Friday, March 10th, 2017

Ilkley, West Yorkshire
England

Owler Park

As the pair drove up the private road and pulled into a drive on their left, Harper looked up at her sister.

"You sure this is the right place?"

"Yes, Harps," Keira responded confidently as she switched off the engine.

"It's a nice house."

"Yes, it is."

The two sisters stepped out of the car and made for the front door. Almost before Keira could knock, the door flew open and Rachel grinned down at them.

"Welcome," she said. "Come on in."

"How're you doing, Rachel?"

"Not bad. Not bad. Come through to the kitchen and get a mug of tea."

Keira and a very curious Harper followed Rachel through into the kitchen where they sat at the table while Rachel put the kettle on.

"The move complete?" Keira asked.

"All but the last few things from the garage and loft. That home was intended to be our family home. Paul and I intended that house to be our home to bring up Rylee until she was an adult. I'm finding things that date back to when Rylee's father was still alive."

"I'm sorry," Keira said.

"It's in the past – Rylee is now my present and my future."

Harper was beginning to feel more than a little uncomfortable and she was very pleased to hear voices approaching.

"We got visitors, Mum?" Rylee asked as she stepped into the kitchen. "Harper!"

"I see you've taken to wearing clothes," Keira chuckled.

Rylee blushed violently as she sat down at the kitchen table next to Harper.

"What possessed you to go skinny-dipping?" Harper asked Rylee.

"I don't know," Rylee replied honestly. "It just felt so amazing to have a new home."

"Did I hear voices?" Simon asked, joining everyone.

"We were just discussing the skinny-dipping incident," Harper commented with a sly grin.

"Oh," Simon blushed.

"Did you tell everyone, Mum?" Rylee demanded.

"Almost," Rachel chuckled.

Rylee scowled.

That afternoon...

Another car pulled into the drive, a little after two that afternoon.

There were three occupants and they climbed out of the car and made for the front door. Cassie knocked loudly on the door as she waited with the two girls. There came the sound of voices and then the stout wooden door was heaved open and Rylee stood there, grinning at everybody.

"Hi, Cassie! Wotcha, Charlie! Who's...?"

Rylee then went white as a sheet as she laid eyes on the third person standing at the door.

"Rylee, who is it?" Simon called out as he saw Rylee backing into the dining hall. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I have," Rylee replied.

Simon was worried; Rylee was physically trembling. Then he saw three people enter the room. He recognised Cassie and Charlotte but then he froze as the third person appeared.

"Tanya!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Tanya laughed. "I think I've shocked the fuck out of our fearless leader."

Rylee hurled herself at Tanya, hugging her friend whom she had not seen in over a year. Simon joined them, wrapping his own arms around them both. It was almost five minutes before they separated. Rylee wiped the tears from her eyes and face. She was smiling happily. Then she turned on Harper who stood a few feet away.

"You bloody knew, you little fuck!" Rylee challenged angrily.

"Yes, I met Tanya a few days ago," Harper admitted.

"But you never told me!" Rylee growled, her anger building.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Harper responded, backing away from Rylee.

"Maybe, I should shoot you in your other thigh – okay, it was a surprise; a big surprise!"

"It was my idea, Rylee," Tanya cut in. "I've been having problems with my memory and I needed some time to get my mind together before we met."

"Okay, Harper, I won't put another hole in you."

"Promise?" Harper ventured.

"No," Rylee grinned.

"Doubt anybody would notice another hole, anyway," Keira grumbled. "Hello, Cassie, Charlie. Hello, Tanya."

"Hi, Keira. My commiserations for having a bratty little sister," Tanya grinned.

"Thank you," Keira laughed as Harper simply scowled.

Keira, Cassie, and Rachel discretely vanished, leaving the friends to talk – loudly, animatedly, and somewhat crudely.

That evening...

Georgia Watson felt a little worried as she sat down on the couch next to her mother.

