my phone, right? And please don't ask me any questions because I have had a VERY stressful day. Well, couple of days really. And did you send me a pair of tap shoes in the post? Because they weren't signed."

"What on earth are you talking about? Of course I didn't. You don't dance." There was a long silence, and then her mother began again, more angrily. "As for you having a stressful day, how do you think I felt when I read in the newspaper that a body had been found - and it was yours?"

"I know. How do you think I felt, more to the point?" Elyra sighed. "I don't know what's going on. But it's linked to these tap shoes, I know it. The police rang me at about four this morning and told me what had happened. Or rather what they think has happened. I'm sure it's just a prank. I don't have an identical twin, do I?" It was her last hope.

"I think I'd know about it," said her mother. "Now, do I need to come over, or are you all right?"

"Mum," said Elyra, feeling like a teenager again, "you live at the other end of the country. I hardly think it's necessary for you to drive six hours to investigate something that is so mental even the police are telling me it's time travel."

"Time travel? You didn't mention that bit."

"No, well, I forgot. That's what they told me." Elyra paused. "Actually, this is kind of hard to explain on the phone. Maybe you should come down. But come by plane or something; you can't drive all the way on your own."

"Who said I'd be coming on my own? I've an old friend of ours up here with me. We'll be there tomorrow. Hang on, and don't do anything stupid."

Elyra looked at the shoes, still in her hand. Anything stupid, she thought. What, more stupid than being found dead when I'm still here to be told about it?

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Author guidance for This story

Murder is hard to solve at the best of times. When time travel is involved, it just gets that little bit more complicated...

Spook and I are both too busy to work on this regularly now - we started this about a year and a half ago. If you'd like to join in please do, although make sure you proof-read your work before posting and try to keep to the style of the piece so far!

updated Aug 4 '11 by delorfinde