The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3362 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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The meal was absolutely delish and we shovelled it down, enjoying every mouthful. Once we had finished Danni retired to her room while I cleared up the mess. As I was doing it I wondered if we were too easy on the kids, they get regular pocket money but do little for it. I had emails to deal with that I couldn't do at the football and dealing with them took up at least an hour. I took a break to make a cuppa, I looked at the girls, at least the ones I could see. Trish was reading a textbook and Sarah was wrestling with some homework. I didn't know why as I thought she would cope with the first year, but she was certainly getting her knickers twisted. I read the question, asked her some rather simple ones that she answered and I handed her back the question. I could see her puzzling for a moment then the penny dropped, "No wonder I couldn't see it, I completely misread it, now I see it, it's so bloody obvious, thanks, Mum."

Curiosity got the better of me and I nipped up to see if Danni wanted a cuppa, she was on her mobile and I suspect talking to Francesca. "She stopped on the way home and asked me if there was something going on between us. I denied if of course, when shall I see you again?"

The little toad, telling me lies. Now is she having a relationship or are they just friends? Whatever I'd be happier if Danni didn't see her either way but life isn't like that. I also fee if she thinks I'm intruding she will get worse, she hates being told what to do and she's old enough to make mistakes and deal with them but Francesca's dad is a real slime-ball and I want to minimise the contact with him for all our sakes because I'm sure he's bad enough to have killed someone.

I tapped on her door, "Danni, d'you want a cuppa?" I called, and she replied no, she had a bottle of water so she was fine. I called out okay and went back down. Then I sent Hannah up to ask if she had any coursework to do, knowing that Sarah did and she was on the same course as Danni. I was back to my emails and Hannah popped her head around the door and she told me that Danni had said no. I would have her tutor speak to her on Monday and see if she'd done it or what.

I finished my emails and had a chat with Mima, since her lisp had gone there was no holding her back and she was becoming a lovely, attractive, and very confident young woman. It irked her that Trish was already at uni and she was just doing GCSEs but she knew Trish was cleverer than she and also two years older. She usually went out on a Friday night with a gang of friends.

Lizzie and Cate were playing some board game and making lots of noise I went back to my study and closed the door. I phoned Sammi and asked her to see what she could find on our local gangster. "Do you want me to hack him?"

"I don't know, I just don't want Danni to get hurt."

"Is Danni gay then?"

"I don't know, she says not quite vociferously but then I expect her to. You girls worry me to death."

"How's Julie? Has she got her hooks into a man yet?"

"No, she still trying too hard, Phoebe is dating someone which of course leads to some friction but so far Trish has learned from her narrow escape."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me the police have arrested Mr Creepy or whatever his name was."

"Where did they catch him?"

"In Scotland somewhere, anyway he's in nick at the moment."

"Oh good, he certainly deserves it."

"Anything else I can do for you, Mum?"

"Yes, come home for a weekend again so I can spoil you."

"Won't be this weekend, the Russians are blaming the UK for all sorts of things, so we're under increased threat risk. I'll come when I can, promise."

"Okay, sweetheart, I'll leave you in peace."

"Bye, Mum, love you," and she was gone.

I rang Jim and commissioned him to do some surveillance on Davidson, but low-key stuff. I wanted to be ready if anything happened. So he wasn't to be noticed, I wanted Davidson unaware that I was investigating him.

"Didn't his partner disappear?"

"Yes, owing the bank about two million quid."

"Is there any reward?"

"Simon said he thought that it was still extant if they recover the money and get a prosecution, it's a hundred grand I think he said it was."

"Hmm, that would almost pay my gas bill," he said.

"What a hundred grand or two million?" I asked.

"Either," he said.

He rang off a moment later. I had engaged the two most useful people I knew and they were both past masters of observing someone without them being noticed. I just want to keep Danni safe and if that means putting Davidson away, then so be it.

I drank my tea and daydreamed of the time that Mary had tried to kill or hurt me, apparently, she was intent on cutting off my genitalia and then possibly cutting my face. I remember talking to her mother at the funeral, she was a lovely lady. I recall going to Salisbury to see her and she insisted on almost drowning me in tea and cakes. She was really nice and so supportive once she realised that was a transsexual. I told her that Mary had been fooled by my glued-up goolies and she smiled warning me to be careful with the glue or I might end up sticking something to the wrong thing.

She died a couple of months later from old age and a broken heart. I went to the funeral with Tom, it was well attended despite the fact that she was in her nineties. She left me a letter in her own hand, it was still in my drawer. I searched and found it. Her writing was so much neater than mine even in ballpoint.
Dear Cathy,

I enjoyed our meeting and I wish you well with your career and in your romance with Simon. I hope being a complete woman will bring you all the things you hope it will, though I think you look absolutely splendid as you are.

