Suzie’s House 68: When the Cover is Blown
No way Christina would have gone to Todd if she’d known he would blow her cover. All she’d wanted was a little advice. Now look. Suzie, Miranda, and Vin sat together on a leather couch in Todd’s basement, looking at her expectantly. Only Drew, the FBI agent, joining them could have made it worse.
“So they know you’re CIA,” Todd said. “Get on with it.”
“Did you tell them you were too?” She shouldn’t have snapped at him, but couldn’t quite resist.
“They already know.” His green eyes snapped a warning, though what of she had no idea. In a handsome man, the expression would have been compelling. Todd’s receding chin and thinning hair merely made him look spiteful, though she knew he wasn’t. He gestured toward the couch. “Vin went through Quantico the same time I did.”
“You’re CIA?” She didn’t even attempt to keep the disbelief from her voice.
Vin shook his head.
“FBI?”
Another shake. He gave Miranda’s had a squeeze and she darted a quick smile his way. “I’m a private investigator.”
“Are you, or are you not investigating Sean and Joseph O’Connor?”
“Not… officially.” His eyes darted to the side, toward Suzie, who gave his hand a reassuring pat.
“But your roommate, Drew, is.” Christina said it with enough hesitation to let them know it was as much question as statement.
“Yes.”
Todd groaned. “I told you. There is a time and a place for working with other agencies. In this case, you shouldn’t try to go it alone.”
“It’s my case, and I’ll work it my way.”
Todd shrugged, looked away unhappily.
“O’Connor. You knew their name all along and didn’t tell us.” Suzie’s eyes sparked fire.
Christina was taken aback by the strength of her reaction. The woman looked like she might launch herself across the room to strangle Christina right where she stood.
“Do you have any idea what we’ve been through?” Suzie’s eyes went from narrow to stunned-wide. “Yes, you do! We told you all about it when you came to visit the day I had to send my son away. You could have kept that from happening!” Suzie stood up, but before she could take a step, Vin pulled her down.
“No she couldn’t. Let me guess, you kept us in the dark because you want to make the collar yourself.” Vin’s eyes pierced her.
Christina looked away. When he said it like that, she felt small and cheep.
Vin turned his full attention on Suzie, though he continued to hold Miranda’s hand. “If she knew where they were, she’d probably already have them under arrest. Or would you?” He returned his attention to her. “Do you have enough to do anything? I know you can’t convict…”
“No.” Christina looked away. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“Do you know where they are?” He leaned forward. Next he’d be out for her blood. In fact, the only one in the room who looked remotely sympathetic was Miranda, who seemed more interested in Vin than in the conversation.
“No! No, I don’t know where they are. Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“Christina,” Todd said it as a warning.
“Todd,” Christina warned right back.
Smoke. It was all going up in smoke. Now they’d… actually, what could they do to her? She was only doing her job. But they’d be getting in the way.
“Vin, did you say you are NOT working with the FBI agent?”
“Not anymore. Drew’s afraid I’ll get shot again, and released me from the contract. Now I’m after them on my own.”
“Shot. Again? When?” Todd moved closer to Vin, bumping both Suzie and Miranda off the couch.
While the men talked quietly, something inside Christina ticked over. None of these people were with the FBI. None of them were in law enforcement at all. They knew about her and her case. They’d be after the O’Connor’s anyway. Why not join forces?
She gave Miranda a smile. “Can you people keep a secret?”
Miranda nodded quickly, her expression curious. Suzie nodded more thoughtfully, looking wary.
“Good, because I have a bunch of them.” As soon as she said it, she realized why she had really gone to Todd, and why it hurt so much to have him disrespect her cover. Until now, she hadn’t just been going it alone. She’d been lonely.
Thursday Thirteen #28: Seasonings in My Cupboard
1. Gumbo File’
2. Oregano
3. Marjoram – there’s hardly any left
4. Tumeric
5. Black Pepper
6. Dill Weed
7. Bay Leaves
8. Cumin
9. Cayenne Red Pepper
10. Tarragon
11. Thyme
12. Sage
13. Cajun – I don’t normally go for these pre-mixed things, but I like the Spice Garden one.
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Tiffany
Shelley Munro
Susan Helene Gottfried
Nina Pierce
Paige Tyler
Lesley
Nicole Austin
Debbie Mumford
Eaton Bennett
More Thursday Thirteen Participants
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By George! They’re All Alike. Almost.
