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He blamed himself. He should have trusted his gut and forced the guy into protective custody before the trial.

Tap, tap.

He restacked the case notes and started to go through them from the beginning again to see if the case would hold up without the witness, but he already knew the answer to that one.

Tap, tap.

Sighing, he picked up the phone and dialled his friend at the courthouse; he was going to need a continuance if the witness could not be found in time.

"Hi Sandy, it's Nick...Tap, tap...No dinner's not on the cards tonight...Tap, tap...Yeah I'm sorry too, but I'll make it up to you...Well I need a favour...Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...actually I'll have to call you back. Bye" He hung up and looked around. 'What the hell is that noise?' It was beginning to annoy the shit out of him.

He checked the computer, nothing. He checked the lights, nothing. His mobile phone, nothing.

Tap, tap, tap.

He looked out the window and saw a piece of bright purple cloth was stuck to it. Just as he was adjusting to this new development it moved and tapped the glass. It was then he realised it was actually a kite and he noticed the large red and green snake painted on the canvas.

He grabbed the phone. "Maintenance please...Tap, tap...Hi, this is Nick from the 12th floor; I have a kite caught on my window, when can you come and remove it...Three hours! No forget it."

"Utterly ridiculous. Three hours." He mumbled as he opened the window and reached an arm out. It was right there, he just had to stretch a little more. Just as his fingers brush the frame, the wind whipped up and floated it away from the window.

"Damn it." He watched it gently float away towards the lower levels, "Oh screw it." And Nick stamped back to his desk and continued working.

# # # # # # # #

"...And the incey, wincey spider climbed up the spout againnnnn." Susie finished singing and clapped along with the rest of her class.

"That was soooo good, boys and girls. You did very well," claimed Miss Hatcher, "Want to sing another one?"

"YEAHHHHHHHH!" They were practising for the pre-school Christmas talent show; they were singing all the songs they had learnt this year.

"Okay, Gallll-oop went the little green frog one day..."

Everyone started singing, but even though it was Susie's favourite song, she was instead starring out the window into the back yard. So taken by what she saw that she stood up and moved closer for a better look.

"Susie? Where are you going?"

"Miss, look. There's a pressie in the tree."

The other children looked at Miss Hatcher, and when she got up and moved to the window, so did they.

"Ohh...Ahh"

"It's sooo pretty. Can we keep it?"

"Yeah, can we?"

"PUL-eeeease?"

Miss Hatcher smiled at their enthusiasm. "Why don't we see if we can get it down out of that tree first, shall we?"

"Yaaahhh!"

They all traipsed outside, one boy carrying the class's pet ferret so he wouldn't miss the excitement and they watched and stood back as their teacher set up the ladder.