Crossing The Line Chapter 5 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

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(title picture Andrea Piacquadio)

“So nobody saw the driver?” asked the police officer. They all shook their heads and looked embarrassed. “Did anyone get the number of the car, or the make or the colour?” No one rushed to answer. “Could it possibly have been an accident?”

“Now look here sergeant....” started Jenny.

“Detective sergeant,” he corrected her.

“Whatever,” she counter-attacked, “There has been one attempt already to kill my daughter and another child has been killed. There were no lights on the car, it ran straight at her. I don’t think it was an accident, and if you do then you are obviously missing something!”

“Mrs Bond, I accept we are investigating a suspicious death….”

“Suspicious, you’ve surely seen the tape, half the planet has. It wasn’t suspicious, it was murder. Cold blooded murder, and the intended target was my daughter.”

“We are keeping an open mind about the incident on the esplanade,” Jenny was about to interrupt him again, but he hushed her, “I know you consider it cut and dried, but we have to be more circumspect until we finish our enquiries.”

“I see, so if you find someone with their head bashed in, it’s just a suspicious death, is it?”

“Until a coroner’s jury decides it’s unlawful killing or murder, we can only work on catching the person concerned. What we charge them with is decided later.”

Jenny shook her head in disbelief. It seemed incredible that the police could be so detached from what had happened. Drew was sitting with his father in the dining room; WPC Andrea Smith was talking with him.

“Can you tell me what happened, Gaby? It must have been awful.”

“I went to pick up Auntie Carol’s bag … sniff, and the next minute, sniff …” tears began to form in Gaby’s eyes, one rolled down her cheek, “It was horrible.” She turned and hugged her father, who was sat with his arm around her. He squeezed her gently.

“It’s okay Gaby, just take your time,” cooed the police officer.

It took fully two minutes for Gaby to compose herself. “I … sniff, bent down to pick up the bag ... sniff ... and I heard a car, I didn’t really see it, sniff … I ... sniff, couldn’t move, my legs like ... It was horrible.” She began to cry again, and was once more comforted by her dad.

“Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?” asked Dave, “She’s still very upset about it.”

“Yeah, okay Mr Bond. Can you come down to the station?” asked Andrea, to which he nodded. She then left and went back to the detective in charge. He and Jenny were still arguing. When Andrea entered the room and shook her head, he accepted the signal and suspended the enquiry for the night. Moments later the police left.

“The arrogance of that man ... ooh, I could have poked him one, right in the eye,” snapped Jenny.

“Let’s all have a cup of tea and get some rest,” suggested Dave, just before Maddy and Jules arrived with a tray full of cups of boiling hot fluid. “You must have read my mind, girls.”

They all sat down and drank their tea; there was little conversation. John who had waited protectively of Jules, made his exit accompanied by Jules. Gaby saw them leave and wondered if Jules would do one of her long farewells. When Dave was about, he tended to hurry them on a bit. Gaby wondered if that would happen tonight. It was nice having Dave there, she felt safer, even if he hadn’t been able to protect her from the car. Thankfully, John had seen the danger and rescued her. She would need to thank him properly, but it would wait until the morning, unless Jules kissed him to death first.

With the exception of Carol, who snored like a lawn mower all night, none of the others found sleep easy. The romantic aspirations of the two senior Bonds had long faded away as they dealt with the reality of protecting their children and themselves.

“We need to get home, get Drew back in boy clothes; get some normality back in his life.” Said Dave quietly to Jenny. “It’s the only way he’s going to go back to being a boy, and that should also help protect him from this lunatic, whoever he is.”

“I agree,” said Jenny, “but I do wonder whether Gaby is here to stay.”

“Not if I can help it,” replied Dave tersely.

“Isn’t that decision up to Drew?”

“For God’s sake Jenny, Drew is our son. I know you wanted another daughter, and he looks girlish, but he is a boy. Right now there is some nutter looking to kill Gaby, a simple hair cut and taking those ridiculous things off his chest and Gaby disappears. End of problem.”

“On one level maybe. I agree it could help to protect the kids, although he might then think Maddy is Gaby.”

“He must know there are two of them.”

“But which one is which? You got it wrong the first time they dressed alike.”

“Come off it, how was I supposed to identify my son, when he had so much make up on, plus a hair piece. Even his own mother wouldn’t have...” Dave paused here, because he was wrong, Jenny had seen who was who immediately. Why did women always do this to men? See things they miss, spot fine detail, it was so irritating.

“Tell me Dave, even if that attack hadn’t happened tonight, you’d have wanted to drag Drew home double quick anyway, wouldn’t you?”

