Chapter 30

The blonde was Sharron and the dark one was Carol. The baby was Tabitha. Once they had stood and gathered their bags of baby necessities, I led them into the clinic where we left the baby with the vet’s wife to look after while I took them though to Jordan’s office.

Chapter 29

The lunch was very nice. Discussion was launched on whether we would be able to do solo violin concerts in future seasons, and a question was put to me about a piano concert some time. We told them to get in touch with Allan as he could work out likely dates but that we may be busy with the “For those who Served” shows next year and were unlikely to be touring as we were this summer.

Chapter 28

We wiped them, put them to rest in their cases and then we hugged like a couple of lovers. Joyce was crying with joy, saying that she had never thought that she could have played like this when she was a teenager in Detroit. We changed and took our instruments with us when we left, me with two to carry now.

Chapter 8

Andy got up and went to the bag that held the extra kit that they had brought with them. They went off to the left end of the ledge and he stood, with his back to her, as she put the wetsuit on. He checked her for wrinkles. Then they went back to the bag, and he pulled out a weight belt.

“Any idea of what you weigh?”

When she told him, he took off a few weights and helped her put it on. Then she put on the harness for the tank.

Chapter 7

“All right, Alex. You’ve got yourself a deal. Now let’s cut the chat and get in there!”

Sue ceremonially opened the grill lock and gave the keys to Alex. He went to the steel door and opened the padlock, after a bit of juggling. He pulled the door open, and then looked inside. It was a fissure, about five feet high and two feet wide, which went back about six feet before turning sharply to the left, going behind the wall of the cave.

Chapter 6

Andy had a little help from Charlie as he made himself ready. It would be a bit different, negotiating tunnels with a weight belt and tank on. The mask was hooked to a snap lock on the harness, and Charlie gave him a short cable with a snap lock on both ends to attach the flashlight to the belt. The fins went on another snap lock, and he felt that if he had to walk very far, like this, he would need a rest before he could do anything.

Chapter 5

Monday morning brought them back to earth. The had breakfast, tidied up and both left the house. They kissed, and then Maria went west, towards the Aston station, while Andy went towards Coventry and the Police College. When he arrived, he walked to the swimming pool, a place he remembered with happiness.

When he walked into the pool area, he saw the dive leader, now known to be DCI Alex Anderson, who was checking over a wetsuit.

Chapter 4

On Friday morning, they sat at their four desks and talked about what they knew. Lee and Sally had been through the registers and had one name that looked interesting. It was for J. Bowen and was two days before the phone went dead.

Chapter 3

Monday morning, Sally had some news, but not news about the case.

Chapter 2

By Monday morning, they had sorted the boxes into some sort of order, ready to be worked on as they went forward. There was no pattern in the streetwalker dumpings, the sites looked as if they were chosen randomly. The places where the victims had been snatched from varied wildly, as well. One had been taken from Birmingham city, two from Sheffield, another two from Manchester and one from Coventry. There was no regular period between the bodies being found. All were naked when found and all had died by drowning.

Charlie and The Big Win

I suppose that I’d better come out and admit, right now, that I used to be a rowdy teen. Not only that, I was one of a gang of four rowdy teens, the other three also being bullies. Me, I was the one that made the plans, thought about the consequences, and mainly kept us all from spending our schooldays in detention.

Chapter 20

He turned to look at his wife. “Did you feel something, darling?”

“Of course, I did, you big lump. Not that you would notice without being told.” She came over to me and hugged me. “Thank you, I think my husband may be in for a torrid time, because now I’m able to stand up for myself. I know how I can get my way in future.”

“Go get him, girl,” I smiled.

She stepped back, now beside him, not behind as she had been before.

I turned to Kelly. “I think that it may be time we left for the hotel. It’s been a long day.”