Last week and the week before we saw what Fast Eddie could do in the most “dismal” of places. Let’s see what dear old dad can do to him. Hover over the pictures to see the names.
The King agreed with The Prince that Brother Edward should get the chance to be a hero. Only not on the European side of the Atlantic. Fortunately there was a kerfluffle with, who else, the French down in the West Indies. Prince Edward was promoted to Major General and placed on the staff of Sir Charles Gray. It must have come as a hell of a shock to everyone back home when the kid made a name for himself.
For his actions in the reductions of the French garrisons on the islands of Martinique and St. Lucia, Prince Edward was honorably mentioned in dispatches. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but in the British army, it was very big deal. It meant he did something outstanding in the face of the enemy.
While four brothers, Frederick, Ernest, Adolphus and Edward were fighting in the war, Two others, William and Augustus were not.
Augustus suffered from severe asthma, so much so that he was often on the continent at various spas seeking relief. This left him with plenty of free time to pursue various hobbies. I’ll cover these in a later installment. Suffice it to say they caused His Majesty much grief.
Dad decided early on that William would join the navy. Why? Perhaps he decided that he had enough kids in the army. Either way, William joined the navy. William liked the navy well enough. The problem was that one of the reasons William and his brothers were in the military was to keep them out of England. This is something all the brothers were keenly aware of. It was something they keenly resented.
This is what William wrote to the Prince of Wales in 1786. “What could be the use of our worthy friend, our close relation, (dad) keeping us so close? (On such short rations regarding thier allowances.) Does he imagine he will make his sons friends by this mode of conduct? If he does, he is sadly mistaken. He certainly wishes us all well and thinks he is doing his best. I am convinced he loves me by his way of receiving me last. I cannot but regard him, and would do anything to please him, but it is so difficult to satisfy.”
It didn’t help the expatriate brothers cases that no sooner was the Duke of York allowed home than he and The Prince launched themselves on a drunken gambling spree in London that was covered in detail by The Times. That episode confirmed His Majesties worst suspicions about his boys. Edward’s behavior was a whole box full of nails in that particular coffin.
William did his bit to hold up the high standards set by his eldest brother. His behavior, for a sailor, probably was not all that shocking. But then, how many sailors had The King for a dad? William drank like a sailor, cussed like a sailor, gambled and visited houses of ill repute like, well, like a sailor. This would not have been remarkable were it not for the fact that the London papers reported all of it.
“Sailor Billy”, as the papers called him was destined to be as big a disappointment as the rest. That was dad’s view. He was also destined to be King of England. But dad could be forgiven for not seeing king material in so wayward a lad. From 1780 to 1790, William slowly made his way up the naval promotion ladder. By all reports, he was an officer of modest accomplishments.
There was one difference between William’s branch of the service and the British Army. Every now and then, British warships had to put into English ports. About the time that Edward was sent to Geneva, William’s frigate, the Pegasus, put into Plymouth for repairs. Sailor Billy was not allowed to pop up to London to visit. He was to remain in Plymouth until his ship sailed again. Dad’s orders.
“Dullness rules here altogether. He wrote to The Prince; But what is worse than all, not a woman fit to be touched with tongs, not a house to put your head in after dark…if it were not for duty to my ship I should perhaps hang myself.” It was only a matter of a few months before all that radically changed. For the better as far as Sailor Billy was concerned. Dad wouldn’t see it that way at all; but then, dad never could see the bright side of a royal scandal.
Hubris
I already know from previous Tuesdays that no one here is as egotistical as I am. No, don’t argue. You can take it for granted I’m entirely too sure of myself. Most of the time I’m aware of what an pushy individual I am and compensate with the sure knowledge that EVERYONE is special in some way or another.
Now and then, however, I set myself up for a fall without even realizing it. I don’t even have to be put in my place. Simply knowing something that egotistical came tumbling out of my mouth is enough to make me flinch.
Are you wondering what I did? Fine, I’ll tell you. I told a friend my manuscript would blow her away. Stunning, isn’t it. It’s not even true. I know better, but I’d already sent the email with that phrase in it before I realized what an idiot I sounded like.
To her credit, though she showed me the error of my ways, she didn’t thump me too hard, almost as if she hadn’t even notice the phrase.
Maybe I’m not the only one to say stupid things? Make me feel better. Have you ever said something you wish you could take back?
