CHAPTER 163: House Hunting

 

"To finish my set I'd like to perform a song by a favourite band of mine...Jefferson Airplane.  This one's called 'High Flying Bird'...thank you" and with that the singer started to strum and sing the song.  Neil and Suzy looked on, impressed with this young woman's musical ability.

"She's very good...but we need to go, we've got a lot to do today" said Neil.

"Oh a few minutes more watching her won't dent our schedule.  I want to stay until the end of the song" replied Suzy.

Neil said nothing and continued to watch the young lady perform the song...although he did check his wristwatch a few times during the remainder of the performance.

Eventually, the woman finished.  "Thank you, my name's Lisa Richardson and I'll see you cats real soon." and with that she bowed and then went to put her guitar back in its case.

"Now we really should get going" said Neil.  "We've got to get all the way back to Willow Creek"

"I know, darling, but we don't have to see the first place until 10 and it's only 9:15 now...Willow Creek isn't that far away..." she pleaded.

"I'm worried about finding a suitable parking spot when we're there...I don't know that part of town" he replied.

"Oh there's plenty of parking!  If it's where you say it is you have lots of quiet, residential roads with parking lots and lots of side streets.  It's such a beautiful morning in San Myshuno, let's just take a wander for a bit...please?" 

She fixed Neil with her bright blue eyes...he couldn't resist that wide eyed, keen and eager look of hers.  Suzy really was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and she was now his wife!  She was even wearing his favourite outfit on her...a vision in purple, right down to her eye make up.  He couldn't say no to her.

"OK...five more minutes then" he said.

"The flowers are in full bloom I see..." said Suzy, noticing the elaborate planters in the square.

"Maybe we'll find a place with a garden to grow some of our own?" mused Neil.

"Hey, is that Suzy Kent...I mean, Suzy Humphries?" came a voice from across the square.  Both Neil and Suzy looked in the direction it had come from and saw a familiar figure walking towards them.  It was Burr DeBenning; crazy name, crazy guy.  He was an old friend of Suzy's...someone who had been of great help to her when she was investigating the suspicious activities of the Landgraabs.  But since she'd been with Neil, she'd seen less of him.

Neil stiffened at the sight of Burr.  He thought the guy was pleasant and decent enough, but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that Burr fancied Suzy and that didn't sit well with him.

Burr's heart skipped a beat when he saw her.  He still rued the missed opportunity of getting together with her.  Neil was a decent guy...that was the problem; he couldn't hate the man who stole the woman he longed for.

"Wow, I haven't seen you since the wedding!" exclaimed an excited Burr.  How's married life treating you, Suz...oh, and Neil?"

"It's wonderful" replied Suzy.  "And how are you doing, Burr?  Still working at the council?  Still keeping an eye on Geoffrey and Nancy?"

"Yes to both.  Man, you look so vibrant, Suz.  Are you still pursuing the mysteries of Sim City?" asked Burr.

"I am...research is coming along slowly, I'm afraid but today I'm taking a day off" she said.

"We're going house hunting, Burr" Neil interjected.

"Oh, moving up in the world?" asked Burr.

"Something like that...but as my husband..." she said, emphasising the word "keeps saying to me we have to get to see our first place very soon.  We must catch up soon properly..."

"All of us" interjected Neil, again.

"Yes, all of us...lovely to see you again, Burr!" said Suzy, all bouncy and positive.

As Suzy and Neil headed to the parking lot to pick up their Volvo sports car, she commented "How lovely to see Burr again, I hope he's doing well"

"Yes" said a less convinced Neil.

COURTYARD LANE, WILLOW CREEK, 11:30am

"Well, that last place was very nice..." said Suzy, diplomatically...she hated it.

"Well out of our price range and I don't think we need 4 bedrooms either" said Neil.  "You liked it?  I thought it was too run down."

"I hope the other houses in this area are nice...I've heard a lot of good things about this neighbourhood but so far the houses haven't matched up"

 

"OK..." Neil continued.  "Last place on our list...Rindle Rose.  A 2 bedroom, single storey house which is about 1/3 larger than our current home"

"Hmmm, I like it from the outside...very sweet.  I like the porch and the garden is very pretty.  Let's look around" Suzy replied.

Suzy's impression of the house grew after they'd looked around inside.  Neil was warming to it as well.

"OK, the place is a bit messy, a lot of the furniture is very old fashioned and not with it" said Suzy.

"From what I understand the current owner is clearing out the inside and furniture so we'd be furnishing virtually from scratch" replied Neil.

"The outdoors I wouldn't want to touch" Suzy continued.

"Well, I was thinking I could put my easel up there, overlooking the river" said Neil.

"I think that would be acceptable.  Oh Neil, I really like this place:  It's a bit like our existing house but that much bigger and we don't get views of that horrible industrial cargo warehouse either....and I'm not taking my life into my hands every time I cross that busy road at the end of our street if we lived here."

"I'll confess...when I was looking at properties this came out as my favourite.  OK, if you like this and you can see us living here then I'll get the paperwork going" said Neil, happy that Suzy liked Rindle Rose as well.

"One thing though; I'm going to miss living next to the gang and seeing them everyday..." said Suzy "I wonder what our neighbours would be like here?"

"Coo-eeee!  Suzy and Neil!  Over here!"

The Humphries both looked over to the house next to them, where the voice was coming from.  It was none other than Eliza Pancakes; a friend of theirs who'd they'd known for some time and invited to the wedding but they'd never been to her house before.

"Hello Eliza, keeping well?" asked Suzy

"Well, as well as I can be...so rushed off my feet these days with the baby" replied Eliza.  "Oh you must come and see the little one!  Have you time?"

Suzy looked to Neil, who nodded and they accepted Eliza's invitation.

"I must say your house looks lovely, Eliza" said Neil.

"Is Bob around?" asked Suzy.

"Thank you, Neil, well we try to make it lovely but it's a bit of a handful right now...Bob's around here somewhere; I sent him to check on the baby."

"Oh yes, congratulations again...is it a boy or a girl?" asked Suzy.

"It's a boy...his name is Armand and, well, yes, he's a typical baby you know!  Needs feeding, cries a lot, and a lot and...a...lot..." replied Eliza, her voice trailing off.

"Are you two thinking of starting a family yet?" continued Eliza/

"NO!" exclaimed Suzy.

"Well, it's too early for that..." added Neil.  "I mean, we'd have to move to a bigger place if we did...I mean, we have to move to a bigger place anyway what with my work and Suzy's."

"We're in no rush to start a family.  Get married life sorted first" said Suzy.

