Searching for Love - Part Three.
gOOd Reads, Novel, Novelist, Writer, Writing, Blogger, Free Books, Free Serialized Books, nicah,la Cortes,
Nic is a nasty and cruel man! He took the wheels off my metaphoric blogging bicycle. He made me do this blog on my own, without him holding my hand. Huh! I showed him.He has helped me with finding quick ways to do stuff and organise my work. The first attempt took all day, minus the image, the image that was an afterthought added a few days later. The same was true of my first book cover, it was hideous, really it sucked, and it took over a day. Alright two days. Yes, and a bit more. It took so long, I kept the background image and only changed the title for the other three.
And the cost! I've spent thousands on software that I don't need or use. I have four office suites, five photo editors, four drawing systems, and countless utilities and other random programs. Turns out I only need two, Google Chrome and Blogger and they are free.
The other thing I've learned is to trust an expert's experience. This is why I'm allowing nic and cc to fix my latest problem. Remember cc? He taught me everything about print design, not that I can remember much. Between the two of them they have over a hundred years of experience. As he said, 'You've got style. It's a bit in your face for my taste, but you'll get there.' Yeah! I'll take that from a true Pro.
The next big thing is to find out what SEO is and how to use it. Watch this space!
OK. You probably want to read the next episode. I'll still got the grandkids, so I'm still in a time bind, sorry!
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© Copyright 2017 nicah La Cortes.
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Summary
John Turner, Kellie’s father stopped her from going with him to Berlin on a business trip. She is suspicious of his motives, fearing his involvement with a mysterious woman. Struggling with her worst fears the situation gets when she suspects that she may have a stalker.
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6.
Kellie was devastated that she had missed a phone call from her mum. She had called to tell them that they had arrived safely. Rose had to endure an interrogation by Kellie over every word. Who said and to who. Repeatedly. Exhausted, Rose vowed she'd record their conversations after that.
They'd promised to call again for Kellie. She waited nervously for their call at the appointed time. Precisely at the time agreed the phone rang; Rose realized that Maddie must have been used to this behaviour by Kellie. Lesson learned.
Maddie and Tim endured an uneventful flight, during which they planned the visit. The arrangements that AMEX had been fine, first class, literally. Maddie was using John’s room while he was recovering in hospital. Tim was in the same hotel but on another floor. Their bags had been sent to the hotel as they wanted to go to the hospital first, they were desperate for news. Tim called the hospital from the plane; they had not been very forthcoming on the phone but agreed to schedule a clinical consultation with all parties as soon as they arrived.
In the meantime, someone must have waved a magic wand over them in Berlin. On landing at Schönfeld Airport they de-planed and were met at the aircraft door by a smart suited man. He welcomed Tim like they were old friends.
“Tim. Sorry to see you again in such sad circumstances my old friend.“
“Alrik! What are you doing here?” Tim shook his hand as they slapped shoulders.
“For sure, Bundeskanzler Merkel said to me, Himmel, Arsch und Zwirn, the Turner boys are back in town, try to stop them from wrecking the place.” He smiled and turned to Maddie, he said.
“I’m Alrik Mertz I'm pleased to meet you, and you must be Madeline, John's wife," Alrik introduced himself to her in excellent English, “I’m here for you and John. "There's no point being an officer in the Intelligence Ministry if you don’t use the intelligence," he smiled. Come now, we can talk in the car.
Alrik quickly escorted them through the maze of corridors airside to an unmarked car, and they were whisked away without any further formalities.
During their journey he explained that he was Tim’s opposite number in the International Coordination Division (IK) of the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), the Federal police. He served as one of two London-based liaison officers for several years. He met John and Tim when they were in the Army and worked with him while working in London. Now hearing of the accident he was able to schedule a visit to the Berlin office to help his old friends. He clarified the situation with the police and the accident. It was a matter for the local state police the Landespolizei, specifically the Zentraler Verkehrsdienst division, like the Highway Patrol in some states of the USA. Alrik was an officer in the BKA, or federal police, and as the crash was clearly an accident he could advise only in an unofficial capacity but when it came to John’s transfer to a hospital in the UK, he would be able to expedite the bureaucracy.
Alrik had driven them to the Virchow-Klinikum campus of Charite University Hospital in the Wedding district of north Berlin. This is where John was airlifted to after the accident. It was one of the best emergency clinics in Germany. The receptionist had guided them to a conference room where Alrik dealt with the formal process of confirming everyone’s identity and the various forms and permissions were completed. Eventually, the administrators were satisfied, and it was the turn of the doctors.
The doctors explained that John was in a ‘coma’, a medically induced sleep, a condition where the patient was carefully sedated to help with brain injuries caused brain swelling and a lack of oxygen from smoke inhalation. It was only due to the fast action and the intervention of the whole air-ambulance crew in performing the intubation, and applying oxygen, along with sedation and prompt use of a Cyanokit (Cyanide Antidote Kit — CAK — hydroxocobalamin) that saved his life.
He had coded in the ER, but fortunately the trauma team had been able to resuscitate him. None-the-less he had suffered extensive burns to his upper body, especially to his arms and hands, along with smoke inhalation damaging his throat and lungs1. As it was, the superheated air and cyanide inhalation had caused severe swelling to John's airways. Unfortunately his companion seemed to have inhaled more smoke and suffered more injuries and the trauma team were unable to save her.
John would be kept sedated for another 24 hours before the doctors would wake him. The first 48 to 72 hours are usually the most critical period, and after that, hopefully, they will have an improved prognosis. Meanwhile, it was possible he could be aware of his surroundings, and the voices of his loved one's while under sedation even though he couldn’t respond. There will be restrictions due to sterile ICU conditions, but they will be reunited. Maddie hurried to get gowned and ready.
They warned Maddie he would be plugged into various monitors, tubes, cables, feeds and equipment to help him breathe. Even so, she was shocked and frightened by the reality when she first met him. He seemed so still and vulnerable; alone in a bright white sterile room full of humming electrical equipment. The regular beat of the mechanical breathing system accompanied by the strident interruptions of the heart monitor filled the room. It seemed to be the coldest, most lonely inhuman room on the planet as she silently dabbed at her eyes gazing at the man she loved. All she wanted was to embrace him, feel his warm body and his heartbeat. The two men watched silently through the window as Maddie's tears traced a wet line down her face before eventually dropping from her chin. It was far more distressing than any of them had imagined. Eventually, after sitting with John for almost two hours, Tim convinced Maddie that there wasn't anything more she could do. They needed to go to the hotel to get some sleep.
