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KathyStark4

The following is a work of fiction regarding sexual relationships. If you
feel that it is illegal, immoral, or otherwise improper for you to read
this, then *Don't Read It.*

* * *

*Kathy*

Copyright (c) 1991, 1998, 2001 by Morgan. All rights reserved.

Please note the original copyright date. This story was basically
written ten years ago and was originally posted in 1988. As a result, you
will likely find obsolete references. I'm afraid you'll just have to live
with it; it's too tedious trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.
It was previously posted on ASSM in 1998, but not since then.

Incidentally, you will find occasional entries, _word_. The reason for
this is that MS Word's Auto Format function puts a word preceded and
followed by an underscore in italics; that's my intent. Similarly, *word*
results in the word appearing in bold face. If you use Word's Auto Format,
it will take care of things; if you don't, you at least know why it's
there.

More of my works are posted on my site <www.asstr.org/~Morgan> If you
like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at morg105829@aol.com.

* * *

*Chapter 25*

Kathy had spent a miserable night tossing in an agony of sexual
frustration. Her cunt ached for Ken's cock. She thought about it, but
came to no conclusion. She hadn't had a man for years before she met him
and it hadn't bothered her at all. Why was she so tormented now?

She was thinking along those lines when the phone rang. It was Tony
Donetti. Hearing his voice startled her: He had never called her before.
"Angel, there's a problem I'm sure you'll be interested in. It's in family Court, downtown. There's a young girl named Susan Smith. She's a runaway
from her legal guardian, Sylvia Black. Anyway, this kid isn't represented.
I can help, but I need someone to say some words. Can you do it? She
needs you, Angel."

Kathy was instantly awake when she heard Tony's voice. "Tony, how much
time do I have? You caught me in bed. Do I have time to take a shower?"

Tony laughed. "I should have known! I called the kids first. They
loved your wedding, by the way, as did my wife and me. You should never
have invited us and we should never have come, but we did. My wife cried,
Angel. She said you were the most beautiful bride she's ever seen. All
she could talk about was your white gown and golden hair. You were
stunning!

"Anyway, it's only seven o'clock! You know the courts better than I do,
but I've never heard of anything happening before ten. And Angel? Please
let me know what happens. The poor kid is being held in jail pending the
hearing. Will you let me know?"

"Of course, Tony. I'll get right down there."

As soon as she hung up the phone, she got out of bed, showered, dressed
in her lawyer suit, had a cup of coffee and drove down to family Court.
She went to the jail where she was well known and asked to see Susan Smith.

The sergeant on duty looked embarrassed. "I can't do that, Miss
Smith... I mean, Mrs. Stark. Orders."

"Orders from whom, Sergeant?" she inquired.

"Up high, Kathy. It's some political influence thing," he said in a
near-whisper.

Kathy left and went to a restaurant close by where she used to eat when
she was in the District Attorney's office. She had breakfast and was back
in the courthouse before the court was called into session. The bailiff
announced the judge's entrance and the court was called to order. The
first case called was Susan Smith's.

A young girl was being dragged into the courtroom from the holding area.
She was handcuffed and was being dragged by the two matrons who were
escorting her. Then Kathy saw Sylvia Black again. She had seen Sylvia for
the first time when she attended her trial on conspiracy. While she had
detested her then, she hated her now.

The judge looked around the courtroom as if he was looking for
something. "Is this girl represented by counsel?" he inquired.

Sylvia started to say that it was a juvenile case and no counsel was
required, when Kathy came forward. "I am Kathy Stark, your Honor, and I am
representing Susan Smith," she asserted, smiling venomously at Sylvia. She
continued, "I have been prevented from meeting with my client. Therefore,
I respectfully request a ten-minute recess to speak with her now."

Sylvia was about to protest, when the judge's gavel came down hard.
"The court will be in recess for ten minutes. We will reconvene at twenty
minutes after the hour." Looking at the deputies, he said pointedly,
"Matrons will assure that Mrs. Stark meets with her client _in private!"_

Susan Smith was brought in to an attorneys' conference room. The
matrons were about to withdraw when Kathy said to them sharply, "Take those
handcuffs off my client's wrists."

"But Mrs. Stark, I can't. This girl is violent!" one of the matrons
replied plaintively.

"I said, take them off. Now!" The matron responded instantly to the
steel in Kathy's voice, took off the cuffs, and quickly retreated.

For the first time, Kathy had an opportunity to get a good look at Susan
Smith and almost fell off her chair. The girl was Kathy's identical twin
but about ten years younger.

"Hi, Susan. I'm Kathy Stark, and I'm an attorney in Norfolk. I lied in
there when I said I was your attorney. I'm not. I can't be your counsel
unless you ask me to be, and you haven't had a chance. May I represent
you, Susan?"

Kathy almost melted as Susan's beautiful blue eyes regarded her. Then
Susan did a double take as well. "But... but... you look like me!"

"I know, honey. But we don't have much time. May I represent you?"

"Of course! Anything to get away from that horrible woman! Miss Stark,
please help me! I only wanted to go to school."

"It's Mrs. Stark," Kathy corrected gently. "Why are you moving so
stiffly?" Instead of answering, the girl lifted her shirttail and turned
her back. Kathy was horrified to see streaks of blood crisscrossing the
girl's back. "Who hit you?" she asked quietly.

"One of the guards, ma'am. She's a sadist, I think. After stripping me
bare, she tied my hands to a hook that came down on a pulley from the
ceiling. They pulled me up until my toes were barely touching the floor.
She took off this leather belt and whipped me with it. I was spinning on
the hook, and she just kept beating me."

Kathy was appalled. There was a phone in the room for attorneys' use.
She used it to call Peter Mahoney on his private line, and he answered at
once. "Pete, it's Kathy. I'm at family Court. Can you get down here
right away? And get a squad of police over here, too? I'm supposed to go
back into court within three minutes. It's Courtroom Three. Just stand in
the back of the room and have the police in the corridor waiting. It won't
be a long wait. Can you come?"