"Well, good luck with that!  I don't think any of us married types ever get it sorted" said Eliza, looking crestfallen at the ceiling.

Suzy and Neil gave a polite, but nervous laugh.

Just then they heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.  A heavyset black man with a tight afro and a bored expression on his face entered the room.  Although Suzy and Neil had never met him in person, they knew that was the often absent husband, Bob Pancakes.  He barely acknowledged the presence of visitors as he walked in.

"Look who's come to visit us, Bobby?" said Eliza.  "You've heard of my friends Neil and Suzy, haven't you?"

"Erm...I think so.  Don't they live with a Chinese girl who's a rocket scientist?" said Bob.

"No!  That's Travis and Summer.  This is Suzy and Neil...I was at their wedding last month...you couldn't come due to that stomach bug you caught the morning of it."

"Ooooohhhhh yes.  Stomach bug.  Erm, yeah, that was it." said Bob, defensively.  "It's stuffy in here, let me open a window." he said, turning to one of them.  "By the way, we're out of fresh coffee, this is the last cup" he said, gesturing to the mug he was holding.  The atmosphere was pretty tense right now and Eliza was quietly seething as Bob still hadn't said hello to their visitors.

Neil tried to break the ice a little.  "I was saying to Eliza that you've got a nice place here, Bob.  Did you do much of the decor yourselves?"

Bob lightened up a little at this question.  "Oh yeah, sure.  You know I did the floors, the walls, knocked a doorway through there so these rooms could interconnect, expanded upstairs and added a room, a second bathroom, changed the electrical wiring and all that.  Are you a home improvement kind of guy, Nigel?"

"Neil.  Well...erm..." he said, trying to recall his one moment of handyman success.  "I replaced the toilet in our current home.  The whole home improvement thing is something I'm looking into if we buy the place next door."

"Yeah, next door man.  That place could do with a new owner now that Advik has been declared legally dead." said Bob with a rueful shake of his head.

"Advik?" asked Suzy, apprehensively.

"Oh my gosh, when did you hear about that?" exclaimed Eliza.  "I thought they were still looking for him."

"Not any more they're not." said Bob, sitting down and taking another sip of coffee.  "They found his shoes at the top of Granite Falls...and nothing else" he said, mysteriously.  "No trace of him has been found...tracks leading up to the falls, then nothing coming back."

"That sure sounds like a mystery" said Suzy with a tinge of keen interest in her voice.  Neil immediately picked up on that and knew his wife's mind would be occupied at the thought of investigating it.

"This Advik had no family then?" asked Neil.

"No.  So the land agents want a quick sell and are prepared to drop the price" said Bob.  "Mind you, the guy was a bit of a slob...looks good outside but it's a mess inside."

"Wow, this looks like our luck's in with this one, Eliza!  We should put an offer in!" said an enthusiastic Suzy.

Their conversation was then interrupted by cries from upstairs.

"Oh it's Armand, again.  Didn't you feed him when you went upstairs?" asked Eliza, with frustration in her voice.

"You said to go check on him...you never said anything about feeding the little guy" replied Bob, defensively.

"Tsch, I'll have to do it...Suzy, would you like to meet Armand...leave the menfolk to talk about smashing walls and varnishing floors." said Eliza.

"That would be lovely...give you and Bob a chance to get to know each other" said Suzy to Neil.  The women left the room and Neil and Bob were left alone in the living room.  Bob took one last swig of his coffee.

"Shame that was the last of that.  Damn fine coffee" he said, matter of factly.

Meanwhile the girls headed upstairs in the direction of the crying.  In one daintily decorated bedroom there was a traditional basinet all in white and in the middle was a squirming, writing and crying baby.

"Awww, did naughty daddy forget to feed you?" said Eliza, picking up Armand.  She carried him over to a side table where there was a bottle of baby formula waiting.  She picked it up, put the teat in his mouth and started to feed him as she cradled him in her arms.  The crying stopped, to be replaced by a succession of "a-goo...a-goo...a-goo" noises.

"Aww, that's such a cute sound, and what a lovely little boy you have there" said Suzy, smiling at the little infant.

"He is when he's feeding and he does love a feed!" replied Eliza.  "He's also sweet when he's sleeping.  Takes after his father that way."

Armand came off the bottle and let out a tiny burp.  Then Eliza put the formula back on the table and cradled him some more.  "I'm hoping having a baby will bring some joy into our home...I mean, some extra joy..." she said.  "Say, do you want to hold him?  Get some good practice in for the future?" she continued with a wink.

"Oh...well...I've never had much experience with babies.  I wouldn't want to drop him or anything...OK, here goes....my, he's quite light.  Awwww, I think he smiled at me!" said Suzy, holding him gently.

After a few minutes Eliza took Armand back into her arms and snuggled him.  He was quite content so she put him back in the basinet.  They decided to leave him and go back downstairs but Suzy could see a mixture of exhaustion and frustration on her friend's face.

"It must take a lot out of you, having a baby to look after" said Suzy.

"Oh Suz...it's draining!  It doesn't help that my husband is a lazy son-of-a-bitch at times!  I sometimes think he doesn't care at all about us!" she said, desperately trying to keep her voice down.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Eliza.  I'm only a newlywed and I haven't had a serious fight with Neil since our wedding day so I can't offer much in the way of help" 

"Oh you're so blessed, Suzy, and don't take Neil for granted!  I think I married too soon, too much on the rebound...and Bobby...well, he was always there, you know?  Other guys came and went and, gosh, my own family background isn't much to write about...I was a bit of a wild child back in the day!  I'm a lousy wife and I'm worried I'm going to be a lousy mom!"

Suzy reached out and gently touched Eliza on both arms in comfort.  "I think there's hope, Eliza, when you said 'Bobby is always there'.  I don't know him much at all, but he's here, he hasn't left you or Armand.  Maybe he needs a bit of coaxing out of his shell?  I'm sure you know what makes him tick."

"Yeah, hopefully a bomb!" Eliza said, with a chuckle.  "I know, cruel joke but thanks for your friendship, Suz.  Hey, it'll be great being neighbours, won't it?"

Back at Foundry Cove Neil and Suzy had time to ponder their house hunting experience.

"I really like the house, really like it.  I'm already thinking about interior design" said Suzy.

"I like it too" said Neil.  "How do you feel about our prospective neighbours?" he asked.

"Eliza?  I've known her for ages!  And that little baby is so sweet..." 

"Careful now..."