They spoke again with the Doctors and arranged to meet after another clinical assessment the next day. Alrik dropped them off at the hotel where Tim arranged with Alrik to meet for breakfast before meeting the local police to find out more about the accident and mystery woman. Maddie had said that she didn’t want to hear about the details of the crash or the woman, it was too painful to cope with more right now. She just wanted to be with John. Tim agreed that he and Alrik would take care of it and that she could rest and talk about it later. As it happened, Maddie slept in late the next day, having managed to sleep with the aid of a sleeping tablet that John's doctor prescribed to her.
The news from Maddie and uncle Tim was encouraging. Kellie figured she had three or four days at most to get everything done before Maddie and Tim brought dad home. She needed help. Solo messaged that he was in on the hack. She knew he would be up for it, but she still needed someone else, someone she could trust with confidential family matters and who would be on her side. Should she involve Marte? Could she trust Marte?
Marte arrived with more fanfare than a state visit and all the luggage to match. She seemed genuinely pleased to see Kellie.
“You've put on weight,” Rose commented as they had a cup to tea, “Too many take-outs, alcohol, and partying, no doubt. It suits you. I never filled-in up top until I got pregnant... OMG... ” She gasped, “You're not?”
“Mum!” Marte feigned a look of shock, “No. I am not pregnant. Thank you. I don't get any exercise with all the studying I have to do, and I certainly don't have time to party,” she said, mouthing behind her hand, “It's the pill”, and as she smirked at Kellie. “Anyway I don't even have a boyfriend.” Rose looked relieved having missed the previous exchange.
“What happened to what's his name. Really, you've had so many boyfriends that I can't remember all their names.” She paused and glanced disapprovingly at Marte who didn't bite. “Anyway I'm glad that the last fellow's gone, he really wasn't suitable. I can't imagine what you were thinking.”
Marte glanced at Kellie and rolled her eyes. She moved closer to the suitcases and, in clear sight of Kellie but hidden from her mother, she slid her foot across the largest one, knocking it on its side.
“Ops! Clumsy me.” she grinned at Kellie.
“What's in the suitcases, surely you don't need two big cases?” Rose pounced.
“I ran out of washing powder, so I brought some washing home for you.”
“You can do your own washing, you're a big girl now.”
“I don't have the time to search for washing powder, I have to study.”
“I'll introduce you to the laundry aisle at the supermarket before you go back, dear.” Marte rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out behind her mother's back.
“Don't roll your eyes and stick your tongue at me!” Rose admonished.
Kellie glanced around the room to see where the reflection must have been, but she couldn't see where.
“Come on. Help me unpack, as we catch-up.” Marte said heading into the hall.
“How did she do that?” Kellie asked when they would be out of Rose's hearing.
“She was guessing. I must be off my game. I'm sorry about that. I heard what happened I rushed back as fast as I could. I'm glad I was able to rescue you in time. I hope you're still alright. She hasn't left you emotionally scarred for life yet has she. It's already too late for me but I can help you to escape while there's still hope.”
The big grin on Marte's face was infectious.
The beginnings of a puzzled smile formed Kellie's face as she mirrored Marte's grin. The girl was obviously loopy.
“I'm fine.”
“Wow good! A lifetime of therapy averted.”
At the same time in Fareham, the stalker ordered a pint of toasted cheese from the pub as he kept watching. Still, no joy! He was beginning to get annoyed. Maybe she was off sick? He had to know.
Luck was on his side. The kid was out and had left his laptop on. He'd stolen the passwords earlier. He opened Facebook and checked his friends list. It was pathetically short. Loser.
He was not the kind who would bear bad news graciously. He had been planning to mess with the girl and her mother now he found that they were in Berlin, his plans had been ruined.
“----king Berlin!”
He punched the wall. He ignored the pain. He needed to see someone else's pain. It was all that's damned kids fault. The kid will be back soon. He'd learn.
He thought about her and her mother. What a piece of work she was. The family had crossed swords with her a few years ago when they had been neighbours and friends with his uncle and aunt. That witch, always trying to fill his aunt's head with her feminist ideas, thinks she's better than anyone else. And that pathetic excuse or a man, her husband. He was the very definition of pussy-whipped.
It had come to a head when her weirdo daughter, who would have guessed she'd turn-out to be a fox like that, and his sister got into a playground fight over the 'pup'. He was in senior school then and couldn't help his sister in school-time but he would rush back in time for the juniors to finish school for the day. They called it bullying but it was only a bit of fun, name-calling, and shove or a push, they just couldn't take a joke. It wasn't his fault if they tripped all the time and weren't so steady on their feet. If they bump into lamp posts and posts and stuff. Or, if they kept getting scratches and bruises from the brambles and hedges every day. They were clumsy. They were a couple of retards.
Anyway, one day after school he held down the little weirdo as his sister cut a handful of her hair off for a laugh. She was wriggling so much that she cut her scalp. There was blood everywhere. She was a little bleeder and the pup, who was trying to save her, tripped on some-ones foot and broke his wrist. Before, her hair had long blonde waves. That was before they had to trim almost all of it off, like a boys crew cut but with a few bald bits. He could never remember her having long hair since.
Well, her parents caused a big stink over it. She went to his mother, like she cared. Then she went to the school and finally her father, being such a wimp and a big girl’s blouse himself, went to the police. That's how he got a juvenile record, and they moved house and school after that, and damned if that little runt 'pup' changed school too.
He opened another bottle and necked a swing. He was winding up again. Yeah, he had a couple of scores to settle with them. Stuck up witch.
7.
Kellie had no trouble convincing Marte to drive her home and shopping for the day. She felt a tinge of guilt at deceiving Marte; she rationalized that it was more hiding her ulterior intentions for a good cause. Strangely she had no just qualms about deceiving aunt Rose who finally relented saying ‘she had more than enough to do without the two girls tailing after her everywhere’.
“While you are out, pick up some laundry supplies. It'll be good practise for you,” Rose smirked, Marte responded with squint-eyes, ”some air freshener and of that perfumed cat litter. I swear that cat deliberately makes a smell whenever I go in the conservatory,” Rose sniffed.
Marte giggled, “I bet he does; it’s fear. Let’s play with Yoda. I always wanted a cat, but mum doesn’t like animals in the house. I had a hamster, but it died after three weeks, and I had a fish that only lasted ten days, Usain Bolt the tortoise hung around for a couple of months before he did a runner and was never seen again. Mum is lethal with animals it’s amazing I’ve survived this long."
I can hear you, and you won’t survive much longer if you’re not careful,” Rose called from the kitchen.