“Well I do need to get back to work.”

“Really, is that all?” asked Jenny, lying on her side, head resting on her hand, as she lay looking down on Dave who was lying on his back she stroked his chest feeling the hair. She loved this man.

“Alright, I knew you’d bring that up,” blushed Dave.

“Bring what up?” she asked coyly.

“Gaby and her boyfriend.”

“You found that difficult?”

“Of course I did. It’s not every day I see my son dancing a smooch with another boy.”

“It wasn’t your son.”

“What? don’t tell me that was Maddy, because I saw what each of them was wearing. It was Gaby alright.” Dave became quite agitated as he recalled the scene in his mind.

“Yes Dave, it was Gaby, not your son, our daughter.”

“What are you trying to say, our son … oh, sorry, our daughter, is schizo ... bloody … phrenic ?”

Jenny pushed him back down on the bed, “No I’m not, but Gaby is different to Drew, almost as if they are compartmentalised a little.”

“Yeah, bloody schizo !” hissed Dave.

“No I don’t mean that. It might just be simply a case of role playing, but if I didn’t know better, I would never believe Gaby was really a boy. Drew is still in there, but he seems to be subsumed by his alter ego.”

“Oh bloody wonderful, multiple personality syndrome,” said Dave, holding his hand up to his forehead in despair. “I said goodbye to my son two weeks ago and now he’s turned into a bloody girl.”

“Be honest, and I mean totally honest, have you seen Drew since you arrived down here?”

Dave lay quietly, thinking deeply about what Jenny had asked him. She stroked his face, and she felt moisture by the side of his eyes. Dave was weeping. She held him and he buried his face in her chest. They embraced for several minutes, saying nothing, just being there for each other. Dave managed to regain his composure, wiping his eyes, he asked almost pathetically, “Have I lost my son?”

“I don’t know love, it isn’t for me to say.”

“No, I suppose not. What are we going to do?”

“We are going to let Drew or Gaby become who they want to be. It won’t be easy for him or us. But we don’t have a choice, to do otherwise wouldn’t be fair. It has to be Drew’s or Gaby’s decision.”

“Let’s just get him home.”

“I hope you don’t mean, as soon as he is home, that by wearing jeans again he wants to be a boy.” She glanced at him and he avoided her gaze. “Oh Dave, you were thinking along those lines, weren’t you?”

“Alright, I was. Can you blame me? I just feel if we can get him home, he’ll forget all this girly stuff.”

“Have you looked at him recently?”

“What do you mean?”

“He looks like a girl even without the breast forms and makeup.”

“A hair cut will sort that.”

“A hair cut won’t affect his body shape, or his voice.”

“I think we’ve talked enough,” said Dave and turned on his side, his back to Jenny. She could see him sobbing silently and put her arm around him, he didn’t respond. Eventually they both fell asleep.

Drew was tossing and turning, sleeping and waking. Jules was lying on her back too much in love to sleep, besides which, Drew’s restlessness intruded into her world every now and again.

He got out of bed to go to the toilet, she watched the diminutive figure slip through the doorway and return two minutes later. “Trouble sleepin’?” she said.

“Yeah,” he replied, “I keep seeing that car.”

“Come and have a cuddle,” she said, lifting the bedclothes. Drew needed little encouragement, he got into her bed and turning on his side, he allowed her to flow around his back, feeling safer when she put her arm around him. “I like your boyfriend Gabs.”

“Wha?” he said, part turning back towards her.

“You know, Harry. I think he’s nice.”

“He isn’t my boyfriend.”

“No? I think he thinks he is,” she teased him back.

“Well he’s mistaken then,” Drew snapped back.

“Alright, alright, keep your hair on. It’s just when I saw you two smooching on the dance floor, I thought you made a nice couple and he does have the hots for you.”

Drew turned over on his back, “What do you mean, he has the ‘hots for me’?”

“You know exactly what I mean, when he’s with you he has a faraway look. He is besotted with you, girl. You must have noticed, haven’t you?”

Drew felt himself blushing in the silk nightdress, “Not really,” he said, but the croak in his voice showed he wasn’t telling the truth, which Jules immediately seized upon.

“You lying toad, Gaby Bond, you are well aware of his being smitten with you. Maddy mentioned it before. Having seen it in action tonight, I agree. He is potty about you, isn’t he?”

Drew blushed even hotter, much more of this and he was in danger of spontaneous human combustion! “What if he is? I didn’t encourage him, in fact I tried to discourage him.”