"Bob...I know what you mean; we might have to get used to hearing a lot of rows from next door" mused Suzy.  "Mind you, the noise Action puts out at all hours on his stereo isn't much better"

"They're a bit of a handful, the Pancakes.  I think I can handle both of them at the same time in small doses" said Neil.  "But you're right about the house; we should put in an offer.  I'll make the call to the agents."

Whilst Neil was making the phone calls Suzy took a walk around the Cove, her home for so long she could only just remember the day she moved in.  Meeting Travis, Summer and Liberty...then Jeremy.  This was before Julia and Action had arrived, heck it was before Julia's house had finished being built!  Rubber Soul by The Beatles had only just been released...ahhh, the memories.

Suzy walked down to the river, past Jeremy and Barbara's house and down to the little fishing spot there.  In all the time she'd lived in Foundry Cove, she never tried fishing there.  She'd also not noticed the little crystalline rocks that lay around the area either, nor the old moss covered logs where tiny frogs would hop in and out of.  Just when you thought you knew your own hometown, something comes along to surprise you, she thought.

She also looked across the river and saw the ugly old container facility...she wouldn't miss seeing it when they moved but it was also part of the mystery of the Cove...if the glade wasn't somewhere within that facility, then where could it be from here?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Barbara, who had come along to see her.  "Suzy, gathering inspiration down by the river?" she asked.

"Oh Barbara, ha, not at all...I'm just enjoying the sights of our little neighbourhood in this lovely evening.  Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to block your way..." said Suzy to a passing teenage girl.  The girl, an elegant blonde with a haughty manner about her said nothing as she walked past Suzy and Barbara.  Barbara couldn't quite place it, but that girl seemed familiar...perhaps she had been a customer at the shop?

"There's something on your mind, I can tell" said Barbara.  "Is married life still treating you well?"

"Oh yes...in fact, Neil and I have made an important decision about what we should do next..." said Suzy.

"Oh, Suz...you're not!" exclaimed Barbara.

"No!  We're not going to have children...yet.  We're going to move house.  Not far, though.  We've found a place over at Courtyard Lane we really like.  That's only just up the river there."

"Oh Suz...that's great!  But bad!  But bad in a great way!  Sure...I get you need a bigger place but it'll be sad that we can't keep popping in and out of each other's places for impromptu chats and drinks." 

"I know...but just walk along that path behind me and in 20 minutes you'll find us." said Suz, apologetically.  "I'll still be around here quite a bit though" she said, looking at the mysterious tree.  "I don't want to miss my friends."

Barbara nodded and gave Suzy a big hug and wished her luck before heading back to her own home.  Yes, the tree, Suzy thought.  I'm not done with you yet!

As she sauntered back home, taking in the sights and musing about how this news would impact on her friends, she saw Summer approaching the house.  Yes, Summer, her best friend.  What adventures they had had together.  Trying to track down Malcolm Landgraab, setting up stake outs, those quests to find boyfriends when, in Summer's case, he was living under the same roof as her all along.  All those girly chats, the giggles, the bottles of wine consumed along the way...

"So I just bumped into Barbara" said Summer as Suzy approached the house.  "You're not!"

"We are, we're moving house.  Not for a while I mean our offer's got to be accepted and then we have to sell this place and plan a moving out date....but don't worry, we're only moving to the next neighbourhood along."

"Oh Suzy...I don't know what to say!  Of course, you must have a house moving party and then a house warming one after that!  Don't worry, I'll organise it!"

"Of course you will, Summer!  I have learned never to get in the way of Summer Holiday planning a party!  We'd love it."

CHAPTER 162: Absorbed

 

"There you go, Madelyn, the business plan for the next quarter...see that it is carried out to the letter" said Alan Cuffe to his live-in personal assistant, Madelyn Buchanan.

"How long do you intend to stay here in Granite Falls, Alan?" she replied.

"Indefinitely.  Have the security arrangements been taken care of?" he continued.

"Guards are patrolling incognito all around the grounds, Alan.  You're completely safe...you're in the hands of top men....TOP MEN!" she emphasised.  Alan merely nodded.  "Oh, and here are the Lothario concept covers for your approval and in this envelope are some glossy photos of models who have applied to be Kittens...again, submitted for your approval." Madelyn continued.

"Very good...I will be in daily contact with you.  Thank you for your hard work, Madelyn.  Granada Place is yours to live in rent free...treat it as your home."

"Alan, I'm worried...will you return home at some point?" she asked, a look of concern on her face.

"At some point...." he said, his voice trailing off.

As Madelyn's concerns about Alan's increasingly erratic behaviour grew and his security detachment patrolled the grounds and woods of Granite Falls for any suspicious activity, one seemingly ordinary, normal looking hiker walked past the lodge and noticed Cuffe looking furtive and nervous.

"Good..." the hiker thought.  "Cuffe has been neutralised"

A day later the man, named Luke Kendall, was back in Sim City.  He approached a small house in Newcrest; one that was neat and unassuming but its inhabitant was anything but unassuming.  Kendall rang the doorbell and after a few seconds, the door swung open and he stepped inside.  There, waiting in the hall, out of sight of passers by was a slim, very attractive young woman who was wearing nothing but a skin tight neck to toe bodystocking.  The two gave each other a strange looking handshake greeting by touching index fingers together.

"Probyka, Lurgid"

"Speak in English only...Leanne McGregor...I trust all is well?" said Kendall.  "I see you're wearing a Body Cohesion Suit; You're not losing your form are you?"

"No...but I wear one occasionally as a precaution.  I don't want to suddenly turn into a puddle, Luke Kendall".

"Very wise...I should wear mine more often just in case.  To business:  I am here on a matter of some urgency."

"Then step this way and tell me what this matter is.  Have you a new mission for me?" she asked.

"No...I still need you to lie low for now.  Although things are proceeding as planned, there are still one or two, let's call them 'inconveniences' that need dealing with."

"Did you not wipe John Action's memory of us?" she asked.

"I did...and he still has no memory of me and no clear image of you in his mind either.  All he has are the police reports of various disjointed incidents and they're now safely buried in the vaults of the FBI.  I have just returned from checking on Alan Cuffe...he's become a recluse and living in the wilderness.  We won't be hearing from him and he's too scared to co-operate with the authorities."

"So what are these 'inconveniences' then?" she asked.

"John Action is not someone who gives up easily.  I controlled the minds of everyone who was in the club the night I met with him...I used a perception filter to cloud their minds so they can't remember seeing me there.  But he's persisting...him and his friends.  We're well ahead of them but, I am a cautious person and I want to stay well ahead.  I bear a lot of responsibility as Regional Supervisor and as things stand your name and face are known to one too many people."

