Aurora

by Karen Page

Part 2

---

Part 2

For two days, the police had the building cordoned off. Fortunately, the forensic team quickly ascertained that the bodies had been there for several years. Probably just after the pub had closed and become derelict. This meant the questioning of the project team stopped.

The police's final act on site was to remove the huge freezer. The police inspector insisted they took it, just in case there was extra evidence. Ashleigh was glad to see the back of it and put up no objections. She even encouraged them to take it when the forensics team complained.

It was that night that Tina and Ashleigh were sat in the garden of the old Anchor pub. Luke was watching some match with Evan, Henry and Liam.

"This is kind of nosy, but what's the relationship with the other four in your group. I've seen wedding rings on their fingers, but I can't work out who is married to who. Over the last few days, I've seen them work in different pairs, threes or even all together. I've never seen a group that seemed so in tune with each other. I also can't work out which of them is in charge. For some things it's Stacy, other things, Helen or David or Andy."

"Technically, Stacy is in charge, but that's rarely a thing for them. They listen to each other and know each other's strengths and needs. Decisions between them are almost innate. As for relationships, I know they won't mind me saying as David had already noticed you were puzzling over them. They might be in two legal marriages, but just as they operate as a single unit, all their hearts beat in unison."

"I guess that makes a lot of sense."

"Are you okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be. Love is love. Some love people of a different sex. Some love the same sex. Some love everyone, and some love no one. In some ways I feel sorry for those without love or are incapable of love."

"Oh Ash," cried Tina, putting her arms around her sister. "That is one of the nicest things I've ever heard."

Tina was probably the only one that Ashleigh permitted to call her Ash. When she left university, it was like something changed in her. She felt grown up and wanted something different. She thought Ashleigh sounded more grown up than Ash.

"Are you still going to be around on Sunday?" enquired Ashleigh.

"Probably. Why?"

"Since we aren't too far from our parents, I was thinking about seeing if they want to go out for Sunday lunch. I didn't know if you and Luke wanted to come?"

"Sounds fun. It all depends on what's happening here. At the weekend Jenny won't be at school, but does she have any activities she does, such as swimming or church?"

"She sometimes goes to play with her friend, but no idea if there is a schedule or if it's ad hoc. I believe the external electrical work will finish on Friday about lunchtime. The internal work is a lot easier with the feed coming in at the basement. They hope to be finished in time for testing and certification early Friday afternoon. Both teams are willing to work late Thursday, to get it live Friday, therefore not having to work into the weekend."

Tina got out her phone and sent a message. She laughed at the almost instant response.

"I'm good as long as we haven't been reassigned. Investigations can turn up quickly and sometimes they can't be delayed. I will confirm with Luke later."

"Did they find the leak? Was there a bug?"

"Yes, one was found today. With the police gone, a more thorough search was made. I won't go into the technicalities, but the way it was activated was quite novel. It wasn't normally on, so wasn't discovered during normal checks."

"Normal checks?"

"Becky has a scanner. She checks her house and the Anchor every week or after any visitors. Are you inviting Becky to the meal on Sunday?"

Ashleigh looked stricken. "I've only known Becky for a week. It's silly to even think about that. Heck, she only lost her wife a few months ago."

Tina said gently, "You still love her, don't you?"

"There hasn't been time to even think about things like that. Finding human remains tends to make you think about other things. What was Hilda like? How did you know her?"

"She was a psychiatrist at the school I went to. She wasn't mine, but I saw her when Rachel wasn't available. She was an amazing woman, and you would really have liked her. She left a year before I finished there. Do you remember the Middle East peace talks in London?"

"Sure, who could forget that. How the lead negotiator kept it together after what happened, I'll never know."

"Hilda got a call and was collected by an ETV from Cheltenham."

"I saw that video. That was Hilda they got?"

"Yes. She'd just met someone she was really interested in, and next thing she was being escorted out by the military. Hilda didn't have his number. Yet fate brought them together again. Becky had a dream and Hilda knew Laura. They made this possible. And during all of that, they had two children, and she transitioned."

"Wow. I knew Becky was strong and resilient, but that's way beyond when I knew her."

"I knew Hilda, during her time at school and after. I only know Becky by reputation and the last few days. I do remember her a little when we were children. I remember her coming to see our parents when they banned her. She made a really solid case. She came to speak with Mum and Dad to clear your name, not with any real expectation that they would let her see you again."

