Marianne G

Body Politic. Part 1 of 5

Chapter 1

I’m a Private Investigator. My card reads ‘Max Force – whatever it is, we can move it for you. You have a problem; I make it go away. You need help, I can get it for you. You need protection, I can keep you safe.’ All you need is money to pay me for my services.

Body in the Tip Chapter 7 of 7

Chapter 7

I woke with an insistent bladder on Monday morning. I felt a lot better and hummed a bit as I showered and dressed. I ate well and went down to the office to see if we had any new emails. Then went to open up the street door for Lena. When she came in, she put a large bag on my desk.

“That’s your outfit for when we go to Epsom on Thursday. They had your sizes still on file.”

I looked in the bag and saw a WPC uniform, identical to hers, except in one detail. Mine had a sergeants’ stripes.

Body in the Tip Chapter 6 of 7

Chapter 6

As the meeting ended, we went down to the Inspectors’ office and planned for the two Ascot meetings. I would take Lena in before the next one, at the end of the month, with us both getting the comms. Lena said that she would wear something less girly and that a tiepin microphone would be good. I would be in a similar outfit to last Saturday. For the big meeting next year, I would glam up and wear a hat, so something on that would be all right.

Body in the Tip Chapter 5 of 7

Chapter 5

When I got home and turned on my computer, I had an email from the Islington Inspector. He wanted me to pop in and pick up my communications on Friday. I answered that I would be there. I looked for the Saturday weather on the computer and saw that it would be cold.

Winter was arriving at last. I looked in my wardrobe to see what I had to wear, seeing that I didn’t want to be recognised. I chose a red shirt and a long black winter skirt, which I would wear with leggings and long boots. I had a heavy greatcoat that I could use.

Body in the Tip Chapter 3 of 7

Chapter 3

It wasn’t far from the track to the turning, and I stopped at the gate and reached behind me, finding the button in my bag, under a lot of money. I pressed the button and the gate opened. I drove slowly to the house, now surrounded by Rollers, Bentleys, and big Mercedes. I parked the Aston, and we got out.

“Do you think we can put the money in the boot, I feel a bit vulnerable with it in my bag?”

“Sure thing, there’s a button to press.”

Body in the Tip Chapter 2 of 7

Chapter 2

On the way out, I was shown the entrance to the car park. Dee said she would express courier a ticket and parking pass to me at home on Monday, to be left in my box at the flats. All I needed now was to become like the other women, well dressed and blonde.

Body in the Tip Chapter 1 of 7

Body In The Tip – a Max Force story.

Chapter 1

I was humming a popular tune as I drove my ‘A’ Class Mercedes towards London. I had just completed a job in Norfolk, my best one so far, and now had a money in the bank, some new clothes on the back seat and was happy to be alive. It had been good to be able to help out a friend. I say friend, but we had been nearly rivals at school. We were now firm friends, and I was happy to have helped her, as well as pulling her out of a depressed state.

Body of Water Part 3 of 4

Chapter 3

Over the next few days, I spoke to as many friends and acquaintances of Clement as I could. All it proved was that he was a man of smoke and mirrors. Everyone had their own likes encouraged and their dislikes agreed with. He was consistently remembered as smooth but untrustworthy by those he had met since he left school. Only his schoolfriends were able to skate over his failings.

Body of Water Part 2 of 4

Chapter 2

When I looked more closely at his Italian passport, he had spent a couple of weeks there starting about five months after his wedding to Susan. It was almost every month for about four months. After the wedding, it picked up at the same rate, once more, until around two months ago, when he was shown entering and exiting the country. If he was hiding his other life by claiming business trips, Silvana would be getting worried by now.

Body of Water Part 1 of 4

In a story I posted earlier in the year – ‘Life at Tethers End’ – I had my main character as a writer of racy stories. I’ve had a chat with Adam, and he has allowed me to post the first four stories as listed in that one. They are heavily edited to cut out the more explicit sexual details. This is the first story. They run to a total of 19 chapters and are sequential.
Marianne

By Any Other Name. Part 35 of 35

Here you go. The final chapter of this story. It was difficult at times, trying to come up with almost plausible storylines for the various films. Don’t worry, while this has been going I’ve written more – maybe not so long, I seem to get one of those a year.
Enjoy! Marianne

Chapter 35

With the certificate, and from what I read in the first journal, I had the start of the book, and after that the words flowed like water over a waterfall. The opening paragraphs set the tone.

