Chapter 5 –

Dr. Lipscomb finished his preliminary examination of Jean. He was the right doctor at the right time.

“Okay Ms. Laignaux, what is your current dosage?”

“Two milligrams of Estradiol a day, or a shot every fifteen days.”

“Which do you prefer?”

“Believe it or not, the shot. It is easier on me.”

“I will leave it to your gynecologist to examine you more fully. But, I would like to know about your breast size since they are a fair size. Is can’t be all natural?”

“No Sir. I was augmented about ten months ago to give me a C cup. Mr. Jack said I was probably not going to develop more than I had, so I needed help.”

“Do you have the brand of the implant.”

“It is with the records the police found. I will ask them to deliver you a copy.” said Mrs. Laignaux while fishing through the paperwork in her lap. “Oh, I’m sorry. I already have it here.” Mrs. Laignaux gave the doctor the rest of the paperwork.

“When did you start to bud, Jean?”

“When I was ten, almost eleven. I grew to a size B by the time I was just about to turn thirteen. The man who had kidnapped me arranged for me to have breast augmentation feeling that I had hit the maximum size I would every develop. Something about breast tissue varying from male to male.”

“He has to be well trained to know that. He is mostly right. It must have been harrowing to live out your story.” Looking to her mother, he added, “Okay, I have to keep it confidential Mrs. Laignaux, so you need not worry that it will leave the office. Not even my staff is going to know, which is why you are in this room. Are there any questions?”

“Yes, the doctor who first examined Jean said she won’t be growing taller. Is that true?” asked Mrs. Laignaux.

“Pretty much. Looking at the records you handed me, it looks like she will remain pretty petite the rest of her life. Which ought to make it easier for her to pass. Plus, I can see the facial surgery really changed you into an attractive girl. Are you feeling fine? No depression or anxiety?”

“No doctor. Well, I am nervous about going to school, but I don’t think it is because I am a nut case.”

“My dear, you would be a nut case not to be nervous about starting high school. But, I assure you, you will be fine. You look all girl and frankly, unless someone asks you about your menstrual cycle, they won’t know that you don’t have female reproductive organs.”

“Is there another way for her to get her hormones other than her getting a shot or taking a pill?” asked her Mom.

“We have patches that can do the same job. They might be easier on her than a shot and less likely to be forgotten than a pill. When are you going to see your gynecologist?”

“Right after this, Dr. Lipscomb. She is just down the hallway.”

“Dr. Abernathy?”

“Yes. Oh, she is good. My wife goes to her. She says she is the best in the county. And my wife is very picky when it comes to doctors. I had to get three referrals and ten testimonials before she would even date me. Of course, it could have been because aside from being a general practitioner, I am also a psychiatrist. And we all know psychiatrists are crazy in ze head.” Dr. Lipscomb winked at Jean who giggled.

After paying the bill and picking up her hormone prescription for patches, the two ladies walked hand in hand down the hallway to Dr. Abernathy’s office. It was delightfully decorated. It even had a section where little kids could play.

“Well, honey, you look excellent. Whoever did your surgery is talented. It looks just as good as any other woman’s would. Do you dilate on a regular schedule?”

“Yes Ma’am. I dilate four times a week at twice a day for a total of an hour per day.”

“I think you can cut down to three and once a day for an hour. I don’t see any hairs in your vagina, so you don’t have the problem many transgenders have. How about lubrication. Have you experienced it yet?”

“Yes Ma’am. Although, I was told that it will be insufficient and I should carry lubricant if I wish to have intercourse. I use a little lubricant during dilation.” She was afraid to mention that sometimes she didn’t.

“Do you see yourself becoming sexually active?”

“Not yet.” Jean blushed. It was a brutally honest question. Especially in front of her mom.

“Well, you need to know that the inner walls of your vagina can develop a fistula during intercourse. It goes with out saying that if intercourse is painful, you need to stop right away. But, should your partner notice any bleeding, he has to stop immediately too. You have to tell him that. He might think it is normal because girls bleed from their periods or losing their virginity and continue.”

On the way out of the office, Mrs. Laignaux remarked, “I saw the glass dildos in the drawers. I think we need to find a way to hide them from your siblings. I will see about getting you a safe. Just one question though.”