Facing her were a bunch of people, some of whom she had only just met. Obviously, she knew Rachel, Rylee, and Simon, but the others were new to her. The scrappy little girl, Harper, was apparently an old friend of Rylee, as was the older girl, Charlotte – the girl preferred to be called Charlie for some reason or other – and Tanya, who it seemed had only just got reacquainted with Rylee that very afternoon. As for the adults, there were the two women: Keira was apparently Harper's big sister while Cassie was Charlotte's big sister. Georgia figured that something big was about to be said; she had always known that there was something special about Rylee and a part of her had always been curious to find out what that was, but she had respected her best friend's privacy and she had not wanted to delve into something which she felt might upset Rylee. Once they were all seated, it was Keira who spoke first.

"It is time you both learnt about what Rylee and Simon are – I won't beat about the bush; they're Predators: assassins, killers. Their childhood was ripped apart when they were only ten and they were forcibly trained to do horrible things, barbaric things. They were not the only ones to suffer; Harper, Charlie, and Tanya, all had their childhoods torn apart as well, but they all survived, more or less, and they are each trying to go back to a normal life."

As Keira handed over to Cassie, she noticed that Georgia and her mother were aghast at what they were being told while the four girls and one boy were looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"That will not be easy," Cassie explained. "They're damaged goods and they always will be, however, with the help and assistance of their friends and family, they each stand every chance of regaining some of their lost childhoods. Now, Georgia, you are a good friend to Rylee, and as such we believe that you can be trusted to learn the truth. However, I must caution you that none of what is said tonight is ever to be told to a living soul. What we're about to tell you tonight may scare you and it may make you see Rylee and Simon in a different light, however, we believe that your friendship will endure and overcome any new feelings which you may have for your friends."

"Why are we telling you this?" Keira continued. "Because Rylee did not want your friendship to be based on a lie. Rylee wanted you to know the truth of what she is and what she is capable of doing."

"Harper's one too?" Georgia asked as she looked over at the younger girl. "She's so young."

"I am the very same as Rylee, Simon, and Tanya – see?" Harper replied, showing the underneath of her left hand.

Rylee, Simon, and Tanya did the same, and Georgia was able to see the matching tattoos.

"Is that a Z?" she asked.

"Zeta," Simon explained. "We were part of Zeta Squad. Harper was thrown at us for training because the instructors hated Rylee."

"Rylee shot me when I pissed her off!" Harper grinned.

Melissa Watson was appalled by what she was hearing.

"Where did she shoot you?" Georgia asked excitedly.

Harper stood up and she undid her trousers, shoving them down her legs.

"Here," Harper said, pointing at her right thigh.

It was all too much for Melissa who stood up and made for the kitchen.

..._...

Rachel got up and she followed her friend through into the kitchen where she found Melissa standing at the kitchen sink staring out over the drive at the front of the property.

"It's a lot to get used to," Rachel admitted. "I was astounded and upset when I first found out what my daughter had become and what she had endured."

"I'm sorry, Rach, it was just such a shock to hear it and then to see Harper's wound inflicted by Rylee..."

"I spoke with Rylee the other night and she wanted Georgia to know – Rylee hated the idea of lying to her best friend. Rylee tells me that Georgia has been there for her ever since her first day back at school, and Rylee felt that it wasn't right to leave Georgia in the dark."

Melissa turned to her friend and smiled.

"Thank you for trusting Georgia and me; it means a lot, it really does."

"Have I upset you, Melissa?" a voice asked.

"No, Rylee," Melissa replied. "You haven't. It was just a shock to hear about what you've been through."

Melissa walked over and she gave Rylee a hug. Melissa had known Rylee since she had been very small – about three years old – and her daughter had grown up with Rylee, at least until Rylee had suddenly gone missing along with her father. Melissa had been there to support her friend, Rachel, for as long as she was needed.

"Thank you," Rylee muttered.

Inside, Rylee felt relief at telling her story, and she felt pleased that nobody was looking at her any differently.

..._...

Georgia had taken things a lot differently to her mother.

She had long figured out that Rylee was different – not to mention that meeting Simon had added to that deduction. Georgia thought that Simon was amazing – not that she would dare to intrude on her best friend's boyfriend. However, Rylee had insisted that Simon was 'just a friend', but Rachel and Georgia had seen things from a very different viewpoint, much to Rylee's embarrassment. As Rylee returned from the kitchen, Georgia grinned at her best friend.

"Well, this does kind of explain the whole 'Tesco thing'," she commented, her fingers forming air quotes.