By Any Other Name. Part 34 of 35

Chapter 34

After the lunch, we drove to the studio. May and Chloe were amazed at the size of the complex. We went to where David usually shot the screen tests and Cecil was there with his crew. Chloe was introduced and I saw that there was a settee where I would sit to start the scene. I took Chloe through some vocal exercises.

When everyone was ready, I sat on the settee, Chloe stood to one side, and I started with “I don’t think I can take much more.”

By Any Other Name. Part 33 of 35

Chapter 33

I was feeling as if I was getting places, now. The next thing I did was to call a flight training school at Gatwick. I asked about getting the full instrument ratings for both Pipers. Although I had done some of the training when I was learning to fly, I hadn’t gone all the way to get the certification.

By Any Other Name. Part 32 of 35

Chapter 32

The next day was still that constant drizzle that makes the world feel as if it’s been submerged into the North Sea. I sat quietly, catching up with my tablet and emailing Jacquie to see about getting one of the spare rooms ready. Later that afternoon, May took me and Chloe to the school. Chloe led me through to the gym, where Miss Steel was standing with a worried look on her face.

By Any Other Name. Part 31 of 35

Chapter 31

I couldn’t do any more, so went into the lounge and asked the lads if they had any ideas about a name for my project. There was some hilarious suggestions before Brendon came up with ‘Unicorn Air’ with the logo being a kiddie version of a unicorn, with wings, flying over a rainbow. Bronte went for his sketchbook and turned the thought into reality.

By Any Other Name. Part 30 of 35

Chapter 30

When we reached him, we shook hands and he helped my into the plane, getting into the second seat as I buckled up in the main seat. We spent some time going through the instruments, seeing that it was a similar upgrade to the Cheyenne, with the Garmin system, and similar touch screens and the automatic landing at the touch of a button. With the headphones on, he called up the flight control and we had permission to taxi to the end of the runway.

By Any Other Name. Part 29 of 35

Chapter 29

They say that the real world has a habit of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. I was determined to do nothing for as long as it takes but was only home for a week or so when the phone rang. Larry answered it, listened for a few seconds, and then passed it to me.

“It’s for you, Julia.”

I took the handset and went to sit in an easy chair before I spoke my name.

By Any Other Name. Part 27 of 35

Chapter 27

We, in Europe, now think that the influx of migrants is a problem. In Germany, after the war, there were over seven and a half million German prisoners, as well as an influx of thousands more being shipped in from other theatres of war.

On top of that, there were tens of thousands of Displaced Persons, some fleeing the Soviets and the Soviet Zone. The British, alone, had two million prisoners in a space no bigger than Suffolk, on top of the local population. The speech was wishful thinking, at best.

By Any Other Name. Part 26 of 35

Chapter 26

I did what I had done before, by starting to write it as a story before aiming at the screenplay. I had a lot of it on the computer when Jacquie informed us that we had nothing to go to the Globes for, but a number of nominations in the BAFTA awards this year.

By Any Other Name. Part 25 of 35

Chapter 25

When we arrived in Los Angeles, we were swept up in a tidal wave of media hype. As defending champions of the Best Film and other awards, we were a hot topic. We were a few days early, which were filled with interviews and TV appearances. ‘Thirteen Women’ was controversial, seeing that it acknowledged the Devil without a mention of God. The ultra-right was in an uproar, which meant that everybody else supported us, ‘just for the hell of it!’

By Any Other Name. Part 24 of 35

Chapter 24

“There’s also something else I need doing. Make sure that your passport is up to date. I have the house near Valencia. I would like you to go there, in October, and open it up for me. Colin, Ruth, Larry, and Brendon will be spending a few months in it, and we will close this one down for winter. Talk to Michael and get a credit card linked to my account for all your living expenses.”

“Thank you, Julia. I’ll be careful.”

