Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Girl at the Bus Stop by alan14 Copyright(C) 2021 by alan14 Chapter 46 A little later Poppy stirred, she was still on top, and I was still partially inside her. -What time is it dad? - I lifted my head so I could see the clock, -it -(TM)s a little after 10. - -Wow, we -(TM)ve been asleep for ages, that orgasm wiped me out. - -It was amazing, - Belle replied in an awed whisper, -I came just watching, I wasn -(TM)t even playing with myself. - -I need a wee, then I need something to eat, we missed dinner. Is mum home? - -She is, they popped in to see you about half an hour ago. - -Oh, I missed them. I wanted to see her new undies. I -(TM)ll have a wee then go see her. - She touched her lips to mine and we kissed, -that was amazing dad, I can -(TM)t believe how intense that orgasm was, did you like the colours? - -I did, how did you know about the colours? - -I felt your mind as I came. No idea how that happened, something to look out for next time. - -Definitely, - I agreed as she slipped off me and out of bed. -Ahh, I -(TM)ve got no clothes in here, - Poppy sighed as she returned from the bathroom. -You can borrow my t-shirt, - Belle replied, brightly. -Thanks sweetie, but I -(TM)m not sure it -(TM)ll fit, and then you -(TM)d have nothing to put on. - -I don -(TM)t mind going downstairs naked, at least all the curtains will be closed. - Poppy laughed, -true. OK, let -(TM)s go naked. - -If you don -(TM)t mind, I -(TM)ll put some pants on, - I told them. Jenny was in the kitchen with Katie and Lia, they were drinking wine and eating crisps. -Hey sleepyhead, did you have fun with your dad, - Jenny called as we entered the room. -It was dreamy, - Poppy replied, wistfully. -What about you Belle, did you have fun? - -Oh man, it was amazing, I came and I wasn -(TM)t even doing anything, just being there with them, it was magical. - Lia lifted a lingerie shop carrier, -we got you a present, Belle. - -Really? What did you buy? I hope it -(TM)s not a bra, you know my feelings about bras, - she added suspiciously. -It -(TM)s not strictly speaking a bra, and I think you -(TM)ll like them, - Lia replied as she placed a few small, tissue-wrapped packages on the table. Belle sat beside Jenny and picked up one of the packages, -I -(TM)ve not had a present for ages, this is so exciting, - she gushed as she unwrapped it, carefully spreading the tissue paper across the table as she lifted a pretty, lacy bralette, -this is a bra, - she exclaimed, sulkily. -It -(TM)s not like a normal bra, - Katie soothed her, -it -(TM)s just lace, there -(TM)s no metal wires or padding. - Poppy took the bralette from Belle and helped her try it on, -it -(TM)s so pretty, - she told Belle, -just like you. - -It is pretty, - Belle agreed, -and it -(TM)s not uncomfortable. - Lia took a photo and showed it to her sister, -it suits you, and there -(TM)s matching panties. - -I thought you were shopping for mum, not me. - -We got loads for mum, but I picked you these for a reason. - -Oh, really, what reason. - -Well, I was thinking how cute your little boobies would look if you had your nipples pierced... - Belle -(TM)s eyes lit up, she looked at Jenny, then Poppy, -oh wow, can I have them pierced mum? - -Who are you calling mum? - Poppy laughed. -Err, I think you, I -(TM)m too excited to think straight. - -I -(TM)m happy for you to have them pierced, I might get mine done. - -Anyway, I was thinking there -(TM)d be a problem because you don -(TM)t wear a bra, they -(TM)d show straight through your school shirt. So, when I saw these in the shop... - -They -(TM)re perfect! - Belle replied, turning to Poppy, -can you get one of my shirts while I try the panties on? - -Of course, - Poppy said as she dashed upstairs. While Poppy was away Jenny shrugged out of her blouse, displaying a magnificent red and black lace encased cleavage. -Holy shit! - Belle cried, -you look amazing, mum. - -Thanks Belle, and so do you, that bra is very pretty. - -It is, thanks Lia. I hope you didn -(TM)t spend much on me. - -I didn -(TM)t spend anything, - Lia laughed in reply, -thank dad for giving mum his credit card. - -Don -(TM)t worry, - Jenny told me, -you only bought Belle -(TM)s things. - -Aww, thanks dad, that -(TM)s so thoughtful, - Belle teased. Poppy returned with tomorrow -(TM)s shirt, Belle slipped it on and fastened the buttons. -Now for the test, kiss me and see if my nips show. - Never one to turn down such an offer, Poppy took Belle in her arms and they kissed for the longest time. Belle pulled away after a minute, panting, -oh shit, that was intense, - she gasped as she pulled her shirt tight, -how do I look? - -Zero evidence of naughtiness, - Katie confirmed. -Amazing, thank you Lia, this is an amazing present. - Lia passed Belle the bag, -there -(TM)s three bralettes and 5 pairs of panties, enough for the whole week. - -Are all the panties this nice? - -They -(TM)re all lacy. - -Aren -(TM)t they too fancy for school? - -Who -(TM)s looking at your pants at school? - -Err, nobody should be. Just all the girls I saw in PE had plain ones on. - -So, wear plain ones when you -(TM)re doing PE, or even better, start a trend, - Lia told her. Belle smiled at this idea, -mmm, do I take advice from the girl who flashed my teacher this morning? - -I think you should, - Poppy replied, -anyway, I -(TM)m starving, do you want a toastie. - -I -(TM)d love a toastie, then we -(TM)re going to our bed so we can have another cuddle. - -Don -(TM)t you want to go back to bed with dad? - -I -(TM)ve been thinking about that, and it -(TM)ll probably hurt, and it -(TM)s a Sunday, and I don -(TM)t want to be all farty at school tomorrow. Maybe some other time. Tonight I just want to cuddle up to you. - -OK sweetie, what do you want on your toastie? - -Cheese and pickle, and can I have a hot chocolate please? Oh my, I need to check Maisie -(TM)s chocolates. - -They -(TM)re in the fridge, - Jenny reminded her. Belle scooted past Poppy and pulled her chocolates from the fridge, -Ahh damn, I -(TM)ve forgotten which are which. I guess we -(TM)ll have to taste them. Come here everyone. - We gathered around the counter and Belle gave us a chocolate from each section. -Oh wow, it -(TM)s sweet, - Katie said as she bit into hers. -What flavour is it? - -Blueberry, it -(TM)s amazing. - We told her the flavours one by one and she jotted them down in the right order. Once she had them all Belle lit one of the cooker rings and started to heat up a big needle. As Poppy cooked the toasties, Belle carefully etched a letter into each chocolate. Once she was finished, she pulled a small plastic tub from under the sink and lined it with the lingerie shop tissue paper. -If I give her two of each it -(TM)ll leave plenty for us to enjoy tomorrow night, - she told us. We all agreed this was a good idea. -They -(TM)re wonderful, but they -(TM)re also really sweet, more than two of each would be too many, - Jenny advised. -So they -(TM)re OK? - -They -(TM)re more than OK, - Lia told her, -they -(TM)re amazing, and they -(TM)re also such a wonderful, thoughtful gift. I don -(TM)t think anyone else at school has made someone home-made chocolates. - -They -(TM)re not as shiny as I -(TM)d hoped, I think I was supposed to do something else with the chocolate before I poured it into the mould. Are you sure they taste OK? - -Positive, they taste amazing, - Poppy replied. -Who had the coffee? - -I did, - Jenny replied, -it was the best coffee cream I -(TM)ve ever tasted. - -Don -(TM)t be silly, - Belle told her. -No, seriously, I could tell you -(TM)d made it with proper coffee, it was really tasty. - Poppy handed Belle a plate and a mug, -come on Nigella, let -(TM)s go upstairs for that cuddle you promised me. - -I might even kiss you if this toastie is nice. - -I guarantee it -(TM)ll be the best toastie you -(TM)ve had today. - -So, was today a success? - Jenny asked as we lay together after she -(TM)d done what Belle couldn -(TM)t bring herself to do. -You tasted the chocolates, I -(TM)d say they were a success. - -She -(TM)s so good in the kitchen, but you know full well that -(TM)s not what I meant. - -We had some tears once Poppy realised that she -(TM)d been staying away to punish herself, she and Belle had a talk about bi-sexuality and pan-sexuality. Belle doesn -(TM)t see why there -(TM)s a difference, but she is adamant she -(TM)s really a lesbian, I guess I -(TM)m her friend with benefits. - -Oh, I really don -(TM)t think so. The whole idea of a friend with benefits is you have no feelings, and Belle very much has feelings for you. - -She decided she wanted anal today, after Poppy had made love. - -So why did she just back out? - -She does it a lot, I think she likes the idea of it, she knows Poppy loves it, and saw how much Lia enjoyed it. She then realises that it will hurt, maybe a lot, and she finds an excuse to back out. - -I quite enjoyed the -~being all farty at school -(TM) excuse. - -Ahh yes, that -(TM)s because Poppy will have told her about it making you fart. - As if on cue, -whoops, sorry, - Jenny giggled, -is this where I pull the duvet over your face. - -I -(TM)d rather you didn -(TM)t, - I laughed, -I -(TM)m kind of glad Belle keeps backing out, - I continued, more seriously, -because I -(TM)m terrified I -(TM)ll hurt her. - -As she used any toys? - -She says Poppy has used a small dildo on her, and Poppy did say earlier how much she enjoyed sticking a finger in her, and I quote, -~cute little bum hole -(TM) - -So, Belle does like anal play, but not the thought of your big truncheon up her bum. I can understand that, if I was her size, I -(TM)d be terrified. - The next morning, I was up the same time as everyone