Square Watermelons
Did you know they have square watermelons in Japan? I didn’t until someone emailed this to me. Check it out.
They do this to make it easier to store and ship them. It has absolutely nothing to do with the way a watermelon will try to roll out of the refrigerator and leap at you. What, am I the only one that has happened to?
If you’re like me about now you’re wondering how they do that.
Split Pea Soup
Quit wrinkling your nose. This is not like the slop they fed us in school.
2/3 c. dried split peas
2 1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. chopped ham
additional salt and pepper to taste
Put water in a medium pot. Add split peas. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for half an hour to 45 minutes or until beginning to get tender. Add salt, onion, and ham. Simmer until desired thickness.
I know it isn’t much to look at, but give it a try.
Jack Knows Better
Jill: Jack, what are you looking for?
Jack: Candy.
Jill: You won’t find it among my spices.
Jack: I know what I’m dong.
Jill: Well all right. Just don’t make a mess.
Jack: Ah-hah! I found them. I’ll just take this to the workshop. Jill will never know I swiped one.
Jill: Oh, that man!
feefifoto
Tamy ~ 3 Sides of Crazy
CrAzY Working Mom
maryt/theteach
saturday photo scavenger hunt
The rules for Photohunt can be found here.
Today’s theme is candy
Be sure to visit the home page.
Previously in Jack and Jill
Suzie’s House 67 : On Our Side, Sort Of
Previously in Suzie’s House, Vin, Suzie, and Miranda followed Christina to a quiet neighborhood behind Woodman’s then watched her enter the house of a man Vin knows.
Miranda stifled a giggle as she closed her car door. Clearly she didn’t take this operation very seriously.
“Shhhhh!” Suzie hissed, her expression solemn.
To Vin’s mixed horror and amazement, the two women dashed to the nearest tree and peeked around like a couple of kids playing hide and seek. If Christina didn’t see them coming a mile away, the man in the house where Christina had gone into would.
Knowing the man, there were probably already half a dozen photos of them pulling up to the curb right after Christina.
Reflexively, Vin checked his gun to be sure it was handy. Then he sauntered across the street as if he had every right to be there. Miranda and Suzie were busy dashing from one patch of shade to the next as if afraid of the sun. They looked so silly Vin had to fight to keep the grin off his face. As soon as he passed Miranda and started up the sidewalk, she snagged his arm. They strolled along like some old-time couple.
He smiled down at her, and patted her hand. “The secret to going undetected in a city is to act natural. I’m glad you’re catching on.”
She smiled back, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. No doubt she considered him such an idiot he wouldn’t realize she was only interested in staking her claim. No way he was going to scare her off by letting her know he was on to her.
“So what’s this guy’s name, anyway?” Suzie asked as she caught up with them. She walked on his far side so he was bracketed by pretty women.
“Um… Ah…” What could he say? The name the man had in Quantico? The name he was using last time Vin saw him?
“You don’t know?” Miranda’s right eyebrow winged up.
“I know a couple of names. I’m not sure which ones he’s going by now.” No doubt he would want to keep as much of his cover as he could. Vin had to respect that.
“Oh.” Miranda’s voice went flat.
They strolled right past the house they were interested in. Both women gave him a funny look, so when they came even with the strip of lawn between houses, he made a dash for it. Suzie and Miranda followed with a cut-short shriek.
He got up on his toes to look in the first window, then bent double to look in the next.
“What are we looking for?” Miranda asked.
“Christina.”
“Oh. But she’ll be in the living room won’t she? It’s back this way.” Miranda headed for the front of the house.
Vin pulled her back. “He never uses the living room. If we really want to know what they are up to, we need to check this way.”
“That’s ridiculous.” She pulled free. “In fact, I think I saw a shadow through the privacy curtain.” She headed for the front of the house.
Under other circumstances, Vin might have gotten mad, but what would it matter? It wasn’t like she’d tip the man off. He glanced at Suzie, who moved down the wall toward the back yard, checking windows as she went. She wouldn’t notice a thing if he found an opportunity to get fresh with Miranda. He strolled to the front with a light step.
“See. They are in there.” She pointed at the shape of a head and shoulders backlit by a lamp, sitting with its back to the gauze curtains.
“That’s a dummy.”
“I am not a dummy!”
“I never said you were.” He pointed to the silhouette, in the process wrapping himself around her. She smelled of jasmine and cherry today.