"I'll be there as soon as I get my shoes back on. It'll take about five
minutes. See you!"

Kathy turned her attention back to the girl. "Susan, I'm dreadfully
sorry! Would you please take your shirt off?" The girl was wearing a man's
shirt that fit her like a tent, along with a pair of dungarees tied with
rope at the waist. She took off the shirt and faced Kathy.

Kathy almost became ill. The girl's beautiful, but still-immature
breasts had been cut by the belt. Marks crisscrossed her body and went
below the belt line. "How far down do they go?" she asked.

"To just above my knees," was the quiet reply.

"How many times did she hit you?"

"I don't know," Susan replied softly. "I passed out after about thirty.
It really hurt, Mrs. Stark."

Kathy's voice was so full of menace she didn't recognize it herself when
she spoke, "Never again, Susan. I swear to you this will _never_ happen
again. Come on, it's time to return to the courtroom."

When they stepped outside the room, the same matron was waiting. She
looked at Susan with a question in her eyes. The girl shook her head and
Kathy turned back to the matron. "Do you know who I am?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. You're Kathy Smith. Or you used to be."

"That's right. Now, who beat this girl? I want to know _now!"_

"I can't tell you! Mabel would kill me!" the woman replied, terrified.

"So we know her name is Mabel. Is she in court today?" Kathy asked.
Both the matron and Susan nodded. "Fine!" said Kathy. "Let's go!"

They reentered the courtroom. Kathy escorted Susan to the defendant's
table as the judge returned. The court was called to order and the judge
announced that the plaintiff, Mrs. Black, the child's legal guardian,
could proceed.

Sylvia Black came forward. "It's a simple matter, Your Honor. I have
the papers here appointing me the legal guardian of Susan Smith. She ran
away and got caught. I want her back. Thank you." Sylvia returned to the
plaintiff's table and sat down.

"Mrs. Stark, do you have anything to say on behalf of the minor, Susan
Smith? However, before you speak, Mrs. Stark, I have a question to ask
the girl. Susan, would you please stand?" Susan stood up. The judge
continued, "Susan, Mrs. Stark has claimed to be your counsel. Did you ask
her to represent you?"

"Yes, Your Honor. I certainly did."

"Thank you, Susan, you may sit down. Mrs. Stark, you may proceed."

While the judge had been addressing Susan, Kathy looked around the room.
She saw Peter Mahoney with a policeman sitting in the back of the
courtroom. "Your Honor," Kathy began, "there is a great deal about this
case I do not yet understand. First, I do not know how Sylvia Black came
to be this child's guardian in the first place. Your Honor may not be
aware of the fact that Sylvia Black was sentenced to three-to-five years
imprisonment less than six months ago after being convicted of larceny,
conspiracy and bigamy. Her sentence was suspended. I do not understand
how a convicted felon could obtain guardianship of a minor."

"Mrs. Stark, can you support this charge?" the judge asked.

At that point Pete spoke up from the back of the courtroom. "Your
Honor, I am Peter Mahoney, District Attorney of Norfolk County. I can
attest to the truth of Mrs. Stark's statements. Copies of the relevant
documents could be delivered in a matter of minutes from Criminal Court, if
you wish." Peter sat down again.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Mahoney. Please proceed, Mrs. Stark."

"Your Honor, I request a continuance of this case for ten days. In the
meantime, I request that the defendant, Susan Smith be remanded to my
custody. Further, Your Honor, I demand that the matron standing over there
be placed under arrest immediately." Kathy pointed to a beefy matron
standing back in the corner of the room. "The charge is felony assault and
battery! Susan, please show the judge your back."

Susan approached the bench, turned her back to the judge, and lifted the
back of her shirt. When she exposed her back to him, Kathy saw the judge
turn white as a sheet. Kathy spoke up sharply, "That was done to the child
by the matron I indicated. Perhaps I should ask you to look over this
child in your chambers where she could be fully unclothed. I saw more,
your Honor, and it's sickening! She has been beaten from her shoulders to
her knees as she was suspended naked from the ceiling revolving helplessly.
Your Honor, that woman is a brutal sadist!"

Just then a shot rang out, followed quickly by three others. Kathy felt
the breath of a bullet passing by her head. She turned quickly to see the
matron, Mabel, crumpling to the floor while the officer who had accompanied
Peter was standing holding a smoking revolver.

Kathy ran to the fallen woman and reached her the same time the officer
did. A glance at the still-drawn weapon in the officer's hand told Kathy
all she needed to know. It was a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, a hand cannon.
Mabel was dead. At least one of its bullets had blown her apart.

During the instant that the courtroom remained in a stunned silence, the
judge spoke quickly. "This case is continued for ten days. Miss Smith is
remanded into the custody of Mrs. Stark until that time. This court is
now adjourned!" His gavel pounded down as chaos erupted.

Kathy spoke quickly to Susan, "Let's get out of here. Move!"

On the way out, she spoke quickly to Mahoney. "Thanks, Chief. This is
a lot more melodrama than I had in mind. This kid is in terrible shape and
I really have to get her home fast. May I call you later? And please
thank the officer for saving my life!"

They quickly left the courthouse before the press and tv crews could
arrive. Ducking into a luncheonette Kathy used a pay phone to call the
hospital. When she got through she asked for Dr. Miller and was told he
was off duty. She identified herself and asked for his home telephone
number. Calling his home, his wife answered. "Cindy, this is Kathy Stark.
I need help desperately. Is Charley home?"

Charley was on the phone immediately. "Charley, I need your help, and
Cindy's, too, if it's possible. I have a young girl with me who's been
viciously beaten. She recalls about thirty lashes before she passed out,
but God only knows how many there were. I could bring her to the hospital,
but I think another institution is the last thing she needs to see right
now. Can you help?"