else, as I wanted to make sure everything was ready outside for Ernie and Mick to prepare the base for Lia -(TM)s office. Belle was parading around in her new bralette, -this is so pretty, it seems a shame to cover it up. - -I -(TM)m fairly sure the school as a rule about wearing a shirt or blouse, - Jenny told her as she grabbed a quick coffee before dashing off. -If Belle -(TM)s just wearing a bra, then so am I, - Poppy insisted. -Nobody will get any work done if you flash your big knockers to the class, - Belle replied. -So, fair -(TM)s fair, if I can -(TM)t flash my tits, then neither can you. - -Hmph! Aren -(TM)t you a fun sponge this morning! - -OK, if I -(TM)m not fun I -(TM)ll make you eat toast instead of crunchy nut cornflakes. - -Cornflakes please, and I promise to wear my shirt. - -Super, then after school we -(TM)re going to meet up with Lia because she knows somewhere we can get our nipples pierced. - -Seriously, we can have them done? Jenny, is that right? - -I -(TM)ve checked, and as long as you have an adult with you, some studios will agree to do it. I have no objection, and Lia -(TM)s a responsible adult, so if you want them done, it -(TM)s fine by me. - -Can I have my belly button done as well? - -Anything accept your lips, nose or eyebrows, in fact, anything in your face is out. - -Not even a little nose stud? - -Sorry, - Katie chipped in, -those are against school rules. One pair of studs in your ears is the limit. - -Ahh, ok, no nose stud yet. I don -(TM)t want to get suspended two weeks running. - Jenny kissed Belle goodbye, -one suspension is enough. - -One per term, that -(TM)s all I can promise, - Belle offered with her brightest smile. -OK, you -(TM)re such a minx, but you -(TM)re just so adorable. No more fights though. - -I -(TM)ll try. I won -(TM)t start any, that -(TM)s an absolute promise. - -And that -(TM)s all I ask. Have a great day everyone. - Lia had our biggest mugs ready for Ernie and Mick. They arrived a little after 8:30, pulling up at the back of the house, on the path I -(TM)d shown them. They had a cement mixer on the back of Mick -(TM)s van, I helped them lift it off and roll it into the garden. Whilst Lia made the tea, we unloaded the rest of their equipment. During the first round of drinks Ernie went through the plan of action. Lia would help Mick dig a narrow trench about 18 inches deep from the utility room to the bottom of the garden, he -(TM)d brought a jack hammer to break up the concrete slab by the door. I helped Ernie dig the big hole for the concrete base, he drove the digger, I moved the spoil in a wheelbarrow and dumped it along the edge of the garden ready for Lia -(TM)s flowerbeds. Lia finished her job before we did, so she helped us place a thick membrane sheet into the bottom of the pit we -(TM)d just dug. Ernie then cut long wooden boards which we used to line the sides of the pit to stop any earth falling in. While we finished preparing the ground for the concrete base, Mick was feeding a length of electrical cable through a reinforced plastic ducting, ready to bury in the trench. Lia made some sandwiches whilst I helped Mick run the plastic ducting from the house, down the garden and though a thick piece of plastic pipe which we -(TM)d stuck into the ground towards the back of the pit, where it would stand slightly proud of the concrete slab. Mick fastened a thick plastic bag over the end of the pipe to protect it from concrete, and any potential rain. Ernie set the cement mixer running as Lia brought sandwiches and tea. -Belle said we could have one chocolate each, - she announced as she placed the tray on the ground, -she made these yesterday. - -She made chocolates? - Ernie asked, -she -(TM)s a surprising girl. - -That -(TM)s one way to describe her, - Lia laughed, -there -(TM)s a clue to the flavour scrawled into each one, I think she got bored towards the end, these are hard to read. - -I have to drill though the wall this afternoon, I -(TM)ll need that shelf unit moving, - Mick said later as he finished his sandwich. -No problem, I -(TM)ll take all the clean clothes upstairs, - Lia said, -will we be able to put it back afterwards? - -Oh yes, I -(TM)ll fasten some plastic conduit onto the wall then you can put the shelves back. - -I need to meet up with the others at 3, - Lia said as we selected a chocolate each, -is there anything else you need me to do? - -Mmm, this is a nice chocolate, - Mick said as he bit into his, -orange, a much bigger flavour than the ones you buy in the shops. - -Belle said it -(TM)s all organic ingredients, and the orange flavour is from Spanish oranges, which is special apparently. - -Well, I approve. Anyway, there -(TM)s a roll of warning tape over there, I need you to lay it along the top of the ducting then kick the earth back in the trench, we -(TM)ll put the turf back later. - -No problem, I -(TM)ll get that sorted, - she bit into her chocolate, -oh wow, mum was right, the coffee cream is amazing. What did you get dad? - -The mango one, you -(TM)d never guess it was baby food. - Ernie bit into his, -mmm, blueberry, fantastic. Why did she make chocolates? - -Because she wants a girl in her class to talk to her. - -Well, if these don -(TM)t work, I don -(TM)t know what will. - I collected the lunch things and carried them to the kitchen while Lia ran a length of plastic hazard tape along the top of the electrical ducting. -It -(TM)s probably an idea to leave some kind of mark above ground to show where the ducting trench runs, in case you forget. I -(TM)m fitting a safety circuit breaker, but there -(TM)s still a danger someone could get hurt if they ram a spade through the cable. - -I was thinking we could get some fancy stepping stones to run from the house to the office, for when it -(TM)s muddy, - Lia told him, -we could place them along the trench as a reminder. - -Excellent idea, I -(TM)ve got a catalogue from the garden centre in the van, they have some nice decorative stepping stones. - -I saw them when I went last week, there -(TM)s some that look like slices of tree, I like those. Once we get the flowerbed sorted, I -(TM)ll go looking for plants and pots and decorations. - -Let me know when you -(TM)re going, I -(TM)ll take you in the van, save you paying for delivery. - -Thank you Mick, that -(TM)s so kind of you. - It took the rest of the afternoon to fill the pit with concrete, Lia disappeared around two to shower and change, then she made a final round of tea before she left to meet her sisters at school. -Remember what Jenny said, Belle can -(TM)t have a nose piercing. - -Yep, nothing on the face. - -That also means her tongue. - -That will upset Poppy, - she replied with a smile. Mick looked at Ernie, who just shook his head, -it -(TM)s complicated, best not to think about it. - -Poppy saved Belle -(TM)s life, didn -(TM)t she? - Mick asked. -They saved each other, - I replied, -without Belle -(TM)s love we don -(TM)t think Poppy would have had the strength to survive. - -I see, so they -(TM)re girlfriends first, sisters second? - -I think they -(TM)re closer even than sisters, I -(TM)ve never seen a couple so co-dependent. - -I -(TM)d like to meet them all. - Ernie looked at the level of the concrete he -(TM)d just poured, -we need one more load of concrete in there, I reckon they -(TM)ll be home before we finish. - -I -(TM)ll get the electrics fitted inside, the weatherproof box on the outside has a couple of extra plug sockets, should you need them. - -Thanks Mick, I -(TM)m sure they -(TM)ll be handy when the weather is good enough to spend the evenings outside. - -Once I -(TM)m finished with the electrics, I -(TM)ll fit the wireless box. Where -(TM)s your main router again Alex? - -It -(TM)s in my office upstairs. You can drill through the window frame if that makes your job easier. - -It does, thanks, I -(TM)ll do it in the corner and seal the hole with matching sealant. - It was full dark by the time Ernie was pouring the last of the concrete, Mick used his newly fitted external plug sockets to power a couple of large LED panels, lighting the garden like a football pitch. Once Ernie and Mick were happy the concrete was smooth and level they drove four stakes into the ground and tied a tarpaulin over the whole base, pulling it tight and sloping it slightly so water wouldn -(TM)t collect if it rained overnight. -It -(TM)ll be fine to walk on by tomorrow, and definitely fine to build on next Monday. - -Fantastic Ernie, how much do I owe you both? - -You paid for all the materials, you don -(TM)t owe us anything. - -But you -(TM)ve worked a full day. - -Consider it our little bit for your girls -(TM) charity, and if you put that Jeremy guy onto us, we -(TM)ll help out with fixing up the other places you -(TM)ll be using. - -Aye, - Mick added, -like I said, I -(TM)m mostly retired now, so I -(TM)ve got plenty of time to give you folks. - Any further discussion was halted by Belle bursting into the garden, -Oh hey dad, and err... - -Hi Belle, this is Ernie and Mick, they -(TM)ve very kindly laid the base for Lia -(TM)s office. - -Thanks for the chocolate, - Ernie said, holding out his hand to shake Belle -(TM)s, -it was fantastic. - -Which one did you have? - -The blueberry, it was very, err, blueberry. - -I used blueberry syrup, I love it. The lights, - she said, waving her hands, -I came out to see the lights, they -(TM)re so bright. - -Don -(TM)t worry, they -(TM)re just here so we could see to finish our work, - Mick told her, -I -(TM)ll take them away with me tonight. - -I love them! We could work outside until dead late in spring. - Mick looked at me, -I could fit similar ones to the back wall, not this bright, because the neighbours would complain, maybe