"I can eliminate them" Leanne said nonchalantly.

"That would draw too much attention.  No, no eliminations for now."  He said, raising a hand to calm her enthusiasm.

"Then what?  Are you going to send me home?" she asked.

"Oh no, you are my best agent.  You're too much of an asset here."  This declaration pleased her greatly and she looked at him with a seductive grin.

"Then you're plan for me is...." she said, sitting down.  Luke eyed up the empty space next to her and sat down as well.

"You must change your appearance" he said, flatly.

"A change of hairstyle, some coloured contact lenses and altering my make up should do the trick...Hu-manns are so easily fooled." she said.

"Not this time...I require something more than just surface cosmetic changes.  You are to undergo bodily transformation.  I take it you have a transmogrifier here?" he said, looking around the room.

"I do...but I hate those machines.  I hate being turned into..." she couldn't complete the sentence.  Her face went from seductive and playful to sad and apprehensive.

"I admit, the experience of bodily transformation is....somewhat unsettling...." he said, trying to put a positive gloss on what it actually entailed.  "But the risks are too great for you to remain here in your current form."

"The only question now is to choose who you want to be next?  Male or female?  Old or young?  Fat or thin?" he said with an air of finality.

"Can I think about it for a few days?" she said, forlornly.

"I don't think that would be wise:  The hu-manns have a saying, 'no time like the present'." he replied.  "I have taken the liberty of compiling a portfolio of approved looks that haven't been taken by other agents.  We can discuss your next form together."  Kendall passed an electronic pad the size of a clipboard to her and on it was a display of different humans...as he said; male and female, young and old and fat and thin.

Leanne looked at them and instantly made some decisions.  "I like being female...and young.  Have you ever...?" she asked.

"No, this is the only form I've ever been...other than my natural one." he replied, cutting her off.  "Well, that's a start, we'll select young female forms...now this one's nice:  Number 12 looks just like you."

"Hmmm, she's pretty.  A bit cutesy, not what I'm used to." Leanne replied, standing up and handing the clipboard back to him.  "Most hu-manns consider me to be beautiful." she said, pacing the room. "I have been asked on dates many times...even had a marriage proposal!  I have copulated with hu-manns a few times, have you?"

"No...I am too focussed on my work.  Fraternising with the hu-manns, especially copulating with them is frowned upon by High Command.  The risks of discovery are too great." he said with disapproval that she was behaving in such a sexual manner with people.

"Do not worry...I have taken care of all the hu-manns I have slept with.  Two were electrocuted, one was sent home to become part of the breeding programme and the other two...I absorbed." she said with relish.

"Nevertheless, from now on you are to refrain from any sexual encounters with hu-manns unless authorised by me or High Command." he said in an authoritative voice.  "Now, shall we settle on Number 12 and programme the transmogrifier without delay?"

Leanne sighed.  "Yes, go ahead.  Number 12 won't be so much of a temptation for them.  It's sad...I love this body, it's been good for me and now I have to say goodbye to it." she walked over to a mirror and checked herself over one more time, looking fondly at every curve, her brown eyes, long dark brown hair, cheekbones, elegant nose and all the other features she had used to great effect to charm and seduce men.

Kendall, in the meantime, made a few secret adjustments to the basic Number 12 model just to make sure the new form looked different from Leanne's current one.  "Alright, it's settled...take me to your transmogrifier." he said.

Leanne showed him to the bathroom where the device stood...disguised as a shower cubicle.  Luke went over to it and found the secret panel where he plugged in the electronic clipboard and then proceeded to upload the new form into it.

"It's ready" he said, blankly.  Leanne walked gingerly towards the transmogrifier...along with the sadness of losing her favoured form and stunning good looks she remembered what the process was like and shuddered.

"You shouldn't be so sentimental about your form...it's not your real one after all." he said.

"I know...sometimes I wonder if I will ever be my real self ever again." she mused.

"Our scientists say we can return to our original selves...one day.  This..." he said, indicating his own, current form "...is only a temporary arrangement.  It's like changing our clothes; the real us is underneath, interwoven into whatever form we assume.  That never changes."

"The technology is still experimental...when they altered our bodies so we could shapeshift..." she said, nervously.

"We are all volunteers and our mission is paramount.  Besides, with the use of body cohesion suits we can remain solid indefinitely.  It's a small price to pay for our homeland." he said, trying to reassure her.

Leanne nodded and walked solemnly to the machine.  She took off her bodysuit and stepped inside.  Kendall started the procedure and stepped back while the device came to life.  Inside the machine, Leanne braced herself.  First, she could sense her body melting from the top to the bottom.  She became a viscous, flesh coloured ooze churning around the transmogrifier.  More thick liquid than solid, she was broken down and mixed as the machine re-sequenced her to be someone else.  The sensation was uncomfortable and she felt like she was drowning as she sloshed around the cubicle.  Then, after a couple of minutes she started to solidify.  First she was formed into a basic, featureless humanoid shape, like clay and then bit by bit her toes and fingers formed, then her nose, eyes, ears and mouth.  Then more detail was added whilst her skeleton formed and hardened and her organs came into being.  Finally, hair, eyelashes and fine details were completed and the machine stopped, the door slid open and Leanne opened her eyes.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Very good.  Here, put this back on whilst your skeleton is hardening." he said, tossing her the bodystocking.  She put it on and then went to the mirror.

"I see you changed the colour of the hair to match yours" she said.

"I like that colour" he said, smiling.

"Hmmm, just as I thought:  Cute." she said, looking closely at her face.

"You'll get used to it" he said.  "Right, let's talk some more business" he said, leaving the bathroom.  Leanne remained in the bathroom to look at herself a bit more.  The more she looked, the more she liked this new look.  The skin was a bit pasty and she lacked the glamour of the old Leanne but this form had potential.

She walked back out to the lounge where Luke was waiting for her.  He looked at her admiringly.

"I like it a lot" he said, smiling.  "Of course, I think I'll have to keep closer tabs on you from now on"

"Supervisor Luke Kendall...I hope you're not trying to flirt with me?" she said, coquettishly.

"It would be better with me than with a hu-mann." he said, suggestively.

"If our superiors found out...I might have to absorb you too" she replied in kind.

"But first...business.  As I said before, you are to remain low key.  Just go about your normal business and establish yourself in your new form.  I have a plan that might involve your particular talents in the future so keep yourself sharp."

"I want to try something first...I'll be right back" she said and with that she skipped into her bedroom where she took off the cohesion suit and flung open her wardrobe.  She selected a dress, shoes, underwear and accessories and put them on and then she went to re-join Kendall.