“I’m sure you did Gabs, but that’s boys for you. Pretty girl, and well they can’t help themselves.”

“What d’ya mean?”

“What I said, you’re a pretty girl and he fancies you more than he knows what to do with.”

“But I’m not am I?”

“Not what?”

“A girl.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot, but I can see why Harry doesn’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well since you left home, Gaby seems to have come on in leaps and bounds.”

“How?”

“You just look so much like a girl, and not just a girl, but a very pretty one. You’re wearing clothes and acting just like any other girl. You do your own makeup and hair and nails, do you want me to continue?”

“No, you’ve made your point,” they both lay quietly, thinking. A couple of minutes later, Drew continued, “What am I gonna do?”

“What do you mean?” asked Jules.

“How can I get back to being a boy?”

“Is that what you want?” asked Jules penetrating his defences like a sword thrust.

He paused for some moments before he responded. “I think so,” he said in a wavering voice.

“You don’t sound too convinced, or convincing.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Sorry, but that’s like, how it came over.”

“I think it’s what I want.”

“What?”

“You’re not listening to me are you?”

“Course I am.”

“So how come you don’t know what I’m like, talking about?”

“I do.”

“Yeah, sure you do, I’m like going to sleep,” he huffed and turned his back to her again, this time his eyes filled with tears as he silently wept into his pillow. Jules put her arm around him, but he refused to acknowledge her. He did finally slip into a troubled sleep, but he awoke the next morning feeling tired and a bit down.

“Hi sleepy head.” said Jules gently, “I love your nightie.”

“Wha … what time is it?” he said yawning, trying to work out where he was.

“Dunno, but no one is moving about yet, so I ‘spose it’s still early.”

“My watch is over there, I’ll go and look,” offered Drew.

“Nah, don’t bother, we’ll get up when the others do.”

“Alright,” he said, stretching, yawning and then curling up to sleep again. Drew loved his bed nearly as much as he did his bike and his stomach. It might even have come before Maddy in his hierarchy, but it would be a close call. It definitely came before talking with his sister, so as she tried to engage him in idle chatter, he desperately tried to slip back into the arms of Morpheus.

Unfortunately, the arms of Morpheus, were metaphorical, those belonging to Jules were not, they were bony and knew just where to poke our hero to keep him awake.

“Will you stop doing that?” he snapped, sitting up to say it.

“Doing what?” asked Jules with feigned innocence.

“Poking me with your bloody elbow, that’s what,” he said angrily.

“Who stole your dolly, missy?” she asked of him, which lit the blue touch paper.

“What do you mean by that? I don’t have a dolly and I’m not a rotten girl,” he said in raised tones as he jumped out of the bed and stood with hands on hips, shaking with anger.

“Just stay there,” said Jules, “Don’t move.” She too slipped out of bed and walked around behind him, she came back a moment later, shoved his stuffed rabbit into his hand, then she walked away, turned abruptly and the camera in her hand flashed.

He saw the yellow after image in his eyes for several moments afterwards. “What was all that about?” he demanded.

“This,” retorted Jules, showing the photo of him she had taken of him with his own camera. “What do you see?”

“You know what I can see.”

“It’s you with your dolly.”

“It isn’t a dolly, it’s a bunny,” he protested.

“Dolly, bunny, whatever, where did you get it?”

“Can’t remember,” he said and his voice croaked again.

“I’ll bet Harry bought it for you,” she sounded triumphant.

“No, no he didn’t, I bought it myself,” Drew lied and he knew she would see through him, but he simply had to fight back and not let her walk all over him.

“I know you are lying, girl. Maddy told me Harry bought it for you, along with a shop full of flowers.”

“No he didn’t,” Drew protested, growing redder and more upset by the moment.

“Yes he did, I know he did, you’re just lying….”

“What is going on in here?” asked Jenny, entering the room. “Well?”

“Nothing, Mum,” said Jules, getting back into her bed.

“Gaby?”

“Nothing Mum,” said Drew, looking at his feet, and then getting into his own bed.

“Come on, let's get some breakfast started,” said Jenny, but neither of her children moved. “Juliette, go and put the kettle on.”

“Aw Mum ... I always have to …” whined Jules.

“Now, please,” said Jenny in her schoolmarm voice, and Jules reluctantly left her warm bed and went downstairs.

“Right Gaby, what was going on?”

“Nothing, Mum, honest.”

“Alright, but no more fighting with your sister.”

“Yes, Mum,” said Drew sighing as he did so.