"I guess it does," Rylee agreed as Simon laughed out loud, closely followed by Harper and Charlotte.

"This, I gotta hear," Tanya commented.

Rylee figured that she was never going to live that episode down.

..._...

"Mum, can Georgia stay tonight?" Rylee asked a short while later.

Rachel almost laughed as she looked down at the broad cheesy grin on her daughter's face. It was not often that her daughter asked for anything, and it was not like she was asking for anything extreme. A sleepover was always fun, but they had not had one since they had moved to their new home, and it would be a first for Simon – as well as for Tanya.

"I suppose so – would you want pizza?"

"Dominos?" Rylee ventured, still with the same broad cheesy grin on her face.

"We can do that," Rachel chuckled.

"Would you like moral support?" Keira asked as Rylee screamed her happiness.

"I'm going to need it," Rachel grinned.

"I'll be here too," Cassie added.

"Well, I'll stay for a few hours," Melissa offered. "Do we get pizza, too?"

"Of course!" Rachel confirmed before she looked at the children. "All of you – go get changed."

The five girls and the single boy ran off up the stairs as fast as they could, laughing and shouting as they went.

..._...

Georgia borrowed a large T-shirt from Rylee to use as her pyjamas.

Harper and Charlotte had brought their own clothing with them, as had Tanya who had custody of a large holdall full of clothing. They congregated in Rylee's bedroom once they were all changed. Tanya felt a little awkward, despite being around her friends. Her mind was still trying to sort things out properly, but she would not change anything; she loved being back amongst her friends and her own kind.

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought you might," Rylee commented.

"Ry, I saw you take down four men like you were Bryan Mills!" Georgia exclaimed. "I've seen you standing up to Tricia at school when you never would have done. I also heard about the five youths you put down at the Cow and Calf. I respect you, and I will always see you as my friend."

Rylee was feeling more than a little uncomfortable as well as slightly embarrassed, but the supportive look from her best friend, and from her other friends made her feel that everything was good.

..._...

The pizzas were amazing . . . Domino's pizzas always were.

For the adults, it was sheer bliss, but not because of the taste – or maybe it was. What was bliss was the silence from up the stairs. Six children, all between the ages of ten and thirteen were totally silent – apart from some insane giggling. It was very rare for any children to be silent for any length of time – unless they were being naughty, of course. However, for five Predators to be quiet for even ten seconds was a worry, let alone for almost twenty minutes. But, when Rachel checked in on them, the six children were sprawled on the floor and bed in her daughter's bedroom, stuffing their faces with pizza as they each just looked at one another and giggled – at least the girls giggled; Simon simply grinned at his two closest friends: Rylee and Tanya.

For Rylee it was heaven; she had Simon and she had Tanya – Harper was a bonus, to a point. Having Georgia there was just amazing; she was her oldest friend and to have her read in on what Rylee and her friends were made things extra special as there was no longer any need to lie about where she had been for two long years of her short life.

For Simon, it was slightly worrying as he felt he was severely outnumbered by females. He was also slightly creeped out by the giggling; a girly trait which he had always detested. However, it was good to be around friends, most of whom he knew. As for Georgia Watson, she was a really good but slightly plain, looking girl with bigger boobs than Rylee – which wasn't all that hard, Simon reasoned – and amazing brown eyes. The boy flinched slightly as he noticed Rylee's dangerous glare and he swiftly took his eyes off Georgia's boobs which were very prominent through her T-shirt.

For Harper, the youngest present, it was fun – she enjoyed sleepovers and she loved pizza. She also enjoyed spending time with Rylee and Simon, two people whom she respected, and two people to whom she owed her very existence – without the pair of them, she would have died a long time ago.

"It's good to be here with you guys," Tanya admitted. "I'm beginning to feel a lot more like myself. I can remember things about the past – about Rylee being a bitch, about Simon and Rylee kissing..."

Rylee blushed violently as Georgia giggled.

"...I can remember Harper being dumped on us to train – I remember the bitch moaning constantly. I remember Charlie and Jake always getting themselves into shit."

"They did that a lot," Simon confirmed with a laugh as Charlotte grinned.

"Jake?" Georgia queried.