one on the outside of the cabin as well, to give light from both sides. - -That would be amazing, thanks, - Belle replied, she gave Mick a quick kiss on the cheek and dashed back inside. -That -(TM)s Belle, - I told him, -Impulsive and overly familiar, but a great cook. So, I guess we -(TM)re having new lights out here. - -LED lights are really cheap, they even make remote control ones that change colour if you -(TM)re having a party. - -Now that would really impress Belle. - -I -(TM)ll get some ordered, I can install them when we come back next week to build the cabin. - -Excellent, shall we go inside to meet the rest of the family. - I was only slightly surprised to see five girls in the kitchen. -Hey dad, - Poppy cried as we kicked off our muddy shoes, -this is Maisie. - -Oh, hi Maisie, I -(TM)m Alex, - I told her as I accepted a mug of coffee from Lia, she had tea waiting for Ernie and Mick. -Hello Mr Harrison, I love your books, - she replied almost too quietly for me to hear. -Thank you, Maisie, I -(TM)m finding a surprising number of girls who enjoy my books. - -They -(TM)re exciting, and I like reading about the places your heroes visit. - -I apologise for the mess today, we don -(TM)t normally have floodlights and a mini-digger in the garden. - -What are you doing? - -We -(TM)re preparing the ground for an office for Lia, - Ernie told her, -It -(TM)s going to be built on a concrete base. - -Can I have a look at your digger, please. I went to Diggerland last year with my mum, it was a lot of fun. - -Of course you can, - Mick replied, -and if you come back tomorrow I -(TM)ll let you drive it back onto the wagon. - -Really! Oh my god, I -(TM)d love that. - Maisie followed Mick and Ernie out to the garden. -So, did she talk to you? - I asked as the door closed behind them. -Err, yes. She -(TM)s now my best friend. - -She -(TM)s had her nipples pierced with the rest of us, I -(TM)m hoping her parents don -(TM)t find out, - Lia added. -So, you -(TM)ve all had them done? - -Oh yes, the shop shouldn -(TM)t really have done them as the owner has a strict -~nothing below the neck -(TM) rule for under 18 -(TM)s, but the chance of five sales changed her mind. - -Did it hurt? - -Well, duhh! - Poppy replied, -Obviously it hurt, and they -(TM)re still sore, but they all look so pretty. We -(TM)ll show you when Ernie and Mick have gone. - -On that subject, they -(TM)ve done the work today for free, for the charity. Mick said he -(TM)s happy to do any work that needs doing for other places you -(TM)ll be using. - -Shit, really! That -(TM)s so nice. I -(TM)m glad I gave him a little kiss before. When are they coming back, did he say tomorrow? - -He -(TM)s collecting his digger tomorrow, they -(TM)ll be back properly next Monday to help build the cabin. - -I -(TM)ll bake them a cake! Yes, this weekend we -(TM)re baking, Poppy. - -Why get me involved, I can -(TM)t cook. - -You -(TM)re a perfectly adequate assistant, - Belle replied. Maisie waved as Ernie and Mick drove off, she turned and walked back up the garden, -How -(TM)s Maisie getting home, did you mention she doesn -(TM)t live around here, - I asked. -She lives in Putney, not far from my ex-parents -(TM) house. Her mum -(TM)s coming to pick her up. - -That was a lot of fun, - Maisie said as she returned, -thanks for this Belle, it -(TM)s been my best day ever. - -I -(TM)m just happy to see you smile. - -As long as you don -(TM)t tell anyone at school you -(TM)ve seen me happy. I -(TM)ve got a reputation to keep. - -Hanging out with me will only reinforce your outsider reputation. - -Oh my god, you -(TM)re the coolest girl in school. I wanted to talk to you ever since you knocked out Jade. - -So, why didn -(TM)t you talk to me? - -I can -(TM)t just go up to someone, to talk to them, I don -(TM)t know how. - -It -(TM)s lucky I do know how to talk to people. - -And how to make chocolates, they -(TM)re a lovely gift. Me and mum will enjoy them tonight while we watch TV. - -Why not your dad? - -He doesn -(TM)t watch TV, - is all she said in answer, clearly she doesn -(TM)t like talking about her father. Jenny was just coming through the front door as Maisie -(TM)s phone sounded with a message, -oh, it -(TM)s my mum, she -(TM)ll be here in five minutes, - she said as Jenny stepped into the kitchen. -Hi, you must be Maisie! I see the chocolates worked. - -Hello Mrs Harrison... - -I -(TM)m not Mrs Harrison, well, not yet anyway. Just call me Jenny. - -Or DC Jenny, because she -(TM)s a detective, - Belle added, proudly. -I saw you on TV once, on the news, you found the two dead girls. - -That -(TM)s right, and Poppy told me about them, that -(TM)s how we found their bodies. - -How did you know where they were? - Maisie asked, innocently. -Because I saw one of them being murdered, - Poppy replied quietly, -she was my friend, I ran away because I knew I -(TM)d be next. - -Oh, fuck. - Maisie gasped, -were you there, Belle. - -No I wasn -(TM)t, thankfully nobody in the squat let me go to places like that. - -Tomorrow, when we -(TM)re in school, am I allowed to talk to you? - Maisie asked Poppy. -Why would you think you aren -(TM)t allowed? - -Because you -(TM)re year 11, and well, pretty much everyone in year 9 is terrified of you after what you said to Jade -(TM)s friends. - -Oh man, that only applies to Jade -(TM)s friends if they try to do anything silly to Belle. Of course you can talk to me and Katie. - The gate buzzer sounded as Belle was showing Maisie the electric piano, -oh, that -(TM)ll be your mum, the gate release is by the front door. - I was behind her as Maisie opened the door, -oh, hello Mr Harrison, I hope she -(TM)s been no trouble, it -(TM)s not often she goes to friend -(TM)s houses. - -No trouble at all Mrs Chambers, please call me Alex, come in, do you want a tea or coffee? - -I mustn -(TM)t stop really. - -It -(TM)s no trouble, come into the kitchen and meet the family. - -A coffee would be lovely, thank you, it -(TM)s so chilly outside tonight. - -I was surprised when Maisie called to say she was visiting a friend, she -(TM)s spoken about you a lot, Belle, pretty much non-stop since you started school last week. - Belle beamed at this, Maisie blushed. -Now I -(TM)ve seen you all, I -(TM)m so happy, you seem like such a nice family. If you don -(TM)t mind, I think I recognise you Jenny, and Poppy, were you on the telly? - -Poppy and Belle were on TV last weekend, - Maisie told her, -on the news, they were given an award, because they helped the police find and identify two dead girls, they were Poppy -(TM)s friends. - -Gosh, you -(TM)re those girls, the ones with the charity. - -Yes! And Mrs Harrison, sorry, not Mrs Harrison yet, DC Jenny was on the news when they found the dead girls. - -Ahh yes. That -(TM)s right, and Mr Harrison... - -Alex, - I corrected her, -even the girls call us Alex and Jenny half the time. - -Yes, Alex, you -(TM)re the man who writes the books Maisie likes. I -(TM)ve read a couple, some of the bits were a bit, err, steamy, and The Reverend doesn -(TM)t approve, but so long as Maisie is reading and broadening her horizons, that -(TM)s fine by me. - -Ahh, I think Maisie is reading my adult books, there -(TM)s no steamy scenes in my young adult books. - -Err, I think you -(TM)ll find some of them have kissing in, - Belle corrected me. -Well, yes, but that -(TM)s all. I use two different names for my writing, my Young Adult books are under David Harris, and my adult fiction is under Harrison Davis. - Maisie laughed at this, -I -(TM)m so sorry, I never even noticed the different names, I liked the covers mostly, also the style, typeface, and author photographs are the same on all your books. Now I think about it, I prefer the more adult books, the ones with Cassandra, she -(TM)s a proper heroine, someone to aspire to. I think she -(TM)s like Lara Croft, but with a more achievable figure. - -Thank you, I -(TM)ve never thought of her that way. - -She sounds so sexy, - Belle added, -Look at Lia, Maisie, now close your eyes and imagine Lia in dad -(TM)s books as she -(TM)s running across that bridge after planting a bomb in front of the Baron -(TM)s castle gates. - -Oh wow, yes, I can just picture Lia in Cassandra -(TM)s black ninja suits. - -Quite, - Janet broke in to change the subject, -so, did you enjoy your afternoon with your new friends? - -Oh gosh, yes. Lia took us to a piercing studio. - Lia spat her coffee onto the kitchen counter, she covered it up with a coughing fit while Poppy mopped up the mess. Janet moved Maisie -(TM)s hair back, -now, you know how The Reverend feels about piercings and tattoos, you -(TM)re defiling God -(TM)s work. - -Relax mum, he won -(TM)t see them. - -Well, I see it -(TM)s not your ears you -(TM)ve had pierced. - -I -(TM)ve had my nipples pierced, because Belle and Poppy were having theirs done. - The rest of Lia -(TM)s coffee hit the worktop as Janet went bright red, but she didn -(TM)t speak. I was worried we -(TM)d have a full-blown row in the kitchen until I saw her relax. -I guess that -(TM)s OK, so long as you never let The Reverend know about them. I know you -(TM)ve been asking for your ears pierced for such a long time, - she turned to Jenny, -are you OK with this? - -Well, we -(TM)re a relaxed household, we try to have as few rules as possible. The girls are, by necessity due to their past lives, very mature, very bright, and well-behaved, most of the time, - she smiled at Belle, -so if they want to have body piercings, I can hardly say no. - -Which isn -(TM)t saying you approve. - -OK, personally I wouldn -(TM)t want my nipples pierced, but my daughters -(TM) bodies are their own. The only rules that govern what they do with them are the school