Breakfast was a subdued affair. Although everyone came down at roughly the same time, no one spoke unless it was necessary. Jules considered it was. “Mum?” she began in a whiney voice.

“Yes Juliette.”

“I want a silk nightdress.”

“Okay, we’ll get you one when we have time.”

“These two have got one,” she said indicating Maddy and Gaby, “So I’d like one too.”

“I bought you one in Germany, it was for your birthday, but I’ll send it as soon as I get back. Is that okay?”

“Cool. Thanks, Mum.” Jules was beaming, but the tired eyes of the others declined to register her victory.

Gaby was sitting next to Dave who unconsciously draped his arm protectively around her. She seemed to be leaning in towards her father, he said something quietly to her and she whispered back. Jules felt a pang of jealousy. Drew hadn’t been able to do that with their father since he was about seven, whereas, she, Jules, could wrap Dave around her little finger. Having competition in the form of a younger brother who’s now a sister, could prove difficult. She would have to consider her options. She huffed to herself and decided to have a bath and use all the hot water, that would teach ‘em!

Jules' tactic certainly slowed things up that morning, and made her father very cross with her. His hostility to her and apparent closeness to Gaby did little to improve Jules’s day.

The trip to the police station was short but traumatic. Drew was in tears again as he recalled, or rather relived the incident. Andrea, the friendly WPC had come in specially to take his statement, Dave once again sat in with them.

After an hour, everyone who had seen what happened had given a statement and they all emerged into the sunshine. “Goodness, just look at us,” declared Jenny, “We’ re like a funeral party, come on the sun is shining, let’s do something.”

“Yeah, come on, let’s go to the beach or something,” cried Jules in agreement, trying to lift the mood.

“How about a bike ride?” suggested Drew.

“Getting withdrawal symptoms are we?” asked Maddy.

“Not especially, but that’s what I fancy. What about you, Mum?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Aren’t you just a bit vulnerable on a bike?” asked Dave, mindful of the first attack.

“I’m vulnerable wherever I am, so why not do what I enjoy. I’d rather die doing something I like than just die.” It was Gaby who said this, not Drew. It nearly blew Jenny and Dave away. It showed a maturity beyond her thirteen and a bit years.

“Besides, I’m not gonna let some loony stop me riding a bike, it’s what I do.”

Everyone went silent for a moment while they contemplated what had been said. Then Jenny said, “Well if I can borrow a bike and some kit, I’ll come for a ride with you.”

Drew was beside himself with joy. He loved to ride with his mum, out of something awful was coming something good. “I’ll bet Matt will have something he can lend you, can we ask Harry if he wants to come, he’d love to ride with you too.”

Maddy fumed. Her bike had gone back to the shop, not that she really wanted to go but what if that Steve bloke turned up? “I’ll come if I can borrow a bike,” she voiced at last.

“Beach for me,” said Jules loudly, “What about you, Dad?”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll come but I need to get some bathers.”

“I’ll come with you too,” said Carol, “I’m sure we’ll find something in Marks and Sparks.”

“Can I ring Matt and ask him about bikes and things?” said Drew barely able to hide his excitement.

“Better had kiddo, and what about Harry?”

“Oh yeah, I’ll call him too.” Drew pulled his mobile out of his jeans pocket and began pressing the keys. “Hi, Matt, it’s Gaby Bond, I’m okay. Any chance we could borrow a bike for my Mum and Maddy. You can. Oh that’s brill.” He began dancing around like a three year old. “He said he would be delighted to accommodate us, but can he take a photo or two?”

“I suppose so,” sighed Jenny, knowing that celebrity was a double edged sword.

“If he’s not got anything too good, you can borrow my bike and I’ll ride whatever he’s got,” offered Drew, still dancing about.

“I’m sure we can sort this out. I think I’ve got some shorts with me.”

“You can borrow my spare ones Mum.”

“What about Harry?” asked Jenny.

“He’s got his own shorts, besides, I wouldn’t want to wear them after he’d been in them.”

“Why ever not?” asked Jenny.

“Well, he’s, like, a boy.” said Drew, pulling a face.

“Oh,” said Jenny surprised. Everyone but Dave laughed at the episode. He took a deep breath and muttered to himself.

“I think Auntie Jenny meant phoning him,” offered Maddy, shaking her head.

“Oh, yeah. Right, yeah, phone him,” said Drew to himself, almost delirious with pleasure. Once more his polished finger nails danced over the keys on his mobile and he spoke with Harry. “Hi, Harry it’s Gaby. I’m fine. We’re going for a bike ride with my mum, do you wanna come?... I thought you might,” he rang off, “He’ll be waiting for us.”