I'm sorry we met under such dreadful circumstances, as you said Mary wasn't bad it was her illness which was the problem, and her infatuation with Tom, who I've known for many years. I couldn't believe she could stab him like she did and as you were still at risk, the police were forced to act. I feel no animosity towards them, they did what they felt was necessary and Mary felt nothing as it happened so quickly, she died instantly. Maybe they could have fired to disable her but the inquest stated not, so I have to live with that for the rest of my days, though I know that is coming to an end.

I am sorry I didn't know you beforehand as I enjoyed your company tremendously and the fact that you have received this letter means that it won't happen again. So I wish you happiness whatever you do whether it's marrying Simon and adopting lots of children or counting dormice or becoming a career woman or all of it. Just promise this silly old lady that you will remember to have some fun amidst all the hard work you do and that you will enjoy what you do. Mary when she was well thought you were a lovely young woman and a first-class researcher. Remember that she thought highly of you before she was ill.

I shall wish you well for your future and I leave you this hat pin, which belonged to my mother, remember me when you wear it.

With sincere best wishes,

Phyllis Mallory"

I looked at the hat pin I kept it in the envelope. It was jet, and as black as coal. It was about one hundred years old and I thought far too valuable to wear, it was irreplaceable. It came into the same category that my pearls did, the ones my auntie wanted so badly. They were my grandmother's or was it, great grandmother, anyway they were real pearls and too valuable to wear regularly. I think I wore them once, otherwise, they resided in a bank vault.

Although I can afford it, I never wear expensive jewellery or watches because it in inviting robbery and no jewel or watch is worth injury or even death by some bandit, just for their illegal sale value, which is usually a fraction of their legal value.

I am married to a billionaire and have reasonable resources of my own but I don't wish to flaunt it. I saw that one of the Ecclestone girls had jewellery of about a million pounds stolen. That is disgraceful that someone should have that value of capital tied up in bits of carbon, gold and carborundum, which is all it is. Diamonds are pure carbon so is anthracite yet one is valued much more highly than the other. That's the system and I don't agree with it but whoever listens to the ramblings of a woman?

"What's that, Mummy? asked Mima.

"It's a very old hat pin," I replied.

"Where'd you get it, you rarely wear hats?"

"From a lovely old lady, I knew who lived in Salisbury."

She took it from me and looked at it, "Gosh, it's very black isn't it."

"Yes, it's jet."

"I thought that referred to aircraft."

"No, jet jewellery was made by the Romans."

"Wow, that's not Roman is it?"

"No, it's Victorian."

"It's really pretty. Why don't you wear it."

"It's too lovely to risk, so keep it in my desk drawer and when I see it I remember the lovely old lady who gave it to me."

"Aw that's nice," she said before she asked me if I wanted more tea and went off to make it.

I would wait for Sammi or Jim to report when they could and I may know a little more about George Davidson and hopefully will be able to stop my daughter from having any sort of relationship with his family. I don't want to cross him because I have no desire to become part of a motorway or any other construction site, I just want us to keep well away from each other and not interact at all.

Danni dashed into my study, "You'll never guess what?"

"You've completed your coursework?"

"Don't be silly, Francesca's dad has sent a snotty letter to the FA asking why I am not in the current Women's England Squad."

"This I suppose was based upon today's score?"

"I think so."

"I thought you wanted nothing more to do with them?"

"Yeah, that was then this is now."

"So you've changed your mind again?"

"I might have done, why can't a girl do that?"

"Of course but I don't want you associating with that family."

"Francesca's all right."

"She may be but her father could be a murderer, do you want to find out the hard way?"

"Meaning what?" she said to me.

"I think you know what I mean."

"You think he'd do something like that to me?"

"No, but if he broke your legs, your football career could end suddenly."

"He wouldn't do something like that, would he?"

"No, because your father would break his."

"This getting silly, I suppose you do even more to him?"

"I honestly don't know what I'd do, which is why I don't want to encourage your friendship with Francesca."

"Why should he be involved?"

"Because she's his little girl and always will be, you're mine but I will allow you to grow up, unlike her."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"It's like neoteny Look it up."

"That's axolotls and stuff innit?"

"That's right and it means they stay in a sort of eternal childhood, a sort of Peter Pan state."

"How does this relate to Francesca?"

"It means that he doesn't want her to grow up so he's likely to see of any serious suitors."

"This is like something out of Shakespeare."

"It's been a problem for women for a long time and involves possession and ownership of females by men, especially their fathers."

"This bloody stupid."

"It is to a modern woman but not where the family dynamics involve a dominant male who acts like a caveman and feels he owns his females."

Danni swore and rushed off to her room slamming the door. "Here's your tea, Mum," Mima arrived back with a cup of nectar, "Whatever got into Danni?"

"I think we just had a disagreement on neoteny and whether it occurs in humans."

"Does it?"

"I don't know but I've a feeling we might find out soon."