They played with Yoda until he got bored, that seemed to coincide with when they ran-out of cat treats. They added cat treats to the shopping list. Then they went up to Marte’s bedroom. It was more like a boutique stockroom with a bed squeezed into one corner than a bedroom. The room was stuffed with Marte's clothes; the wardrobes were bursting and there were three rails filling the room. There was barely room for the two of them to squeeze in.
“These rails are usually in the guest room, but mum said you needed room and my stuff should be in my room. I need room for some new clothes since I have embraced my more feminine curvy figure. Why don't you pick out whatever you want and the rest can go to a charity shop.”
Kellie for her part was happy to get her hands on so much 'new' swag and all without having to drag around the shops. Some of it still had the labels attached. She didn't care about shopping and fashion, she never varied her 'jeans and tee'' look. It wasn't that Kellie could afford the new clothes, just that her priorities were different. Having someone else styling her and buying for her was fine with her.
Marte was determined to update Kellie's style as part of her 'project'. Marte pulled stuff out pointing-out things that may fit Kellie and would suit her, insisting she'd try it on then adding it to the growing pile of Kellie's clothes. Then Marte decided she wanted to give Kellie a makeover with a facial and a mani-pedi. She was also desperate to do something with Kellie's hair but noticing that she was flagging they returned down stairs.
Kellie was itching to get back to her plan and fired up the laptop. It wasn’t worth the hassle to hack her dad’s social media as she could just use the password when we were at her house, but she could check the public streams and anything that was unprotected. So she got on Facebook and Graph Search and typed ‘photos of John Turner.’ Result! There were a few images taken in the last few days but one grabbed her attention. It appeared to zoom in and fill the screen every pixel bold and bright, searing her eyes.
An empty fluttering started in her stomach and rose through her chest, her throat constricted. She heard the strangled moaning before she realized it was her. It seemed that hearing about the woman and the calendar, shocking though it was, didn’t seem real until she had been confronted with a picture to them together. Hot and breathless and needing air she raced out into the garden.
That was where Marte found her bent over, repeatedly punching her hips with her balled fists. Following Marte, Rose ran after them wondering what was happening. Kellie was still bent over, gasping for lungs full of air. They stood on either side of her holding her arms stopping to prevent her from harming herself further.
“What on earth happened!” Rose demanded, as Marte shrugged looking bemused.
“Sorry, I just a little shocked," she said weakly, not knowing what else to say. She didn’t have a convenient lie to hand, so she told the truth, “I found something on Facebook, and it spooked me." She was trying to make light of it, but Rose was like the proverbial dog with a bone. Kellie realize that she'd need practice in concocting lies for Rose.
“I think I need to see what’s so shocking. What are you two girls up to?" Rose clicked the selfie of dad and the woman enlarging it and Kellie pointed at the woman in the picture.
“I’m sure it’s her ‘that woman.’ I’ve never seen her before, but I hate her," Kellie spat. Even then she was harbouring the hope that it was someone else, not the other woman, Jana Turnau. In her mind she'd been flawlessly beautiful with glossy flowing tresses and a model figure, but the reality was decidedly underwhelming. She looked so ordinary.
“I think you are overthinking things dear. They look like normal tourist pictures to me. I don't know where this one was taken.“ Rose paused frowning and swiped left bringing a picture of the large modern building.
“It says, ‘Berlin Conference Centre’,” Kellie pointed to the picture translating the sign over the entrance. No familiar faces stood out from the crowd, and Rose swiped left again.
“Well this one I know it's Brandenburg Gate," she swiped again, “and this, I think is the German Parliament.“
“The Reichstag,” Marte prompted. “The German Parliament is called The Reichstag."
'That woman' was in all the pictures was all that Kellie could think about. It was her worst nightmare. Thankfully her mum couldn't see them.
“I see, ‘little Miss didn’t want to learn German’,” Rose snipped. Obviously there was some history there Kellie noted. That’ll keep she thought.
“Anyway, I can’t imagine your father sending you a picture of some ‘fancy woman’, she’s nothing special, just the tour guide or someone he knows from work," she studied the pictures more closely and said, “are you certain you don’t know her? She seemed vaguely familiar."
“No I've never seen her before but I know it is her, I know it.” Kellie insisted.
“Well if you are feeling better now dear,” Rose said to try to make light of it, “it’s all a bit of a storm in a teacup." And without giving anyone a chance to reply she launched into a lecture about not letting things upset her, not dwelling on things and staying calm.
Kellie listened but had heard it all before and it wouldn’t help how she felt. She knew her fears were irrational but unless they felt them for themselves no one couldn’t ever understand. She didn’t really understand it herself. Kellie explained she was surprised and shocked, but she was OK now she’d calmed down as quickly as it had happened. So she agreed and made all the right sounds and after Rose was finally satisfied she left, and they escaped.
Marte and Kellie looked at one another sighing.
“Sorry about that, I thought she was going to cut off our Wi-Fi”, Marte grimaced, “that's one of her worst punishments."
“No!”
“Yes, and grounding. No Wi-Fi and grounded."
“I’d die!”
“I nearly did. It was a close call but I survived. I was in therapy for months. The doctors say that another suddenly shock like that could kill me at anytime." Marte feigned a swooning gesture. “Ugh, this lawn is muddy, she must have just watered it, I'm not fainting there; Come on, the living room is a more befitting location for a lady like me to swoon.”
“What did you do to deserve that? No Wi-Fi!” Kellie couldn’t imagine that Marte would ever do anything to deserve that.
“Don’t you have some more pictures we can see?" Marte changed the subject.
“Do you know how to do an image search?," Kellie asked. Marte shook her head.
“OK, just watch and learn,” Kellie ordered.
She cropped the picture of her dad’s face from the selfie and copied it. Then opened Google Image Search and copied it onto the icon. It immediately showed a bunch of images of her dad titled ‘Images of John Turner.’
“That’s awesome!” exclaimed Marte.
“That's nothing compared to what I can do when I hack." She grinned, egged on by the compliment, and by Marte’s apparent lack of IT skills. She plunged on and searched for the woman’s face. It showed the name Jana Turnau and a bunch of pictures of strangers except for the ones with her dad. They must have been shot at around the same time. It was confirmed by the metadata. The now familiar fluttering in her stomach started again, she shut her eyes and breathed deeply as she struggled to ride the roller coaster of her emotions.
“You OK?" Marte put her arm on her shoulder.
She nodded. Again she’d been blind-sided. She’d need to get this under control. What jarred most was not seeing them together but that they were obviously happy together, laughing and smiling enjoying one another’s company. That hurt, it should be Mum and Dad in the picture not that Jana woman. That rankled. It seared to her soul. She was glad that Jana woman was dead, but she needed more, she needed some kind of revenge.