"What are you doing?  You risk going liquid again so soon after a transformation!" he said with alarm.

"Relax...I'll change back in an hour or so.  I want to get your approval for this kind of look.  This is going to be my style, I've decided."

"Not bad...as far as hu-mannns go." he replied, looking up and down at her approvingly.

"Do you find hu-manns to be attractive?" she asked.  "I've started to think so."

"I prefer my hu-manns to be shapeshifted us.  How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I think my skeleton is fully formed now.  I am clear for operations, Supervisor Luke Kendall"

"Well, shall we give your body one more test before I declare you to be fully functional?" he said, suggestively.

"It sounds like you haven't tested all your functions yet...let's change that?" she said, batting her new eyelashes at him.

CHAPTER 161: Windenburg Blues

 

John Action was surprised when he answered the telephone and it was Jeremy Saint calling him.  He didn't know where he stood with the guy right now:  They were once friends but then Jeremy was brainwashed by Geoffrey and Nancy Landgraab into hating Action and working against him.  Recently Action confronted his former friend with the truth about what had happened to him and it seemed to break the Landgraab's hold over him but were there still residual thoughts of hate?  Jeremy's voice on the other end of the phone didn't sound hateful...he was proposing the two men met up for coffee in town.

"We could meet at the Blue Velvet or there's a cafe next to my workplace..." suggested Jeremy.

"No...too many people know us there; how about going down to Windenburg?  I know a good place there:  Good coffee, decent chow.  And it will be away from prying eyes; you get a different crowd down there." replied Action.

The two sat down to talk, Jeremy wasted no time in getting to the point.  "I want revenge, Action.  Revenge on the Landgraabs for what they did to me!"

Action didn't respond immediately.  Instead he looked down and then took a deep breath.  Looking up he fixed his gaze squarely at Jeremy.  "Careful what you wish for.  The Landgraabs are more dangerous than you think.  I'm not sure how far they're prepared to go in getting what they want."

"That's why I want to do my part to stop them!  Bringing them down will be beneficial for all of us...for me, for you, for our city"

"OK, you want to do your part?  I need information....for starters, that basement room they use to brainwash people:  There's a control room on the 2nd floor.  Can you gain access to it?" said Action.

Jeremy drew a breath.  "I could.  It might be difficult, given security, but I'm established in the company now.  I could see if I can get in there.  If I do, what am I looking for?"

"Anything about their brainwashing programme:  Documents and files about it and who they're targeting.  I don't think you and I are their first victims."

"OK got it.  Anything else I can help with?" asked Jeremy.

"You leave the rough stuff to me...I don't want you getting hurt doing this.  Barbara would kill me if anything happens to you.  OK, let's get a coffee..."

Inside the café they got coffees and continued their conversation.  Action gave Jeremy a list of things he wanted Jeremy to look out for and relay back to him.

"You can count on me, Action...in the meantime while I'm around the Landgraabs I'll pretend I am still under their control" said Jeremy.

"Good idea...and in public you've got to keep up the pretence that you hate me....and Suzy." replied Action.

"Pretending to hate Suzy..." said Jeremy, shaking his head.  "...that's going to be tough; especially now we've renewed our friendship"

"You've got to!  You've got to focus!  Don't let the Landgraabs suspect you've broken their conditioning!  This is a dangerous game, Jez; you can't be worried about relationships"

Jeremy paused before he replied as he was about to bring up a sore point with Action.  "You were.  You were so worried for Katherine's safety you pulled away from her." he said, eventually.

"That's a low blow, man!" said Action, tersely.  

"I'm sorry, Action, but you've not been happy since you broke it off with her."

"Are you sure you've broken free of the Landgraabs?" said Action, putting his coffee cup down firmly.  "I don't talk about my personal life!  Catch you later, Jeremy!" he said, immediately getting up and walking out of the café. 

Action was upset that Jeremy brought up the subject of Katherine, but deep down he knew his neighbour was right.  He felt bad for chewing his friend out especially since he prized straight, no-nonsense talking instead of platitudes and Jeremy was being straightforward.  He cursed his impulsive nature.

Action decided to cool off and near to the café was a swimming pool.  A few laps to clear the mind and calm down was the order of the day.

The water was cool and refreshing and Action felt better instantly.  However, whilst swimming up and down the pool little things kept bringing back things he'd been supressing in his mind.  Like a old couple having a tender conversation by the side of the pool...the kind of conversation he could have been having if Katherine had been there with him.

He swam faster and harder, trying to push the memory of her away.  No, he was right...this case was too dangerous to get her involved; it was too dangerous for Jeremy but he was a useful conduit for information.  But Katherine....Action had dated other women very briefly since their break up but nothing had replaced her in his affections.

"Yo, Action!  Broken any swimming records today?" came a voice from the other side of the pool.  Looking around he saw it was a friend and contact of his:  Dean Lunn.  Action swam over to the side where Dean was sitting and hauled himself up out to sit next to him.

"Yo, Dean...keeping your nose clean?" 

"You always ask me that, Action, and my answer is always the same:  I'm always clean.  You seem to think I'm some kind of gangster" replied Dean.

"I know you're an honest...well, mainly honest, businessman but you have one foot in the underworld"

"I have friends in all kinds of places, Action.  Doesn't mean I do what they do."

"But you see and hear things, Deano.  What have you been hearing lately on the street?"

"Depends...do you have anyone specific in mind?"

"The Landgraabs" said Action, plainly.

Dean drew a deep breath.  "Top table, eh?  I don't mix in their circles, Action, but I know people who do and they tell me they're buying up a lot of land...farmland in particular." he replied.

"I didn't know they're into agriculture as a business venture" said Action.

"They're not.  It's something new but I don't think they're buying the land to grow fruit and vegetables"

"So what are they using it for?"

"That, detective, is for you to find out.  I'm just a source of gossip." said Dean.  Action nodded.

Changing the subject, Action said "So, Dean, are you still seeing that woman who hates cops?"

"I am...and she still hates you lot.  Are you still seeing that rich girl?" Dean replied.

"Not at the moment" here we go again, thought Action.

"Not at the moment?  What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we're on a break but we haven't properly broken up"

"So you could get back together with her, is that what you're saying?"

"I thought you said you weren't a detective?"

"I can see it eats away at you...I think you should sort it out one way or another because being in between the two states is clearly getting to you.  And what kind of badass would you be with that gnawing away at you inside?"