By Any Other Name. Part 23 of 35

Chapter 23

“Thanks, Agnes, see you later.”

I went to where David was trying to answer fifteen questions at once.

“David, we have a security screen. They’ll help us get out to the cars. I don’t think that we’re going to be able to answer everyone, or to make the fans happy, but we have to get out.”

He nodded so I went over to the leader of a very fierce looking group of guys.

“I believe that you’re going to help us get to our cars, lads. Can we do it without blood on the floor?”

By Any Other Name. Part 21 of 35

Chapter 21

Ruth had laid the dining table and had put out some plates. We went and sat down as she brought out some sandwiches and poured tea. The talk was light, with some idea of a timeline. I would be able to work at it after we tidy up ‘Thirteen Women’. I still wasn’t sure about the sequel.

By Any Other Name. Part 20 of 35

Chapter 20

Three weeks later, Colin was holding the back door of a glorious dark blue A8 for me to get in, while Brendon and Jeff put my things in the boot. In the meantime, I had been subjected to one major surgery and several minor ones. I was now classified as a genuine replica of a woman. One that was still a bit slow moving and still had minor horrors at my reflection.

By Any Other Name. Part 18 of 35

Chapter 18

The open gate was in a stone wall, and looked like an electric one, with a speaker set into the gatepost. The gravel drive led towards the house, but I saw older farm sheds on either side as we entered. The house was a barn conversion, single storey for most of it, but I could see a second storey towards the back, on both sides.

Nadir to Zenith

Nadir to Zenith

They say that pride becomes before a fall. I wasn’t feeling proud when I fell. I was concentrating very hard of the job at hand. My name is Damon Rose, and I was just nineteen when I lost my grip, and nearly my life.

By Any Other Name. Part 17 of 35

Chapter 17

There was a knock on my door as I stood there and opened it to see the two comediennes.

“Julia, sweet cheeks. We had to come and welcome you to the home of bedlam, and to thank you for the friendship you showed us in Hawaii.”

“We hardly had a dozen words when we were there. You were off, filming, on the other side of the island. Congratulations on your scene. When I first saw it, I nearly fell off my chair for laughing. I was told that it was all ad-libs.”

By Any Other Name. Part 16 of 35

Chapter 16

Wednesday morning was sunny and bright, if a little cool. It was, I decided, a good day to wear Anna’s wool dress, and to give my latest coat a try. When we had been modelling, I fell in love with it. It was longer than my favourite, and a bright mustard colour, with a fur collar.

By Any Other Name. Part 15 of 35

Chapter 15

I took my time in the morning. I made sure that I had a good breakfast, tidied up, then spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Freshly showered, hair washed, and no errant wisps of hair anywhere else, I took a great deal of care choosing what I was going to wear.

By Any Other Name. Part 14 of 35

Chapter 14

When I went into my apartment, I looked around at the mess. My early morning breakfast things were still on the table. In my bedroom I picked the expensive dress off the floor, found a hanger for it, then smoothed my bed. I found a new pillowcase to replace the smeared one.

By Any Other Name. Part 13 of 35

Chapter 13

When we arrived at Gatwick, there was a sign with an arrow that just had ‘Turbulence’ on it. It led us to a reserved floor in the North Terminal car park, where attendants were there to show us to a parking area and open the doors for us. Our driver would be back at seven, to wait for our return. Jeff and I certainly looked like we should be there as we followed more signs that took us into the main concourse, through a very quick passport check, finally arriving in a VIP lounge where some had already started mingling.

By Any Other Name. Part 12 of 35

Chapter 12

David and C.J. left, leaving the six of us. I asked Cecil if he could give it a simple edit and gave him my email address, then got Jeff and Eric to give him their email addresses. I asked the sound man to keep quiet about what he had just seen.

“Don’t you worry, Julia. I could stand in the street and shout that their favourite country copper is really an actor who could rival Olivier, and nobody would believe me.”

They packed up the gear, leaving the four of us. I looked at Jim, who was smiling broadly.

“What’s so funny, Jim?”

