Ginny's Story A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright© 2017 Karen Lockhart All Rights Reserved.

“Hey Ellen, be careful what you wish for, I think it just came true.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked.

As I climbed the steps to the condo, the cruiser’s door opened, and Captain Smith stepped out.
“May I ask you ladies a few questions?” He asked.

Ellen spoke up, ”Come inside Captain, it’s too cold out here.”

I unlocked the door, and hung my coat over the back of a chair.

“Captain please sit down, I’ll make coffee for us.” Ellen said on her way into the kitchen.”

“This is really an informal visit, please call me Pete, not Captain.”

“Okay Pete, why are you here, it wasn’t to have us call you that.” I said with a chuckle.

“I was wondering when the last time you saw or spoke to Tina Morales.”

“We’ve been out of state for the last two weeks, ah, Pete.” Ellen answered from the kitchen.

His eyes narrowed, “Where out of state?”

Ellen looked over at me, I shrugged and answered, ”To tell you the truth, Bangkok .“

With that, he sat back, “Bangkok? There is really only one reason to go to Bangkok, isn’t there?”

“Only one I know of.” I said.

Captain Smith looked back and forth between Ellen and I and settled on Ellen.”For a sex change?” he asked.

“It’s called Gender Correction Surgery,” I answered, “And it was me , not Ellen.”

When I said that, Pete’s face reddened and so did Ellen’s.

“You though I wasn’t a woman?” she said starting to get wound up.

“Jesus, I’ve done it now ! Ellen, please forgive me. It’s just that Ginny always looks so feminine.”

“And I look so Butch, right.”

“Ginny help me out here please.” He begged.

“Well seeing how Ellen has a crush on you anyway, I guess she’ll forgive you.”

With that, Pete’s jaw dropped, and Ellen stared daggers at me while turning crimson red.

“Ginny, how could you?”, she squealed, “I told you that in confidence!”

Well Jeeze Ellen, I just told him I used to be a man and just had that corrected, after all.”

“The coffee smells ready, why don’t we go into the kitchen?” Ellen said.

Pete Smith walked to the table and managed to end up sitting beside Ellen, I got three mugs and the milk while Ellen set the percolator on the table.

“These make the best coffee, but it takes longer.” Ellen said trying to avoid the elephant in the room.

I piped up,” Look , you two be honest with each other, Ellen you know you like Pete, and Pete, why did you show up here just to ask a dumb question? You know we had dinner with Tina at the Tides tonight don’t you?”

Well, yes to both”, Pete said, with that Ellen’s head snapped around. “We’ve had her under surveillance since her father and his pal disappeared during that snow storm in December after the Partiot’s football game.”

I took a deep breath, “Does that mean that murderous, sleezy, bastard may sill be alive?” I asked.

“Why the strong reaction?”, Pete asked , how well did you know him ?”

“That slime ball tried to pick me up, and when I refused, he got nasty, scared me to death. He also burst into our condo at 3 AM, out of his mind. If Ellen didn’t get her pistol, I don’t know what would have happened to Tina and me.”

He looked at Ellen, “You pulled a gun on Vincent Morales, and lived ?”

“Believe me Pete, Morales was the lucky one that night, Dirty Harriet had him dead to rights.”

“You have had Tina under surveillance?” Ellen asked.

I looked at him in shock, “We were eating dinner with Tina tonight and she acts like he’s dead, you think he’s alive?”

“That possibility exists, after all no trace of him or his friend have shown up anywhere along the coast.
And I’ve got this little feeling something’s not right.”

“Enough of that, When are you guys going to go out? You could double with Kevin and me you know.”

Pete Smith looked at me, “Does this Kevin know about your status?”

“We have been dating for a year, does that answer your question Captain?”

He laughed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch a nerve.”

Ellen leaned toward Pete’s ear and whispered something I couldn’t hear, then she giggled
.
“Okay kids, how about Sunday after the basketball game, we can go somewhere casual, with the game over the noise level should be much lower.”

Pete said that worked for him, I know it worked for Ellen and me, and I know I can twist Kevin around my little finger, It’s a date !

“Look girls (there’s that word again!), if Morales is alive I doubt he’d come looking for either one of you, he’s too worried about the Providence mob. Look, I’ll keep you up to date on tracing Morales. I’ve got to go, Ellen, I’ll call you Saturday afternoon to confirm our date.”

Of course, Ellen walked him to the door, and watched him drive off.

She looked at me, “ I guess I should thank you for being a matchmaker, If it were up to me, I’d never go on a date.”

I laughed, “Maybe those lessons on makeup will be useful, huh Ellen. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to bed.”

oOo

The next day we spent sorting out the things that always pile-up when you go away for any amount of time.
I had less mail than Ellen did, so I spent the day curled upon the sofa with a book in front of a cheerful fire. I should of felt guilty, me lounging while Ellen worked hard, did I feel guilty, heck no!

After a while I went into the kitchen to see what groceries we needed. I wanted to be able to cook our meals with calling for take-out.

We needed fresh veggies, steaks, a pot roast, and a oven roaster chicken, I had plenty of frozen veggies and hamburger in the freezer.

We also needed soup, dry cereal, and coffee. There was a whole box of tea bags, and plenty of detergents .

I sat down at my computer and went to the PeaPod site. In no time, my order was placed, and a date and delivery time was chosen.

When my order came tomorrow afternoon, all I had to do was put it away !

Ellen had finished catching up with her bills and other stuff, and was hungry.

“Ginny, what are we having for lunch, or do we have to go get something?”

“I’m fresh out of cold cuts, I could make a cheese omelet if you want.”

Ellen thought for a moment, “Why don’t we save the omelets for tomorrow’s breakfast, and get a couple of sub sandwiches from the sub shop near the train station?”

“Great idea, I’ll go, you set the table.”

“We’ll both go, you can drive, I’ll hop out.”

As we were driving down Railroad Ave. I did a double take, no, it couldn’t be !

“Ginny what’s wrong? “ Ellen asked, ”You’re as white as a ghost!”

“I swear I just saw Morales sitting in the Chinese take-out place.”

“You have Morales on your mind after talking with Pete Smith, he’d never show his face in Swampscott, if he was alive.”

“I know you’re right, but deep down, I see Morales in every shadow.”

“Ginny, he’s dead. He’ll never come back to get you, besides, you only look like Gene a bit from the neck up, and not even close from the neck down.”