rules, which are one pair of earrings and no nose studs or lip piercings. Belle wanted her nipples pierced and I agreed she could, Poppy liked the idea and decided to have hers done, the same for Lia and Katie. - Janet turned to Maisie and her hand on her daughter -(TM)s, -I know you disagree with a lot of what The Reverend says, and you deliberately rebel to annoy him with your hair, your clothes, your refusal to attend church. Please, for my sake if not yours, don -(TM)t tell him what you -(TM)ve done. - -I never lie to you mum, that -(TM)s why I told you. I don -(TM)t mind lying to dad though because he -(TM)s a massive hypocrite. I won -(TM)t tell him anything, and unless he starts sneaking into my room at night again, he won -(TM)t ever be able to see them. - -Shush, you know he wasn -(TM)t well when he did that, he -(TM)s not been in your room since. - -Yes, he -(TM)s not been in my room since I fitted a lock to the door. - -Err, can I just remind you both that I -(TM)m a police officer. - -The Reverend didn -(TM)t ever touch Maisie. - -Well, not after I screamed. - -He -(TM)s had treatment, he doesn -(TM)t think like that anymore. Now, why don -(TM)t you get your coat and I -(TM)ll drive you home, The Reverend will be expecting his dinner. - -Before you go, - Jenny broke in, placing a hand on Janet -(TM)s, -I want to be sure Maisie is in no danger if I let her leave this house. - -It -(TM)s OK Jenny, - Maisie replied, -he -(TM)s not interested in me since I got boobs and pubes. I -(TM)m safe, besides, if he tries anything I -(TM)ll kick his ass. I may not have Belle -(TM)s Krav Maga skills, but I know how to fight dirty. - -OK, just so you know, I -(TM)m always around if you need me, Belle can always get in touch. - -Thank you, - Janet replied, -we -(TM)ll remember that. - They got up to leave and Belle seized the opportunity to reinforce their friendship, -don -(TM)t forget you -(TM)re coming back tomorrow to help Mick with his mini digger. - -Oh yes, I have to come back tomorrow, I promised to help. - -Who -(TM)s Mick? - -Mick -(TM)s our handyman, - I replied, -he -(TM)s been getting the garden ready to build an office for Poppy and Belle -(TM)s charity. - -OK, I have no problem with you being friends with Belle, you can come back tomorrow. - -Can she stop for dinner? - -Oh no, I can -(TM)t allow Maisie to impose like that. - -What -(TM)s an extra portion when I -(TM)m already cooking for six, - Belle replied. -You do the cooking? - Janet asked. -Oh yes, she -(TM)s so clever mum, she made me chocolates, actual chocolates with amazing flavours. - Janet raised an eyebrow at this, -mmm, that -(TM)s impressive. Why did you make Maisie chocolates? - -Because I saw a YouTube video about making them, and I wanted to try, and I also wanted Maisie to talk to me. I saw her in every lesson looking all intriguing and nobody talked to her, so I thought I -(TM)d introduce myself. - This seemed to appease Janet, so she collected her coat and lead Maisie to the door. -How late will you be tomorrow? - -She can leave straight after dinner, - Jenny replied. -They -(TM)ve got Netflix mum, and Disney+. - -Ok, but you must be home by 10, and not a word to The Reverend or he -(TM)ll want to inspect this house. There -(TM)s not enough rooms here for everyone to have their own bedroom. - -That -(TM)s because Belle is Poppy -(TM)s girlfriend, and Katie is Lia -(TM)s girlfriend. - By now Lia had given up trying to drink her coffee, so she just turned white with horror at what Maisie was telling Janet. -Is that so. Well, that -(TM)s another thing we -(TM)re keeping quiet from The Reverend. - Maisie hugged Belle before she left, -thank you, this has been amazing, I love your family. - -I love my family too. I hope everything is OK at home. - -It -(TM)ll be fine, - Maisie whispered, -mum secretly wishes she could be as much a rebel as me, there -(TM)s a lot of stuff we don -(TM)t tell him. - -Don -(TM)t forget what Jenny said, if there -(TM)s a problem, call me, we -(TM)ll come straight round. - -I -(TM)ll call you, whether there -(TM)s a problem or not. You -(TM)re my only friend Belle. Now don -(TM)t take this the wrong way, because I -(TM)m not into girls, if you know what I mean, - then she kissed Belle, full on the lips. -Well, any boys you like are in for a real treat. - -And after you returned that kiss, I -(TM)m kind of jealous of Poppy, - Maisie smiled as she turned and ran to Janet -(TM)s car. Jenny closed the door and leant against it, -OK, - she started, -am I the only one weirded out by this The Reverend business? - -That -(TM)s what struck me, - I replied. -It -(TM)s good to know we -(TM)re not the weirdest family. - -I knew her dad was a vicar at quite a bizarre church, we never visited there, so I had no idea just how weird. Looking at a little girl when she -(TM)s asleep, that -(TM)s just freaky. - -She seems quite well-adjusted, - Lia added. -Considering what you -(TM)ve all been through, you -(TM)re all well-adjusted, - Jenny replied as we moved to the kitchen, where Belle had her phone out. -I -(TM)m sorry, I can -(TM)t be bothered cooking, can we order pizza? - We agreed and Belle phoned an order through, -I hope Neil delivers tonight, - she said as she put her phone down, -I want to show him these, - she added as she opened her shirt and bralette. She had a horizontal gold bar capped with pretty red stones through both nipples. -How does it feel? - Jenny asked, -my nipples are so sensitive, I just cringe at the thought. - -It really hurt when she did it, afterwards though, just a dull ache. Totally worth it though because they look awesome. - -What did the rest of you go with? - Jenny asked. -We got the same sort of bar, just different coloured gems. I got blue, - Poppy replied as she opened her blouse, -I also got this, - she added, displaying a pretty butterfly dangling below her belly button. -Is that going to be OK with school? - Jenny asked. -Who -(TM)ll see it, I don -(TM)t do PE. - -Ahh, OK. - -What colour have you got Katie? - -Mine are emeralds, - she replied, -show mum what you got Lia. - We watched as Lia pulled off her sweater and removed her bra. Once again, I marvelled at Lia -(TM)s quiet perfection. She didn -(TM)t flaunt her beauty at all. -I went wild, a cross piercing, and yes, it hurt, a lot, - she told us as we looked at her horizontal and vertical bars, both capped with black stones. -What did Maisie get, - I asked. -She got rings, - Belle replied, -they -(TM)re so pretty, they have little pink hearts that hang below her nipples. I got to see her boobs, - she added in a whisper, -and they -(TM)re big, not like Poppy -(TM)s, all perky, they -(TM)re big and full and hang down, I think that -(TM)s why she wears jumpers, to hide them. It -(TM)s kind of a shame she -(TM)s not gay, they -(TM)d make super pillows for a pretty girl to sleep on, all a boy will do is bury his face in them. Boys don -(TM)t deserve to play with boobies. - Poppy put a hand on Belle -(TM)s, -she kissed you though. - -She did, it was nice, but she told me she -(TM)s not into girls, - Belle replied sadly. -Surely that makes the kiss extra special, - Jenny told her. Belle thought for a moment, then she treated us to one of her best smiles, -yes! It does make it special. - -So, today has been a success all round, - I said as I pulled plates from the cupboard. -Yes, it has been successful, - Lia replied, -oh, by the way, I hope you don -(TM)t mind, you paid for everyone -(TM)s piercings, - she added, as she slid my credit card across the kitchen counter. -Everyone -(TM)s? - -Ahh, yes, Maisie had no money, it -(TM)s OK isn -(TM)t it, I -(TM)ll pay you back. - -Don -(TM)t worry about it, besides, how expensive are piercings, they -(TM)re only a couple of pounds aren -(TM)t they? - -Maybe a bit more than that, - Lia replied, sheepishly. -Ballpark figure? - -Belle -(TM)s were dearest, because they -(TM)re real gold, ours are titanium, then Poppy -(TM)s butterfly. - -Ballpark? - -£400, - Poppy said quickly. -£400, really? - -Are you mad at us, - Poppy asked, -we got carried away, there were so many pretty styles, and my butterfly is more than we agreed to. I -(TM)ll pay you back. - -I don -(TM)t want you to pay me back, I -(TM)m not mad at all, just a little surprised. I had no idea how much they cost. - -I guess it -(TM)s a while since you bought body jewellery, - -Yes, a little while. - I replied as the gate buzzed, announcing the arrival of our pizzas. Belle ran for the door, -oi, button that shirt before you open the door, - Poppy shouted. -You -(TM)re no fun, - Belle sighed as she fastened her shirt. Maisie arrived with the girls on Tuesday evening, Mick hadn -(TM)t turned up with his van yet, so she followed Belle upstairs to start their homework. Poppy poured three mugs of coffee, then she joined me with at the table. -Mmm, the piercing lady wasn -(TM)t really clear about just how itchy the piercings get. Next time someone suggests something like this I -(TM)m going to walk away. - -They look cool though, - Katie replied. -Yeah, when they -(TM)re not bleeding, I had to go to the office for a couple of plasters, and be very creative about why I needed them. - -Ahh, I took some with me this morning, - Katie laughed. -Thanks for not telling me, - Poppy laughed. -How did Belle get on, didn -(TM)t she have PE today? - -She would have, if I hadn -(TM)t written her a note. - Poppy replied, -She wanted to go until we found out it was trampoline fitness today. Probably wouldn -(TM)t have ended well. - -I -(TM)m fairly sure a normal parent would be angry about you writing a note for Belle, - I said. -Please, most of the girls write their own notes. - -Things have changed since I was at