"Let's see how it goes. Please don't say anything."

"I'm here if you need me," reassured Tina. "Oh, here's Luke."

Luke came up and gave Tina a kiss. Ashleigh smiled. It was great how her youngest sister had such an easy and happy relationship.

"Ashleigh asked about us meeting up for Sunday lunch with my parents, since we are close by. Stacy has no issues unless we get re-tasked. Do you want to come?"

"Of course. I've not seen your parents for a while. Ashleigh, are you going to ask Becky?"

"Not you as well. No, I'm not. We are just colleagues. And don't you mention her during the meal on Sunday either!"

"Where do you suggest we go?"

"There are a few possibilities where we went when younger. But not The Ship, it's too close to here."

Tina looked directly at Ashleigh. "Yes, a definite too close. I'm glad that you understand this project is need to know and certainly don't want people just popping by."

"Laura stressed that. I know there is a lot more that you've not told me."

"I know little more than you. Need to know."

"That doesn't sound much of a life," said Ashleigh sadly.

"It's a life I love. It's a life where I'm doing something good. I could leave if I wanted. Do something different. There's no hold over me or any of us. I can hand in my thirty-day notice, and I'd be put on gardening leave for those days. We do this because we can, and we want to."

"Even if you have to give your life protecting us?"

"I hope it doesn't come to that, but yes."

"There's two people who've had virtually constant protection since you arrived. Rebecca and Jenny."

"Miss T said you were observant," said Luke. "But you missed one."

Ashleigh thought about it and went through the last few days in her mind. She couldn't see it and shrugged. She'd think more on that. "How different is this to your normal work?"

"A lot. We aren't a security or protection team, though we have some training. However, we are more subtle, which was what was required. At Jenny's school I was a temporary classroom assistant. That meant I could be close without raising any alarm."

"You're like chameleons. You go where needed and blend in."

"See, she gets it," said Luke to Tina.

"I get what you've told me. I know there is a lot more you aren't telling me and I'm not going to ask. I might be curious, but I don't think I need to know."

"You're right," said Tina to Luke. "She does get it."

"It's also a bit unusual for us," said Tina. "We normally don't use our real names. However, we aren't interacting with anybody, apart from me at the school. But since you might have talked about family already, it was the safest action."

"This is totally rhetorical. What have you got me involved in?"

Tina leaned forward and looked her sister directly in the eye. "You had the interview. You accepted the job. This is all down to you."

"I remember when you were young and used to just play your instrument. You wouldn't say boo to a goose. I loved you then and I love this feistier you, too."

"Can we see the bore from here?" asked Luke.

"A little. The river is still too wide for the inbound waves to look impressive. Go a few miles upstream and you'll get a great view, though the best ones only come a few times a year."

The sun began to set beyond the far bank. It was a tranquil evening where Ashleigh, her sister and brother-in-law seemed to relax.

Tina and Luke suddenly jumped up and pressing their finger against their ear barked, "Acknowledged."

"Becky's house, NOW!" ordered Tina.

Ashleigh froze. The change in attitude was a shock.

Tina and Luke didn't hesitate. They took a side each and hauled Ashleigh to her feet.

"I'm coming," she said, and they ran towards Rebecca's.

As they approached, the door was opened by Helen.

"Where's the rest of the project team?" asked Ashleigh, as she was ushered inside.

"They were at their houses," said Helen. "They've been told and are sheltering there. There is eight minutes until potential action. You've done well. Follow me."

Ashleigh followed Helen towards the back of the house. They went through a door. There, was the entrance to a panic room. Ashleigh went in, and Becky who was already in there with Jenny, shut the door.

"Hi Miss Thompson," said Jenny cheerfully.

"Nice PJ's," Ashleigh responded.

"Ma got me them a few weeks ago. They are my favourite set."

"Your Ma has good taste."

"Ma, the other day you said you knew Miss Thompson when you were little. How old were you? How did you meet?"

"I was fifteen. I saw a hockey match being played on a local playing field. Miss Thompson was watching it as her sister was playing."

"Tina?"

"No. She has another sister called Caroline. She did something very special."

"Oh?"

"She was the first person to call me Becky."

"What!? The first in the whole wide world?"

"Yes."

Jenny thought for a moment and then looked at Ashleigh. "You named my Ma?"

"I gave her a name to use when she was ready. Your Ma did all the hard work herself with the support and love of your mummy."