With that the cyclists were dropped off at Matt’s shop, and the beach bunnies went off to the shops to get Dave some swimming trunks.

At Matt’s shop, he produced a set of shorts and shirt for Jenny, plus a pair of cycling shoes. They all bore the ‘Specialized’ logo, and Jenny made him promise he wouldn’t allow the pictures he wanted to take, to be used outside his shop. He happily agreed. Then his surprise. “We’ve had a Bianchi in for repairs. It’s been done and I’ve spoken to its owner and she is happy for you to borrow it for a few days, but she’d like a photo of you sat on it.”

“Wow, a Bianchi Mum, it’s what you usually ride,” cried Drew almost in a frenzy.

“Can I try it first?” said Jenny hesitantly.

“Course you can,” then looking at Maddy, he said, “Got a Saracen you can borrow. They’re both road bikes, is that a problem?”

Maddy shook her head, “No, that’s fine.”

Tim was bringing the bikes out while Jenny changed into the riding kit in the cramped toilet they had in the shop. Drew was fidgeting about in the workshop waiting to get back and get his bike. Maddy was sitting on a seat waiting, half chatting to Matt, when in breezed a young man wearing cycling kit and a helmet. “Hi Matt,” he called.

“Steve.” Matt called back, “I think we’ve got those spokes you wanted.” Then he whispered to him, “Your girlfriend’s here and so is her mother.”

“What?” asked Steve, looking puzzled.

“Gaby Bond is in the back and so is her mum, Jenny.”

“What, Jenny World Champion Bond?”

“Yep.”

“You’re having a laugh,” he said astonished by the news.

“I’m not, just wait and all will be revealed.”

“Jeez, Matt, what’s the world champ doin’ in a dump like this?”

“Thanks very much. I spent all day on the phone getting those bloody spokes for you and this is all the thanks I get.” He pretended to be very hurt, but the twinkle in his eye gave his real mood away. They both began to laugh, which alerted Drew to the fact that someone else was there.

“Oh, hi, Steve,” he said as he walked back into the main shop.

“Hi, Gaby, seen my DVD yet?”

“Sorry, haven’t a chance yet, that lunatic tried to kill me again yesterday.”

“What?” said Matt, his eyes changing to reflect his now grave concern. “What happened?”

Drew told them, while Maddy watched the interaction of Gaby and Steve. “If they mirror each other’s movement, then they like each other,” she said to herself. Drew was animated in his story, while Steve stood mouth agape as he listened in horror.

“Haven’t they got this moron yet, bloody plod, they couldn’t catch a cold!” He said, voicing his disgust. “Say thanks to this John for me.” Drew stood and looked bemused by this remark. “He saved your life, right?”

Drew nodded, still bemused. Steve put his hand on Drew’s shoulder, “If he’d hurt you, I’d have got really upset.”

“Oh,” said Drew, blushing.

“Oh!” said Maddy to herself, firing daggers at Steve. It was a good job she’d come to the shop after all!

Jenny coming back to the party interrupted things. “Oh Steve, this is Gaby’s mum, Mrs Jenny Bond.”

“Wow!” said Steve, “It’s a pleasure to meet one of my heroes.”

“Heroines” corrected Drew.

“Yeah, well you know what I mean,” blushed Steve, shaking Jenny’s hand.

Tim arrived with the bikes and his camera, and a series of pictures were taken, practically everyone posed with Jenny, and Matt and Tim posed with Jenny and Gaby. Then Steve had one with Jenny, and one with Jenny and Gaby, and Maddy and Gaby. They took one of Jenny on the Bianchi, and standing alongside it. Each time Tim angled to get the front of the shop on the picture. ”Next year’s Christmas cards,” he thought.

“You, like, going for a ride?” asked Steve.

“Eventually,” said Jenny, “Why?”

“Mind if I tag along?” he asked blushing.

“I suppose it’s okay,” she said taken aback.

“Given what happened yesterday, I think it might be a good idea to have plenty of people about,” said Matt.

“Oh, Gaby told you, did she?” The question was largely rhetorical, as someone had obviously told Matt for him to know. He nodded his response.

Maddy, who had remained an observer for most of this interaction was still sending psychic hate mail to Steve, behind his back. She was going to watch Steve and Gaby like a hawk, although Harry being there as well, would add another dimension.

Drew, oblivious to Maddy’s mood, was pleased Steve was coming too. He felt a bit safer with a man there. Harry was nice, but Steve was bigger and stronger. Yeah, it was good he was coming.