school, clearly. - -Yeah, nowadays kids borrow their mum -(TM)s phone first thing to send emails to school. - -Resourceful, I -(TM)ll give them that. - We looked up at a clattering noise from the bottom of the garden and watched as Mick reversed his wagon into the garden, Katie dashed upstairs to get Maisie. Soon Maisie came running through the kitchen, followed by Belle and Katie. Mick was lowering a ramp at the back of his van as Maisie approached, we watched them chatting for a while before Maisie climbed into the digger and he showed her the controls. -How was today at school? - I asked Belle as we watched Maisie roll the digger back and forth until she got the hand of the controls. -It was good, Poppy wrote me a note for PE, because we realised it probably wasn -(TM)t a good idea, I got to do extra maths in the library with Maisie, I found out why she doesn -(TM)t do PE. - -Why -(TM)s that, - I asked. -She starting growing boobs in year 6, she had bigger boobs than Poppy by year 7, she -(TM)s now a J cup if you can believe that, I didn -(TM)t even know they went that high... - -She -(TM)s that big? - Poppy asked. -Oh, you didn -(TM)t see them did you, it was only me in the room with her. Anyway, she got so much teasing from the other girls she was permanently excused PE. Her mum is trying to get a doctor to agree to a reduction, she says the doctors don -(TM)t think they can do it until she -(TM)s stopped growing, but she -(TM)s worried they -(TM)ll never stop. Also, her mum is worried her dad, The Reverend, - she added sarcastically. -won -(TM)t agree to an operation while she -(TM)s a minor because it defiles God -(TM)s work. She desperate though, because they -(TM)re really heavy, they hurt her back. - -The poor love, I bet they do, - Poppy sympathised, -mine are bad enough, although not now I -(TM)ve got proper bras. - -Oh look, she -(TM)s going for it, - Katie said, -and she -(TM)s doing OK. - -I bet that -(TM)s a lot of fun, - Belle replied, -ahh, she -(TM)s messed up the lawn a bit. - -It was bound to happen, we -(TM)ll get it fixed once the cabin -(TM)s built, - I told her. -Is there anything we can do? - Belle asked. -What about? - Poppy replied. -Maisie -(TM)s boobs. They -(TM)re hurting her. - -There -(TM)s not a lot we can do, - I replied, -any decisions about her health are down to her parents. Janet is clearly trying to help, looking for doctors willing to operate. - -What about The Reverend, he -(TM)ll just put a stop to it. - -Children -(TM)s Services could step in, but I don -(TM)t think a case like Maisie -(TM)s would have priority, they usually only step in when children -(TM)s lives are in danger. - -Could she get something like this done privately? - -I imagine so, I -(TM)m afraid I -(TM)m not really an expert in this area... - -Dads are supposed to know everything, - Belle replied, sulking. -Helen -(TM)s had a boob job, she might know, - Katie offered. -Yeah, but that was to make hers perkier, not smaller. - -She had it done privately is what I -(TM)m meaning, so she knows a surgeon. - -Ahh, yes. I -(TM)m sorry Katie, I was rude just then. Of course, Helen knows everything! - -Janet probably can -(TM)t afford surgery like this, cosmetic surgery can be very expensive. - -I -(TM)ll pay for it, I really don -(TM)t mind, I -(TM)ve got more money in the bank than I can possibly use. Michaela, my lawyer, she said I would be earning about £1,500 a month in interest, then there -(TM)s the rent Amber -(TM)s paying, although I -(TM)m giving that to the charity, but you know what I mean. I -(TM)m going to speak to Helen later, she -(TM)ll know what to do. - And with that the matter was closed, for now. We watched as Maisie reached the top of the ramp and rolled the digger to a stop. She helped Mick with the tie down straps. She then ran carefully down the ramp and helped Mick lift it up and lock it into place. Once she was back, Belle showed Maisie the downstairs toilet, where she could wash her hands. -That was a lot of fun, thanks Mick, - she told him as she returned, -do you want a cup of tea? - -Thanks love, but I -(TM)m good, I -(TM)ve got to get the digger back to my mate -(TM)s yard before he closes, he -(TM)s got another customer for it tomorrow. - -Oh, it -(TM)s not yours. I hope you don -(TM)t get into trouble for letting me drive it. - -Who -(TM)s going to know? - -I guess, I just worry about things sometimes. - -I won -(TM)t tell Trevor anything. - -I dinged it a bit though when I reversed. Oh! Sorry Alex, I hit a tree! - -Don -(TM)t apologise to me, Maisie, apologise to the tree. - -~Ahh, I already did that, - she giggled. -Then we -(TM)re all good, - I told her. -So, that ding at the back, he -(TM)ll notice it. - -If he does, I -(TM)ll tell him Ernie did it, but with the million other dings and holes in it, I -(TM)m sure he won -(TM)t notice. - -Thank you Mick, I really enjoyed driving the digger. - -Thank you for parking it so well for me, I -(TM)ve got to dash now, I -(TM)ll see you all next Monday. - -You -(TM)re smiling again Maisie, - Belle teased her after Mick left. -Stop it, I -(TM)m allowed to smile sometimes. - -You -(TM)re really pretty when you smile. - -I -(TM)m not pretty other times? - -Oh yes, you -(TM)re very pretty, but when you smile, you -(TM)re extra pretty. You should smile more often, especially when there -(TM)s boys around. - -Mick -(TM)s got a lad around your age, - I told them. Belle raised an eyebrow, -Why didn -(TM)t you say this earlier, here I am wasting my time with girls when you know of an actual boy. - Maisie looked at Belle, puzzled, -I thought you were gay. - -I am, silly. I -(TM)m just teasing. - -I -(TM)ve never met the lad, Mick just mentioned him the other day, said he liked my books, so I told him to pop round and I -(TM)d sign a few of his books. - -If he -(TM)s as nice as Mick... - Maisie whispered. -We -(TM)ll make sure you know when he -(TM)s coming, - Poppy assured her. -You can -(TM)t tell my dad though, he won -(TM)t let me have a boyfriend. - -You -(TM)ve never had a boyfriend? - Belle asked. -No, - she replied sadly. -That kiss, it was so good, who did you practice with? - Maisie hung her head, -my cousin, Bertie, - she whispered. -Bertie -(TM)s a lucky lad, - Belle told her as she rose, -what shall we have for dinner? - -Nobody can tell my dad! - Maisie almost cried. Belle sat down and put her hands on Maisie -(TM)s, -what -(TM)s all this, The Reverend bollocks, Maisie? He -(TM)s a dad and a husband, why does he use his job title at home? - -You don -(TM)t know him, he -(TM)s very forceful, he demands respect at all times. - -Does he deserve respect? Is he kind to you, does he do good things at home? Respect is earned, Maisie. Look at Poppy! She deserves respect because she -(TM)s good, and kind, and loving, and basically a superhero. Katie deserves respect for having the good grace not to kill her mother. I don -(TM)t hear anything good about your dad, Maisie. - -He -(TM)s not a bad man, - Maisie said quietly. -He sneaked around your room and looked at you at night, how old were you then? - -About 8 or 9. - -Did he touch you? - Poppy asked, -Your mum said not, but I -(TM)m not sure we believe her. - Maisie -(TM)s head sank lower, -yes, - she whispered almost inaudibly. -It -(TM)s OK, - Poppy whispered, -we -(TM)ve all been abused, especially Lia. - Maisie started to cry, Belle brought her a few tissues, -I don -(TM)t want to talk about, not with Alex listening. - -Who do you want to talk to Maisie? - Poppy asked gently, -our Aunty Helen is a great listener, and she offers the best advice. - -It -(TM)s not important. - -It -(TM)s really important, - Katie told her, -nobody should touch anyone without their permission, and parents really shouldn -(TM)t be touching their children at all. - -I think I -(TM)ll phone Helen, you -(TM)ll be able to talk to her, she -(TM)s lovely, and I guarantee you -(TM)ll feel better once you do. - -OK, but if I don -(TM)t feel comfortable, I won -(TM)t tell her anything. - -That -(TM)s not a problem, she -(TM)ll understand. - Belle pulled out her phone and dialled, she put it on speaker. -Hey Helen, it -(TM)s Belle, we -(TM)re on speaker. - -Hi Belle, lovely to hear from you. - -I need a favour, Helen. - -Whatever you need. - -Well, I -(TM)ve got a friend round, from school... - -You -(TM)ve made a new friend, that -(TM)s fantastic Belle. - -Yes, she -(TM)s called Maisie, and she -(TM)s got something that she needs to talk through with someone who won -(TM)t judge her. - -Well, you know me, I won -(TM)t judge anyone, is she there now? - -Yes, she -(TM)s come over for dinner, I was about to start cooking, you can bring JoJo, if you like. - -She -(TM)s not here today, it -(TM)s just me, Nita -(TM)s at a conference. - Belle looked up at Maisie, -what would you like for dinner? - -Err, I like pasta... - -I can do some creamy chicken pasta, Helen. - -I -(TM)ll be there in 10 minutes. - -Fantastic, see you soon. - Belle cut the call, -you -(TM)ll love Helen, she -(TM)s just the most amazing woman, so kind, and clever, you can tell her anything. Some of the stuff we -(TM)ve told would make your nose bleed, but she listens, then offers advice, or just gives us a hug, because that -(TM)s the only thing that will help right then. - -Who is she? - -She -(TM)s Alex -(TM)s sister, she -(TM)s a model at the moment, but she -(TM)s studying to be a therapist. - -A model? Is she famous? - -She was for a while, Helen Taylor is the name she used. - -Ahh, redhead, big boobs? - Belle nodded, -Katie used to have posters of her in her bedroom. - -I really did, - Katie replied, smiling warmly at Maisie, -two posters, I got them from a men -(TM)s magazine, I remember the lad in the newsagent looked at