Chapter 4
Lissy woke refreshed, and turning looked at the alarm, 08:00, her mother was still sleeping, she had got in late, but Lissy had not asked what had made her so. She knew Agnes loved her husband, and would never do anything to hurt him. It was just the getting out, the doing something different, Agnes nursed her husband 24/7 and it was hard for her. Lissy had seen her mother age since the time her father's illness had been diagnosed, but this holiday was bringing her alive again. Lissy could see that it was also making her mother more vulnerable to the inevitable; she just hoped Dr Mallard was not stressing her too much.
Agnes stirred and opened her eyes, "Morning Lissy, how was your evening?"
Lismore smiled as she thought back to last night, "Fine mum, just fine. For your information I'm meeting Jethro today, I just don't know what he has planned for us, so if you don't mind, I'm going for a shower and then breakfast."
Agnes thought her daughter was looking radiant and refreshed; this holiday was doing her good.
Showered, Lissy returned and slipped on last night's gear, "Yes Mother I know, but they don't and it is only breakfast, see you down stairs," as she laughed closing the bedroom door behind her. She wasn't going to give her mother the pleasure of her conversation with Gibbs. Mothers never, ever change.
After a light breakfast, Lissy went outside into the morning air and taking her cell from her pocket she called Gibbs.
"Morning Lissy," the voice at the other end answered.
"Morning Gibbs, how you know it was me?"
"Let's put it this way, you are the only unknown caller I could think of at this time of the morning."
"So Jethro what are we doing today as I need to change."
"Thought maybe a drive…..down to Chalottesville or Rock Creek Park, we get a few murders there, or the Potomac River cruise"
"Jethro, I'll go with the drive, mother and I did the river cruise, and I could do without a murder."
"Good," came the reply "Pick you up 11.30? What hotel? "
Lismore gave Jethro the hotel name and address, smiled as she shut the cell and returned to the room, where her mother was now ready to partake of her own breakfast.
"I'll have more coffee and you can tell me what you and Donald are doing today."
"While you will tell me what you and Jethro have planned for today, yes?"
"Touche mother," as Lissy took her mother's arm.
-oOo-
True to his word Gibbs arrived 11.30 in the Dodge, Lissy had been "lurking" outside trying not to look over "whatever". "Come on Lismore you are 52yrs old, you are not a teenager you are…." her thoughts broken by the sight of the 1971 Dodge Challenger RT, now where had Gibbs hidden that last night, then she remembered the garage and smiled. Oh yes she too would keep a car like that in a garage, like her Alfa Romeo Guilietta, if the neds knew what car she drove…..but Gibbs stopped and she stepped forward and opened the door.
"Morning," Jethro spoke as she slid into the passenger seat and belted up.
"Morning to you, too."
As they drove out of DC to Charlottesville, Gibbs just had to ask.
"You're a red head…..natural, although you enhance, read somewhere Europe has highest proportion of red heads."
"I am, and well it occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, 2-6%. But then redheads constitute approximately 4% of the European population. But Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads; 13% of the population has red hair and approximately 40% carry the recessive redhead gene."
"So are your siblings redheaded?" Gibbs began to ask.
"Lewis…..yes named after the Island, is definitely the red headed highlander. Iona is a red head, but Harris and Islay are not, but we did have a red setter by the name of Skye, my parents have a lot to answer for," Lismore laughed.
"Oh yes, I'm Leroy Jethro…..parents," as Gibbs laughed.
The drive to Charlottesville was uneventful, again small chat and work. They both found it refreshing to have a different culture, style of work ethos. But Gibbs had booked a light lunch, in Ristorante Al Dente, a multi-regional Italian restaurant. It was quoted as one of the most beautiful restaurants in Charlottesville. All the dishes prepared from scratch at the moment you order, house-made pastas, bread and desserts. Gibbs just thought it was Lismore.
"Italian, wow my favourite. How did you know?" Lissy had whispered.
"Actually asked Duks he said something about Glasgow being full of Italians, fish and chips being a staple diet of the Scots…..that and ice-cream," as Lissy hit him on the arm.
"Not funny, but yes, we do like our fish and chips and ice cream."
-oOo-
After a good lunch and on the drive back to Washington, they had discussed what Lissy was going to do after she had left the Force.
"I intend to apply for a position of SOC Officer," as she saw the look in Gibbs eyes, "SOC Officer, a Scenes of Crime Officer, suppose it's what you do, I would imagine it is called CSI here or a FSI, they collect evidence and pass it to the CID and the forensic labs, but the SOCO do not investigate crimes or analyse evidence themselves, unlike what you do."
"Will it be full time and do you think you'll get the job?" Jethro continued to ask.
"Was going to see if I could go part-time, and self-employed. You forget I have Colin's pension and my own pension from the Police, and yes, about 3% are self-employed and 17% part time, and of course having knowledge in Police work I would say I have pretty good chance."
"Sounds good to me," Gibbs replied.
Gibbs dropped Lissy back at the hotel, he hoped that she and her mother had a good journey to Chicago and then home to Glasgow. Lissy gave Jethro her e-mail address and phone numbers, work and home, "Well you never know."
Lissy watched as Jethro drove off. "Lissy," she told herself, "It was fun while it lasted."