"Of course, Kathy! What's your address?" She gave it to him. "We can
be there in thirty minutes. Is that soon enough?" he asked.

"That's great, Charley. In fact, the girl and I are in downtown Norfolk
now. I'm not sure we can be there in thirty minutes."

"It's okay, Kathy. If Cindy and I beat you, we'll just wait for you
there." The connection clicked off before she could speak.

"Come on, Susan. We're off." They went to her car and got in. Then she
noticed the cellular telephone that she had just had installed. "Damn!"
she muttered under her breath. Being so new, she had forgotten she had it.
She picked it up and dialed "O."

When the operator came on the line she asked for the State Police
barracks closest to Norfolk and said it was an emergency. She was
connected and asked to speak to the watch commander. He came on the line
and identified himself as Lieutenant Pinkney.

"Lieutenant, this is Kathy Stark. You may know me better as Kathy
Smith. I need help. I'm in Norfolk and need to get to my apartment in
Virginia Beach as fast as possible. Could I get an escort, please? It's
an emergency."

"Just a moment, ma'am." A few seconds later he was back on the line.
"Ma'am, Trooper Stockdale is in that general area. He knows you and your
car. He will meet you at the Expressway entrance near the Omni. He'll be
there in two minutes or less. Is that satisfactory, ma'am?"

"That's perfect, Lieutenant, and many thanks. I have to come out to see
you folks at the barracks some day soon. Thank you, sir. I'm rolling."

She glanced at Susan sitting in the passenger seat. "Honey, the way
you've been beaten, that seatbelt harness won't feel too great, but I think
you'll feel better with it fastened. This ride is going to be a fast one."

The girl buckled her belt. Kathy felt her heart tug as the girl winced
just once as the belt slid across her tortured shoulder. When she reached
the Expressway, Will's cruiser was pulled off the road, waiting. When he
saw her in his mirror, he waved and started to roll. He cut in his siren
and flashers and made for the high-speed lane. Kathy was on his tail as
they were soon up to 100 mph speeding east. In her rear view mirror, she
saw another police car closing in the middle lane. He passed them both and
moved far ahead to provide more warning to other vehicles. In no time they
were at the exit and off the highway. Again, Stockdale escorted her to her
driveway with his siren screaming. She had made it in less than fifteen
minutes.

Will jumped out of his car and ran up to her, saluting. "I hope that
was fast enough, Kathy," he asked. When he peered into the car he did a
double take. "Is this the... Good grief! Kathy, she's... she's a
younger twin sister! Woweee! Ma'am, I don't think this poor old town can
take two o' you. It surely cain't."

Kathy looked at the beautiful girl sitting beside her. "Will, I would
like to introduce you to a girl you've just helped a great deal, Miss Susan
Smith. Susan, this is Trooper William Stockdale of the Virginia State
Police."

"How do you do, Trooper Stockdale?" Susan said in a soft, melodic voice.
"Thank you so much for your assistance."

"It's a real pleasure to meet you, Miss. A real pleasure, indeed! I
surely hope you're feeling better, soon."

"Will," Kathy said, "I spoke with your Lieutenant. Susan and I would
like to visit your barracks soon. We hope to see you there when we do."

Will blushed. "I'll surely be there, ma'am, unless of course, I'm on
patrol. Have a good day!" He went back to his cruiser just as the Millers
drove up.

After Kathy parked her car, the four went up in the elevator together.
Kathy led them into the guest room.

"Charley and Cindy, I would like you to meet Susan Smith, your patient.
Susan, this is Dr. and Mrs. Miller. Mrs. Miller is a nurse. They are a
trauma team, and I think you need their help."

Both Millers had done a double-take similar to Will Stockdale's, but
Charley recovered quickly. "Susan," Charley said, "would you please tell
me what happened to you?"

Susan told the story of the matron, Mabel, and what the woman had done
to her. Dr. Miller asked Susan to undress and she did so quickly. She
was standing before them completely unselfconscious and completely nude.
Kathy glanced at Cindy who had turned pale at what she was seeing. The
girl had been unmercifully beaten with special attention to her breasts,
thighs and pubic area. Kathy noticed that Susan had a small patch of
rather dense pubic hair, a darker shade of gold than the hair on her head.

Charley turned to his wife, "Honey, could you start cleaning up Susan,
please? I would like to speak with Kathy for a few moments."

Cindy started opening the treatment bags and removing needed materials
as Kathy and Charley left the room. Miller was shaken as he said, "Kathy
I've been in trauma treatment for over five years, as has Cindy. I know
you saw her go pale when she saw the girl, and we see some terribly beat-up
people. Of course, I suppose the difference is that the others are victims
of accidents while this was deliberate."

"Charley, there's one consolation. The woman who did that to her is
dead." Kathy said, recounting the events in the courtroom. Then she asked,
"What do you think, Doctor? Will she be all right?"

"I honestly can't say yet, Kathy. Let's go back and take a look."

They went back in the room. Cindy was continuing to clean out the cuts
while Charley examined the girl carefully. She was beaten and cut, but no
wounds were deep enough to require sutures. They were both relieved and
amazed to see that the girl was sound asleep. As gently as they could they
completed the process by putting an anaesthetic ointment on the cuts. When
they finished, Kathy drew the drapes to darken the room, carefully covered
the young girl and withdrew.

The Millers were waiting for her. Cindy had collapsed in a chair.
"Kathy," Cindy said, "I'm getting too old for this. That is a beautiful
girl in there, as beautiful as you are. She's a younger identical twin,
except there is no such thing. Who would do a thing like that to such a
beautiful child? She's very brave, too. I'm sure that some of the things
I had to do were agonizing to her, but the most she ever did was wince a
little."