Chapter 19

I had tears in my eyes. When I looked around, Pet and the other girls who had seen it already were also glistening. Jordan sat with tears streaming down his face. He turned to me and buried his head into my shoulder. Pet had let go of my hand and was comforting a weeping Anton. Ian and Matty were wet-eyed. Abigail was rocking a weeping Matt.

Flora said, “I think it still has the power to heal.”

Chapter 18

She dug into her bag, brought out six boxes, and then handed them out. When I opened mine, it was more than I could take in. It was a pendant, yes, but what a pendant! It was gold filigree with ‘Stable Sisters Rule’ in diamonds and emeralds.

This won’t be joining the one now resting in a drawer at home. It would be front and center most of the time. Almost in tears, we had group hugs and cheek kisses. We all put them on and carried on with our meal, ordering more coffees as the originals had gone cold.

Chapter 17

We spent most of the afternoon discussing the songs we would be dropping and the ones that would make up the core of Sisters shows. Many staying were already classed as Pixie hits. We could build on that and cement the move with our next album.

We got the amps turned on and just played the things we liked for an hour or so. We then had a short discussion on why Josie left and the effect that had on all of us. The fact that she hadn’t been on stage for some months had helped lessen the damage to the band as a whole.

Chapter 16

After Pet had taken a couple of bows and the crowd settled back in their seats, Richard took up the microphone. “Tonight, you have just heard one of the rising stars in classical music, but we now have another surprise for you. We have, not just one, but two rising stars for you, please welcome Miss Edweena Grosse.”

I went on stage and took my place alongside Pet. Then I smiled at the audience.

Chapter 15

Richard came to the wings and escorted me to the center of the stage. I could see an audience of more than the dozen or so I had expected.

He went to the microphone, “Tonight we welcome Edweena as our pianist for the piano concerto, but now you will see the violinist in her.”

Chapter 14

It had certainly been one busy day. I was ready to drop. After we had changed, though, we had a message that there was a private party that we were required to join. It turned out to be in one of the larger staterooms which Kelly had taken for the night.

Chapter 13

Allan grinned. “That’s my girl. Make sure you take something to help you sleep tonight and tomorrow will be a good day. I’ll arrange for a nanny to come to the house this afternoon to look after Ali, to give you a little bit of free time.”

Chapter 12

Allan arranged a gig on a Saturday night at a civic party. We did our new look show and it went well. I wasn’t highly excited about it. We played our music and then went home. I may have been the only one feeling a bit jaundiced. But I did have a lot of other things on my mind.

I wondered if it was the prospect of being a father that outweighed the upgrade of becoming a woman. Was I worried about the future of the farm against my likely career as a music star / model / businesswoman?

Chapter 10

After lunch the other girls left. Pet and Emily would be coming back Friday afternoon -- but we wouldn’t see the others until we met at the Dude for our last show for some time. They had booked another band for a three-month stint.

Chapter 8

Wednesday, we finished early, and then went home. Mom had organized a doctor visit, so she and I drove to the clinic. The lady she had booked me to see was very nice after getting over the shock of me not looking much like an Edward George.

I explained how I ended up coming to see her in a dress.

She said that she had seen the TV thing last Wednesday and was already a fan. I then had to undress and get examined. My stuck-on breasts and glued penis caused some consternation.

She asked if it hurt when I got excited.

Chapter 6

Saturday morning, we were setting up to run through our set when my Dad came into the studio with another guy. He was introduced as Allan Maxwell and was an artist’s agent. He said that, if he could, he would sit in a corner and just listen to us before he made up his mind. As it was our intent to do a run-through for the show tonight, he was welcomed.

He took the piano seat where he wasn’t in the way, and we just got on with things.

Chapter 4

So, that night, we made love as women again and I went to sleep with a smile on my face and the taste of woman on my tongue. Monday morning, I was all nerves again, but Josie helped me through it with the chicks and my mother was also supportive at breakfast.

My father just shrugged. “Do whatever you want, my child. Just remember that it will be you that will carry any consequences.”

I gave him a peck on the cheek and told him I loved him, too.