me oddly for buying a magazine with a big boobed blonde girl on the front. - -Is it weird talking to someone you -(TM)ve seen naked? - Maisie asked. -I -(TM)ve seen Lia naked, I see her every night, I -(TM)m fine talking to her. - -Yeah, but an adult, you know, isn -(TM)t it weird. - -Not really, because Helen is so friendly and easy to talk to, you -(TM)ll find out soon, she only lives down the road. - -And I don -(TM)t have to tell her anything if I don -(TM)t want to? - -Absolutely, - Poppy replied, -she -(TM)s sat with in silence for half an hour, just hugging me on the sofa, sometimes that -(TM)s all that -(TM)s needed, a hug and a bit of peace, to get things straight in your head. - -I -(TM)m not sure about the hugging part, I -(TM)m not a big hugging person. - -Ahh, Helen is, but if you -(TM)re not comfortable she -(TM)ll soon realise and leave you alone. - We heard a key in the door, -this will be Helen now, mum -(TM)s not due for another 10 minutes, - Belle told her, -you go into the lounge and I -(TM)ll get dinner ready while you chat. - -So I -(TM)ll be alone with her? - -Unless you want someone to be with you. - -Err, no, I want to tell Helen first. - -Super, here she comes now. - Helen entered the kitchen, she walked straight up to Maisie and took her hand, -hi, I -(TM)m Helen, do you want to go into the lounge for a chat, or we could go upstairs. - -Err, hi Helen, I guess the lounge will be fine. - -I -(TM)ll start making dinner, - Belle called after their receding backs. Fifteen minutes later Poppy was helping Belle prepare the ingredients for a creamy white wine sauce as Jenny arrived. -Oh, I thought Maisie was staying for dinner tonight. - -She -(TM)s in the lounge with Helen, - Lia replied. -Something happened in the past, so we -(TM)ve drafted Helen in to listen, - Katie added. -Ahh, I thought so. Ohh, is that spare wine there? - she asked Belle. -Yep, help yourself. - After Jenny polished off half her glass, she shrugged off her coat and let Katie hang it up. -I -(TM)ve been asking around, it -(TM)s not good, but not really bad enough for anyone to interfere with the family. - Belle topped up Jenny -(TM)s glass and she continued, -so, firstly David Chambers is not an ordained minister in any recognised church. He belongs to some US based religion, they have a mixed bag of beliefs, most of which are based around women being the source of all evil. - -Ahh, one of those, - Lia sighed, -there -(TM)s one operates out of a disused library in Belsize Park. The preacher was all fire and brimstone about sin and women, then he got caught with a bag of cocaine and an underage prostitute. - -I couldn -(TM)t find out much about Chamber -(TM)s church, it -(TM)s a pretty obscure sect, The Communion of the Sacred Martyrs, they have five worship centres in the UK, four of them here in London, one in Bristol, which is where our story starts. -David Chambers is American, he came to the UK 20 years ago to study at Bristol University, he didn -(TM)t finish his degree and the university won -(TM)t tell me why. -Around the same time he was kicked out of Bristol University he married Janet, also around this time he joined the Communion of the Sacred Martyrs. As far as we can work out this was the church -(TM)s first UK base. -The sect is quite secretive, as is usually the case with what is essentially a cult, so I -(TM)ve gathered much of this from newspapers and entries in the police databases. -Chambers quickly rose through the church community and was soon the leader of the Bristol chapter, he quit his job in the Post Office and moved with Janet into the flat above the church. Where, a couple of years later, Maisie was born. - -She doesn -(TM)t have a Bristol accent, - Belle pointed out. -They were only there a couple of years after she was born. Piecing together reports of a disturbance, a car fire, and the Chambers family disappearing and reappearing later in Birmingham; I -(TM)ve worked out that Chambers was up to no good, and as Children -(TM)s Services were involved, I think it was with a child. - -What happened? - Poppy asked. -I tried to contact the family that made the complaint, but they -(TM)ve disappeared as well. - -But what happened to Maisie -(TM)s family? - -The church tried to start a church in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, close to the University, so they moved Maisie -(TM)s family. Chambers -(TM) job was to find a suitable old building and set up the new branch of the church. -After Birmingham they moved to High Wycombe, then Putney. - -Have you no idea what happened in Bristol then? - I asked. -I -(TM)m afraid not, but I -(TM)m more interested in what happened in Birmingham. - -What happened in Birmingham, Mum? - Poppy asked. -We don -(TM)t know. There are numerous reports of visits from social services, and a lot of residents wrote to the council to get the family removed, but all the court records are sealed. Someone very influential got a judge to seal the records. -I tried to find some of the residents mentioned in newspaper reports without any luck, there -(TM)s a lot of student housing in the area, so not many people stay there long. - -Do you think that -(TM)s where it happened? - -Where what happened, Belle? - Jenny asked. -Whatever Maisie -(TM)s talking to Helen about. - -Last night Maisie mentioned her dad was no longer interested after she reached puberty... - Jenny started. -Yes, that -(TM)s what she said, after she got boobs and pubes. - -I can -(TM)t say for definite when they moved to Putney, they don -(TM)t own the house, so there are no records. What I can say is she was enrolled at a primary school in the area part way through year 5. - -She said she had fairly big boobs in year 6! - Belle exclaimed, as if she -(TM)d solved the puzzle. -So, we can assume that whatever happened, it was in Birmingham, or the short time they were in High Wycombe. - -Is there anything you can do? - Belle asked. -I -(TM)m afraid not honey, there -(TM)s no evidence of what happened in Bristol, and the records are sealed in Birmingham. - -What does that mean? - -I -(TM)m so sorry Belle, it means that unless he does something wrong here, our hands are tied. I -(TM)m afraid this is the reality of a lot of police work, we often know who the bad guys are, but we can -(TM)t prove it reliably enough to go to court. - -What if Maisie tells Helen something? - -We -(TM)d need to be able to back up whatever she tells us with evidence, and all too often that -(TM)s impossible. Maisie would have to tell the courts what happened, then her dad -(TM)s lawyers would pick through her story and make it look like she led him on, that a little girl of 7 or 8 years old seduced her dad, who was suffering a debilitating condition that meant he was unable to act like a responsible adult and not rape his daughter. - -Is that what happened? - Belle cried, -did he rape her? - -I honestly don -(TM)t know, sweetheart, let -(TM)s wait until she -(TM)s finished talking to Helen. - Belle sighed deeply, -thanks for looking mum. It -(TM)s weird, I really like Maisie, and not in a sexy way or anything. Yeah, she -(TM)s pretty, but I just like her, you know, and I don -(TM)t want anything bad to happen. - -Let -(TM)s just wait and see, ok. - -Yes mum. Oh, I -(TM)ve also invited Helen to dinner, we need to set the table in the dining room. - Lia and Katie got to work setting the table. Mats, cutlery, plates, glasses, the works. Belle waited until Maisie had finished to start cooking the pasta. She was smiling when she walked back into the kitchen with Helen. -Thank you so much Belle, I really enjoyed my talk with Helen, she -(TM)s helped me get everything straight in my head. - -That -(TM)s great! - Belle replied brightly, -you look a lot happier now. - -I am, I know that what he did was wrong, and I know it was in no way my fault, like they claimed it was. - -Yes, and you know what to do if it happens again. - -I do, but like I said, he -(TM)s not been near me in ages. - -Still, you can also tell me or Jenny if you hear of him doing it to others, - Helen told her. -Why don -(TM)t you all take a seat in the dining room, Poppy and me will bring the food through soon. - Maisie followed Helen, -where will Belle sit? -, she asked. -We sit wherever we like, do you want to sit next to her, or opposite? - Katie asked her. -Opposite I think, I like talking to her, she -(TM)s cool and funny. - She took a sit at the middle of the table, and we left the two seats opposite empty for Poppy and Belle. Poppy soon arrived with a couple of bottles of wine, Maisie was alarmed when she saw them, -oh, I -(TM)m not allowed alcohol. Do you have any Coke? - -Of course we do, we -(TM)ve got Dr Pepper as well, and some orange Fanta? - -Dr Pepper please, - Maisie whispered, sorry to be a bother. -Put the wine back in the fridge, - Jenny said, -bring a selection of pop instead. - -Good idea, - Poppy replied, -it -(TM)s a school night after all. Err, there -(TM)s wine in the sauce, will that be alright, Maisie? - -I think so... - she replied. -Wine is used a lot in cooking, - Helen reassured her, -there -(TM)s no alcohol left. - Maisie brightened up, -I -(TM)ll be OK with the food, - Poppy returned with a selection of cans, Belle came in and swapped the wine glasses for tumblers, -I -(TM)m just draining the pasta, we -(TM)ll be back in a couple of minutes. - -She -(TM)s like a proper chef, isn -(TM)t she, - Maisie said. -Oh yes, she -(TM)s a great cook. When they were on the streets, she says she used to read recipe books, they -(TM)d talk about meals and imagine how they tasted. - -Isn -(TM)t that a bit odd, reading about food they could never eat? - Maisie asked, quite reasonably. -She rationalises