“What Mom?”

“I notice that one of them is a vibrator instead of all glass. Have you used to, well, um … stimulate yourself?”

Jean blushed. “Yes Mom. I have. Mr. Jack gave it to me when I was eleven and said that using it would make the time go by faster and encourage me to use it more often. He never watched.”

“The doctor from the government said that was to encourage you to feel more like a woman. Every time you got enjoyment out of it, you were less and less a boy.”

“I think I was less a boy anyway. I am sorry Mom. But, there really was a part of me that liked what he did to me. I felt guilty about it too. I felt he killed your boy and you would hate me for helping him murder him.”

“Oh no, Honey. I am so okay with you being a girl. And you can’t murder what you never were in the first place. I am just mad that you didn’t get a chance to become a girl under our roof.”

“Me too.”

***

“Miss Jean Laignaux.”

“Here.”

Jean looked around the room as attendance was taken. She seemed to be a little overdressed. She was the only girl not in jeans. She was also the only one sitting properly at her desk. Everyone else was slouched or bent over trying to sleep or talking to another student or playing with their phone. Being dropped off at school was another cultural shock as well. The hustle and bustle to get to her locker. The clanging of the lockers. And getting in her seat before the first bell rang was chaotic to say the least.

As she looked around the room, she vaguely remembered her days as a third grader sitting in a classroom. She realized that not much had changed. Well, not much as students go. She had changed considerably though.

Jean knew she was more mature. Quieter. She was used to sitting down in her little classroom at the hacienda and opening up her studies each morning. It got to be a rhythm. As the days, weeks, and months flew by, she would keep learning. Learning for her was an escape from the reality that she was far from home and what she had been before. It became a form of escape.

Of course, with no other students in her old world, there were no spring breaks. There were no summer breaks with days off for recreation. Almost every day was a school day in the world she came from. At least that aspect of her being there made this more than tolerable. Not having something to learn or do was torture and this was better than siting home and wondering what to do with her messed up life.

Then there was the feature of her change of sex. Before, in third grade, she ran with the boys during recess. She played dodge ball, basketball, and flag football. Though she liked playing with the girls and doing girly things, those things were forbidden fruit way back then. While playing basketball, she remembered that she could spy the girls in their groups doing things “he” wanted to participate in. Now the slipper was on the other foot.

The boys around her ogled the girls with teenage lust in their eyes. The girls ignored them because these boys weren’t mature enough for them. They wanted to be chased by a mature man, not a lustful boy. Still, the girls played games with the boys in the room. They were showing off their wares in strategic pantomimes of reaching for an item from a purse or putting something underneath their desk in an exaggerated way that showed off their developing chest or curve. They were flirting but not flirting. And for someone like Jean who had no recent history in the classroom, the body language of teenagers was acutely obvious. Had she been in a regular classroom since third grade, her observations would have been about what someone was wearing, not how they were behaving.

After attendance was taken, Mrs. Hubbard began to talk to her U. S. History class.

“Well, how was everyone’s summer? Yeah, I can tell by your faces that school started up again too soon. Okay, this is your first year in High School. This is your first period history class. I think a good way to start history is to hear a little of your history first.” In general, most of the students just said they grew up in town and came from whatever junior high.

And then came Jean’s turn. “I recently came from where I lived in Mexico. I was home schooled, so this is my first real school. This is all very new too me. I am not used to having other students.”

“Really? Are you Mexican? With a name like Laignaux, I would think you are French. And you don’t speak with an accent.”

“I was born here and raised there by my missionary folks. Anyway, I was home schooled, so I didn’t go to school there.”

“Well, then I guess you get to learn about your country then. We will be starting with the settlement of Jamestown.”

Jean responded automatically. “It was founded on the 13th of May, 1607.”

“Very good Jean. So, have you studied the history of Jamestown.”

“Yes, I read a really good book in June called ‘Love and Hate in Jamestown.’ It chronicled the problems the settlers had in founding the colony and how John Smith was successful in helping the colony survive.”

“Very good. I am impressed. It pays to read rather than watch television or play on the computer.” Several students looked at Jean and glared shaking their heads disdainfully.

