Did My Father Play Guitar?

Brad Mason had never known a father's love. Whenever he raised the question his mother's answer was always the same. 'He was a good man.' Tilly Mason was a hooker on Kings Cross. Brad left Sydney on her death to seek seclusion in the outback of Australia. Trees, a paddock, a stream, no electricity, and no people, all this enabled him to fulfil his dream; play guitar and paint. His landscapes were good. Lester Arnold, an ex-patriot Nashville musician, recognised the potential of Brad's paintings and displayed his work in his steak-house on the Princes Highway. Success created new friends for Brad. He was welcomed into a world of country music, romance and intrigue. Laurie Anderson was a Sydney police sergeant on late shift when attracted by smoke billowing from a boarding house on Darlinghurst. He entered the burning building and rescued a young woman, left her on the road and returned to the flames to save her companion. Tilly Mason watched as firemen carried Laurie from the blaze and was by his bed the day the bandages were removed from his sixty five per cent burns. She was not repulsed by the synthetic mask that was now his face. For Laurie the prospect of rehabilitation was long, but Tilly was there and supported him. She stood by Laurie and fell in love, but continued to work at her profession. When she lay with him she saw only the beauty within, but would not give up her profession and continued to do what she did best. Laurie grew strong enough to re-enter the work force. His reputation as a police officer bore him in good stead for a position with a security company. His daily routine saw him responsible for the collection of large sums of money. Life continued to be cruel for Laurie, but acceptable, but he lost the one thing in the world he cared about. Tilly died and left a legacy that tested his emotions to the full. She revealed she'd had a son by him many years before; her only child. The boy had no knowledge of his father. That child was Brad Mason, a young man running from life while grieving over a lost mother and yearning for a father he didn't have. Laurie Anderson, a ruin of a man, became inspired by the search for his son. Two torn individuals, each a vital character in a twisting tale of romance and intrigue.