it by comparing it to men reading Playboy, - Lia replied, -they can never meet the girls, or drive most of the cars they read about in motoring magazines. - Maisie nodded, -I guess that makes sense. - -And it -(TM)s left her with a long list of meals she wants to cook for us, - Jenny added. -Everyone -(TM)s a winner, - Maisie laughed. -Exactly, - Belle cried as she carried in a big bowl of tagliatelle, placing it in the middle of the table. -Help yourself, there -(TM)s more in the pan, nobody leaves the table hungry, that -(TM)s the house rule. - Poppy was in next with another big bowl, this one was full of creamy chicken, -we won -(TM)t tell Nita, - she told Helen, smiling. -What -(TM)s that about, - Maisie asked. -Nita is Helen -(TM)s girlfriend, she -(TM)s a vegan, - Katie told her, -Helen only gets to eat meat when she comes here on her own. - -Ahh, I see. - -I think Nita knows I eat meat when I -(TM)m here, - Helen added, -it -(TM)s our own little don -(TM)t ask, don -(TM)t tell situation. - Belle added the final touches, a bowl of salad leaves and some pieces of garlic bread. -Did you do all this yourself? You -(TM)ve not used a jar of sauce or anything? - -Just me and Poppy. The pasta is shop bought, and the bread. I made the garlic butter, and the sauce. Poppy helped, she chopped the onions, sliced the chicken and stuff. It -(TM)s really easy to make food like this if you -(TM)ve got all the ingredients. - -It -(TM)s delicious, -(TM) Maisie told her, -we eat simply at home, mum works all day, so she doesn -(TM)t have the time to cook. - -Your dad could cook, Alex does sometimes. - -Oh no, he can -(TM)t cook, that -(TM)s not his job, the woman should run the home. - -That only works if the woman doesn -(TM)t have a full time job, - Jenny replied. -You could cook, - Belle said, moving the conversation quickly away from gender politics, we could bring that up later. -I don -(TM)t know how to. - -Neither does Poppy, but she -(TM)s learning. - -Next time you come round, why don -(TM)t you help Belle, - Lia suggested, -she taught me how to make a curry, it was easy. - -That would be fun, thank you. - After dinner Maisie helped Poppy clear the table, -that was delicious Belle, much better than anything I have at home. - -It -(TM)s so simple to make, you just need white wine, cream, chicken stock and herbs. Cook the chicken, add the wine, stock and herbs, then the cream. An alternative is using honey and mustard instead of wine. - -I -(TM)d be afraid to ruin it all. - -I was at first, if you follow the instructions, you -(TM)ll be fine, then once you know what works, you can start to change things around. Curries are the best for that, there -(TM)s so many different spice combinations you can have a lot of fun mixing and matching ingredients. - -I guess I just need to build up some confidence. - -That -(TM)s the spirit, - Helen told her, -keep telling yourself -~I can do this -(TM), and soon you -(TM)ll be as confident as Belle. - The girls moved to the lounge. Maisie wanted to watch a Star Wars series on Disney+. Lia wasn -(TM)t interested in Star Wars, so she stayed with us in the kitchen. -So, the chat with Maisie was interesting, - Helen started as she poured the wine, -prior to the call from Belle I didn -(TM)t know Maisie existed, so I was starting from a position of ignorance. I had nowhere to start my questioning. In this case it was good, because Maisie is a pretty timid girl, so I just let her talk about herself for a while. -From the first part of the chat I learnt she was born in Bristol, her father is a preacher with some weird Christian sect. She clearly doesn -(TM)t like him. This took five minutes, as I had to tell her a lot about myself before she would talk to me. -Once I -(TM)d got the bare bones, I asked about her dad -(TM)s church... - -Could I ask a quick question, - Jenny asked, -what did she call her father? - -Mostly dad, once or twice she sarcastically called him The Reverend. - -That -(TM)s the only way her mother refers to him, seems that -(TM)s what they have to call him at home. - -I see, - Helen replied, before she fell silent while she worked this into her chat with Maisie, -that doesn -(TM)t surprise me. Maisie has very bad feelings towards the church, she says it -(TM)s misogynistic, that -(TM)s the word she used, she says it leans heavily to preaching about original sin, and how women are to blame for all the world -(TM)s ills. - -I spent the day trying to research the church, - Jenny broke in, -I had a lot of trouble finding anything useful. Pretty much all I gathered was what you just mentioned. - -And this brings me to the first surprising item from Maisie. The church is all about male dominance, about following the wishes of your master, that kind of shit, yet Maisie says she doesn -(TM)t go anymore, hasn -(TM)t visited the church in years. If her father is so dominant, why does he let his daughter rebel? I filed that away for later. -The next part was probably the hardest to gather, and probably what you -(TM)re interested in. - Jenny leant forwards, intent on catching every word Helen was about to speak, -can I make notes? - -No need, it -(TM)s all recorded on my phone, with Maisie -(TM)s permission I might add. She -(TM)s ok for me to tell you all this as well. - -Ahh, that -(TM)s good. - -This happened when she was around 7 years old, she -(TM)s not precise on dates. All she is sure about is it happened when they lived in Selly Oak. I know the area, I asked her a few questions about shops and pubs, I -(TM)m pretty sure she was living on Harrow Road at the time, although she didn -(TM)t know the road name. -Like a lot of little girls, Maisie was clothing averse as a toddler, she would run around the house naked. - -I don -(TM)t think Belle ever grew out of that phase, - Jenny laughed. -Maisie may not have if it wasn -(TM)t for her father. He got far too much enjoyment out of watching her. He would let her sit on his knee, hugging her close and touching her. -I -(TM)ll digress slightly here, because it -(TM)s important to point out that Maisie is a very innocent girl, she uses only vague terms and seems to be unaware of a lot of sexual terms and slang. I mention this because of the next thing she told me. -In summer she would sleep on top of her bedding, she wore a nightie, so she wasn -(TM)t sleeping naked. Sometimes she -(TM)d wake and see her father standing by her bed, he would lift her nightie and touch her, he would also masturbate over her, although she didn -(TM)t say this, she said he would hold his penis, but we can safely assume he wasn -(TM)t just holding it, because she also said he seemed excited and stuff came out... - -Oh my god, - Lia cried, -how did he explain away spunk stains on her bedding? - -I -(TM)ve no idea, - Helen replied, -Maisie said she told her mum that she didn -(TM)t like him coming into her room because it was creepy, she was just told that it was his house, he could go into any room he wanted to. - -Shit, why do I always hear this crap from mothers, - Jenny sighed, -justifying their husband -(TM)s perversions. - -Is that all that happened? - Lia asked quietly. -I -(TM)m afraid not. One night she awoke with him on the bed. She describes how he pushed his fingers roughly inside her a few times, then tried to push his penis inside. She screamed, jumped off the bed and to her mum, she couldn -(TM)t wake her so she dodged her father, who tried to grab her, and ran downstairs and out into the street, she banged on a few neighbours -(TM) doors, one person answered and took her in. She described how the kind man washed blood off her legs and phoned the police. Her father found her and started a row, the nice man chased her father away. A female police officer sat her in the back of an ambulance and talked to her. She -(TM)s very vague about details here and skipped to moving house, so it looks like the house move happened very soon after these events. - -The court file is sealed, - Jenny told her, -so we can assume someone at the church has a very powerful lawyer. - -It would seem so, - Helen replied quietly. -I read a lot of reports about a disturbance on the street that night, but I couldn -(TM)t track down any of the people named in the reports, it -(TM)s very frustrating. - -Maisie -(TM)s naivety made it quite difficult to piece together what happened that night... - -Has she not had any sex education? - Lia asked. -No, I asked her this when I realised she didn -(TM)t know her father was masturbating. Her mother refused permission for sex education at both primary and secondary schools, and obviously it -(TM)s never mentioned at home. - -But what about the other girls at school, surely she -(TM)s talked to other girls about periods and sex. - -You forget, she has no friends, none at all, who would she talk to? - -Oh my god, the poor kid. Her head must be full to bursting with questions and she has no-one to ask. - -It took a lot of going around the houses with questions to piece that night, and the next few weeks, together. The mention of blood concerned me. If he -(TM)d only slipped a couple of fingers a little way into her vagina, that wouldn -(TM)t make her bleed. With careful questioning I found out he -(TM)d forced them in, he very roughly popped her cherry that night. - -He didn -(TM)t manage to enter her with his penis? - Jenny asked. -We don -(TM)t think so, the events are terribly blurred for her. Before you ask, I see no benefit in hypnosis to try for more details. - -OK, you -(TM)re probably right, I always think the constant questioning during an investigation is almost as bad as the sexual assault. So, if we skip past the events of that night, did it ever happen again? - -Not that she