“I didn’t have television or a computer to speak of, so all I could do was read. Television was a rare treat.”

Alice Marcum snipped sarcastically. “Not even blu ray?”

“What’s blu ray?” The whole class erupted in laughter and Jean sank back in her seat.

“Class! Don’t laugh. It is rude.”

“Hey, we have Gilligan!”

“No, Mary Ann!”

“No, Ginger!”

Jean was on the verge of tears. She was being picked on and she didn’t even know why. Mrs. Hubbard was getting furious.

“Okay class, since you are going to make fun of Ms. Laignaux. I think you might benefit from a little lesson about life. Not everyone is going to have the benefits of living in the richest country in the world with all the bells and whistles of modern life. So, how many in here have a cell phone?”

All but Jean raised their hands. “See, Jean here doesn’t have a cell phone. Are you going to pick on her for that next?”

“How many of you have a Facebook account?” Almost everyone raised their hand but Jean. “See, Jean doesn’t have a Facebook account.”

“How many of you hate getting dislikes on your Facebook account? In fact, let me rephrase that question, raise you hands if you get mad and hurt at them?” All the kids raised their hands but Jean who didn’t understand the question.

“Keep your hands up. Since Jean doesn’t have a Facebook account. She just got twenty-three dislikes because you picked on her. How does that make you feel? You have just bullied another student. Is that how you want to start the year? You can lower your hands now.”

Janet Smith seated next to Jean turned to her and said, “Sorry. We didn’t mean to make fun of you.”

“It’s okay.” But it wasn’t. She began wondering if she should just take the GED instead.

Mrs. Hubbard continued. “I could have asked one more question. I could have asked who in here knew that Jamestown was found on the 13th of May, 1607. I bet only one student would have known that here. I think it is important that we realize that Jean came here after living in a country that doesn’t have our lifestyle and from a part of that country that doesn’t have all of our modern benefits. So, please, don’t make fun of her for not knowing what you know. And, I am sure that she won’t make fun of you for not knowing what she knows about American history.”

Jean looked back at Janet. Janet smiled and mouthed the words, “It will be okay.” Jean relaxed.

The rest of the morning went pretty well until it came time for lunch. She stood outside the doorway to the hallway in front of her last classroom and pondered what to do. “Can I help you cuz?” came a voice from behind her. Jean turned and saw Sally. The two embraced.

“Oh yes! I am so glad to see you. I am so lost. This is all so new to me.”

Sally giggled and grabbed Jean’s arm. “I thought you would be. Come on Gilligan. I’ll help you.” Sally began to lead her down to the school cafeteria.

“Oh, Cuz, I am going to introduce you to a bunch of my girlfriends during lunch. There are 10th, 11th, and 12th graders in our clique. So, you will be well protected.”

“Thank you so much. By the way, someone called me Gilligan earlier today.”

Sally giggled. “I am not surprised.”

“Sally, who’s Gilligan?”

***
“Dr. Kendricks, come on in. Let me show you first how we do things here before you start helping us do it right.” For the next hour, Dr. Larson went through the procedures and policies of the city morgue.

“Well, what do you think?”

“You need a lot of changes. To begin with, do you have all the staff’s DNA on file?”

“No, not yet.”

“Well, mine is. I made sure of that. You will find it properly filed in CODIS as well. Not that I am a criminal, mind you, but since I process DNA, I have to be careful that I don’t contaminate the DNA I do collect. Having it in CODIS means that if I send a sample off to the FBI or some other place, they can separate my DNA from the sample.”

Just then, a knock came on the door. “Hello, Dr. Larson. I am Detective Bishop. I got a message that you had a hit on CODIS for a cold case. I have been assigned to that case.”

“Yes, please come on it. This is Dr. Paul Kendricks, by the way. He just joined our department. He has been working down along the border of Mexico for the last five or six years.”

Bishop looked over Dr. Kendricks, but quickly turned his attention back to Dr. Larson. “What case?”