“I'm sorry, I’m feeling a bit worn out." she announced and yawned to emphasize it.
“OK, sleep tight little sister." Marte kissed the top of her head.
“Night," she replied as Marte shut the door.
As she lay in bed looking at the pictures. The same faces appeared in most pictures. There were of a girl growing-up, some with the woman, when she was younger and a few with a man in them. Probably family pictures she thought. There were most recent ‘selfies’ with the girl and the woman, she guessed the girl must be about Marte’s age or even her own. She found a name for the girl, using the search for face trick she'd tried earlier, Anja Turneau. Definitely mother and daughter.
Kellie got to wonder if they could ever be friends if they ever met in another life, if circumstances had been different. Then she retched as she realized the problem the police may being facing. What if the mystery woman was not Jana, what if it was the younger woman, Anja. Now she really wanted to throw up. She breathed deeply and swallowed the bile.
It burned the back of her throat. She sipped from the glass of water beside her bed. She obviously was not going to have a good night.
1 Smoke inhalation causes acute life-threatening injuries. Many toxins, hydrogen chloride, phosgene, hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide and cyanide are released in car fires. The fumes from the plastics like polyvinyl chloride can cause long-term damage to the lungs, brain and heart. In the low oxygen environment like a car fire cyanide becomes 10 times more toxic and will result in unconsciousness within 30 seconds and cardiac arrest in five to eight minutes.
8.
Tim and Alrik, dropped Maddie to the hospital and headed to the police station. Alrik had called ahead to smooth the way and whatever he had said had worked. The accident report indicated that the vehicle had been destroyed by fire and traffic cameras confirmed no other vehicles had been involved.
The car, an Opel Corsa, was the same as a Vauxhall Corsa in the UK. It suffered from the same fault as the Vauxhall Zafira, an alleged propensity for spontaneous combustion. The blaze was rapid and devastating, instantly filling the car with dense black smoke and fire. Witnesses said John, the passenger, had managed to drag the woman driver out before he collapsed. Bystanders had tried to help smothered their smouldering clothing. The car was gutted and everything in it was incinerated.
The victims were airlifted to hospital where the only ID, the man's passport, was in his jacket pocket. The paramedics and the hospital had assumed they were husband and wife, until the police began their investigation. The woman had been identified but her name couldn’t be made public until next of kin could be notified. It was a complicated situation and would be a few more days before the investigation could be completed. Meanwhile, the victims names would be added to the existing claims for compensation, injury and unlawful death against the car’s manufacturers.
Working backwards they were able to locate the time, early that morning, when the woman called John at the hotel reception. The hotel and nearby CCTV cameras showed them walking together toward to a car park. They didn’t see the car or the direction they went and there wasn’t much the police could tell about their route or intended destination. The cars Sat-Nav had been fried in the fire.
The accident had occurred at Tiergarten near the zoo, about an hour later. Meaning they must as stopped somewhere, had breakfast, went sightseeing, or broken down, it was anyone’s guess. Assuming they stopped for selfies, at the nearby Reichstagsgebaude and the Brandenburger Tor, the usual tourist stuff, there could be pictures on the phone they found in the passenger footwell of the car.
The police handed Alrik an envelope containing his passport and wallet with the melted remains of John’s phone. The investigating officer suggested be the phones' memory could probably be retrieved. They had not unlocked the phone yet, but they could dump its contents if it would help.
Alrik nodded and raised his eyebrow looking at Tim for confirmation. Tim shook his head before commenting firmly. “Thank you, but for sure, no crime has been committed that I know of. It will remain a private matter.“
“Very good," the officer deferred, and with that the interview so concluded. The local police were more than happy to hand it over the Alrik.
In the car the two friends drove for a while in a subdued silence, before Alrik broached the question they all wanted to answer.
“So, what is the story with the mystery woman?" asked Alrik finally.
“Damned if I know,” Tim sighed, knitting his brows. “I don’t even know if there is a story. It doesn’t sound like John’s MO. He and Maddie are solid, as far as I know,” pausing and looking questioningly at Alrik, “is this an official investigation?"
“Depends on you? The Landespolizei will drop it, and I will too if you’d rather my friend. We know he’s in IT security and an Internet geek.” He paused weighing the words carefully before adding. “He popped-out on our 'flight watch list' when he booked.”
“You mean you've been watching him?” Tim's voice registered his surprise.
“For sure, all of you. First John, then his wife, then you. We ran the financials: There was a lot of money going through those accounts. Regular transfers for the 10K limit every month to John's personal account and much more through the business accounts. It raised questions,” Alrik tapped his fingers on Tim's folder down the seat of his car.
Tim whistled, “I'm surprised. I don't know if they had that kind of money.” He was obviously weighing this new data.
“The alleged accident, and we haven't proved it was an accident yet, could be hackers or money laundering or even industrial espionage. We actually have ‘eyes on’ with a couple of delegates at this conference, that's part of why I could get to Berlin. The stuff that some Russian gangs and the Chinese are into, it’s not a game, it’s state sponsored, serious, deadly serious. The Chinese telcos are trying to infiltrate the national comms. infrastructure."
“Are you serious that John is involved in something?” He sounded annoyed and a bit wounded by the suggestion.
“I'm telling you, questions are being asked. Would you rather you want some stranger rooting around your family's business? What do you know about John's business and partners? What was he working on?”
“I don't know anything about this business, just that he's in internet security. Look! I’m sure it’s all innocent, but I am puzzled. Don’t say anything to Maddie; I don’t want to upset her or John, but find this woman and what she was doing. Quietly, if you can." Tim looked at Alrik who raised his eyebrows.
“Unofficially. You mean no broken bones! For sure, you are getting soft in your old age." He smirked and nodded.
“No point in causing anyone more pain than they already have. Maddie is very vulnerable right now, and she probably hasn’t thought about the possibilities of the other woman yet."
“Believe you, women are not as fragile as you would like to think. I’m certain ‘the other woman’ is already on her radar, but she doesn’t want to handle it yet, but she will handle it when she is ready."
“So what about our mystery woman? Well, she didn’t book a room, and they didn’t go to the conference in the morning."
“Are you saying she’s a call-girl who stayed the night, and she took him for breakfast next morning?" Alrik's voice was tinged with sarcasm.
“Hey, this is John, my brother that you’re talking about. I’ll ask around the hotel to find where she went. Beside you said the car was an accident, didn't you?”