"Charley, you've had a chance to examine her now. What do you think?"
Kathy asked.

"I think she may be incredibly lucky. We can't be sure for a while yet,
but I don't see anything that will cause lasting scars. I would like to
leave some anaesthetic ointment for you to use on her body three times a
day. If you give me the name of your pharmacy, I'll call them and order
out a supply. With her condition you will need a lot."

She gave him the name and he placed the call. When he hung up the phone
he said, "They're sending out their entire in-stock supply right now and
are reordering from their wholesaler. They expect to deliver more before
the end of the day. Between what I'm leaving and what they're sending over
you should be okay. I guess that about takes care of it. Could you bring
her in to the hospital to see me in a week?"

"Of course, Doctor. Now, would you and Cindy care to stay for lunch? I
could fix something very quickly."

"Thank you, Kathy, but we want to get home. It's our day off and Cindy
likes to spend it in bed." Charley grinned while Cindy blushed.

"Then can I at least pay you now before you leave? It would save you a
lot of time and paperwork," Kathy said.

They were genuinely insulted. "Kathy, you're our friend. We don't
charge our friends, particularly when our friends are playing Good
Samaritan. We're glad we could help. I certainly hope things work out for
the poor kid! If there are any developments you don't like the looks of,
holler? Promise?"

"I promise. And thank you both so very much!"

The Millers left and Kathy went into Susan's room. The girl was
sleeping soundly as she gently closed the door again.

* * *

It was evening when Susan's door opened. Kathy was curled up on the
sofa with a book as she came into the room. When Kathy looked up, her
heart was wrenched by the juxtaposition of the beautiful face on an equally
beautiful, but now brutally battered body. Kathy put down her book, went
over to the girl, and put out her hand.

"Susan, after the events of today, I think we should start over. I am
Kathy Stark."

The girl smiled tentatively, but took Kathy's hand in a firm grip.
Kathy looked down at the girl's hand. It was the same size as her own with
the same long slender fingers. It was as if she were shaking hands with
herself. Kathy noticed that the girl seemed totally unconcerned about her
nakedness, but she asked her anyway. "Susan, would you feel more
comfortable wearing something?"

The girl smiled and shook her head, but suddenly her face showed
concern. "It doesn't bother me a bit, but if I'm embarrassing you...?"

Kathy grinned and shed her own clothes. She had been wearing jeans and
a T-shirt. It was May, and the weather in Tidewater was hot. "Susan, you
certainly don't embarrass me. I seldom wear clothes around the apartment.
I was only trying not to embarrass _you!"_

The girl looked at Kathy's body with its all-over tan. "You're very
beautiful, Mrs. Stark," she said matter-of-factly, But what's that?" She
was looking at the "Property" stamp across her mound.

Kathy explained it, and the girl laughed. Then Kathy heard a digestive
growl, "Good heavens! Susan, you must be starving!"

"I guess I am a little hungry, Mrs. Stark," she said shyly.

"When did you eat last?"

"Yesterday, I think, ma'am," was the quiet reply.

"What would you like?" asked Kathy as they entered the kitchen, "How
about a hamburger?"

The girl's face lighted up. "That would be wonderful! Could I?"

In no time Kathy had the grill working, and two hamburgers starting to
sizzle. Trying to remember her own likes as a teenager, she sliced onions
and tomatoes and took out a head of lettuce. Hamburger rolls were soon
toasting.

Kathy put the plates on the counter and watched as Susan's hamburger
evaporated. Before touching her own, she put two more on the grill. By
now the deep fryer had reached cooking temperature, and she dropped in
potatoes to french fry. Finally, she brought the drink mixer in from the
bar and blended a milk shake.

The poor girl was famished. She devoured the food and the milk shake,
and finally looked up. "That was marvelous, Mrs. Stark! Thank you so
much."

Kathy wanted to cry hearing the girl's thanks for a couple of
hamburgers.

Kathy led the girl into the library. She let herself down gingerly on
the couch and then relaxed. "Susan, tell me about yourself. Let's start
at the courtroom and go backwards, okay? And Susan, please call me Kathy.
I'm not _that_ much older than you."

The girl gave her a warm smile. "Sure, Kathy. Kathy, I live in a
whorehouse, but... but... I'm still a virgin. My birthday is coming up
next month. I'll be sixteen, and I'm the prize in an auction that Sylvia's
running. She made a poster with a picture of me naked. There's a place
below for the johns to sign up with a bid. The highest bidder gets to take
my virginity.

"Things weren't so bad until Sylvia bought the house a few month's ago
from old Mrs. Watson. She brought in a lot of new girls, Kathy. A lot of
them are younger than I am. It feels kind of strange and terrible to kneel
on a bed and watch a girl fourteen taking a huge cock inside her. One
little girl gripped my hand as this guy ripped her insides. She was
screaming, but he loved it. He wouldn't let me do anything to make his
entry any easier for her. He wanted to rip her apart!

"I guess they're not considered as pretty as me or something. If a John
pays extra, I'll kneel on the bed and caress him while he plows the other
girl. For even more money, I go down on them and sometimes I take them in
my ass. Sylvia is always there, though, to make sure they don't get to my
cunt. She will let them carefully feel my hymen, sometimes, so they know
it's still intact."

The recital was the worst Kathy had heard. Clearly, underage girls were
being prostituted. She suspected that many were probably runaways who had
been trapped into prostitution.

"Susan, would you like a Coke, or something? I can see I'm going to
have to change my food-buying habits. Ken and I don't stock many things
that appeal to teenagers!" She grinned at the girl and added, "Why don't
you help yourself to whatever looks interesting in the kitchen? You
haven't had anything to eat in almost thirty minutes!" She smiled as the
girl bounded out of the library in the direction of the kitchen.