“The one that involved the kidnapping of the eight year old boy, Camille Laignaux. We got a possible hit. Not the kidnapper sadly. A relative. I suspect that he is a nephew. His name is Jesus Patron. Twenty three years old. He was picked up with a group of illegal aliens who crossed the border and were caught stealing a car. His DNA was taken because he was involved in a felony. Although, according to the report, he had nothing to do with it. Here is the paperwork.”

Paul smiled at his good fortune. He knew he needed to create a false DNA trail back when he kidnapped Camille. By a superb stroke of luck, he was having lunch at an upscale restaurant in Phoenix when he spotted Alonso Carmen, one of the least involved family members of the Magdido crime syndicate, having lunch too. He was known to the CIA as a decent man who ignored the dealings of the family members at large, but enjoyed their protection.

After Alonso left, Paul pocketed the man’s napkin in an evidence bag he had. He stored it until he could use it too. What made it awesome was that he knew that Alonso was adopted, so the likelihood he would be tied to the kidnapping via a known DNA in CODIS where numerous members of the Magdido family were in the database already was pretty slim. Now, some other family would be suspect which would really screw up their investigation.

“You say you spent the last several years on the border?”

“Yes, I was cataloging and trying to track down illegals who perished in crossing into Arizona. In most cases, we just find the bones. It was a daunting task. I think I was only able to reunite about twelve families out of hundreds of remains.”

“Well, that is better than nothing. Where did you matriculate?”

“I got my doctoral degree at University of Texas at Austin on the G.I. Bill.”

“Where you in the service?”

“I was in the Coast Guard for most of my duty, but transferred for a couple of months at the end to the Navy because of Desert Storm.”

“Kendricks was just telling me how we need to have the staff in CODIS to prevent contamination of the sample from entering CODIS.”

“Oh, you are in it already.”

“Sure am. If I can ever help you on a case, let me know.”

Bishop left the building and pondered if Dr. Kendricks could be his man. HE thought, “His height, weight, and age were correct. But, if he is in CODIS already, he can’t be our man. However, he could have encountered him in his travels at some point.”

Back in the morgue, Paul felt that he had won a victory. He could be close to the investigator and at the same time far away.

“Is this a picture of your daughter?” Paul asked Dr. Larson.

“Yes. She is a gem. She has a look a like cousin who just moved here from Mexico.”

“Oh, really? How strange. Kind of like that old Patty Duke show. Identical cousins.” chuckled Paul thinking he did a good job on feminizing Camille’s face. The only thing for him to figure out now was how and when to let the cat out of the bag that Camille had returned as a girl.

Driving back to the office, Bishop called his Texas Ranger friend, “Hey Nelson. I had another thought. Could you examine the hacienda for any evidence of DNA. I was told that the house had been thorough cleaned prior to her being released and they found no DNA. But, I would like a second opinion or, rather, a second sample I could work with.”

“Sure Bishop. Sounds like a good idea.”

***
“You mean you had no television at all?”

“None. Well, almost none. I did have a collection of VHS tapes. And there was one series I was able to watch.”

“My dad showed me one of those old VHS machines. They were huge.”

“What was the series you were able to watch?”

“A television show called Northern Exposure. It was about living in a small town in Alaska. I liked it. Especially how Maggie’s boyfriends would die.”

“How would they die?”

“Well, one was hit by a falling satellite. Another fell asleep on a glacier and froze to death. Another was hit by lighting. There were others. It was a running gag in the show. I loved her character. I wanted to be like her. A pilot. A business woman.”

“Maybe we can stream it on Netflix?” Jean looked baffled.

“You don’t know what Netflix is, do you?” Jean shook her head no.

“You really are Gilligan, aren’t you?”

“I think I prefer that other person’s name. Was it Ginger Ann?”

“Ginger Ann. I like it. I think we just found a nickname for you. Ginger Ann.” teased Sally who hugged Jean.

“Oh, if any 9th grader gives you any trouble Ginger Ann, you just let them know the 10th and 11th graders have your back.”

“Don’t leave us seniors out either.”

“Then it is agreed. Her official High School nickname is Ginger Ann.”

“So, when do you help me get a make over, Ginger Ann?” asked Leann Starling. “I hear you have quite the eye for fashion.”

***
“Juan. Good to see you again. How is your mother? I hope she is feeling better.” Ranger Nelson gave him a friendly hug.