"Do you know, I think the world is trying to tell me something...catch you later, Deano." said Action, making a pistol shape with his hand and pointing it at Dean.  Action then went to get changed out of his swimming shorts and into his suit but before he left the pool for good, he stopped by a payphone.  He got out a dime, picked up the receiver but hesitated before he started dialling.

"Is this a good idea?" he mused to himself.  "Aww, heck!" he muttered and then he proceeded to dial a phone number he knew by heart...

"Will she pick up?" he pondered.  The phone answered at the other end.

"Hello?" yes, it was her voice!

"Hi, this is...." he began.

"Action...well, well, well...what took you so long to call?" replied Katherine.

"You know why..." he replied.

"Guilt?  Or are things less dangerous now and you've decided to resume your normal life?" she said, sarcastically.

"Can we meet up to talk?" he said.

"Hmmm, let me check my diary?  I might have to squeeze you in between appointments....let's see, where are you going to be in the next hour?" she said, stringing him on.

"I'm in Windenburg, near that café that we...."

"That we used to go to together?  I know the place.  Stay there, don't move:  I'll be there soon-ish" she said before hanging up the phone.  Action was left standing, listening to the clicks over the receiver.

He made his way back to the café but he was too impatient to go inside and get a table.  "What's wrong with you, Action?  You're supposed to be a cool cat, not some kind of nervous groom on his wedding day and Katherine's certainly not your bride!" he muttered to himself.

He scanned the scene to see if he could see her and, approaching from the dockside end of Windenburg, was the unmistakable form of Katherine.  Although she wasn't exactly like he had remembered.

"You've changed your hair" was Action's opening line.

"You noticed" Katherine replied.

"I am a detective, after all" 

"So...what do you want to talk about?" she said, cutting to the chase.

"I wanted to see you.  See how you're doing"

"As you can see I'm alive and well"

"And with an amazing new hair-do as well.  Look, Katherine, I won't beat about the bush...I've been thinking about you a lot lately."

"Uh-huh" she said, blankly.

"Is that your only response?" he said, incredulously.

"Well, I won't lie; I've thought about you lot since you put us on ice.  So, what's the deal, Action?  Is the danger over?  Is it safe to see me again?  Did you get your memory back?"

"The danger isn't over, I don't know if it's safe and, no, my memory is shot full of holes" he said, dryly.

"Well, as it happens, I might be able to help with that last part..." she said, enigmatically.

"Oh" replied Action, raising an eyebrow in surprise.  "How so?"

"Well, since the last time I saw you I did some investigating of my own...well, more accurately, I hired a private investigator to look into your movements that day you lost your memory."

"You...hired a P.I.?" said Action, even more surprised at this turn of events.

"I'm a bored rich girl, Action, and you made life less boring for me so I decided that your bull in a china shop approach wasn't working so I decided to use more subtler methods to find out what happened to you."

"And what did happen to me?  Did your private dick find out anything?" he said, in a dismissive tone.

"He did...but we need to go to San Myshuno next...that is, if you're curious enough" she said, almost flirtatiously.

"I am" he said, smiling in excitement and anticipation.

"The Romance Festival, seriously?  You've brought me here?  Listen, Kat, if you wanted to woo me you could have out and out said it instead of bringing me here!" said Action, incredulously, as he looked around his surroundings:  Petals strewn everywhere, pink bunting and people trying to carry off fake Indian style clothing.

"We're not here for the festival...we're here to meet someone" said Katherine, calmly and enigmatically.

"And who would that be?"

"A witness...I can't see her yet but she's due to be here.  Let's sit down and I'll fill you in on what's been going on."

"An offer I can't refuse...." he mused.

"OK, then, what have you found out?" he continued.

"That day we were due to meet, when you lost your memory...apparently you were here" she said.

"I was?"

"Yes.  You were doing some investigations down here; that much I got from a woman you know called Tasha..."

"Yes, Tasha...she hangs out a lot down here at Planet Honey Pop.  So she knows why I was here?"

"Well....no.  She says she remembers seeing you in the bar but...and here's the strange part...she doesn't remember any conversation the two of you had.  In fact, she says her mind's blank from the time she went to sing and then waking up on a nearby bench at 3am when she was awoken and hailed a cab."

"That sounds uncannily like what happened to me" Action pondered.

"That's what I thought" replied Katherine.  "And here's another strange thing...people remember seeing you in the bar but everyone says you were talking to yourself all evening."

"That's not like me!  Did they say I was drunk?"

"No, they said you sat at the bar talking to an empty seat next to you but you didn't seem drunk...except for the weird thing of having a conversation with a bar stool"

"Well this answers nothing!  I don't talk to empty bar stools!" he said, angrily.

"Don't worry, not everyone thought you were talking to one...actually one person remembers you talking to an actual person, other than Tasha"

"The person you're looking out for this evening?"

"You're not as dumb as you look" she said, coquettishly.  "And there she is!"  Katherine pointed to an old lady in a Saree who was standing on the other side of the festival.  "That's who we've come to see."

"That's a love guru" said Action, blankly.  

"She's also a witness...you want to find out what's going on, don't you?"  Katherine stood up and turned to look at Action, wondering if he'd stand up and walk with her.  He shrugged his shoulders, stood up and waved Katherine through to take the lead.

"Mrs Sakamoto...this is the friend I was talking about with you that last time" said Katherine to the old lady.  

"John Action" he said, acknowledging the old lady

"Saya Sakomoto.  I do remember you Mr Action...I saw you here on that evening in question" the old lady said in a quiet but soft voice.

"From what I hear, you're the only person who remembers that I was talking to someone whilst everyone else thinks I was going mad and talking to thin air."

"You were most definitely talking to someone.  A man.  He had red hair slicked back and a tiny, triangular beard.  He wore a pink shirt and a black tie."

"That's more detail than I bargained for" said Action, looking impressed.  "Do you have a name for this man?"

"I see him here sometimes, working on the food stalls.  Others called him 'Luke'" said the old lady.

"Called him?  Past tense?  Why?  What happened to him?" asked Action.

"One day he was here and the next day he was not.  No one knows where he went."

"But you could see him?  How, when no one else could?" asked Action.

"Perhaps it's because I have the gift of the Insight" the lady said, enigmatically.

"I've had enough of this!" said Action, exasperated that he was being given some mystical garbage answer.

"Any more unusual than a strange woman who disappears into thin air, or a laser gun being fired at Lily Feng, or your mind being erased?  Do you have any stronger leads, Action?" interjected Katherine.  "For whatever reason, the hypnosis this Luke did to you and everyone around you didn't affect this lady.  What harm can come from following up this lead?"