She picked up the phone and called Tony Donetti. He was almost
instantly on the line. "I'm sorry about what happened today, Kathy. I had
a guy in the courtroom. He never expected that creepy matron would go for
her gun. What do you think of the girl, Angel?"

"I don't know how to answer that, Tony. She's like my younger twin
sister, but there is no such thing. The reason I called, though, is I want
to smash Sylvia's little red wagon, and do it for good this time. But I
need a little help. Evidently, Sylvia took over a house a few months ago
and replaced a lot of the girls with underage talent. I'm going to call
Mahoney right now and see if a raid can be staged tonight before Sylvia has
a chance to temporarily clean up her act. But I need to have a full house
at her place. I assume you know where it is?"

"You're on, Angel! She's the kind who gives the trade a very bad name.
You want a mob of customers present who may get busted. Kathy, we need to
get the timing exactly right. It's one thing to be booked for patronizing
a house of prostitution, but a very different thing to be nailed for
statutory rape. guys can be found with the young kids, but not being too
friendly, if you know what I mean?"

"I understand perfectly!" she said. "I'll get right back to you. What
_is_ Sylvia's address, by the way? I don't even know."

He gave her the address and she called Peter Mahoney at home. "Pete,
it's Kathy. I haven't even thanked you for one favor, and I'm going to ask
you for another. First, though, I don't know what else to say, except that
officer saved my life. Thank you."

"It makes good headlines, Kathy. Thank _you._ The police are delighted.
One of their own saves Kathy Smith. The guy is a hero on the force.
Incidentally, I'm also making points because of you. The Women's House of
Detention turned out to be a horror show. Frankly, the officer did the
state a favor.

"That matron, Mabel Mason, was a piece of work! With her out of the
way, other inmates and matrons came forward. She had them all terrified.
However, Stark, as usual, you leave me with all the shit paperwork --
taking statements, preparing for the inquest -- all that garbage!" Kathy
could hear the grin in his voice.

"You're _so_ welcome, Mr. Mahoney!" she replied sweetly. "It's the
very least I could do! Trying to keep the work within the very restricted
limits of your capabilities, I mean." They both laughed.

"Pete, could we really nail Sylvia Black? Raid her place tonight?
Could you get that Vice Squad sergeant, Tom Tucker, to run it? Here's what
he's going to find." She told him of the underage girls forced into
prostitution and the rest of the Sylvia story. She ended with a request.
"Pete, there's just one thing. I need to know, as accurately as possible,
the time the raid is going down. Can you set it up and then let me know?"

"Let me get back to you," Pete said. His voice sounded grim, reflecting
his reaction to the story she had just related.

As she hung up the phone, Susan returned to the room. She had a Coke
and a bag of what had to be very stale potato chips that Kathy didn't even
know she had. "Susan! Those are ancient! They're stale and... You
shouldn't be eating them! They're all grease!"

Susan grinned and continued happily munching. "They're good, Mrs.
Stark -- Kathy -- honest!" She eased herself back onto the couch. Kathy
decided that teenagers must have cast-iron stomachs lined with copper or
glass or some similar indestructible material.

"Susan, how long were you in the whorehouse?"

The girl looked puzzled. "I really don't know. I mean I've always been
there, but... I mean, it's all I remember -- a year or so... It's very
vague."

Kathy had the eerie feeling of someone walking on her grave. _My God!_
she thought. _Exactly like me. She has no past beyond the whorehouse._

"Susan, you don't know where you were born, or when. You have no memory
of your parents or anything back more than a year or so ago, do you?"

The girl was shocked. "How... How do you know?" she asked, bewildered.
"But you're right. I don't! I created a story to tell if one of the girls asked, but I really don't know."

Kathy smiled at the girl fondly, "Because that's the way it was when I
was a prostitute, Susan. I was just there."

This time the girl's jaw literally dropped. "You! In a whorehouse!
It's impossible. Look at this apartment, at you... It just can't be!
Kathy, you're educated. You have fine clothes and a husband, and... It's
just impossible!"

"I'm sorry, Susan, but it's true. I left the house when I was eighteen,
about eight years ago. I'm glad I could get you out earlier, with your
virtue more or less still intact." She smiled warmly when she made the last
comment.

"Then you know what it's like. The johns pawing you, the smells..."

"People don't change that much and the smells don't either. I'm pretty
sure it's about what I went through. Why did you finally run away?"

"I don't know... I _do_ know!" The girl's head came up straight and her
blue eyes flashed. "I want to go to school! I don't want to be a whore
all my life. Is that wrong?" Tears started to flow from the girl's eyes,
but she refused to lower them.

_Just like me,_ Kathy thought. She couldn't hold back. Taking her in
her arms she could feel Susan's shoulders shaking with sobs. Although
there was no place Kathy could hold her without touching the vicious
lacerations on her body, the girl seemed to need comforting. She didn't
flinch in the slightest at the contact.

Finally, the girl lifted her head and looked into Kathy's eyes. "Do I
have to go back? Can they make me go back to that place?"

"I swear to you, Sue, you will _never_ go back! If it's the last thing
on earth I ever do, you will not go back!"

Just then the phone rang and Kathy answered it. It was Pete. The raid
was going down at eleven o'clock that night. She thanked him and called
Tony again. "Tony, it's all set. The police will hit Sylvia's place at
eleven on the dot. Good enough?"

"It's perfect, Angel!" Tony laughed softly. "It's a shame we can't film
it! I have a feeling we're going to miss some real Academy Award
performances. One more thing, Angel. What's going to happen to that
lovely girl?"

"Ken and I are going to adopt her as our daughter, Tony. You just
brought it into focus for me. Now all I need is for her to agree. Thanks,
again. I owe you."

"You owe _nothing!"_ he said, "I owe _you!_ It's good for our business
to get this shit off the street!"

"Fine, Tony! You win again. But one of these days..." He laughed
warmly and hung up.

