The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3351 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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James had come back with me and had a shower. I kept some underwear for this sort of eventuality, it was new and I knew it would fit him. I gave it to him and also one of Simon's shirts, a casual thing, but at least it had no bloodstains on it. The police had found his car so I drove him to collect it and he set off for home once he'd found the magnetic box that housed his spare. "These keys cost a fortune, you should pay for it really."

"I rescued you, doesn't that call for discount," I said smiling at him.

"I'll let you off this time."

"I didn't lose them last time."

"Don't be pedantic," he sco9lded.

"I wasn't, I was just stating the facts and that was you lost it, not me."

"That's the trouble with women, they're all so literal."

"At least you know what you're getting."

"I am grateful, Cathy, but don't expect me to show it."

"Bramble has been training me for situations like this."

"Bramble...the cat?"

"The one and only."

He laughed, got in his car and drove away. I hope Simon doesn't miss his shirt. I went home and after a snack I went for a few hours sleep. My head was still buzzing with thoughts of what had happened, at least I hadn't killed anyone this time. I tossed and turned thinking I had missed something. It must have been three hours later that I awoke with a start. My memory had just remembered something. I showered and tried to think where I had seen it.

Trish came in while I was dressing, at least she knocked before barging in. "Are we doing anything today?"

"Not as far as I know, why?"

"Can I have another look at the secret paper, the one you have in the safe."

"You are not supposed to know that, besides you seen it once, you checked the calculations."

"It's not those I want to see, it was the chemistry."

" I want to look at that myself." That was what I had recalled, something which I had glossed over earlier came back to haunt me.

"We can look at it together," she smirked.

"I don't know the less you see of it the better, then you don't have to lie."

"I'd never tell anyone, well would you expect and teen to know anything."

"A teen who's going to university next term."

"I know that and so do you but who else does?"

"I don't know, I don't want to expose you to danger."

"I'll be okay, I have you as my guardian angel."

"I'm more of a Guardian reader."

She laughed and showed her regular shaped teeth, I hoped she never had anything happen to threaten them. Fortunately, they tend to leave us alone after we've had a contra temps while they regroup. They would need reinforcements and that take a bit of time especially with MI5 picking them up as they arrived.

I'd missed lunch so David did me some scrambled eggs on toast, they hit the spot and after eating Trish and I went into my study and I took the paper out of the safe. Over a cup of tea that Danni brought us, we went through the paper line by line and came to the same conclusion, the chemistry would never work. The substances in the jellyfish were well know although there were six or seven of the compounds mentioned none of them were known to react like they did in Alison's paper.

"Either she did something to them that isn't mentioned or they were different from those mentioned or the thing doesn't work, full stop." I voiced my concerns to Trish.

"I've been reading up about these things and don't they usually use seaweed not jellyfish?"

"Agars are used for all sorts of things from ice cream to drugs," I suggested.

"I don't think we substitute ice cream for jellyfish."

"No, course not," I said and she laughed as she visualised us swapping Häagen-Dazs for Cnidarians. I had to admit is was amusing and I laughed too.

"They could be doing something with DNA they use a technique called agarose gel electrophoresis when they are separating out DNA."

"That could be it, Ma," she said cheekily.

"Oy, watch it," I replied to her lip.

"We need some help, this is cellular biochemistry, I'm an ecologist."

"You're a smart arse ecologist, and I love you despite your inadequacies."

No one had mentioned my inadequacies since my pre-op days and Simon, instead of talking, fucked me. He hadn't complained since, so I was left to assume rightly, or wrongly, that I was no longer inadequate. I must ask him one day.

Trish was almost bouncing," We've cracked it," she danced around my study, "electo-foreskins," she repeated over and over again. I phoned Toby, who I learned had just got up.

He drove over and Trish was still chanting her mantra which made him look perplexed then he laughed especially when I told him the proper term. In letting him in I had glanced at the post. There was a brown envelope addressed to Sarah who had taken a part of the first year biology exam. It looked like her results. She had been very busy supporting me and doing the bulk of the childcare/entertainment. Somehow she hadn't noticed it.

I settled Toby with a bottle beer and went to look for her, she was with Cate and Lizzie doing a board game. "There's a letter for you on the hall table."

"Yeah, I know, I was waiting till you were with me before I opened it. I am so scared about it."

"Why, Debbie said you were prepared for it."

"I know, it's just me, I get panicky in exams, especially one this important."

I hugged her and told her not to worry and to call me when she was ready. She relaxed and went back to her board game. I went back to Toby and we discussed what we knew. It seemed certain that the Russian secret service had kidnapped Ali and killed her. He had someone viewing traffic cams and it looked as if the car the Russians were using had appeared umpteen times near her home. It wasn't conclusive but it looked quite suspicious and Toby was convinced it was them, even though it had appeared clumsy, perhaps affected by the war in Ukraine.

