The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3364 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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My questions about Danni's love life went unanswered, she wouldn't tell me, none of the girls would say anything and Trish was downright rude, suggesting she had important things to consider not her elder sister mooning over some halfwit girl. I think I recognized the description of the girl but also realised how committed Trish was to her course. She'd already read everything they were doing until Christmas. In fact, some of her colleagues, perhaps the less bright ones were asking for her advice. But then, we know she is something else. I overheard two of the physics department discussing the baby they have in their classes and who can out argue both of them about several items from the structure of the universe to standard calculations. In fact, one of them told the other she had corrected a calculation, a mistake, they hadn't noticed.

I wasn't sure if I pitied her or them, but she was certainly showing a definite involvement in her course whereas Danni was under caution for a couple of requests for extra time on her assignments. Sarah was okay but Danni had been cautioned andthe letter of caution was copied to me as per usual practice. It was designed to keep me in the loop and also if disciplinary action was sanctioned, we had a record of it, a copy was also appended to their file. If they got their head down and worked satisfactorily, the letter was removed after the end of term exams. I seemed to work for the serious students while the more frivolous sort got sent down, in other words, discharged from their course. It was always a sad event, no one wants people to fail, but if they are messing about, treating it like some big game, then we are better off without them. Danni was heading towards this situation and I sent for her.

She bowled into my office as if there was nothing wrong. "Hi Mum, you sent for me?"

"Yes, I am actually Professor Watts and you are Miss Cameron, we have official business to discuss and it isn't a social event."

"Oh, okay, Professor."

"I have been notified of you two cautions for late work and requests for extensions."

"Yeah, I got a bit behind, I'll catch up no bother."

"When will you do that as you have assignments outstanding."

"No worry, I'll sort them out soon."

"Do you realise, Miss Cameron, how close you are to being discharged from the course and apart from anything else, no other institution is likely to admit you and you'll still have to pay fees, even though you won't actually be here?"

"Um, no I didn't. I just got behind a little, I will catch up."

"When?"

"Um, two weeks."

"You realise that you will have another assignment before then, how will you cope.?"

"Oh shit," was heard as whisper. "I'll give it my best shot, um Mummy, I mean professor."

"You will spend every night at home unless you have football games or training, and you will work to catch up. If we see an improvement by Christmas, we will ease up just a little."

"I'll try um Mu...professor."

"Thank you, Miss Cameron, that's all we want you to do, which is clearly what you haven't been doing."

She looked as sick as a parrot and couldn't wait to get away. She actually almost ran out of my office. "How did it feel to discipline one of your own?" as Diane.

"Bloody awful, it was like threatening my granny."

"Oh, that bad eh? Why isn't she coping?"

"A bloody girl."

"Oh, I thought she was into boys?"

"She is normally, she fallen for this girl called Francesca Davidson., she's a pretty girl but not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"Where's she from? Leigh Park?"

"If only, she George Davidson's daughter."

"Do I remember a series of articles in the press?"

"Yeah, his partner disappeared with two million belonging to High St. Bank plc. We suspect he's under a section of the M25."

"Wow, I'd forgotten that bit."

"We may never prove it and the contractor who buried him, allegedly for a hundred k, himself disappeared and is still missing. They have a body but the arms and legs and head were removed before it was dumped in an abandoned quarry."

"Ouch, lovely people you meet."

"If only Danni's hormones weren't firing, it's losing me my sleep. She doesn't have much in the way of testosterone in her lovely body so quite what is causing this, I don't know. The fact that her father is possibly the most dangerous gangster on the south coast, intent on getting the FA to reselect Danni and he is an obsessive possessive and likes to run her life like she's a six year old and he doesn't know that they are fast becoming a couple. He'll do his crunch if he finds out."

"Have you tried warning Danni?"

"Apart from putting notes in her underwear, we've tried about everything else but she just ignores it. I wouldn't mind so much if it was somebody else's daughter, I can cope with Danni being gay, if that's the case. But I want no involvement in anything involving a gangster, plus what he might do to Danni if he finds out."

"You did."

"Yeah, but I interact with my daughter and spotted the blossoming friendship and then realised it was more than that."

"Oh well, you're a professor you'll work it out. Can't you semd her up to the international space station for a couple of months?"

"If I could that would be a perfect solution but alas, I don't know anyone working on that programme." We both chuckled but it was no laughing matter, I was really worried about it and if Danni complies with my discipline, it might work much more simply. What's the betting that she doesn't?

It was Wednesday evening and I was working on an application for grant funds from the National Environment Research Council or NERC for short. Unfortunately, their application forms aren't. My phone rang and I was a bit dozy and half expecting Simon to call. it wasn't it was James.