“Yes. She is feeling better. Thank you for asking. I have secured the hacienda. I don’t think you will find any DNA. There was a strong odor of chlorine through out the buildings.”

“I wasn’t planning on looking in the building for the DNA. There is a source that the kidnapper would have overlooked because he didn’t think it needed cleaning.”

Juan stared at him for a moment. “Where would that be?”

“The toilet and the sewage system. I have brought along some special equipment. And a few plumbers. We are going to get the DNA samples from the sewer system.”

“That means you will likely get all of the people working for him too.”

“True. But, his room is where will will go first. He liked to be isolated.”

“Good. What else can I do for you?”

“Well, after we get there, while my plumbers do their thing, I have more investigative work for the two of us. My suspicion is that our Mr. Jack also had full internet available to him. He needed it in order to stay in touch with the real world.”

“How would that be possible?”

“Satellite service. You see, when I saw that he used a faked Texas address, it occurred to me that the oil workers I have met in west Texas use a satellite feed to keep up with each site pumps out put per day. One of them bragged to me that they have half the bandwidth of one of the transponders. It wouldn’t be too hard for our Mr. Jack to piggy back his needs on someone else’s dime.”

“But, wouldn’t the company notice?”

“Not if the traffic was light and encrypted. Mr. Jack only needed to check email, send email, and otherwise monitor his subjects. In the stack of photos you have, there is on the roof patio for Mr. Jack’s private room, a series of four holes in a beam.” Nelson pulled out a tablet and showed him the photo.

“I think he had a roof top mount there for a dish. I want to go up there and see if anything stands out. It is just a hunch. But, Mr. Jack was there too often not to not have stashed something up there that could be helpful to us.”

“You mean like a business card?”

“Yes. I am hoping that he overlooked something which might lead us elsewhere.”

“I have one more thought, Senor.”

“What is that?”

“There is a hill behind the hacienda. What if he mounted the satellite dish back there and put devices in the house to monitor us?”

“Excellent point.” Nelson turned to the back seat of the van where his crew were talking about baseball.

“Hey guys. Do you think you can do a sweep of the hill behind the house before we start working on it?”

Herman Stanley, a veteran CSI investigator, thought for a moment. “Yea, I brought some equipment that ought to help. The satellite uses the VHF band which means that I can tune a receiver to hear the satellite pings the dish gives off. If I were to know that my place was being watched. I would ping about once a minute to let someone know the status of my place. If we set up in the back and someone walks to the front door. I bet we can scan for a ping.”

“Do it.” said Nelson. “I want to know if we are being watched first.”

A few hours later, Juan walked up to the front door and began to check the police tape to make sure the house had not been broken into in their absence. If someone was watching, they figured, it would look normal.

Soon after Juan’s inspection, in the woods behind the hacienda, Herman picked up 72 mhz signals as well as 2.4 ghz signals from the hacienda. He triangulated on them and they figured out where the dish was and the router in the home.

“We are in luck. I searched around the dish. There are no cameras that I can spot yet. We have a storm moving in about midnight with some heavy rain. I suggest we secure the dish during that time as the VHF signals can’t penetrate the cloud cover. I can scan for wireless devices during that time and disable them in such a way that he will think the storm knocked them over. During that time, the crew can sweep the home for devices too.”

Nelson turned to Juan. “Thanks. You saved our butts by suggesting this.”

Later that night, the crews went to work during the heavy down pour. Cameras found near the dish were discovered and rendered useless allowing a strategic path to the dish. It used a solar panel, so it was determined that between four at night till a little after sunrise, the detection system went offline. Clearly, Mr. Jack didn’t think anything would happened during that time.

Leaving the search for those times, Nelson had the crew sweep the septic system for DNA. He also used hi intensity light in the upper patio to look for clues. About six in the morning, he found a doozy. In a crevice between the roof deck and an adobe wall, he discovered a receipt for hardware supplies. They were bought in Nogales, Arizona, about two weeks before Camille was released.

Stanley came up to talk to Nelson before they quit for the day. “I think we got plenty of samples that we can test for DNA.”

“How long before you get results?”