Kathy looked up to see Susan's mouth agape. _Good going, Kathy!_ she
thought. _You've done it again! The poor girl hears about her adoption by
listening to you tell it to a stranger. Cool move!_ "I'm so sorry, Susan!
I didn't mean it that way. I was talking to a friend -- a friend to both
of us, by the way. He's the one who told me to get down to family Court in
the first place. Anyway, he asked what was going to happen to you and the
answer was so simple I just blurted it out without thinking how it would
sound to you."

She looked at the girl. "Susan, will you consent to my husband, Ken,
and me adopting you as our daughter? Will you be the daughter we can never
have? Please?"

The girl had been slowly shaking her head from side to side as Kathy was
speaking. When she finished the girl said, "You can't be serious, Mrs.
Stark! You haven't been listening to me! I'm a prostitute! I'm filthy!
I'm amazed that you allowed me in your beautiful apartment, let alone in
that gorgeous bed. It's so great! It feels so cool, with those luscious
sheets on my body. But I'm dirty! I don't belong here! The whole idea is
ridiculous." Tears started to flow unchecked from the girl's eyes but she
still refused to lower her head.

"Susan, I was a prostitute. You weren't. Remember? I think I took as
many as thirty johns in a day. I know what life is like there -- the
people, the smells -- everything! I think we can cope together better than
any other two people because we've both been there. I don't know if you
heard, but my maiden name is Smith, too. We're too much alike to be apart,
Susan. Please say yes!"

While she was talking, Susan had been intently studying her face. The
tears had stopped, and a look of tentative joy appeared. "You are serious,
aren't you? You really want me... as your daughter!" The girl ran into
Kathy's arms and hugged her. "May I kiss you?... And can I even call you
Mom?" the girl asked softly, and kissed her warmly on her cheek.

Kathy couldn't answer with words. She just hugged the girl close. Her
tears were flowing, and her throat was too choked up to speak. They went
into Susan's room and Kathy applied more of the antiseptic ointment on her
body. Susan was sound asleep before Kathy finished.*Chapter 26*

The next morning while Susan still slept Kathy was in the kitchen fixing
breakfast. Remembering the previous night, she fixed the type of breakfast
that Ken would eat and made enough for three. As it was cooking she heard
noises coming from Susan's bathroom. In a few minutes the girl was in the
kitchen with her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Mrs. Stark... Kathy... Mom... I hope you don't mind. I don't have
anything, and there was toothpaste, and..."

"It's yours, Susan. Maybe you would like a different brand, but you can
use..."

"Different _brand?_ You mean all of that's for me? And I didn't want to
waste that luscious shampoo, so I used bar soap."

"Young lady, you can knock off that stuff starting right now.
Everything here is for you to use. Everything! Understand?" Susan shyly
nodded her head. "Good! Now let's eat! It's all ready and I hope there
may be enough to fill even _you_ up!" The girl grinned and devoured the
breakfast while Kathy ate hers and had a second cup of coffee.

"Come on, young lady! Back to your room. We've got to see how you're
making out."

Susan lay on her bed while Kathy examined her body. Earlier, she had
called Dr. Miller and asked him about swimming and sun. He said it was
fine, but to apply no more ointment until they were finished in the sun.
The lacerations were healing rapidly, a tribute to the recuperative powers
of adolescents.

"Susan, I would like you to do the next test yourself. Let's find a
particularly ugly bruise. Then I want you to press it with your finger to
see how intense the pain is. Will you?"

Susan nodded and they examined her body carefully. When they found a
particularly ugly bruise high on her thigh, Susan probed gingerly with a
finger, and then harder. She smiled at Kathy, "It's felt a lot better, but
it isn't too bad. I still would rather not wear anything, Mom, if it's all
right with you?"

Kathy smiled at her, and excused herself. She caught Bob Ferguson in
his office and quickly briefed him on Susan. "Bob, I intend to adopt the
girl. Can you get another of your jiffy almost-real birth certificates
like you got for me?"

"I beg your pardon, young lady!" said Bob trying to act as pompous as
possible. "You have a perfectly genuine birth certificate! Almost-real,
indeed!" He got serious, "I don't suppose you've talked with Ken, have
you?"

"No, I haven't" she said with the pomposity in her voice this time.
"Would Jane ask you first if she planned to present you with a child? By
the time you knew anything about it, the damage would already have been
done. Then it's just ripening in her belly until it decides to make an
appearance."

"I give up!" he said. "Seriously, Kathy, would you like me to talk to
some of my friends and get this going? You know, the world we live in is
idiotic sometimes. There are over a million abortions each year.
Thousands of teenagers get pregnant and go on welfare. Yet a solid couple
has to endure the torments of the damned with our great social-service
bureaucracy to adopt a child. And Virginia has one of the better systems,
I'm told. Anyway, they can legally give you all kinds of aggravation. "Do
you want me to start the ball rolling? And what about Sylvia, her legal
guardian?" As he spoke, her business phone rang.

"Bob, could you wait a moment? There's a call on the other phone that
could provide the answer." She put Bob on hold and picked up the other
line.

It was Peter Mahoney sounding gleeful. "Kathy, it was the greatest raid
of the century! Tucker and the vice boys are in seventh heaven. As usual,
though, it's up to us poor paper pushers to prepare the indictments and do
all that other good stuff. Felony counts on Sylvia Black will be running
pages. We're moving against her immediately on massive probation
violations. She will be in prison before the end of the week, and in jail
until then. Kathy, thanks for the tip. And thanks for establishing the
idea that baddies actually serve hard time. We're moving, and thanks
again."

She went back on the other phone where Bob was waiting. "Sylvia will be
unable to attend the hearing, it sounds like. Pete is moving for
imprisonment for probation violations while he gets the new case organized
for trial. He claims the felony counts will run to pages. Does that
help?"