“Was it? Do you know how easy it would be to sabotage one of those cars. I can see the headlines, ‘Computer geek injured in fatal accident', or 'Computer secure payment specialist in attempted assassination.' I hate coincidences!”
“You've been in this job for too long, the job is making you to become jaded, or is this to do with your 'eyes on' at the conference?"
“With the Eurocrats and Politicians on the graft, their snouts in the gravy train, and Big Business and criminal gangs they all look the same. It’s becoming more and more difficult to separate the bad guys from the good. Yes, you could call me jaded!” Alrik said.
Tim noticed that he'd avoided the answer, “We are the good guys. That’s why we need to check it first. Thoroughly." he said.
“OK. I’ll follow a few more lines of enquiry through official channels and see what else I can shake out of the tree. I sense the local police are not telling us everything."
The two girls had a leisurely breakfast and headed to Kellie’s house. Rose had left early, happy and relieved to be back at work. Kellie needed to call Solo to check that he had set up the untraceable secure link and to reschedule a session for later. Marte’s eyes and ears almost grew stalks as she listened into the one way conversation.
“Was that your boyfriend? Have you been holding out on me?” Marte grinned at the possibility of gossip.“Tell all. Tell me all the sordid details," she commanded.
“He's not my boyfriend. Just friends, we've been friends since kindergarten,” she summarized.
“We! - A relationship. You've been in a relationship for all these years and you've never told me!” Marte jumped on it her eyes widening her face animated.
“It's not a relationship. He's not my boyfriend. He’s a geek; he’s useful, he’s in my IT class." Kellie's face was colouring-up.
“Is he a cute geek or an ugly geek?" Marte wasn’t giving up. “Tell your best friend all about it. Leave nothing out.” She demanded.
Kellie reluctantly told her, “OK, he’s not an Orc, but he’s still a geek. His handle is ‘Solo’, for goodness’ sake, you can’t be more geek than that." Hoping that was enough. She was uncomfortable with characterizing him that way: She missed the part that she was as much of a geek as he was.
“Handle?” frowning, tilting head and looking puzzled she added, “would be like Han Solo?" Her interest peaked at the thought of a young Harrison Ford look-alike. Her eyebrow cocked in interest.
“Geek speak for name, like an Internet nickname, and he’s more Chewbacca than Han Solo. It’s from his name Solomon," Kellie spelled the name, “S-O-L-O-m-o-n."
“What, Chewbacca type hairy! I don't usually like hairy men. I don't mind a bit of chest hair but men with hairy backs are gross." She grinned conspiratorially.
Kellie grimaced, “way too much information. Ugh!” Her eyes rolling she shuddered, “I was alluding to the fact that he needs a haircut," she grumbled. Realizing she was not winning this one, “anyway, we're just friends. You’ll see for yourself later, I need to pick up notes from class. What about your boyfriend? I thought you were staying in Brighton for the holidays,” she desperate to change the subject.
“I thought it was much more important that I should be with you, so I dumped him."
“Oh!” Kellie exclaimed, thinking that's unlikely but not saying it she filed it in 'visit again later', and changed the subject again.
“I thought we could quickly clean the bedrooms and hoover through. Make sure that the perishables are in the fridge or freezer, bin the cat food and milk before it all goes rancid and put the bins out ‘cause its bin day today.”
“OMG, you sound just like my mother!”
“That's mean!” Kellie tried to look hurt but continued. “Then you could drop that stuff to a charity shop and have a look round the shops while I sort out the computers before we meet up for coffee and a late lunch.”
“Shopping, and lunch I can do.”
“If I can drop my class notes on the way back you’ll see Solo, who is my friend NOT my boyfriend. We are definitely only in the friend zone." Kellie added as an inducement.
“OK, If you say so. Where do you want to meet for coffee?"
“Coffee #1 is my favourite it's toward the far end of the West St pedestrian precinct, just before Lloyds Bank, opposite Iceland. You can't miss it."
“Right, you call me when you’re ready, and we'll meet there." She agreed.
Kellie had plenty of time to do everything she needed and no one to watch what she was up to. Not that she was doing anything wrong, she just needed to do a backup and install the remote link and a logger.
With the backup running Kellie started to search for her dad’s second laptop and most important his list of passwords. She found the laptop but to the passwords were not that easy. No mind, she could change the BIOS, then use a bootable Linux on a USB with the key cracker. Ten minutes, and she was in and no one was the wiser. Only the alarm system for the store to disable for Solo, and she was done. They were still easy for time, so she decided to hand in her school stuff and hand Solo the key in person. So time for a coffee, a grilled ciabatta, and one of her favourites a Portuguese custard cherry tart thingy, a Pastel de Nata, before picking up her notes.
Marte turned left from the multi-story car park and choose the right-hand lane at the lights.
“Where are you going? School's the other way.”"
“Got to back to yours, to change before school."
“Why?" The whole school thing didn't make sense to Kellie, but she decided to go with it.
“You need to change. We may swing by Debbie’s on the way home and you can’t be seen wearing these rags."
“Excuse me!”
“I bought us both some pretty tops. Now let me fix you up like I did last night, that way we both look fabulous, and she won’t. She’s always looking down her nose at me. Miss Perfect, with her perfect model looks and style, she makes me feel like I’m some kind of fat, dumpy Cinderella. Yes, I know, I am a fat, dumpy Cinderella that's why I need you to be my Princess Leia to my Jabba the Hut. With your looks and figure, you will leave her looking like a plus size model. I can’t wait to see her face when she sees you all looking all gamin and gorgeous."
It had never occurred that Marte would be insecure and intimidated by anyone or that she could think she may think she couldn't be attractive. She smiled ruefully, Marte was just like her, with a lack of confidence and body issues.
Gone was her usual look, boyfriend jeans a slogan tee and sneakers. The jeans were worn, tight and ripped at the knee, high waist, skinnys, cut short in the ankle to emphasize the strappy gladiator sandals. The top was an armless, roll-neck, ribbed knit crop top in white. Cute, but showing too much bare belly for Kellie’s comfort. Marte was dressed the same in skinny jeans but her top was red.
“What's with the new clothes?” Kellie said. They looked like the were auditioning for the role of Sandy in a remake of Grease.
“The wicked witch of the west will be keeping score,'' said Marte as she worked to perfect Kellie’s hair and make up.
“We should have got your hair done.” Marte said as she complained as she fussed with Kellie's hair. Kellie wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes.
She had to agree that together they looked great.
“I wish we had time to get you a belly button piercing like mine." Marte mused as they checked themselves in the mirror.
They parked the car outside the school. Kellie released the seatbelt and turned to get out.
“Hang on!” Marte cried, “Need to check my face.”