"How much did you pay this private eye?  Oh, OK, I'll indulge you this time...Luke, used to work here, red haired guy with a small triangular beard." said Action, grudgingly.

They said their thank yous' to Mrs Sakomoto and wandered over to the Planet Honey Pop to discuss things further.  Action seemed troubled by this whole experience and Katherine sensed this.

"I should thank you for finding this stuff out...you really hired a P.I. to help me out?  That must have cost you"

"I can afford it" she said, diffidently.  "So, what did you want to meet me for...again?"

"To straighten things out....OK, I was wr-wr-wr-wr-ong about shutting you out!" he said, struggling to say the word 'wrong'.

"Yes you were!  It hurt like hell to have a door slammed in your face! she exclaimed.

"I did it for your safety!"

"I can handle myself!"

"You don't know what you're up against!"

"I've found out a lot about what we're up against"

"We?  It's not 'we'?  This is my life on the line!"

"Is that it?  Mr Tough Guy, John Action goes it alone...oh, except he has Suzy Humphries, her husband and your next door neighbours helping out but not his girlfriend! Oh no, she has to be excluded!"

"Those other people aren't the same!"

"How?  How come they can voluntarily risk themselves for you but I'm not allowed?"

"Because....because....dammit, woman! Don't make me say it!"

"So Mr Tough Guy Action can't say three words?" she pouted at him.

"You want those three words?" he scowled.

"Say...them if you're such a big man!" she glared back.

"Oh you want those three words...well I'm going to say them just to shut your pouty mouth up!"

"Pah, you're all talk!"

"OK...ready?  Here goes...I'm not backing down!"

"Blah, blah, blah!" she said, making a yapping mouth shape with her hand.

"DAMMIT!  I LOVE YOU, KATHERINE!"

"Wow, you actually said it...I'm impressed!" she said, smiling.

"So?  Now you know where you stand with me, where do I stand with you?"

"Well....." she said, her smile broadening.

CHAPTER 160: It Takes All Sorts

"I'll never forgive the Landgraabs for what they did to me!  Brainwashing, I mean, just what are they  protecting?  And they probably did something to Action as well; giving him amnesia.  I'm angry, Barbara!" said Jeremy.

"Of course you are and I'm so glad you're better now.  I understand you're angry and bitter but please don't do anything stupid!  Why don't you quit your job at the Landgraab Corporation and return to Dewey, Cheatham & Howe?" replied Barbara.

"Or...." began Jeremy.  Barbara's heart sank a little.  She could tell that he was formulating a more complicated idea here.

"...I keep going at LC, free from their grasp BUT they'll think I'm still brainwashed!  That way I can get more insider information.  Not a bad plan, eh?"

"Well, you know I don't like it when you take risks like this..." said Barbara.

"And you know that Landgraab will stop at nothing...who knows what's really going on?  I have to be the eyes and ears on the inside."

Barbara sighed.  "I guess there's some logic to your plan but DO be more careful than last time...and no trips to strange basements, OK?"

An hour later and both of them were at work.  Magnolia Promenade was particularly busy this morning and business this week at Pack's Clothing had been brisk.

Barbara had a lot of stocktaking to do at the shop.  Business was busy the other day and she went over that day's receipts with her part-time shop assistant.

"I see we sold one of those expensive evening dresses yesterday...and a set of those French silk basques as well." said Barbara.

"Yes...I remember that.  It was a man who bought them." said the assistant.

"For his wife?"

"Well, that's what he said but he knew a lot about women's fashions, looked nervous, kept making a big point about they were for his wife and her size was, conveniently, exactly the same as his."

"I'm sure that's just coincidence and, besides, the money we made from that sale will keep us going for a while."  Barbara chuckled to herself:  Her assistant had an overactive imagination.  However, there was a lot of restocking to be done this morning.

Her stocktaking was interrupted by a youth who had entered the shop and made a straight line for her.  The youth looked like they had just come from a basketball match as they were wearing the gear for it.  They also had a baseball cap on their head.

"Say, lady, do you work here?" the youth said.

"I'm the owner of the shop" Barbara replied.

"Yo, my lucky day!" 

"How can I help you?"

"It's like this..." began the youth.  "I've got to go to some swanky do and I need something smart, you know?  Something a bit more formal than this" they said, tugging at their basketball top.

"Like a Tuxedo or smart suit?" replied Barbara.

"No...worse.  I gots to wear a dress!" said the youth.  "I know I look a bit like a guy because I don't do girly stuff but I'm actually a girl."

"Oh I hope I haven't offended you!" said Barbara.

"Don't sweat it, lady.  I get that all the time and it don't bother me.  But what does bother me is having to choose a dress to wear.  I ain't worn one or a skirt since I was eight!"

"Well, you've come to the right place...so what kind of event are you going to?"

"An awards ceremony.  I'm in a pop group and we're up for the award for best new act."

"A pop group?  Wow.  Which one, I may have your records?"

"Karaoke Legends...it's a kind of American and Japanese pop singing group...Karaoke is a Japanese word meaning..."

"Oh my gosh!  I've heard of you!  I even saw you at the Spice Festival a couple of months ago...you guys are terrific!"

The youth shrugged her shoulders and smiled.  "Yeah, I think so too.  I'm Darling Walsh."

"You're our first celebrity!  OK, a pop awards ceremony...I'm sure we have something suitable in stock that would be just right for you.  And not just a dress either...we've got shoes, accessories, whatever you need to make the evening more special, Miss Walsh.  Erm, can I call you 'Miss'?"

"You can call me Darling, sweet cheeks!" said the youth, flirtatiously.  She saw someone enter the shop and she gave her a wave.  The newcomer, another woman, walked over to them.

"Hey there Aya!"  said Darling.  "How's it going?"

"Could be better...I'm on probation right now" replied the woman.

"That's wild!  Listen, we hit it off at the Kitten Club a couple of weeks ago and I was thinking..." continued Darling.

"Listen, Darling, you're too young for me...call me in a couple of years." Aya interrupted Darling and put up a definite barrier between her and the flirtatious teen.  Barbara just stood there, saying absolutely nothing.

"How about we look at some outfits, Darling?" she eventually said after an awkward silence.

"Sure...it's got to look like something for a happening awards show but not anything that's gonna make me look freaky.  I don't wanna compete with Miko either; she'll wear a tiny mini skirt but I don't want anything that skimpy!  Just make me look like a lady but don't go over the top.  Am I making sense?"

"Just about" said Barbara, processing all that information in her head.  But as she was about to show Darling the young, formal section the young singer's attention was diverted again.