Jenny snuggled up to Rebecca, seemingly content and not at all concerned that they were in a panic room. Rebecca, on the surface, also seemed fine. However, Ashleigh noticed little things, like she did when they first met. Like how anxious she was when she first went to Ashleigh's house.

"Do you have any games in here?" Ashleigh asked Jenny.

"No. There is a pack of cards, but I don't know how to play them."

"Then we will do a simple game. All three of us," said Ashleigh. "You get the cards. We can all sit on the floor and play. Ma can shuffle them."

"I don't know if this game has a name. My granddad taught me. The rules are simple. The aim is to win all the cards. The dealer, which is Ma. She will deal out the cards to each of us. We go clockwise, starting with you Jenny since you are the one after the dealer. No jokers."

"Now you say," huffed Becky, trying to supress a smile. "I've just shuffled all the jokers in."

Jenny didn't react to that, but just watched Becky go through the cards to remove the jokers and start to shuffle again.

"The honour cards are The Jack, The Queen, The King and The Ace. Cards two to nine are payment cards. All our cards are face down. We take it in turn to put down a card from the top of our pile.

"If a player puts down one of the honour cards, which is a Jack, Queen, King or Ace, they have the chance to get the pot. The next player puts down the payment. For a Jack it is one card, Queen two, King three and Ace four cards. If they just put down the numbers two to nine, they keep paying but if they put down a Jack, Queen King or Ace, they take over control.

"Say I put down a Queen. The next player, which is Ma, puts down a card. If it isn't one of the honour ones, she puts down another. Again, if it isn't an honour one, I win the pile. However, if she puts down an honour one, it is then your turn to put payment. Do you follow?"

"I think so. Let's try it."

"It goes clockwise. Since Ma is the dealer, you Jenny are the first."

And so, they spent time playing cards. As Becky and Jenny got used to the rules, the game got faster and there were squeals of laughter from Becky and Ashleigh. There was no skill and no thought. It was purely the luck of the draw.

Becky's phone ringing made them all jump. "What is the password?" she enquired. It must have been valid, as she unlocked the panic room.

On the other side was Stacy. She spotted the deck of cards on the floor and said to Jenny, "Did you have fun playing cards?"

"Yes," Jenny responded. "Do you know any card games?"

"I do. But that's for another time. Just so you all know, everybody is fine."

Ashleigh let out the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"I'm tired," said Jenny. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Up you go," said Rebecca fondly. "I'll be up in five minutes to tuck you in."

With Jenny gone, Rebecca asked. "What happened?"

"It looks like they came to investigate your project. With the electrical work, the security doors into the Lab and into the discussion area were left open. They entered the building but found nothing apart from a building undergoing renovation. They made no attempt to go to any of the houses. Hopefully they will report that back. They didn't notice the tracker that got added to their vehicle, or the tracker dots that somehow got onto their jackets without them noticing. I love working in an area with no streetlights. Makes my life so much easier."

"The lab was clear?" Ashleigh asked, surprised.

"Of course," said Stacy. "We wanted it to be easier for the electricians."

Becky and Ashleigh laughed. The tension and worry of the last hour, gone. Though it did nag a bit to Ashleigh how they knew the work was happening, and how they knew about the security doors.

* * *

The noise hadn't been as bad as the first few days of the street work. The big excavation work had been completed, and the cables between the two sites laid. There had been more mess in the old pub. The internal electricians decided not to just fix the lab but add extra sockets in her office.

When the electrics were tested on the Friday afternoon, all seemed as it should. The device the four project members had been working on, reappeared and they ran a load test. The large battery pack located within the car park in the industrial unit handled the demand and they were even able to increase the power from the previous test.

"This gives us so many options," said Henry jovially shaking each electrician's hand. "Thank you."

They were a bit bemused but took his thanks with the sincerity that it was given.

When they were gone, Evan turned to Ashleigh. "We've been hashing out the changes from the last test we did. That quick test we did at higher power just confirmed what we'd worked out. We need some specialist fabrication."

"And?" she asked, waiting for them to give her the bad news.

"Well, there are two difficult bits. One is the alloy, and the other is the precision. I've just sent you an email."

She looked and laughed. "The alloy isn't an issue. I know a specialist company that can ship that next day or in an emergency, same day. Getting it machined to those parameters though using that metal isn't easy. How quick do you need them, and how many?"

"A half dozen should do, just in case we need to switch them out. We can't run any more tests until we have them."