Kellie groaned and fell back on the seat rolling her eyes. Marte carefully refreshed her lipstick and put a dab on her cheeks and blended it until she got the right effect. She lightly brushed her and plumped and primped it. She looked into her mirror and dived into her clutch. She glanced at Kellie askance who growled at her as she painted the lips with lip-gloss before smiling at Kellie.
“Your turn now,” she encouraged her with the lipstick and gloss in hand, “not that you need make-up.”
“I'm in school,” She snapped firmly as she leaped car, “I'll be in enough trouble if anyone sees me wearing jeans as it is. Let's just find Solo and go.”
“What's the rush? He's a boy, he'll wait.”
“He will, but lessons won't!”
“Ops! Sorry. Forgot. Yeah, school. I think I remember that.”
As they walked toward the admin building Marte hung back trying to comb somebody into Kellie's flat hair with her fingers.
“What!” Kellie tossed hair away with a shake of her head. Marte teased it again determined to shape it.
“Leave it! What's up with you? You're turning into your mother.”
“Ouch! Straight through the heart!” Marte said pouting sadly pretending to stagger and clasping an imaginary arrow to her left breast then frowning with a puzzled expression adjusted to the right, appearing to rethink the location to her right again.
“No! It's left.”
Marte relocated to her right breast.
“Other left!” Kellie giggled, “I think you must be anatomically challenged. Promise before you stab me to death you'll at least learn some basic anatomy; At least enough to make it a clean kill.”
“That's a low shot,” She added adjusting the position of the imaginary shot to her stomach, “anyway I'm poisoning you; I kill with kindness.”
They ceased hostilities as they waited for hall passes at the office. Marte primped Kellie hair again and Kellie hissed at her and bared her teeth. They hurried to the class before the recess bell sounded.
“Stop it!” Kellie flapped her arm waving.
“Ops . . . Got you!” Marte sprayed a cloud of perfume across Kellie as she tried to dodge the spray.
“Oi! OMG! You can be such a pain. I can use my own perfume if you don't mind.” Kellie spritzed her own perfume and Marte liberally the area in front of the class door and the adjacent stairway from the second step.
“Anything's better than Eau d'ecole, and we ought to at least make an effort if not a lasting impression," she said cryptically. Marte stood a couple steps higher than Kellie practising her entrance. Kellie frown wondering what Marte was doing as the bell rang.
Solo was one for the last out after class. It took a moment for Kellie to spot him in the melee. She searched, the class appeared to exit the door and stop. Puzzled by the growing crowd milling around them they all appeared to be standing and staring at her. It took another moment until she looked round to see that they were staring past her, as she finally realized what was happening.
The Marte effect was what was happening. She was swaying languidly down the stairs, with the sun shining like a spotlight behind her. She was posing like a Victoria's Secret catwalk model as she descended the stairs. The IT nerds were awestruck at the heavenly vision that had suddenly appeared in their midst. They looked between Marte and Kellie with bewilderment.
”Aren't you meant to be in Germany," muttered Solo as he shouldered through the crowd. He spoke to Kellie, but his eyes were on Marte, his eyes wide never glancing for a moment at Kellie as he stopped in front of them.
“Well, are you going to introduce us?” Marte said breathily.
“This is Marte my cousin," she seemed to shine like a spotlight hit he with her big blue-green eyes, shiny blond hair, blinding white teeth and brilliant smile, “and this is Solo my pervy ex-friend,” Kellie introduced them through clenched teeth giving him a look worthy of the Medusa.
He stood there mute and slack jawed staring at Marte. Kellie punched his arm.
“Ouch, Wu's that for?" He winced, “An' don't call me a perv.”
“The key-code and my notes and do try to stop drooling, you're making a puddle on the floor you lecher,” she demanded indignantly.
“Oh, yeah,” he mumbled, thrusting the folder toward Kellie, his eyes finally glanced her way.
She snatched the folder waving it in his face to break the spell. He finally noticed Kellie as she gave him the evil-eye, she must have hit a nerve as his face red coloured red blushing. She didn’t know that boys’ could blush as much as that. She was hot and blushing too. She didn't know if it was from anger or embarrassment.
She grabbed Marte's elbow propelling her toward the exit determined to escape before either of them could do or say anything to embarrass her further. Marte effected an exaggerated Marilyn Monroe wiggle as she half-turned with a sad frown and dumb pout before sashaying the length of the corridor and blowing a kiss to her adoring audience.
“That was rude!” Marte exclaimed suppressing a giggle.
“She’s a college senior; She’s too old for you." Kellie snapped at him over her shoulder loudly enough for both of them to hear at the door closed.
Actually she was a fresher, but she could have been Lorelie herself is far as the nerds cared. They would have happily drowned watching her. Marte was grinning from ear to ear, and Kellie was red from ear to ear. She would have never imagined Marte could behave like that.
“That was cruel,” Marte feigned concern, “but I fear you protest too much,” she goaded, “you like him, you love him, you've got a boyfriend.” As she taunted in a sing-song voice as they got in the car.
“Just shut-up and drive,” Kellie demanded her face burning. She wound down the window as she fanned her face with her hand and exhaled loudly. They drove in silence for a few minutes. Exchanging glances, grinning neither wanting to break the stand-off.
“That was embarrassing,” Kellie whispered at last barely audible.
“I thought he was sweet,” Marte giggled, “cute in a geeky kind of way. He's obviously crazy about you.” They both laughed out loud. The damn burst.
“That was fun.”
“You brazen tart. He was practically drooling. They were all drooling. What did you put in that perfume? I didn’t think we’d get out of there alive,” they laughed again.
“I guess he saw something he liked,” she prodded, “and who are you calling a brazen tart flashing the skin. Maybe he likes blondes?"
“Blondes! I don't think they never noticed your hair colour." She surveyed Marte’s their outfits. The cute crop tops and tight, high top jeans, and caged strappy sandals. The penny dropped.
“No fair. You set me up!” She feigned a pout.
“I thought you needed a little cheering up, but I do want to show off my ‘little sister’ to ugly sister Debbie. She’s going to be so jealous when she sees you.”
“Never mind Debbie. You know I will never be able to go to class again.”
“Yeah. You’ll get over it. Anyway, I thought you decided to quit school.”
“I have, but I haven't told anyone yet, just you and Solo. Anyway where did that come from?”
“Well, as you know, I haven't seen you for a few years and I kind of hoped that you may have porked-out a bit, like me, and maybe you'd got acne, not bad, just one or two spots.
“Nice, Thanks for that!”
