The forecourt after rain
Water finds the shallow places between parked vehicles. A row of lights is reflected in each puddle, making the yards seem larger after dark. Offices occupy small raised cabins above the working ground. Their windows offer a good view of the gate and a poor view of the space directly beneath them.
A table near the door
The diners receive drivers, mechanics and people waiting for a lift. A table can change occupants several times while a delayed vehicle remains outside. In the archive fiction, the counter keeps its own account of the night through cups, order slips and the question of who asked to be woken when someone arrived.
The name on the repair ticket
A vehicle may belong to a company, be driven by one person and be collected by another. The repair ticket has a single space for a name. Ashdown's written life is full of such compressed arrangements. Behind a simple entry can be several ordinary people doing different parts of the same practical favor.
From the fictional county archive
The replacement key is in the envelope with the work sheet. Ask for the registration, not the driver's name.
Continue through the archive
Places in Ashdown
Original world fiction published by Somatry. These location stories expand the setting for readers; they are not case evidence, walkthroughs or a list of confirmed playable DLC missions.