Frank Bryce is the long serving resident gardener of Riddle House.The house was once a fine Manor overlooking the village of Little Hangleton, former home of the Riddle family and now derelict. Fifty years prior to this point, Frank was a returning veteran from the war. It had taken its toll on Frank and what he sought now was the quiet life with no noise nor fuss. It suited him as a loner and enjoying his own company, to take up the position of gardener for the Riddles.In the early years of Frank's service all was quite normal until one summer's day when the bodies of his employer and family were discovered by the cook. The police were called immediately, and for Frank, a young man in his twenties with access to the house, he was arrested. Due to his lifestyle, most of Little Hangleton thought he did it. He did not. He stated his innocence over and over again to the police; he told them of a young stranger he had seen, but they did not believe him, until, an oddity arose. Upon examination of the bodies the authorities were unable to discover the cause of death. All three corpses showed no sign of foul play. It was therefore accepted that they were not murdered; therefore Frank was no murderer and was promptly released. This technicality however held no water with most of the locals, who to this day will gladly point the finger of guilt at Frank Bryce.Frank returned to work much to the surprise of the locals. New owners of the house came and went until the present owner, unknown by anyone, continued to employ Frank and pay him for his services even though the house was left vacant and surplus. Frank worked hard and maintained the gardens for the next fifty years. His only problem during this period, apart from the local kids causing mischief, was the ever encroaching weeds. Unfortunately for Frank, a man now entering his late seventies, his quiet life would be interrupted one more time, for the last time, and by a person he once noticed many years before.Frank entered the old house which he had not done for a long time. He had spotted a light in a room from his cottage in the grounds and, thinking the local boys had broken in and lit a fire, he had gone to investigate. He followed the light and sounds up the dusty staircase until he came to the landing, where, at the end of it, he saw the flickering light of a fire and heard the voices of two strangers. He listened intently. He heard tales of murder and plot and torture. He heard strange words of wizardry and magic and tournaments. If his situation now was bizarre then it was about to go beyond weird with the arrival of a very large snake. It wasn't long before Frank's presence was discovered. He had been identified by the snake and it was conversing with the very person he had seen all those years before. Frank tried to make a stand but his integrity and honour meant nothing to these people. The young stranger he had seen all those years ago was the murderer of the Riddles, and now, the murderer of him. Show less «