"Guess who's a genius, then?"

"Isaac Newton?"

"What? he's been dead for three hundred years."

"He was still a genius, look, what do you want I'm busy falling asleep over some grant application forms?"

"I have found the DNA for the missing road laying contractor."

"The one who we think got too involved with his work?"

"Perhaps, anyway I found a conviction he had from 2008, and they were taking DNA then."

"Clever boy, how come the plod didn't find it?"

"I think somebody was paid to lose it and instead they just buried it in an old file."

"So what happens next?"

"We let them check if it matches our headless body and only interfere if they need a bit of help."

"Sadly, there won't be any of Davidsons' there will there?"

"No, but they found extraneous blood on the corpse, seemed like the butcher who chopped it up cut himself."

"Ooh, so he might not be so clever after all?"

"I live in hopes."

"Be careful, if someone was paid to lose the report, they may notify Georgie-boy and he would be spooked, plus they may remember who found it and come a knocking."

"I hope I was discreet."

"There's one way you'll know if you were."

"Oh, bugger, I'd better go."

"Well done and take care." I spoke to thin air. Somthing else to worry about, I don't remember my mother saying, 'A girl can't have too many worries.'

The rest of the day went more easily, at least Danni stayed in and did some of an assignment. This involved asking Sarah for help, which she was reluctant to do in case she was accused of something herself. I assured her she wouldn't be, so she did give Danni a couple of hints.

Danni actually came to me with a couple of queries and because I was busy myself I couldn't spare much time, however, she had a few clues and stuck at it. I told her if she'd concentrated like that in the beginning she wouldn't have to play catch up now. She saw my point but didn't acknowledge anything.

Danni had a match on the Thursday evening against Chelsea, which she wanted to play, especially if she could do the same with them as she did with Arsenal women. To avoid anything like an association with Francesca I drove her there and did some work on my tablet in the car. Francesca was there and Danni couldn't do the same again, she only managed four goals this time. When I showed up, Francesca, mysteriously vanished, I wonder why?

I brought a slightly sulky Danni home bit it didn't affect her appetite and at nine o'clock I made her do an hour's work on her assignments. She grumbled, but complied.

Trish who had run out of work to do helped her big sister out with her assignment, throwing all sorts of things that Danni hadn't even considered. It might gain a few brownie points, but I wasn't sure.

By the end of the week Danielle had completed two assignments. She still had a whole one to do when disaster struck. Davidson became aware of his daughter's romantic involvement with my daughter. He turned up with a car-load of thugs and demanded to see Danielle. We had got an hour's notice and we sent her Julie's place. Fortunately, nobody outside knew of our link so the trail ended at Tom's house.

"Let her know I'm looking for her and the longer it takes me to find her the worse it will be."

"Mr Davidson, I shall tell her that you came to see her. If, however, you were wanting to do what I think you were I would have to intervene and you might end up under a motorway like your partner did."

"You filthy bitch," he spat at me.

"And you owe my husband's bank two million pounds, which he'd be very glad to see. So behave and we can all stay friends."

"Friends, ha. That unnatural daughter of yours better stay away from my Francesca, or she won't be playing soccer no more with two broken legs."

"If anything happens to Danni I'll come looking for you. There is no escape from the angel of death."

"You make me laugh," and to prove it he chuckled out loud.

"Do not laugh at Azrael, you fool," to make my point I threw a ball of light at one of his henchmen and and the car door he was standing next to it open, suddenly was hit by the door slamming on him breaking several bones. They drove off rather quickly after that.

An hour later Sgt Bond arrived. "We've had a complaint that you used witchcraft to hurt one of Mr Davidson's men."

"They were threatening to do all sorts of things to Danni, she's been seeing his daughter Francesca and he just found out. He again threatened my girl so I told him if he did I would intervene and he wouldn't like it. I would take him for every penny he has and sue the pants off him."

"He implied something more physical involving motorways."

"I might have promised to bury him under the same one he buried his friend under and that they still owed Simon's bank two million. He laughed at me again and I told him not to laugh at Azrael and suddenl;y a gust of wind caught the door and slammed it on the unfortunate man. I have no doubt they meant to do Danni physical harm and will protect me and mine."

"Who is Azrael?"

"The angel of death."

"So were you threatening his life?"

"No it was said for effect, most of these gangster types have much more brawn than brains and it sometimes worries them a little."

"So you didn't slam the door on his man?"

"I was standing twenty feet away so you tell me how I could."

"I see, I shall tell him to keep away from you and your family and ask you do the same with his. Failure to comply could result in you facing criminal charges."

"I'd be happy never to see his ugly mug again."

"Let's hope he feels the same way."