“What?” Twisted around to look at him before returning her attention to the window. If she’d been half a second slower he’d have stolen a kiss.
“See anything moving? Hear any voices?”
“No,” she admitted reluctantly. She pushed away from him to put her ear to the window, looking patently ridiculous in the process. Some spy she made.
“Over here,” Suzie said in a stage whisper from the side of the house. She waved them toward the back. “They’re in here.” She pointed to a bush.
Miranda didn’t question her. She simply dropped to her knees and crawled forward. Vin couldn’t help but stare.
“I see Christina, but who is she with?” The only thing showing were her short leather skirt riding up her long legs, and the delicious curve of her butt. Vin settled in to enjoy the show.
Suzie hunched over the top of the bush and pointed. Light from a hidden window shined on her face. “I think he was over there.”
“Well he isn’t there now.” Miranda’s rear shifted from side to side as she worked deeper into the bush.
When Vin got her home he was going to have to let her know how hot she made him. He’d insist they used her room because she was less likely to get away. Then he’d peel off that leather skirt, and…
“So, Vin. How’s it hanging?” The man put his arm across Vin’s shoulders and squeezed.
Vin winced once for the pain in his shoulder and again for being caught so badly off guard.
Thursday Thirteen #27: Gone With the Wind in 13 Words
1. Scarlett
2. loves
3. Ashely
4. who
5. loves
6. Melanie
7. when
8. she
9. should
10. love
11. Rhett
12. Butler
13. instead.
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Angelle Trieste
Susan Helene Gottfried
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Heather
By Geroge! What More Can Edward Do?
As if turning his solider’s quarters into a place for his mistress wasn’t enough, Prince Edward had to go throwing his weight around. We continue with Mr. Al’s take on the brothers of George IV.
His Majesty was not pleased when the press reported the arrival of Prince Edward’s ladyfriend. He was also distraught to learn the that the Royal Fusiliers of Gibraltar had, to a man – NCO’s and enlisted men – mutinied against their commanding officer.
It would seem that Edward was a stickler for having the rules obeyed. He insisted on it more, much more, than the average officer was wont to do. He was not averse to inventing new rules when the ones on the books were not enough. More importantly, he was not at all averse to doling out the maximum punishments for the most trivial offenses. Military discipline in the British army was, by modern standards, savage. Officers assumed that the common soldier came from the dregs of society. That’s the way they were treated.
Even an offense such as failing to salute an officer could be punished by flogging. There was the time-honored tradition of turning big rocks into very little rocks. And the wheel. Basically, a man would be tied to a wagon wheel and left there without food, water or shelter from the Sun for, oh…two or three days. Any man caught bringing aid and comfort to a man being punished thus would get the same.
Prince Edward imposed these punishments, and more, for the slightest offense. Considering his own attitude that The Rules didn’t apply to him, there was trouble. There was bloody rioting. There was a mutiny. For his own safety, and in the interests of the regiment, Prince Edward was removed from his command.
The King decided that Gibraltar was, after all, not far enough away. To remedy that, the King told Edward to pack his bags because he was going on a trip. Edward was going to take an ocean cruise to…Canada. Mlle de St. Laurent must have been in love with Edward; or at least been a hell of a sport, because she volunteered to go with him.
Once there, Edward wasted no time in writing home that Canada was worse than Geneva and Gibraltar combined. It was, he wrote to The Prince of Wales, “The most dreary and gloomy spot on the face of the earth.” That was his opinion of Quebec. Some people just can’t be happy anywhere. Quebec wasn’t much of a city in those days, especially by London standards. But it wasn’t a log fort in the wilderness along the Great Lakes; filled with stinky, drunken fur traders and rebellious Yanks. There were numerous British forts that fit that description back then. Edward was lucky that dad didn’t send him to one of them.
Prince Edward very much wished to share in the military glory some of his other brothers were experiencing. It was natural that he should write to his eldest brother. He was in London; he could put in a good word with dad. For some reason, dad wasn’t answering any of Edward’s letters.
What Prince Edward didn’t seem to know was that the Prince of Wales didn’t like him. He never had. And as time went on, he liked him less and less. For reasons known only to himself, The Prince took pity on his younger brother’s situation and decided to have a word with the King. Even more surprisingly, the King listened to him.
If Fast Eddie wanted to be a hero, well then, dad would send him to a place where he would get the chance.