By Any Other Name. Part 11 of 35

Chapter 11

When she said that, I knew what the part was. There was a lower rank police officer who is friendly with my daughter, and he learns enough to be needed to be killed. It would have him, on set, until fairly late in the shooting, and will be in a lot of scenes with Kurt. As an unknown, he would have to be good. The screenplay has his death the trigger for the unravelling of the coven.

“That’s a big part, Kym, for very little money.”

“You have read the screenplay, haven’t you? What would you think he’s worth if he passes the test?”

By Any Other Name. Part 10 of 35

Chapter 10

So, we had our first viewing of the complete film as the orchestra played along with it. I don’t know about the others, as my eyes never left the screen, but I was entranced with the music adding a whole new level of atmosphere. We were professional enough not to make a sound until the recording engineer put his hand up, and then we all stood and applauded the orchestra. David, with Irene beside him, looked totally washed out, with this being the culmination of nearly a year for him.

By Any Other Name. Part 9 of 35

Chapter 9

Firstly, though, was the matter of getting this project finished. David and the technical crews were on a plane next morning, bound for a post-production studio. Once they had the film in a rough cut, they would be looking for music to go with it.

By Any Other Name. Part 8 of 35

Chapter 8

While we were talking, Roger had received a call on his phone, leaving the room to take it. When he came back, he told us that David wanted to take me to dinner, to talk about how things were going, and that he would have to drop me off at home so that I had time to be ready. Anna seized the opportunity.

Mars Shot - A new beginning

Mars Shot – A Tale of New Beginning

When I was young, I read about the moon landings and wondered what it would be like to stand and look back at the Earth. Over fifty years passed before we thought about going back, but the only talk was about Mars, and just how difficult it would be. With the technology we already had, the trip each way would be nine months. Then there was the time on the Red Planet before the Earth was nearing a suitable position to come back.

By Any Other Name. Part 7 of 35

Chapter 7

Mum was extremely chipper when I went into her room. She was sitting in an easy chair, reading a book she had brought to the hospital, and stood, carefully, to give me a hug.

“Jamie, how lovely to see you. My! Don’t you look the lady! This new life has been good too you; I can see. Where’s your young man today?”

“He’s doing his job, looking after another film star. I didn’t ask, but the receptionist in the Agency said that he was in Paris, seeing why a starlet had a meltdown on set.”

By Any Other Name. Part 6 of 35

Chapter 6

After the salon I felt and looked like a star already. I thought that it would be a good time to see what sort of clothes the upper crust wore, so hailed a taxi to take me to the next destination. When we arrived, I saw that the dress shop and shoe shop were side by side. I say shop, but they were both more like fantasy lands. Nothing, in either window had a price shown.

By Any Other Name. Part 5 of 35

Chapter 5

When I let myself in, I looked around and decided that I wasn’t going to bed until I had given the place a clean. I spent the morning, after clearing some space in the wardrobe and drawers for my new things, with a broom and duster, giving everything a good clean. Seeing that it was all modern surface finishes, it didn’t take as long as I thought it would.

By Any Other Name. Part 4 of 35

Chapter 4

We stayed seated until the guys had finished, then, as we all stood, Kurt and Jack did the rounds with hugs, kisses and “Welcome to the Movie Madhouse" for everyone. We watched them as they got into a waiting limo and were driven away. It left a vacuum that could only be filled by one thing. Wanda voiced it.

“I don’t know about you girls, but I have just realised that what I was going to wear tonight, isn’t up to my new mindset. Are we shopping?”

By Any Other Name. Part 3 of 35

Chapter 3

We got everyone in, and then closed the door. As we were backed away from the terminal, the safety video started. Of course, nobody watched it, not even us, as we were busy making sure everyone was buckled up. Before long, we were in the air and heading north. It was an uneventful fight, with David engrossed in a big file of papers and giving me his brilliant smile whenever I served him with anything. In a quiet time, I went back to see Cynthia.

By Any Other Name. Part 2 of 35

Chapter 2

I had, of course, flown with my father several times, but with all of those I had been in economy and had never watched his manner with the passengers. I knew that if he did come out during the flight, he’d never go that far back. Belle saw me watching.

“Smooth, isn’t he. Most of the girls call him Creepy Curtis, no offence meant.”

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