"A boy that was with us," Rylee explained. "An annoying boy, at that, but Charlie and he were never apart – looking back, it was quite sweet."

Charlotte growled.

"Sometimes it was like they were two boys," Harper grinned.

"Funny!" Charlotte responded as Rylee and Tanya laughed.

For Georgia, the evening had been a major eyeopener. She had known that her friend was different, back when she had returned from what she now knew to have been a living hell. Knowing was a mixed blessing; she knew that Rylee had hated hiding what she was, but Georgia also felt deeply sorry for her best friend. Georgia could not even begin to comprehend what Rylee and her friends had been through but the mere fact that they had all survived spoke volumes for their tenacity and their friendship. Georgia knew that her mother was struggling with everything, but she also knew that Rylee's mother was there to help her mother. Georgia could remember the day when Rylee had gone missing with her father and she could remember her mother comforting a borderline hysterical Rachel in their living room.

Georgia, being very smart, had swiftly figured out that Rylee needed emotional support from her friends to prevent her from doing anything she might regret – like killing someone – and the arrival of Simon on the scene had changed Rylee, calming her done somewhat. But Rylee still had some rough edges and Simon did too, so Georgia knew that she would have to act as a conscience for the pair of them while they were at school and to some extent while they were at home. There was absolutely no way that Georgia was going to abandon her friend and no matter what, she was going to be there for Rylee . . . and also for Simon.

After their pizza, and a lecture from Rachel, the six youngsters settled down for bed in Rylee's bedroom. Simon and Harper had dragged Simon's mattress off his bed and then brought it through into Rylee's bedroom. Rylee's bed was occupied by Rylee, Georgia, and Tanya, leaving Harper and Charlotte to lie with Simon who did not seem to like the arrangement too much.

"I promise not to annoy you," Harper offered.

"You talking annoys me," Simon responded with a smile.

"Do I need to slap the both of you?" Rylee asked smoothly.

Simon grinned and Harper laughed. It felt like they were back as a team with Rylee in charge . . . and Simon thought that it felt good. Harper was not worried about the threat of bodily harm; she loved it when Rylee was in charge. It had the young girl thinking back to the other friends from her past – would she ever see them again? Were they even still alive? Tanya had reappeared after a year away, could that mean that others were also alive? Harper hoped so, and that thought felt good as she laid down next to Charlotte.

"I love it when you talk tough, Rylee," Charlotte grinned.

"It brings back good memories," Harper agreed.

"Bite me, bitches!" Rylee retorted.

"She's so beautiful when she pretends to be angry," Simon chuckled.

Rylee's mouth flapped open and closed as she blushed.

Tanya lay down on the bed and she smiled to herself as she listened to her friends' bicker – it brought back so many memories.

..._...

"They're asleep," Rachel reported a little over an hour later.

"Thank the Lord!" Melissa laughed before she took another sip of white wine.

"It's not often they go out so quickly," Keira admitted.

"Did you spike the pizza?" Cassie asked in an accusing tone.

"Would I do a thing like that?" Keira asked in mock indignation.

"Yes, you would!" Cassie responded.

"They do kind of drive you to it," Keira tried.

"I can see where you are coming from," Rachel conceded. "Rylee and Simon can be really hard work some days."

"You're coping really well," Melissa told her friend. "Rylee is growing up fast and Simon has changed you both – I think he's a very good addition to the family."

"He's an amazing boy and he's a good balance for Rylee," Rachel said. "He's a great help around the house and whereas Rylee will pout and scowl when asked to do something, Simon will bend over backwards to help me."

"It's Rylee's age – puberty – Georgia's very much the same," Melissa stated. "She can be a moody cow when she wants to be, and it drives me up the wall."

"They wind us up and drive us up the wall, but we all love 'em to death," Keira said, and everyone nodded in agreement, raising their wine glasses.

No matter how their children behaved, the four women would always love those children without reservation.

The following morning...

Saturday, March 11th

Owler Park

When Georgia awoke, she found that she had the bedroom all to herself.

Tanya soon appeared from the direction of the bathroom talking with Charlotte. The two girls stopped talking when they saw that Georgia was awake.

"Hi, Georgia!" Charlotte said. "Harper and Rylee have gone downstairs and Simon's pissing his life away."