“Well, I am going to use a lab at the University of Arizona. They were the ones that developed the technology that allowed them to identify Bin Laden’s DNA in a matter of hours.”

“You think they can turn it around that fast?”

“No. But, they have a robust DNA lab we can use. I figure that you will have results in about six to eight weeks. Maybe sooner.”

Before they left, the next night they repaired a few of the camera’s they had disabled in such a way to make it look like nature temporarily blinded the camera. They made sure that the camera’s in the hacienda didn’t record any movement and send it along. The only visual Mr. Jack had was Juan doing a routine check of the perimeter of the hacienda.

***
Hiding behind a VPN, Paul downloaded photos from a secret server on the net. Looking through the photos, he saw Juan checking the perimeter of the house. While a surprise, the fact that he didn’t go into the hacienda was a good sign. Leaning back in his chair, he said to himself, “All right. I might just arrange a break in to contaminate the scene in the future so I can remove all the surveillance equipment before it gets discovered.”

Switching windows on his laptop, he brought up the high school records of Camille. Slowly, he looked through her class list. Looking at the notes, he saw that she did well on her SAT. “Good girl! I am not surprised at all. And, I see they have changed your birth certificate to give you a new birth date, but haven’t changed your name, only switched the order of the names. Well, that won’t last too long. I’ll give it till the end of the first quarter. Then, I think we will start letting the cat out of the bag.”

Shuffling through some paper on his desk, he pulled a business card from the stack. It was for the Little Rock Herald. Jason Mandrake was a reputable reporter who had covered the disappearance of Camille some five years ago. It would be easy to out him. Just deliver the two birth certificates to him and let him know that DNA shows her to be Camille. And she is hiding in plain sight.

***
“You throw pretty good for a girl.” Sammy and Jean were in the backyard. It was a nice one with a big lawn and an above ground pool that had already been emptied for the season.

“Thanks. It has been a while since I threw a ball with someone, Sammy. I used to do it with someone I cared very much about as a kid.”

“How was High School today?” Sammy was just making small talk with his new sister. He knew that one day, he would be in high school too and was curious.

“Scary. I am not used to being a big school. How do you handle it?” Sammy thought it was cool that his new big sister needed his advice.

“I dunno. It has always been big to me. I have lots of friends at school too. I like that. I hate studying though. Dad says you like baseball.”

“Yup.”

“I don’t know many girls who like baseball.”

“I am hoping to join the softball team at school. Would you help me?”

“Sure, Sis. I didn’t realize I would be able to have fun with you. I thought you would be all there for Jessica. She hates baseball.”

“I’ll be there for both of you. You know, girls can do guy stuff.” Jean teased back.

“Like what else?”

“Help you build your Pinewood Derby car in January.”

“Usually I just watch Youtube videos and learn how to make one that way.”

“I keep hearing about this Youtube. I know you can watch videos on it. But, being outside throwing a ball with you is much more interesting.”

“I like you throwing a ball with me too. But, it would be a lot more fun if you could play X-Box with me. I mean, you really need help with modern stuff.”

“I know. I guess I am going to need your help and have you teach me some of those things. For instance, I am beginning to realize I am going to need a phone. Although, I hate the idea. All the girls at school during breaks seem to lower their heads and stare into a cell phone while using their thumbs to talk to each other across the room. It is creepy and weird. It makes it hard to get to know someone.”

“You think so? I don’t see a problem. But, then, I have a phone.”

“Well I do see a problem. Thank God I don’t have a phone. I was accused today of actually cheating. My geography teacher gave us a preliminary test to see what we knew of geography. I scored a one hundred. He asked me for my phone because he was sure I was cheating. All the class giggled and laughed as he found out I didn’t have one. I had to prove I didn’t use someone else's phone by answering live questions. And then he figured out that I probably didn’t need to take the course. He was pleased I knew where Tuscaloosa is.”

“Where is Tuscaloosa?”

“Alabama, just outside of Birmingham. That is where Mom went to school with Daddy.”

“Mom and Dad and you have grown close real fast.”

“I hope you don’t mind. I hope you know I want to grow as close to you too.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re family. Because without you, I would be all alone. Because I love you and I think you are a wonderful brother.”