remembers, but I -(TM)ll just remind you of the part where she couldn -(TM)t wake her mum. - -Oh fuck... - Jenny gasped, -please tell me he hasn -(TM)t been drugging them both. - -I -(TM)ve not asked, and again, I don -(TM)t want to. If she remembers later we -(TM)ll deal with it then. I do think he was drugging her mother so she wouldn -(TM)t hear what was going on. - -OK, yesterday Janet mentioned he -(TM)d had treatment, did Maisie mention this? - -She said he went back to America for a couple of months, when he came back they moved house again from High Wycombe to Putney. She remembers this time as her happiest, they were living with a family, she -(TM)s vague about who they were, and went to a school that was at the top of a steep hill and she could see for miles from the top of the climbing frame. - -I know that school, - I told them, -Tammy had friends in High Wycombe and we visited a couple of times. I wouldn -(TM)t want to be a little kid walking up Marlow Hill every day. - -She said the first thing she did when they moved to the house in Putney was to put a lock on her door. Imagine that, a 9 year old girl going to a shop, buying a sturdy bolt and fitting it to your bedroom door to keep your dad out. - Lia shook her head, -I can imagine a teenager doing it, to keep her siblings from messing with her stuff, but not a little girl to keep her dad out. Maybe I should have tried it. - Jenny put her hand on Lia -(TM)s, -I can -(TM)t even begin to think what life was like for any of you kids. - -So, the upshot is this, Maisie has a lot to learn about life and relationships. She -(TM)s attracted to boys, she -(TM)s clear on that, but she doesn -(TM)t equate that to sex, she only has a very basic idea about what sex is. She knows what her dad did was wrong, but not how wrong, and I -(TM)m appalled at her mother for not explaining this to her. - -Is it our job to teach her, if her parents haven -(TM)t, - Lia asked. -That -(TM)s probably a good idea, but nobody in this house has any experience of teaching something as complex as human relationships to a teenager who should have started learning about it years ago. - -I -(TM)ve just had a thought? - Lia said, -You know how we decided Belle was put in that spot at Paddington, on that day, to save Poppy? - We all nodded, -are you suggesting she -(TM)s also been sent to save Maisie? - Jenny asked. -Not so much save, but to at least bring her up to speed on the facts of life, and to boost her confidence a bit. She -(TM)s into boys, not girls, can you imagine how much mental damage a teenage boy will do to that poor girl? She needs help, and I think between them, Belle, Poppy and Katie will do just that. - Just then the lounge door opened, Belle ran out, -mum, Maisie needs to get home, but we -(TM)ve not finished talking yet. Can we take her home then come straight back. - -Of course you can, I trust you. - Belle came closer, then she whispered, -none of us think she -(TM)ll be safe going home alone, she -(TM)s not street smart, don -(TM)t tell her that though. - Jenny cupped Belle -(TM)s cheek, -you -(TM)re so kind, all of you. - -Got to run, or we -(TM)ll miss the train. - They all grabbed their coats and dashed out of the house, Jenny turned to Lia, -well, I guess you -(TM)re right. - Helen checked the time, -I -(TM)d better get home myself. I -(TM)d like a word with her mum some time. To get a picture of events from her point of view, but I -(TM)m not sure how I -(TM)d approach her. - Lia put her hand up, -arghh, sorry, that -(TM)s Belle -(TM)s fault. Err, this is a bit left field, but why don -(TM)t you approach the school, tell them you -(TM)re just starting out in the therapy business and wondering if you could volunteer to talk to some of the girls. You could then legitimately continue working with Maisie, and you could also request a meeting with mum. - -Brilliant! - Helen cried, -why didn -(TM)t I even think of doing that anyway, just to get into practice? - We walked Helen to the door, -can you ask Belle to phone me when she gets home, - she asked, -I -(TM)d like to thank her for tonight, it -(TM)s been really useful, for me as well as Maisie. I -(TM)ve not done much practice work with patients in coercive relationships. I really need to speak to mum, - she muttered under her breath as she pulled on her coat, -and yes, I -(TM)ll thank her for dinner as well, another triumph. - -Helen seems distracted, - Lia said as she made a pot of coffee. -I think a lot of what Maisie -(TM)s told her is difficult to process, - Jenny replied, -like she said, she -(TM)s not really done much in this area. I imagine it -(TM)s difficult to get patients to open up, coercive relationships rely on the victims being too afraid, or too conditioned, to admit there -(TM)s a problem. - Jenny -(TM)s phone pinged twice as Lia was pouring the coffee, -ahh, that -(TM)s Belle, they -(TM)ve got Maisie home safe, and a minute before 10pm. - She checked the second message, -ahh, Helen -(TM)s sending me the audio from her chat with Maisie, I -(TM)ll have a listen at work tomorrow. - We sat in silence for a few moments, drinking our coffee and thinking about the evening, -you know, - Jenny said suddenly, -I had a really boring life when I was younger. I -(TM)d look at some of the kids at school and wish I had their lives. They -(TM)d come to school in tatty uniforms and battered shoes. They -(TM)d have black eyes and dirty faces, but they were alive, you know, they were cheeky and mischievous, their lives were anything but boring. -Now I see those same kids in police reports, then I look back and see their parents were in and out of custody, and I -(TM)m thankful for my dull childhood. -I bet you wish you had a dull childhood, Lia. - Lia was silent for a few moments, she took a couple of sips of her coffee before speaking, -there -(TM)s a lot that happened when I was little that I wish with all my heart hadn -(TM)t happened, chief amongst them being losing my mum. Then I think, if that shit hadn -(TM)t happened, would I be me? Would I have my personality if I hadn -(TM)t been raped several times a day for a couple of years? If my brother hadn -(TM)t almost killed me? -Would I be a better or worse person without those experiences. We -(TM)ll never know. What I do know is that I am happy in myself, I -(TM)m happy with who I am, with how I look, and I -(TM)m happy in this family. -Right now, I bet Maisie is tucked up in bed, behind her locked door, and for the first time in years, she -(TM)s seeing a glimmer of hope in the future, and I think her mum will be too. - Jenny smiled at Lia, -I think you can help Maisie too. Poppy can teach her the birds and the bees, Belle can teach her to cook, and you can teach her how to reconcile her past, to compartmentalise her experiences. - -I can certainly do that, and I -(TM)ll teach her how to kick her dad in the nuts, there -(TM)s an art to it you know. Yeah, anyone can kick a guy there, but everyone also knows how much it hurts, so they naturally pull back, fearful of causing too much damage. So, you must really focus on why the guy deserves to be hurt, then put all your strength into kicking a spot a few inches behind the guy -(TM)s balls, that way you can hurt him so much he -(TM)ll wish you -(TM)d killed him. - -Oh, wow, - Jenny gasped, -have you ever done that? - -A couple of times, I never saw either guy again, but I did see a testicle on the floor after one of the guys had been taken to hospital. - -Shit, what did he do to you? - -To me? Nothing. He was one of a bunch of guys who -(TM)d been bragging about gang-raping a young girl, so I thought I -(TM)d teach them all a lesson, his mates actually puked over him when they saw what I -(TM)d done, then they ran, some friends they were. - -Did he survive? - -Not a clue, and frankly, I don -(TM)t care one way or the other, I just know he -(TM)s not in a position to gang rape little girls anymore. - -I -(TM)ve seen the results of a lot of violence in my job, but I -(TM)ve never come across that before. Did you get it from a book? - -Not a book, I shared a squat with a couple of prostitutes for a while, one of them showed me. Do you want to know the absolute freakiest thing? - -I -(TM)m not sure I do, but go ahead. - -A guy once paid her to do it to him. - -What! - Jenny cried. -Yes, he was a serious pain freak. She said his body was covered in scars, he -(TM)d been whipped, burnt, he had fingers cut off, he was a proper weirdo. Someone sent him to her because they knew she hated men. - -Did she do it? - -Of course she did, he paid her £500, she booted him so hard he was basically a eunuch, but not for long, he died from his injuries. Still, she earned her money and taught me and her friends how to do it. - We were both lost for words, which is how the girls found us a moment later. -Are you OK? - Katie asked. -Err, we -(TM)re fine, just don -(TM)t ask me to repeat what Lia -(TM)s just told us, ever. - Katie looked at Lia, -you don -(TM)t want to know, really, you don -(TM)t, - Lia told her. Jenny stood up, -I think I -(TM)ll turn in, it -(TM)s been a weird day, but successful, I think. Hopefully we -(TM)ve helped Maisie, oh, by the way Belle, can you phone Helen. - -Is she upset about me dragging her down here? - -Absolutely not, she wants to thank you. - -Really? - -Yes, she learnt a lot tonight, and then Lia gave her a great idea. - -Because Lia is a genius, - Belle told her, -I shall phone Helen right now. - -Good night everyone, - Jenny said as she left the room. -I think I -(TM)ll get to bed too, - I added, following Jenny out, -switch all the lights off when you come to bed. - -I promise I won -(TM)t listen at the door when we pass, - Belle laughed, as she ran to hug me.