"Well, I need a wee," Georgia confided as she scrambled off the bed.

"Morning!" Simon announced as he finished washing his hands and left the bathroom.

"Morning, Simon," Georgia replied as she closed the bathroom door to go about her morning activities.

Annoyingly, she found that Simon had left the seat up – an increasingly common issue which Rylee was constantly bitching about since Simon had appeared on the scene.

..._...

Several minutes later, Georgia joined the two girls and Simon as they headed down the stairs, and after checking to see if Harper and Rylee were in the kitchen and finding it empty, they continued down into the basement.

"Hi, guys!" Rylee called out from the water where she was swimming with Harper.

Rylee swam over to the side of the pool and she climbed out. Georgia was astonished to see that Rylee was completely naked as she stood on the side of the pool, dripping water.

"Rylee!" Georgia exclaimed. "There's a boy here!" she hissed.

"So?" Rylee responded. "He's seen me naked before."

"Me too," Harper added as she climbed out to join Rylee.

"It's..." Georgia began before she gave up.

Georgia was then dumbstruck as Simon pushed down his shorts and pulled off his T-shirt, then dropped his clothing on the poolside. Georgia could not help but look down as she felt her face heating up. Rylee laughed at her friend's expression.

"It's my first dick," Georgia muttered in her defence.

"We've seen them all," Harper advised Georgia. "That appendage in general is nothing special, especially that one."

"It'll grow," Rylee responded. "I hope," she added.

"It will," Charlotte said after a brief look at Simon as she began to strip off until she too was naked. "I like dicks."

Tanya grinned as she too pulled off her T-shirt. Then Rylee stepped forwards and she helped her friend to take off her own T-shirt and Georgia felt acutely embarrassed as Simon grinned. Simon took a moment to compare Georgia and Rylee – Georgia had the bigger boobs and more hair, he decided. Then Rylee grabbed her friend and pulled her into the swimming pool. Georgia spluttered as she resurfaced but then swam slowly around, doing her best to hide her naked body beneath the surface of the water – she had seen Simon checking her out and she had found it slight creepy – but also very exhilarating. Everybody was swimming about, although Rylee, Tanya, and Charlotte appeared to be spending most of their time underwater . . . and it looked like they were fighting! Fighting was one thing, Georgia thought, but for the three of them to be fighting while naked – that was just strange!

But then, Georgia was quickly figuring out that these Predator creatures were rather strange and that she would probably just need to get used to their decidedly strange behaviour.

..._...

Up in the living room, the adults were stirring.

"Oh, my head – too much wine...," Keira moaned as she sat up.

"Tell me about it," Melissa groaned as she sat up.

"Are the rats up?" Cassie asked.

"I think so," Rachel said as she made for the nearest toilet.

Melissa decided to go check on the children, so she followed the noise, which led her down into the basement. She smiled as she saw all six happily swimming, shouting, and having fun. Then she saw her own daughter leaping out of the water and then duck-diving back under. Whilst that was nothing special – Georgia had been swimming since she was two – it was more the fact that her daughter was completely naked. What on earth was the girl thinking swimming naked . . . and with a boy in the same pool?

"Georgia!"

"Hi, Mum!"

"What are you doing?!" Melissa demanded.

Georgia swam over to the side of the pool – her initial concern over being naked had long since passed and she was just having fun with her friends – and she looked up at her mother with a broad grin on her face, full of innocence.

Melissa sighed. "Why are you naked?"

"I didn't have my swimsuit with me," Georgia responded, quite reasonably, she thought.

"You're naked in a pool with a boy, Georgia."

"Everyone else is naked – and Simon doesn't seem to mind girls seeing his er . . . thingy."

"And what about your body?"

"Simon says he likes it."

"Not what I asked! What about your privacy and dignity?"

"I was scared at first, but nobody else was bothered about their privacy and dignity – and besides, I'm happy with my body; if Simon likes it, then I have no problem with that. I may not be like them, but I see no problem joining in to be with my friends."

Melissa had to agree – her young daughter did have a nice body and her being comfortable in her own body was good.

"A nice speech, honey," Melissa chuckled. "Go have fun."

"Yay!" Georgia grinned.

Melissa simply shook her head as her daughter swam away to join her equally naked friends.