"Let me ring around. You might have to do some hand collections. You lot like to keep me on my toes."

Two hours later, she came into the Lab carrying three envelopes. "Since this is so complex, I've farmed this work to three different machinists. Each claim they can handle this. I've dealt with each of them before, and I trust them. Each will produce six of them. This gives a better chance if there is some manufacturing defect, it won't impact all of them. One of the manufactures is in Leeds, so a bit of a journey. Pick an envelope. The card inside will tell you where you're going."

The three men grabbed an envelope before Rebecca stood a chance.

"Yay, road trip!" yelled Liam happy to be going to Leeds. "I've not done a journey like this in months."

"Okay, that is unexpected," commented Ashleigh, surprised how happy Liam was going on a long journey. "The metal is being shipped to them overnight. You will take the specs with you for the part. That way it isn't held in an email store somewhere."

"How do you find these places?" asked Henry. "Or get them to turn around things at a moment's notice?"

"It's just my charming personality," Ashleigh responded.

That caused a lot of heckling and teasing.

"I dealt with a wide range of bespoke parts where I used to work. I therefore have contacts where those parts were manufactured. I have a good enough relationship that if they can't make it, they might know someone who can."

"Okay, while we can't work on the drive, let's get back to the vehicle power source," suggested Rebecca.

Ashleigh went up to her office. Julie would be back Monday, so would be a bit more crowded. Though the six investigators would probably be gone. They'd been fun and unexpectedly needed. She didn't know how they knew people were on the way, but she was glad things had worked out. It would be hard to tighten security as they were just off a public road.

"Did I hear you say that Liam, Evan and Henry would be out tomorrow?" asked David.

"Yes. I don't expect them back before two at the earliest. Liam won't be back until very late."

David gave an impish grin and went to find Stacy.

"Hi," came a small voice.

Ashleigh didn't have to look up to know who it was, but she did all the same.

"Hi Jenny. How's things going?"

"I've finished school. That's it now until September."

"School holidays. What'll you do with yourself with all those free hours?"

"I'm going to learn an instrument. Did you know that Mr and Mrs Haynes, Mr and Mrs Grant and Mr and Mrs Poop all play instruments?"

"What instrument do you want to learn?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know what they sound like and how big or small they are?"

"Not really."

"Okay, grab Julie's chair and sit next to me. We will watch a video of something called The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra. The tune is rubbish, but you get a good sense what the orchestral instruments look and sound like."

They watched it together and Ashleigh pointed out different instruments. As they listened, Tina and Luke stood in the doorway, watching.

"There's so many," sighed Jenny. "Did you play an instrument Miss Thompson?"

"No. It wasn't something that interested me. I did other things."

"There are other instruments too," said Tina from the door. "Look at the groups you sometimes listen to. They all have instruments. There are guitars, keyboards and drums. And the most important is the singer. The voice can be used to make music. Did you see the man waving his arms at the front of the orchestra?"

"He looked funny," said Jenny.

"He is called the conductor. He keeps all the players together, so it sounds like one orchestra rather than a hundred individuals. The conductor keeps the timing, but in practice which they call rehearsals, the conductor tells players how the piece should be played."

"You know so much," sighed Jenny. "I'll never get to know as much as you."

"You know how to speak French," reminded Ashleigh. "You know more about maths than me. You know more about the science they're doing downstairs. Why do you suddenly want to learn an instrument?"

"Mummy used to work at a music school. I thought it would be nice to go there and be where mummy used to be."

"You don't apply to that school," said Tina. "You get chosen. In a few years you will do a test at school. All the pupils at school take it when they reach a certain age. Based on those results, they choose twelve students from across the country who best fit together. Not all play an instrument, but those that don't, learn one while there."

"I nearly didn't get to go," said Luke coming into the room. "They were going to ask someone else, but they died. Just because my sister went, didn't make it any easier for me to go. I didn't know she went there and only found out when I was in my third year."

"Ignore what your mummy did, or your ma does," said Ashleigh. "What do you want to do when you're older? What do you like doing?"

"I'm not into coding like Ma is. I like science and maths."

"Then do that. Have a go at an instrument and see if you like it. You might not use it as a career but look at Liam; he plays to relax. If you don't like it, then concentrate on what you love doing. You won't cover some subjects until you are older. You haven't probably done chemistry or biology."

"Do you still play your instruments?" asked Jenny looking at Luke and Tina.