“You do? You hardly know me.”

“I have always wanted a brother and a sister. I am very grateful to have you in my life. I hope I you feel the same way.”

“Well, you sure can cook. And while you throw a pretty weak ball, at least you don’t throw totally like a girl.”

“Would you mind teaching me how to throw a ball like a boy? I think I would like to try out for softball.”

“You bet.”

“Well, I need to go in now. I promised I would cook Mexican tonight. Do you prefer spicy or cheesy?”

“Cheesy.”

“You let me know what kind of foods you like and I will make sure to cook as many as I can for the family.”

“Just don’t chase away Grandmama.”

“I don’t see that happening. I need her too much.”

Jean went over and handed Sammy the ball. She gave him a big hug and kissed him on the head. “I love you Sammy. You are the best brother I could have ever had. I really appreciate you accepting me into your close family.”

“Sure, Sis.”

“Oh, remind me to hem your pants. I can sew too you know.”

“Thanks.” As she walked away, he mused to himself, “I think I am beginning to love you too.”

***
“So, Sally, how did school go today?”

“It went okay. Oh, Jean has a new nickname. She is Ginger Ann. Everyone was laughing at how little she knows about technology. It is almost like she was a castaway on Gilligan’s Island.”

“I hope you weren’t being mean to her.”

“Oh no. I think the girls really like her. She is so naive that it is kind of sweet. In fact, when Margaret Lang said that she has tickets for seeing Taylor Swift in concert in October, Jean asked who ‘he’ was and was ‘he’ a good singer.”

“Oh dear. I hope you guys didn’t make too much fun of her.”

“No. We did laugh when she said that. But, then we started to tell her about our favorite singers and songs. The things we like to do. In a weird sort of way, it was a lot of fun talking to someone who doesn’t know about all the fun stuff we do. She is so clueless that teaching her about the things and people we love is fun. She gets so wide eyed and excited about every new thing we tell her. It made everyone smile.”

“Well, good. She needs friends. I think it is wonderful what you are doing for her.”

“What was really humbling is that at the end of lunch, without thinking, she started to collect all our trays, empty them, and put them up for us. She didn’t even notice she was doing it. She is so polite and kind. Not at all stuck up like me.”

“That bothers you?”

“Well, yeah! When you are an only child like I am, it makes you see things clearly when you meet someone like her who, until recently, has been an only child too. I guess I am learning how selfish I have been sometimes.”

Her mother put her arm around her and said, “Sally, you are just a lonely only. You’ve never really been selfish or self centered. It is just with no brother or sister to compete for our attention, it can appear that way to others. Look how you easily accepted Jean and your friends. You have been just as kind.”

Sally liked hearing that. “You know what was really cool?”

“What?”

“Seeing all these 9th graders walking past us and seeing how much we look alike. You could tell they were doing a double take. A couple from her classes said hello to her and asked if I was her twin sister. So, it has gotten out that we are identical cousins.”

***

“The morning was not fun. The kids were kind of mean to me. But, when every one saw me with Sally during lunch, it was a totally different story in the afternoon. I was suddenly cool. I think it was in part because we look alike. Of course, a few teachers called me Sally when I first came in their room. They mentioned I looked like her and were fascinated to know we were just cousins.”

“So, you want to get a phone?” her mom asked incredulously.

“Not really. I hate the idea. But, I guess I should have one. I mean, if that is the way people talk these days.”

“We can get one during the weekend if you would like.”

“Ugh. What is the matter with using the English language. Can’t people just look each other in the eye without having to use an eye moe jay.”

“That’s an emoji, sis.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Emotive icon.”

“Okay, forgive me for sounding stupid. But what is an emotive icon, Daddy.”

Cam pulled out a piece of paper and showed Jean what he was talking about. “They are a couple of symbols that represent what kind of emotion you want to express in your text. For example, here, a colon followed by a hyphen follow by a right parenthesis looks like a sideways happy face. Change it to a left parenthesis and it now becomes a sideways sad face.”

“Oh, okay.”

“There are different combinations of punctuation symbols to say different things. And, some letter codes too. For example ‘BTW’ means by the way.”