"I'll get on it right away. And Kathy? We're looking forward to
meeting your infant daughter. I'll tell Jane when she gets back."

Kathy went back to rejoin Susan who was resting on her bed. She rolled
over and looked at her new mother. "What now, Mom?"

"Now we're going swimming! The sun is hot, and the water's cool. Let's
go!"

"But, Mom!" said Susan, looking forlorn, "I don't have a bathing suit,
and I'm not sure I could wear one if I did!"

"Susan Stark! I think it'll be your name starting next week, so you
might as well start getting used to it. You're not nearly as observant as
I thought you'd be. There's a pool outside your window." Kathy saw the
girl's face fall as she listened to the criticism. "I'm sorry, honey!
That was unfair of me. The drapes have been drawn ever since you got here.
I apologize."

As they made their way out to the pool deck Kathy asked the girl if she
swam.

"I don't, Mom. Remember where I've been? And I almost never left the
house. Let me watch you and then I'll try."

Kathy smiled at the girl and strode to the pool edge. She executed a
beautiful racing dive, pounded down to the end of the pool, did a racing
flip turn, sprinted back, turned again and then slowed her stroke to the
one for distance she used swimming laps in the pool.

She had completed 100 meters and had just flipped again when she saw a
sleek body arch out in a racing dive virtually identical to her own. The
girl was beside her, using the same distance-devouring stroke she was.

_My God!_ she thought. _Susan does it, too. No wonder the guys at Yale
looked stunned. She observed my movements, intuitively analyzed the
bio-mechanics of the actions -- exactly which of my muscles are doing what
-- and translated it into bio-kinetics. She makes her muscles do the
things she's just seen for the first time! That's what I do, too!_

The two girls were making an endurance contest of it. It matched
Kathy's superior skill and physical training against Susan's youth. Up and
down the pool they went side by side. Kathy had long since lost count of
the laps, and was hanging on by sheer willpower. _I will not be defeated
by a battered slip of a girl in my own damned pool!_ she thought.

Finally, she had to stop. She finished a lap and grabbed the edge of
the pool. For the first time in her life she had to hold on to the edge
while she gathered enough strength to pull herself out. Finally, she did.
She spun around and sat on the edge with her legs still in the water.

Susan had her head resting on the edge without enough energy left even
to lift it up. Finally, she did. With a grin as big as she had the energy
to muster, she gasped, "You win!"

Kathy grinned back at her, got out and reached down to pull the younger
girl from the pool. Susan popped out like a feather. _How did she do
that?_ Kathy wondered, then grinned to herself. _The same damned way I do
it, is how!_

Kathy could scarcely walk. She staggered over and dragged back two sun
mats and the sun tan lotion for Susan. She mumbled something and collapsed
on the mat, sound asleep.

Kathy was lying on her back soaking up the sun when she felt the
coolness caused by a shadow on her. Opening one eye, she saw Jane standing
there, nude as usual, with her shadow over Kathy.

"You're in my sun, Jane," she said, still groggy. "Susan and I swam to
Bermuda and back and I need to rest."

Jane didn't move, and Kathy reflected that she had seen something
different. She opened her eyes again, alert this time. She saw the girl's
breasts had begun to swell, and there was a visible convexity in her
abdomen. She jumped up. "Jane! You're pregnant! You're going to have a
baby! You are, aren't you?"

Jane had pulled up a mat and lay down beside Kathy. "Sure am! It was
confirmed this morning. I didn't believe it. Anyway, I guess I shouldn't
be surprised. Except I feel so damn good. Even the swelling in my breasts I dismissed against the hope that I was getting big-chested at long last.

"You know what the funniest thing was? I saw this young OB/Gyn guy who
gave me a full checkup. I was sitting in his office, and saw him change
something on the chart the nurse had filled out. He was running on about
how so many women were waiting so late to have babies and all the troubles
they have. Anyway, he was so pleased to have a patient only twenty-five.
He said he was a little surprised, because, from the exam he'd figured I
was twenty-two or twenty-three. He had already changed the date of birth
on the medical history. I told him it was correct. I'm thirty-five. He
almost fell off his chair. Kathy, it was the funniest, most ego-building
thing that's happened to me in years!"

"What does Bob think about the prospect of fatherhood?" Kathy asked.

"That's why I'm here. The poor dear was floating so high, I hope he
doesn't hurt himself when he returns to earth. He's floating and so am I.
I asked the doctor about my favorite sport, and he said we could continue
to have sex as long as I felt like it.

"Kathy," she said with a broad grin, "do you suppose any woman ever had
it on her way into the delivery room? By the way, I think you're cheating.
You're getting them full grown. Now will you introduce me?"

Kathy looked over where Susan was watching the exchange. She had pushed
herself up and was resting on her elbows. "Susan, I would like you to meet
my dearest friend, Jane Ferguson."

Susan popped up from the mat, but her leg gave way and she went down on
one knee. From that position, she held out a hand to shake. Kathy
continued, "I think you ought to call her Aunt Jane. It'll help her keep
you in mind when she needs a babysitter in a few months and you need some
spending money!"

Jane was looking at Susan intently. "She's your twin, Kathy. Do you
remember the first time we ever met? I gave you that admissions test? She
looks exactly like you did that day." She slowly nodded her head and spoke
quietly, "Susan also provides the answer to a question that's been bugging
me for months. I always wondered what your pubic hair would look like if
you didn't remove it. Now I know. She's you."

"Mrs... Aunt Jane, you almost didn't get to meet me. My mother was
trying to drown her newborn. Don't they do that with girl babies
somewhere?"

"Drown _you!"_ Kathy protested. "Why didn't you just stop? I wasn't
hauling you through the water, for God's sake!"