"Yes. It's sometimes difficult when we are doing an investigation, but when we're home, we still play. Or sometimes if we are on a longer project, we might find a local orchestra or band we can play with. We might not play as part of our jobs, but it is still part of our souls."

"Your souls?"

"Part of what makes us who we are. What we do because we want or need to, not because we have to."

"This has got very deep," said Ashleigh.

Tina approached Jenny and crouched so she was at the same height. "Jenny, there is a lot more to your mummy than what she did while she was at the school. Did you know she stopped a criminal the day before she joined the school?"

"She did?"

"Oh yes. And she did it in such a way that the police and all the people watching thought it was an accident. Then when she left the school, she wrote a book and helped even more people with her work. She was so good that the government asked for her help."

"I miss her," sighed Jenny. "I'm going downstairs to see what Ma is doing and then sit out back."

* * *

Saturday arrived and Ashleigh lay there enjoying the Saturday feel. Two days without work. She then sat up with a bit of a start. She had house guests, and she thought she better not be too tardy.

After showering and dressing, she made her way downstairs. She heard hushed voices coming from the kitchen and the smell of cooking invaded her nostrils. Nobody had cooked for her in a long time.

She wasn't expecting the view she got when she entered the kitchen. Slaving away was a young man and woman, just the wrong way round.

"Morning," said Ashleigh, trying to sound calm and normal.

"See," said the young man. "I said she'd be okay with this."

The young man looked like her dad did when she was younger. She knew it was Tina dressed as a male. It was something she never thought she would see again.

"Why?" asked Ashleigh.

"It's good practice," said the lady. "By the way, I use the name Lisa. Sometimes we've had to go to investigations as two females or two males. When David said that there were less people around today, Tony and I decided to have a fun day."

"This is fun?"

"To us it is. Let's see how long it takes Jenny to work us out."

"That's not valid," said Ashleigh, taking a seat to have breakfast. "If she sees you with me, then she will know."

"She's right."

"Anyway, it's a Saturday."

"Becky is spending some of the morning working, and Jenny is going with her to the office. We will go somewhere fun later."

"This is really nice," said Ashleigh, tucking into the plate of food put in front of her. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"School. I think if we'd left without knowing how to cook, Justin would have been affronted."

"Justin?"

"He was the head chef at the school."

"The other four are cross dressing too, aren't they?"

"I believe so," grinned Lisa. "I'll have a brother today."

"And it doesn't upset any of you?"

"No," Lisa and Tony responded in unison, and then looked at each other with goofy smiles.

"We know who we are," said Tony. "In my heart I'm Tina and always will be. I will be back as Tina for tomorrow. I don't want to cause our parents to have heart failure."

Ashleigh gasped. She hadn't thought about her parent's reaction. She laughed now, as her mind played out the confusion.

"You've not asked who's trans out of the six of us," said Tina as they continued eating. "I mean, apart from me; you know my history."

Ashleigh shrugged. "It's none of my business and to be honest, I don't really care. I doubt if any of them were, then they wouldn't be doing it for shocks. They are who they are and are helping protect us. I'm eternally grateful you got me to safety the other night."

Once finished they made the short journey to The Anchor. It was unlocked, and Ashleigh found it was the other four investigators standing just inside the door.

"Morning," said Ashleigh cheerfully. "Lisa, do you want to introduce me to your brother? Based on heights, have they changed things around in more ways than one?"

"Nice spot on their heights. We have Marcus and Jayne. Brenda and Christopher."

"Do you know when Becky will be in?" asked Jayne.

"No. This is my first weekend here. I've no idea if she takes Jenny anywhere for Saturday morning activities."

"Oh, here they come," said Lisa who'd been looking out of the window.

Jenny came skipping in and ground to a halt when she saw them. "Have they sent a new team?" she asked Ashleigh.

Ashleigh didn't know how to answer that one and looked questioningly at Tony.

Rebecca who had just caught up with her daughter, looked over at them and said, "A Mix-Up Monday on a Saturday?"

"A mix-up what?" asked Jenny, not understanding.

"We're the same guests you've seen the last few days," said Tony. "We're just dressed differently for the day."

"Oh! So, what do I call you today?"

"The same as the last few days will do. You've been very polite and referred to us as Mr and Mrs all week. Just swap the titles."

"Okay," she said, not having any issue with that. "So, what's happening?"