Lock Down
I happened to be in a grade school recently when a practice lock down was ordered. At first I didn’t know what was happening. One minute I was passing out juice, the next the teacher had locked the door and turned off the lights. All the kids piled into a corner and sat down. Even I was expected to sit on the floor making as little noise as possible.We remained like that for half an hour. I timed it because the clock was right in front of me and couldn’t do much else. For half an hour those kids were remarkably quiet. In the time I did some thinking.
The purpose of a lock down is to give our kids the best chance of survival should someone in the school decide to become a mass murderer.
Once I realized this it struck me hard. My kids stand a chance of facing a kid or other intruder with a gun in their own schools. It’s a real threat. It might be more of a real threat than those silly “duck and cover” drills we did when I was in school. Not the ones for tornadoes, the ones for nuclear bombs.
Later the same day I was driving my daughter somewhere while she was on my cell phone talking to my mother and noticed half a dozen people we passed also had cell phones glued to their heads. There was a guy walking down the street who looked silly with the tiny thing in his hand next to his crew cut. There was the guy with a cell phone in one hand and a weed whacker in the other. There were too many people in cars with cell phones wedged between one hand and an ear. It struck me that people aren’t even fully aware of the world they are passing through when they have one of those things to their ear. How different the way we think now.
Am I off base here? Am I being too esoteric? Has the world really changed so much, or is it just more of the same?
Echo of a Whisper
Whenever I edit in wordpress, I end up with strange formatting. Not that my formatting comes out the way I want anyway, but the more names I add, the stranger it gets. So I am listing those who are participating in the Whisper
meme here:
1. Andi Unhinged
2. Renee Renee Lynn Scott
3. Sasha Looking for the Right Word
4. Kelly Delusions of Grandeur
5. Heather Phoenex Hearse
6. Ian The Popcorn Principle
7. Lyza Lynn Shell Game
8. John Wayne’s Girl John Wayne’s Girl
9. sghoul Oozings From My Mind
10. Kathleen Oxley Kathleen Oxley Erotica: More Than a Promise
11. Kaige Impulsive Hearts
12. Kelsey Simmons Kelsey Simmons Normally Paranormal
13. A. Catherine Noon A. Catherine Noon
14. Bethanne Strasser Romance in Writing
15. Eaton Bennett Passionate Fiction
16. Jennifer Shirk Me, My Muse and I
17. Fionn Jameson Fionn Jameson
18. Ally Kendall Tangled Up in Words and Life
19. Todd Elliot Philosophically Broken
Whisper
We’re playing Telephone again, only this time I’m going to call it “Whisper.”
What you do is make a change in the paragraph below. It can be as little as a single word or almost every word, so long as we can still recognize the paragraph you received. I’m talking about the one in the blog of the person who tagged you, not the original paragraph. Tag three people, and link to them. Also link to the person who tagged you so the chain will not be broken! Now go to the original paragraph at http://aliceaudrey.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/whisper and let Alice know you did it. She will link to you. For extra credit, head over to http://AliceAudrey.wordpress.com around June 9th for the contest based on this meme. You could win a $20 gift certificate.
Here’s your paragraph:
He came from nowhere, a gun in one hand and a flower in the other. His name was Ricardo, but she’d always called him Clem. She said she liked his deep, brown eyes. Instead of thanking her he took her watch and her left shoe, and ran off with Merry D.
I’m whispering to Unhinged, Kathleen Oxley, and Renee
You can find the list of those who have done this meme here: Echo of a Whisper
DON’T FORGET TO LINK UP TO PEOPLE, OR TO LET ME KNOW YOU DID THIS. If you don’t let me know you did the meme, you may not be included in the game.
And the Winner Is…
… Susan Helene Gottfried. You are the winner of the Samoas.
Email me with your shipping address and I’ll get those right out to you. You can reach me at Alice Audrey Write at aol dot com.
Crunchy Blue Invader
The boy created and named this one.
Place one marshmallow in a microwave-safe bowl. A Pyrex custard cup works well. Sprinkle Blue Crystal Decors under and over the marshmallow. Heat in microwave on high for aprox 10 seconds. The marshmallow should be slightly puffy. Add more decors. Heat for additional seconds until marshmallow spreads. Add decors. Heat until marshmallow is beating like a blob with a heart. Add more decors. This process should take no more than two minutes. Keep an eye on it as marshmallows have a nasty way of burning from the inside out in the microwave. Consume carefully.