"Wow...look who's just walked in; Lulu Strang." said Darling, nodding towards a petite redheaded girl who had just entered the shop.

"Who's she?" asked Barbara.

"Only the second most unpopular girl at Buckingham High.  I dunno, I think she's kinda cute.  Hey, Lulu!  Over here!  You're looking good, girl." 

"Darling?  What are you doing here?  I didn't think this was your kind of place" replied Lulu.

"Normally no, but I gots this swanky do on and I gotta have some kind of frock to wear."

"This is my first time in here...I heard it's a swinging place" replied Lulu, enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it's pretty good in here...I only got here a little while ago.  Are you coming to our next gig?  I can get you a free ticket"

"Oh wow!  That would be fab!" gushed Lulu.

Barbara was getting frustrated at being kept waiting whilst Darling Walsh stopped to chat to everyone in the store.

The banter continued for another couple of minutes before Darling snapped out of it and turned her attention back to Barbara.

"Yeah, sorry there...I get carried away sometimes.  So, where were we?  Oh yeah, so you got a lot of frocks for me to look at, right?"

"Yes...if you'd like to step over here...we have..."

"Oh, one more thing...I'm just gonna give Lulu my phone number just in case, you know..."

"Miss Walsh!  Darling!" Barbara snapped but she soon regained composure.  "Might I suggest that can wait?  I mean, there's no rule against flirting and picking people up here but that other customer...Aya?  She looks a bit put out by it all and we do have a lot of outfits to look at."

"Yeah...sorry.  I don't normally act this way...I don't care for stupid dating and all that.  It's just...well...you seem like the kind of lady who's 'with it', you know what I'm getting at?  I mean, everyone's doing 'it' these days...you see, I had this little pink pill before coming here.  Akira gave it to me...said it was the latest thing; frees your mind among other things."

"I can see that!" said Barbara.  She should have guessed that Darling was stoned...she knew the signs from dilated pupils to bouts of hyperactivity.  "So let's just concentrate on what we need to do."

Half an hour of going through designs, dresses and accessories produced something that Darling could cope with.  It was a simple design, but well made in a black and white colour scheme with shoes and accessories to match.  Darling tip toed out of the changing room, wobbling in her high heels...which weren't so high for most women but for a tomboy like Darling, they could have been the Rocky Mountains.

"Wow, this is something else!" said Darling, her voice wavering between impressed and horrified.

"You look great, if I may say so myself, but importantly: Do you feel comfortable enough wearing that?  Awards ceremonies can go on a long time." replied Barbara.

"I don't think I can ever feel comfortable in these shoes but the rest is OK.  I'll look pretty good standing next to Miko!"

"Well...shall I box them back up and complete the transaction for you?"

"Actually, can I wear this home?  I reckon I'm gonna need practice wearing this froofy stuff!"

Barbara went to the till to ring the items up but the girl called Lulu Strang was hovering around, waiting for her turn to be served.  Barbara took note as she wrote up the receipt for Darling's purchases.

"All the best with your awards night, Darling, I hope you win" said Barbara, handing over the receipt plus a bag with all her original street clothing in.  "Now, Lulu, how can I help you?"

Lulu Strang outlined how much she liked the exercise outfit on the mannequin in the window because she'd been cast in the Buckingham High school musical and there was going to be long and arduous rehearsals for the dance numbers.  As Lulu outlined what she wanted Barbara was wondering why this girl was so unpopular with her peers?  She seemed a nice, enthusiastic girl.

After another successful sale and contented customer another teenager entered the shop as Lulu walked out.  She gave Lulu a disdainful look as she passed her by.  "What's she doing here?" the newcomer sniffed.

At the end of the working day, Jeremy stopped by the shop to do the accounts.  "I'm famished, darling, how about going out to eat tonight?" he said to Barbara.

"Great idea...saves us cooking and washing up!" she replied.

The place they decided to go to was the Sunny Side Up Diner.  It was decent and unpretentious but, more importantly, it was mid point between home and the shop.

"...so, anyway, I have no idea why this girl is so unpopular at school but there you go" said Barbara, once they had been seated.

"Teenagers, eh?  I never did understand the social pecking order when I was at school" replied Jeremy.

"Neither did I...I wasn't one of the cool kids at high school either" replied Barbara.

"Wasn't that like...six months ago?" Jeremy teased.

"You!  I know I'm young but....do you know, I feel old now when I'm with the current crop of high schoolers!  Living in America and having my own business has forced me to grow up!"

"I'm very proud of you" Jeremy replied, raising his glass.

Other people were arriving at the diner, notably the Sneedleys.  Edna noticed Jeremy and Barbara seated on the other side of the restaurant.

"Oh there's that nice young man, Mr Saint...and I see he's still with that lowbrow girl.  I thought so, no engagement ring either.  I worry for that boy, George:  He embodies all that is good in our youth and yet his choice of companion leaves a lot to be desired.  I fear he's on a slippery slope downwards....but let's be polite and encouraging, George...let's say hello to them."

George gulped.  He'd been in Pack's Clothing only 2 days before and he couldn't be 100% sure if Barbara had seen him or not.  If she was to mention that, then there'd be some awkward questions...

"I think we should leave them be, Edna" he said.  "They're probably having a romantic dinner and don't want to be disturbed" as he said that, he steered Edna away from them.  "I say, this table looks very nice..." he continued, noticing an empty table that was as far away from Jeremy and Barbara as could possibly be.  "...you get nice views of the park and river from here"

"...so I'll talk things over with Action about what I can do" said Jeremy, bringing up the awkward subject of taking the fight to the Landgraabs again.

"He won't want you to risk your life" cautioned Barbara.

"I know, but bits of information will help us...that's what I can provide"

"Well, if you do get the sack then there's plenty of work at the shop for both of us!"

"I'll drink to that!" he said, and at that moment their meal had arrived at their table.

After their meal they went straight home, tired.  George Sneedley was relieved that neither of them had spotted him in the restaurant.  Jeremy went to brush his teeth in the bathroom whilst Barbara went to get changed into her nightclothes.  It had been a lovely, romantic evening for the two of them...despite talk of Jeremy at his work.  A date night was always welcome for her...but she thought about all the teenagers that were in her shop today.  It wouldn't be long before she turned 20 and already she was feeling that gulf between her and boys and girls only 2 to 3 years younger than her.

But rather than lamenting lost youth, she felt encouraged that she wasn't one of the crowd chasing fashion...she was helping to determine it.  And she had the man of her dreams to boot!  Yes, life was good.