..._...

After a few moments Rachel joined her friend.

"You found them?" she asked Melissa.

"Yes, I did – only Georgia appears to have become a nudist."

"Yes, Rylee and Simon don't see any problem with being nude around each other," Rachel commented.

"It takes a little getting used to," Cassie admitted as she and Keira appeared beside the pool. "They had very little privacy when they were Predators, and nobody had much time for their dignity either. I've learned that they see nothing wrong with being nude and I've had the eight-year-olds right through to the fifteen-year-olds streaking and having water fights stark naked – the boys and the girls don't seem to care about showering together, although I have noticed that the girls can be a bit bitchy when it comes to embarrassing the boys – not that the boys don't respond in kind by commenting on how developed the girls may or may not be where puberty is concerned. I've found it best just to ignore their strange habits as long as they are not going to get themselves into trouble and they remain safe."

Keira nodded.

"As you can see, Harper loves to be naked, and she could care less who sees her. As for Simon – he will look, but he will never touch unless a girl consents. There is a strict no touching rule which the Predators will never violate, and they can always be trusted when the sexes mix. Yes, there are some lesbian Predators and they are generally allowed to manage their own sex lives whether that be boy-girl or girl-girl. So far, we don't seem to have any boy-boy relationships that I am aware of, and most Predators don't seem to rush to become sexually active."

"Thanks, Keira, Cassie," Melissa said. "You've put my mind at ease."

The adults headed back up the stairs for breakfast.

..._...

While they awaited the arrival of the evil horde, the adults enjoyed an early morning coffee.

"How far do I let Georgia try to integrate?" Melissa asked.

"You mean the nudity thing?" Cassie asked.

"Yes. I saw it her in eyes – she wants to be there for Rylee and Simon. She wants to understand them and be as close to them as she can."

"Georgia's a lovely girl and she's been there for Rylee since she came back to me," Rachel said. "Without Georgia, Rylee has no anchor."

"But you have a valid point," Keira conceded. "Those children are dangerous. They know how to kill. They know how to destroy. They know how to make an everyday item into an offensive or defensive weapon. Just one of them could kill us all and leave no trace that we ever existed. Or they could turn the entire street into a bloodbath without a conscious thought – and then head down to McDonalds for a McFlurry afterwards. If Georgia asks, then any one of them might teach her some of their more dubious skills. If you want, I can speak with them and ensure that they say no to Georgia should she ask."

"That would be good, thanks," Melissa said.

"I know that Georgia is skilled at Taekwondo, and I know that she and Rylee have sparred at school. I do have concerns that Rylee might decide to teach Georgia a few new skills now she knows that what Rylee is, is out in the open," Keira went on. Georgia will need to tread carefully when she asks more about what Rylee and her friends went through and what they were taught."

"I agree," Cassie said. "I will talk to the miscreants before they do anything which we might all regret."

"I will speak with my daughter to ensure that she is careful about what she might ask."

The adults paused in their conversation as what sounded very much like a herd of starving elephants thundered down the stairs and then burst into the kitchen. They were all dressed, and they looked remarkably clean – or so Keira thought as she was more used to seeing her sister and the others covered in muck from some dubious activity, which they had been involved in.

Melissa was just pleased to see that her daughter had clothes on.

Two days later...
Monday, March 13th

East Mayfield
Edinburgh, Scotland

Keira grinned as her two girls came back from school, all smiles.

"Is that food on your jumper?" Keira growled in an exasperated tone at her younger sister who had just pulled off her jacket.

"Jacket potato," Harper offered without any further elaboration.

"She's still to learn how to stop talking while food is going in," Diana commented. "And to chew without talking at the same time."

Keira chuckled as Harper just grinned as she made for the kitchen – she was hungry. Diana shrugged off her own jacket and she flopped down on the sofa in the living room, taking the weight off her stumps.

"You okay?" Keira asked.

"Just a little tired," Diana admitted.

Keira headed for the kitchen to keep Harper out of the biscuit tin and away from the milk.

..._...

Forty minutes later, the three of them were seated at the table in the dining room digging into their lasagne and chips.