“No, sorry but look at you, you're gamine, with big soul-full eyes and a flawless complexion. No make-up, no effort, and you're still stunning. You've got brains and the looks; Me, I'm the fat mate, Miss Geniality. I've got blonde hair and the girls,” Marte puffed out her chest, “That's all I've got.”
“Don't sell yourself short”, Kellie said grinning from ear to ear, “You've got a big ass too!”
They both burst out laughing.
“OK, I guess I had that coming.” Marte admitted, “But what did you think of my impression? Bee-boo-baa-duh-do, Happy birthday Mr President”, she sang breath-illy, pouting, batting her eyes, and blowing a kiss.
“Is that meant to be Jessica Rabbit? No. No wait, it's Minnie Mouse.”
“Harsh! That’s my best Marilyn impression.” Marte started giggling again.
“Shut up, before we have an accident.”
“I'm going to stop and fix my eyes before we get on the motorway or I'll have an accident.” She said.
Both of them laughing as mascara streaked their cheeks.
It was then he saw her. She was riding 'shotgun' in the passenger seat of a Mini One driven by a young blonde woman. He had only got a glimpse of her as then were in the outer lane, and he was stuck at the traffic lights. He thought it was her, but he couldn't be certain. Anyway the hot blonde was really worth a second look.
They were in the outside lane, and he was stuck at the traffic lights at the Delme House junction. He gunned the accelerator as he watched them pass and stop momentarily as then joined the roundabout. They were getting away. He cursed and thumped in the steering wheel causing the horn to blare. Someone dared to sound their horn in response. He gesticulated, flipping the bird at the offender as he mouthed profanities at him. He released the seat-belt turning to get out the truck. Only the lights changing at that moment prevented him getting out and fixing the guy.
He gunned the gas and forced the truck onto the outside lane. At the roundabout he barged across the traffic; He spied the mini as it passed the Broadcut exit heading toward the motorway slip-road. The car on the outside lane was slow; He rode its rear bumper and sounded the horn. The driver responded by slowing further. He saw red. He swerved left and under-took. The next traffic lights were changing as he squeezed the offending car into the curb and shot the lights. A cacophony of horn blared as half a dozen drivers braked and swerved to avoid hitting him. The van juddered, its tyres squealing.
The mini was held-up by the lights at the motorway slip-road. He was only one-hundred yards behind as he jumped the lights again. He floored the gas but the mini out accelerated him as it quickly doubled to distance them. He cursed. She was speeding, at least eighty or more.
The chase was off for now, he had no chance. He judged her for speeding, he'd remember that. He took the slip road to the A34. She was meant to be in Berlin and was definitely not wearing school inform and the driver was definitely no school girl. He'd have to find-out for certain and the blonde was definitely worth a second look. He drove back to town and parked in Aldi.
When he'd walked got to Grove Rd the Mini was parked in front of house beside the Merc. Again he couldn't be certain as he could remember the registration. He'd walked slowly up the road one side then he paused for a smoke before he walked back to the other side. After hanging on the corner while he made a roll-up and lit it. Disappointed he headed home. A plan began to formulate in his mind.
They were telling Rose about the day and Marte was showing off her purchases, the crop top, jeans and a pair of sandals. It seemed to make sense to keep quiet about the real purpose of the trip.
“And did you get to see Debbie?" Rose asked.
“Oh yes. That was one of the best bits. Debbie is fat, I mean enormous, and pregnant! Some agent fellow. She's having a baby, but they aren't getting married.” Rose sniffed her disapproval. “I remember the baby vekt I had when I was pregnant with you.”
“The German word for baby weight is babygewicht but I like kummenspect which literally translates to bacon grief,” Kellie said, “It's the weight gained from comfort eating. Then there's wintergewicht”.
“In Norwegian it's 'vinter vekct',” Marte added, “What's the name for weight gained at Uni.?”
“Oh! I know that one,” Kellie smiled brightly, “That would be, fat.” She laughed as she saw she'd hit the mark. Marte's mouth opened but no sound came out.
Rose quickly changed the subject. “And what did you do?" She looked at Kellie icily.
“Nothing much. Cleaning, shopping which I showed you,” Kellie said showing off the outfit again, she was enjoying her new style, “I had stuff to finish up for a project that was due, and other work to send in. Mr McMahon said if I handed in everything I don't need to return to school. They'll send my exam results for me unless I want to collect them at the prom.”
“Will you?” Marte asked.
“I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.”
“What about Solo?”
“He'd rather eat Pizza and leer at Jennifer Lawrence in the 'Hunger Games'.”
Rose raised an eyebrow sceptical she was about to cross- question them until she caught sight was Kellie's new adornment. “Is that a belly button piercing? What will your mother think about that?" Rose flustered. Maddie and John had a blanket ban on tattoos and piercings, and this happens on her watch.
“Well, dad let me get piercings for my sixteenth birthday. You'd never seen them, never even the ones in my ears because we aren't allowed to wear pierced earrings at school,” she explained. It was the truth as far as her ears went, but the belly button was a proud addition from this afternoon. Marte was frantically signing the 'slit throat' sign behind Rose's back. Neither girl mentioned the matching piercing that Marte was sporting under her jumper. Apparently Rose had not noticed it.
“I've done my projects and all my homework, and Marte offered to help me hand in me books and stuff.” she changed the subject.
“I helped her, I carried a watermelon.” Marte joined, in grinning at her reference to ‘Dirty Dancing’.
“And just how did you plan to manage that, if you off school?" Rose missed film reference. She sensed she was being mocked in some way but didn't quite know how.
“I do it on my computer and send it by Email. They do everything on-line and in the cloud,” Kellie enlarged.
“True, we can watch podcasts of lectures on-line. No need to even get out of bed,” Marte grinned. She enjoyed winding-up her mother.
“Your father would hardly appreciate paying the cost of your education if he knew all you did was lie around in bed all day,” moaned Rose. Marte rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she mouthed silently 'Your father, your father, your father', behind her mother back.
In an attempt to lighten the conversation Kellie said. “We did pick up some class notes I needed to finish my IT module tonight and that's the last thing. You should have seen the tech geeks tripping over their tongues, when they. . ." Marte was frantically mouthing a gagging face while gesturing slit your throat sign behind her mother’s back, “I mean they were tongue-tied. Most of them can barely speak to a girl. They looked terrified”, she improvised, “ . . . They were surprised to see me in class - and pleased - I think”. Normally Kellie could have lied for her country, 'and Olympic gold medal winner for lying, Kellie Turner ta-dah’, but Rose’s stare was wearing her down, and she was drying.
“The nerds don’t get out much,” Marte had interrupted before they got in too deep.