"Well, your ma said she had some work to do. If she's finished later, why don't we all have a trip out?" suggested Marcus.

"Okay Mr Haynes."

"Ah, Becky," said Jayne. "I've got a confession. I've added a branch to your code repository with some useful security libraries."

"A separate branch?"

"Of course."

"You should have just asked. It would have saved you time hacking in. How long did it take?"

"I had to be onsite. Your airgap is good security, but don't let it be your only line of defence."

"Okay, come to the lab, and you can explain. It's good to get an additional pair of eyes on it. I presume one of you can prepare a security report. Please send a secure copy to Ashleigh and me."

"You seem pretty laid back about it?" said Marcus.

"We are a small team to keep what we are doing secret. We don't have the infrastructure that larger teams would have. So, if there are things we can do better, tell us. I'm grateful and Ashleigh will be organising whatever we need to do."

"More work for me," Ashleigh said in a theatrical manner. Jenny giggled.

Just as Rebecca was about to go towards the Lab, she stopped and turned back to them. "Why cross-dress today?"

"Two reasons. First, if something happens and we get sent again, we can't guarantee how we'll be. You know now basically how we look. Second, for us it is a bit of fun and reminiscence. Obviously, Hilda must have mentioned certain school things to you, otherwise you wouldn't have known the name."

"She told me about it when I was struggling as I came out. I was worried how people would react to me and if I would be able to pass. She didn't mention any names, and very little about the running of the school. But when she did mention it, it was always with fondness and happiness."

David followed Rebecca into the Lab, leaving the others.

"How long did it take last night?" asked Ashleigh.

"Ten minutes to get into the lab and it didn't take Jayne long to do her work. The front door was easy as we 'borrowed' Evan's key. I saw the alarm code being entered the other day."

"You're being very open in front of me," said Jenny. "Aren't you worried I might blab. I'm only seven."

"Yes, I'm worried, but Miss T stated that we shouldn't hide things from you," said Marcus. "You know what your ma is doing and there have been no restrictions on you listening to what the project team discuss. It's good that your ma doesn't have to hide things from you. You have gone through enough without thinking you are being lied to. I'd rather you kept things secret, and you know that. But you are seven and you might make a mistake. If you do, we'll live with it."

"Is everyone at the school you went to trans and spies?"

"None of us are spies and only a few are trans," said Christopher. "It's a music school which has enhanced teaching methods. Some pupils are trans and are given the freedom to choose to be their real selves. Because the pupils are talented, the school encourages them to learn about jobs they want to go for. The six of us decided we wanted to help the way we are. The pupils from my year have different jobs. One plays in an orchestra, one does travel arrangements, two work on a farm, one is an accountant, one a politician, one a travel writer, and one a professional billiards player. Then Jayne and I are investigators."

"But that's only ten of you. I was told yesterday that the school accepts twelve a year."

"They do now. When I went, it was ten. Why this sudden desire to go there?"

She thought for a few seconds and then said, "I need to know more about Mummy. It's one of the places she spent time. I need to know—"

Jenny stopped and turned to go.

"What do you need to know?" asked Ashleigh, taking Jenny into her arms.

"I need to know why Auntie blames Ryan for Mummy's death."

This was quite a surprise for Ashleigh. She wondered if Jenny had it wrong, but Jenny seemed earnest, and Ashleigh didn't think now was a time to debate the matter. She didn't know anything about Hilda's sister.

"And you think you'll find that at the school?"

She muttered, "I don't know. I have to start somewhere."

"Have you spoken to anybody about your mummy dying?" asked Brenda all serious.

"Not really. My doctor wanted to talk to me about it, but I didn't want him asking awkward questions."

"Like mother, like daughter," said Ashleigh to herself.

"I also didn't want to talk to anybody. They just wouldn't understand."

There was an awkward silence. Nobody knew what to say to that. They knew that Jenny had issues over her mother's death, but none of them had a clue what to do about it.

"So where do you want to go this afternoon?" asked Brenda, trying to change the subject.

"Ooh, can we go to Slimbridge?"

"The wildfowl nature reserve about ten miles away?"

"Yes," confirmed Jenny.

"Sounds fun. What birds do they have there?"

"Geese, and pink ducks and swans," responded Jenny.

"Pink ducks?" asked Lisa, wondering what she meant by that.

"Flabingos?" tried Jenny.

"Oh, Flamingos."

"Yes, pink ducks."