It was Harper's favourite meal and Harper had to admit that she loved it as well – it was nothing special; just a lasagne from Tesco, but it tasted like heaven as far as the hungry nine-year-old was concerned. Diana was also digging through her own plate with gusto – a day of moving around on her artificial legs used up a lot of energy.

"Cory wants to meet up with me at the weekend," Diana said quietly.

"Diana and Cory..." Harper began before Keira's glare shut her up and the girl went back to her lasagne.

"You won't be here," Keira reminded her daughter. "We're going to be up at Balmoral, remember?"

"Oh, yes!" Diana responded excitedly. "I can't wait..."

Diana was interrupted by the doorbell sounding out.

"Who could that be?" Keira wondered as she made for the front door.

She peered through the spyhole and was surprised to see a uniformed police constable standing there.

..._...

Keira opened the door and looked up at the tall police officer with a questioning expression on her face.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Are you Miss Keira Sharp, ma'am?" the officer asked.

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, Miss Sharp, we would like a word with you," a rough voice said from off to the side.

Keira turned to see a man of about six feet in height and one who obviously liked his beer and fried food, she thought as she noticed the beer belly which prevented the buttons on his cheap jacket from being utilised. She felt an instant dislike for the man.

"Detective Chief Inspector Moresby, Specialist Crime Division – may we come in?"

"What do you want?" Keira pushed, not fazed by the man's slimy attitude or his fancy job title and position.

"Murder."

"Murder?"

"Aye, I want to discuss murder; two to be exact."

"Make sense man!" Keira growled.

Moresby stared down at Keira.

"I am investigating the disappearance and suspected murder of Ian and Kimberley Sharp. I am also looking into the disappearance and then reappearance of the bairn, one Harper Sharp. As I said, may we come in?"

Keira grimaced as she waved the two police officers inside.

..._...

The two police officers stood in the living room while Keira glared at them both.

"What's going on, sis?" Harper asked as she stuck her head around the door.

"I am here to investigate your disappearance, young lassie, and the suspected murder of your parents," the DCI said smoothly, gauging Harper's response.

Keira saw her sister's face pale for a moment before the girl recovered quickly and a blank expression appeared on her face. The bastard had hoped to provoke some kind of a revealing response, that was blatantly obvious, and Keira seethed inside – especially as she knew that there had been two murders and that the murderer was standing not three feet from her. She saw the bastard's mouth show the slightest hint of a smile and she began to feel very worried. Then came annoyance at why he had suddenly turned up there after so long . . . then it hit her – Beatrice! It had to have been that bitch who had dobbed them in. The next question was how to get rid of the bastard before he uncovered something which would be tough to explain.

"Why are you doing this now?" Keira asked. "Harper came back to me a year ago, and our parents died over a year before."

"Let's just say that the case moved from the cold back burner onto the hot front one. I understand that Harper was hospitalised towards the end of last year. Was she being abused? Were you involved in her initial disappearance with your parents?"

"I was at sea!" Keira blurted out. "How could I have had anything to do with it!?"

Keira saw the bastard grin and she knew that he was baiting her – he had the facts; he just wanted confirmation and to push Keira for a mistake. Keira then felt herself pushed to one side as Harper took centre stage.

"You have no idea what happened to me, do you?" Harper hissed in a barely audible voice. "If you did, you would not be here now, harassing my sister. You are making a career-ending mistake investigating this – the matter is closed. Our parents are dead, and we have both put their deaths behind us. Why do you need to open up old wounds?"

The DCI was intrigued by Harper's eyes and her entire demeanour. The girl was totally unfazed by the two police officers and she showed absolutely no fear. In fact, there was no emotion at all which the DCI was unused to seeing in a child. He was more used to seeing that expression in the eyes of a killer, someone who cared less about what was about to happen to them. Was the girl the reason her parents were dead? She had been only eight when they had died – the world was a very strange place and the DCI had learnt many years before that almost anything was possible. It was a difficult case – there were no bodies and no evidence that the missing parents were even dead. However, the girl had been declared dead just a few months before she had reappeared. There was an awful lot to think about, so he decided that it was time to take his leave.

"Let's leave it at that for now, Miss Sharp and Miss Sharp. Don't leave the country as I will have some more questions for the pair of you."

The moment the bastard had left, Keira picked up her mobile and she called Jasper.