Jessica added, “Or ROFL for rolling on the floor laughing.”

“Don’t forget LOL for laughing out loud.” said Sammy.

Jean seemed shaken. “That is scary. I don’t want a phone then. It sounds like bad stuff happens when one uses a phone. I think I am just going to live up to my new nickname, Ginger Ann.”

Cam teased, “After Gilligan, right?”

Jean giggled. “I am never going to live this down, am I?”

Cam leaned over, hugged Jean, and then kissed her on the cheek. “Never. But, I think it is nice that they have accepted you so easily. It is also a testimony to your aunt’s intervention and your cousin’s love of family too.”

***
“The MRI results are pretty clear. The micro-structures of her brain are consistent with a female. The CEOAEs are consistent with adolescent females. Physically, her vocal patterns are consistent with female ranges. Morphology is typically female too. Results of comparing female norms to her hips as well as how her arms hang from her shoulders are also nominal. Her vagina is a surprise, though. The surgeon used a technique common in India and used tissue from the inside abdomen, the peritoneum, to construct a vagina. It makes sense really. There wasn’t enough skin from the shaft of the penis to give her much of a pocket for her vagina and using tissue from the small intestine would have run risks of a serious infection. Still, it points to the source of training for the surgeon. They were third world trained.”

“Meaning that except for the lack of female reproductive organs, her secondary characteristics and her outside appearance is all girl. Thank you Dr. Singleton. Please forward the results to my office. Good bye.” Dr. Shelley Angstrom hung up the phone and called her secretary. “Please call Mrs. Laignaux and set up an appointment. Kindly tell them the results of the tests are in and I would like a standard ninety minute session with both her and her daughter. And then bring me her HIPPA permission forms. I need to verify I can share her results.”

Her email folder already had the information. She scanned over some of the details and something caught her eye. She reread it and smiled.

A moment or two later, the secretary stepped into her office and handed her the HIPPA forms. “It is scheduled for Wednesday at 3:30. It will be your last appointment for the day.”

“Well done. Thank you Evelyn. I don’t know what I would do with out you.”

Evelyn winked and said, “Dr. Angstrom, you would go so crazy that you would need to see the psychiatrist I would be working for instead.”

Shelley giggled, “You are probably right.” She lifted up the phone and called Officer Bishop. “Hey Bishop, I can give you more information about Ms. Laignaux. I just got her report. The surgeries performed on her show a high level of expertise. Who ever did the surgery knew exactly what they were doing. However, the techniques that the forensic surgeon found that were used are standard techniques used in the United States operating rooms. However, he did note that the MRI scan showed one technique used for shaving a bone on her skull that wasn’t done until four years ago, It was created by a Dr. Elliot of Los Angles who developed it in his practice. It is a special way of shaving bone that protects the brain from injury.”

“I don’t understand. How does that apply to this case?”

“Her surgery was done right after she was kidnapped. Which means that the surgeon would have to know Dr. Elliot or have seen the technique used.”

“Thanks. How do I get in touch with him and find out who might have learned it from him?”

“I have a suggestion. You may not like it, but given the circumstance, you might benefit from a private medical investigator. Many lawyers who do malpractice lawsuits use special investigators who know how surgeries are done and can go in and find out what you need to know faster than you can.”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“There is a special investigator in Los Angeles by the name of Artemis Holston. He used to work for the NYPD and was shot in the line of duty. He spent so much time in rehabilitation, that he soon learned how to investigate the industry. He couldn’t run anymore and would be regulated to a desk job. So, he took his pension, moved out west, and went to work for a few lawyer friends he had there. It was a marriage made in heaven. After twenty years at it, he has the expertise you need.”

“Do you think he would consult with me?”

“Yes. By the way, because of full disclosure, I have to tell you that he works primarily for my brother in law, Ronald Stetson, a malpractice lawyer in Burbank. So, he knows something about plastic surgery and more than likely knows Dr. Elliot.”

“Thank you Dr. Angstrom. You have been more than helpful.”

“You’re welcome.” Bishop hung up the phone and looked at a sketch of Mr. Jack put on a dart board hanging on his wall.

“The noose is tightening my friend.”

Copyright © 2017 by AuP reviner