“I hope you weren’t wearing those tight outfits in front of a classroom of boys,” Rose snipped, “I don’t know what your father would think about that. Girls these days!”
Marte mouthed, 'Your father. Your father', behind her mother's back again.
“No!” They said together, quickly and too loudly and shaking their heads,“You had to be there," Marte said, “it was hilarious. We changed on the way to Debbie's."
“It all sounds very juvenile," Rose said flatly.
She really had a misery going, after the day started so well maybe she’d had a sense-of-humor-ectomy, or skipped her teens and twenties, probably both, or maybe it was hang-over from being a ‘big sister’. Then the thought flashed into her mind.
“Is dad alright?" Kellie panicked. She’d been so distracted, at Rose's bad mood and their own good day that she had momentarily forgotten dad. Was Rose's bad mood because she had bad news? Her heart fell.
“Your father is fine which is more than I can say about your cat," Rose related the saga of her bad day terminating with Yoda’s misdemeanour. He had decided to disgrace himself by throwing up on the rug in the conservatory. That explained the bad mood.
Marte helped Kellie to clean it and hang it on the washing line to dry. Of course, they didn’t do it right and Rose droned on that it would be dry-cleaned, and had probably made the colours run and probably ruined it. Sensible Rose, she certainly was having a bad day, but nothing rained on what had been a good day for them. Kellie had been distracted.
Later Maddie called and updated them all with the news. Dad seems to be improving slowly and that motivated Kellie to get on with the plan, time was short.
Inside the folder were her notes, she really had course notes and fully planned to complete them, but later. First there were more important things to do, like interpreting the various scrawls from Solo, including the untraceable secure channel logins. She fired-up her laptop and got on-line, still irked by Rose unjustified blaming Yoda, he was just a cat for goodness’ sake.
“So, ready perv? Why are men so gross?" she goaded Solo. She was still annoyed at his reaction to Marte. “That was my cousin you were slobbering all over."
“Sorry! I didn’t slobber or drool, an' I'm not a perv, so don't call me it again. I'm not a perv; I’ve never seen someone like her before. Well, not in real life. You didn't tell me she was model or actress or something"?
She was shocked that he reacted so strongly, “Oh, come on, it was all an act. Men! You're all so predictable. She’s not like that in real life you know. It’s all an act."
“I know that,” he said too quickly, “but most of the guys fell for it. You an' Marte are really legend round here now."
“I was afraid about that”, Kellie smiled to herself, 'legend', huh, a more two-faced sword she thought, she'd already forgotten she'd finished school, “you need to learn to respect me and my girlfriends, not look at us like some piece of meat." She resumed her offensive without apologizing.
“I don't. Uh, I do. Uh, I mean I don't think you're a piece of meat, an' I do respect you - both."
“Alright, now stop wasting my time there’s hacking to do. I'm sending the list now. Most of it is just simple stuff, Facebook and Google hacks and any other social media stuff, and I want full access to all these people. Then catalogue the German news media for anything about of them including my dad and the two women and especially of anything that mentions the two women. I need to know who, when, and where they are. A full profile including right down to what they ate for breakfast. If you haven't got them already their address and phone number. Now this last bit maybe tricky, then see if you can get it from the German vehicle registration database."
“OK, most of it is easy, but the registration database is a tough one. It’s illegal like extradite you, lock you up in hell an' throw the keys illegal."
“Alright, do what you can, but I don’t you ending-up being some German jailbird’s live-in girlfriend over it."
“Gee, thanks for that comforting thought. While I’m skinnin' the Onion for you, here’s something for you. This code is from an old Google app, 'Open an iPhone app with a Google login an' password an' open sesame.’”
“Ops it's time for dinner. OK, bye.” Kellie broke the connection. Rose was calling from downstairs.
The telephone called just as he was locking-up for the night. The old man was in a fowl mood. He'd run short of cash and wanted him to bring the takings over and pick up a bottle of the usual and a fish'n'chip supper on the way.
“Two large cod, large chips, mushy peas and two large battered sausages, yeah?”
“Yeah, the usual. S'pose you spectin som'in fer 'use own supper.” He added grudgingly.
“Nah, I ate. Look, the Stables an' the Nursery were complainin' 'bout rats again. Told 'em I'd ask you.”
“Don't need me, ******** sort it y' ******* self! U lazy ******!”
“I'll fix it but I needs the keys' fer the poison an' gun locker.”
“Huh,” he paused as he weighed the alternatives, “but **** this up an' I'll **** you up. An' only the point two-two, not the shotgun. Savvy!”
Oh! yes, he understood. He was a master at his skill. He'd started-out some years ago by accident. His sister put water and nuts out for the birds and squirrels in the garden. In winter the water froze, so she thought she'd add antifreeze not understanding the fatal consequences. She was devastated, but he was fascinated, and as they say the rest was history.
Next he'd graduated to cats and dogs. Now, there were several problems with that. It seems that although animals love its sweet taste and smell of antifreeze and lap it up, people don't seem to like having their pets poisoned. Soon the stories of a cat poisoner were rife; It even made the local newspaper. Then the manufacturers added a tell-tell blue dye. You can buy it without the dye but questions would be asked.
He tried Borax, Baking Soda, Plaster of Paris, Zinc Phosphide, as he experimented with them all and others. As far as he could tell they all worked with varying degrees of success. The problem for him was proof of death. The victims were rarely to be found beside the cause of death. In fact, depending on the size of the victim and the dose ingested the animal could take hours or even days to die. Even if you saw the occasional dead animal you could never be certain of why it died or who did it.
There was one animal that he was certain was the victim of his efforts. He fed it himself, the stupid dumb creature even purred as he poisoned it. He locked it in the shed and kept watch as it died. Its owners calling and calling it as it staggered around trying to escape until it fell for the last time. After they had gone to bed for the night he put them the dead cat on their doorstep. RIP Sooty Turner. He just wished he could have been there when they'd discovered his gift.
After he'd left school and was living and working with his uncle the old man taught him to hunt and shoot vermin, rats, tree rats (squirrels) and the flying kind (pigeons). That was more like it! You aimed, fired, and you watched it die in front of you. It was then that he experienced it for the first time. The excitement of the hunt. The thrill of the kill. The ultimate power over life and death. It was a drug and he was an addict.
To be continued.
------ o O o ------
If you've visited my site https://www.nicahlacortes.com you would have seen the maps, slides and videos about 'Secret Family'. If you haven't seen them yet, give them a look before the next episode is released. The New England locations will be referenced in the next episode (PART 4).
Good reading and good health
regards nicah
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