I sent a fax to Jonathon and he emailed me back that my suspicions could be right. He'd set an experiment up to run the next day. I submitted the file to Toby and he'd pass it on to whoever was most appropriate but ultimately, the MOD. I also asked him to tell tha grapevine that they now had all the bits and the case was closed. It might even get to Russia eventually, I was sick of their shenanigans, I was a middle-aged professor who just wanted to be left alone to run her department and raise her kids.

So much had happened that I couldn't give my time to, for instance Danni had ended her contract with Reading and transferred her allegiance to Bournemouth. It was nearer and the team seemed to be going places. Danni had been left out of the European Cup competition and decided this was her last year.

"But you are only seventeen," I argued.

"Yeah, I'm gonna give it one more year and the concentrate on uni."

"What happens if they, the university, ask you to play for them?"

"I'll see how I feel, I'm sick of being injured."

"It's what less talented players do to equalise things. It never does of course, because you can't stop people who are better than you, and you are one of the best."

"Thanks, Mum," she smiled and we had a little hug. The money that the Cherries (Bournemouth) were paying her, much of which she was saving, was nowhere near what they pay men but it was better than Reading.

"You need to score a few goals to show them what you can do."

"Show who, Mum?"
"Those dopy England selectors."

"They won the Euro Cup, they can't be so dopy."

"They'd have won it more easily if you had been playing."

"Probably, but we don't know that and they seem to have pencilled me out of the squad."

"Go for Scotland again, I'm sure they be interested if we told them you were available."

"But I'm not, going to Bournemouth is bad enough I'm not travelling up to bloody Scotland just to please my mother."

"You could probably have got a uni place up there."

"I have to play down here, I'm not interested Mum, and I'm not interested in England any more, they can go and play with themselves."

"Okay, if that is how you feel you'd better tell them you're no longer available."

"Nah, they have already dumped me, so stuff them, two can play at that game."

"Okay, I'll leave you in peace."

"I'll see you ate tea, Mum." she went upstairs to her room. Toby had gone too and I was reduced to making my own tea as David was putting the finishing touches to dinner. I made him a cup too and sat at the table looking at the paper.

"This Tory party election is all wrong," I said, " how can somebody claim to be Prime Minister of Great Britain when they are elected by a small group of geriatrics with Alzheimer's."

David laughed, "I've missed your anarchic comments this week," he told me but before I could reply Sarah arrived with her envelope.

"I don't think I can do this," she almost whimpered.

"Why not, changing over takes more courage than this does."

"I know, but this is different."

"How is it?"

"Oh, I dunno, it just is."

"Give it 'ere, I'll open it for you," David offered.

"Um, I wanted Mummy to do it, no offence."

"None taken, young lady."

"It's addressed to you, and I think you know what it says."

"I don't," she said adding, "it was harder than I expected."

"Was it, hadn't Debbie covered it all?"

"Yeah, no it was me, I don't like exams."

"W ell, you have one a year if it's good news."

"Yeah, but I'll be with other girls."

"You're hardly alone here," I said with an element of frustration in my voice.

"You know what I mean, you've all been wonderful, especially you and Danni."

"And Trish and Livvie, they encouraged you?"

"Yeah, they knew more than I did, they're like, ten levels above little ol' me."

"They are clever I'll admit but don't put yourself down."

She sat on my lap and while David beavered away she slid the envelope under my hand. "Go on," she said.

"Let's do it together," I whispered.

"Okay," she said.

I slid a knife across the top of the envelope. "Your turn," I said pushing the brown paper towards her.

She shrugged and closed her eyes while she drew out the contents. "Tell me, she said, I'm too frightened to read."

David walked around and peered at it. "Well done, kiddo, you're in the uni with Trish and Danni."

She opened her eyes and read the document, " I passed, Mummy I passed." She hugged and kissed me and did the same to David before crying her eyes out with happiness.

"It says here you got 85% for your submission, I think you did more than pass, girl."

"I suppose I did, I was so scared."

"Why, I told you Debbie was a good teacher."

"I know but there is always a doubt in my mind."

"Why, I only offered you the place because I knew you were up for it."

"Thank you," she hugged me again, "You're the best Mum I've ever had," she spoke quietly and tears poured down her face, "You won't regret this, Mummy, I promise."

I kissed the top of her head, " I know, sweetheart, why don't you go and tell the others?"

She wiped her face and ran off to spread her good news. "Did you know she passed, you know on the grapevine, like?"

"I knew she would because I had every confidence in her, but no I nobody told me, Ait's against the regulations."

"Oh," he said adding, "I'm glad I never bothered then."

"They can't teach genius," I said and he absolutely beamed back at me.