"Yes, you were!" Susan retorted with a grin. "You'd be damned if some
battered young squirt was going to beat you in your own pool, and I'd be
damned if my mother was going to have a quitter for a daughter! Mom, you
almost killed me. When I stood up to shake hands with Aunt Jane, my leg
collapsed. Aunt Jane, would it be wrong to say I have the most beautiful
mother in the world?"

Jane looked at Kathy critically, "Well... top five anyway. Maybe top
three. I guess it's okay, Susan. Your mother is certainly in contention."
She grinned at Kathy fondly. "Would you women care to help Bob and me
celebrate tonight? One of these months I'm going to have to knock off the
booze, but not today. Can I interest you? Susan, you are the most
beautiful girl I've ever seen except for your mother. I was looking at you
while you slept, and I'm glad that vicious creature who did this to you is
dead! I think you'll be fine, though."

"Mother, I would love to! Can we? I've never been to a restaurant
before."

"On behalf of my brand-new bedraggled daughter and me, we accept with
pleasure. Where are we going?"

"Bob loves the Promenade at the Omni. Do you mind? At eight? We'll
meet you there. Now I have to go and rescue the poor darling from the
ceiling. And besides, I'm already late for my principal business service
of the day. See you later."

They watched her move gracefully inside, put on her clothes again and
leave. Kathy explained to Susan what the principal service was and they
both laughed. "How are you feeling, young lady? Doctor Miller will skin
me alive if I've allowed you to get a bad burn on top of your other
problems."

"I'm fine, Mom, really. I just got the stuff larded on when I passed
out. You know, I really think I did, too -- passed out, I mean. Mother,
you are in fantastic condition... for an older woman!" she said with a
broad grin.

"Young lady, do you know where you are? If you would like to find
yourself dangling by your heels from six stories above the street, you just
keep up with that 'older woman' shit! The nerve of some people's
children!" She grinned back. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to
soak in my shower and then take a nap." Susan struggled to her feet,
dragged the mats back where they came from and then staggered off towards
her room.

It was seven o'clock when Susan came into Kathy's room looking like a
dream, but still nude. "Mom," she said with a wail, "what can I wear?"

Kathy had just slipped into a white sleeveless dress that set off her
tan, her blue eyes, and her golden hair. She inspected Susan closely and
thought again of the recuperative power of teenagers. "Honey, you've
recovered more in one day than I would have in a week! Do you feel
better?"

"Much better, Mom. But I've seen your clothes, and they're all cut like
the dress you are wearing -- close -- to show off your perfect figure. But
much closer than I would care to wear right now. Don't you have _anything_
else?"

Kathy had a brainstorm, and started laughing.

* * *

The Fergusons were already seated at the table when two beautiful
blondes entered the dining room. Both were five feet seven, both had
brilliant blue eyes that were an identical shade of blue, both had hair the
color of yellow gold. Attention was attracted to the younger of the two
who was wearing a blue wildly-patterned muu-muu. One guest who had
recently returned from the Islands thought, _So that's the way they're
supposed to look!_

Bob Ferguson rose to greet them. He took both of Susan's hands in his,
studied her, and said, "She's right... my wife, I mean. She says you may
be even more beautiful than your mother. I would never care to have to
make a choice. Welcome, Susan! Your mother has christened my wife, Aunt
Jane, so please, could you call an old guy Uncle Bob?"

They sat down, and Jane grinned at Kathy. "That muu-muu gets around,
doesn't it? I remember when you wore it to our place on Thanksgiving. Now
it's getting on towards summer, I may get a few myself. Honey, on you it's
spectacular!"

The evening was a delight. As Kathy drove back to Virginia Beach, Susan
was asleep beside her. She thought about the girl, and realized she had
met her scarcely two days earlier. Yet the girl was already settling in
and changing her life for the better, Kathy thought. Now for their day in
court.

* * *

At ten o'clock the following Thursday, Kathy was back in the courtroom.
When the case was called, Kathy announced that the defendant was ready, but
there was no plaintiff present. Although irregular, she asked the judge
for permission to proceed. Permission was granted and she began by calling
Peter Mahoney as a defense witness.

He came forward, was duly sworn, and took his position in the witness
box. He stated his name and gave his occupation as District Attorney of
Norfolk County. "Mr. Mahoney," Kathy began, "are you acquainted with the
plaintiff in this case, Sylvia Black."

"I am, Mrs. Stark."

"Do you know her current whereabouts? Do you have any information for
the Court regarding her absence from the proceedings today?"

"I do. At present Sylvia Black is serving a three-to-five year sentence
in the Women's Prison. The suspension of her previous sentence was revoked
early this week as a result of a major felony arrest the night of the prior
hearing in this action," he replied.

"As a result of the arrest is Ms. Black facing new charges?"

"She is. She is facing over fifty felony counts. The indictment is not
yet complete, Mrs. Stark, so I am unable to give you a more precise
number."

"Mr. Mahoney, as you know, this hearing is with respect to returning
Susan Smith, seated with me at the table, to Ms. Black's custody as her
legal guardian. Do any of the charges Ms. Black is now facing bear on her
capacity or suitability to serve as Susan's legal guardian."

"They most certainly do. They include Pandering, White Slavery,
Soliciting Sex with Minors and many more. Mrs. Stark, in plain language,
Ms. Black ran a whorehouse. She had girls as young as fourteen years of
age that she forced to prostitute themselves. And I repeat, forced. The
raid was led by the most experienced vice-squad officer on our police
force. He was physically sickened by some of the things he and his men found. And they are in a line of work in which a strong stomach is an
occupational requirement. Do you wish me to go on?"

Kathy addressed the bench. "Your Honor, Defense sees no need to pursue
this line of questioning further. However, there is no need to convince
me. You are the one who counts. Do you wish me to continue?"

"No, Mrs. Stark, that will not be necessary. However, it leaves the
Court with the question of what to do with the young lady."

"Your Honor, if it please the Court, there is a solution available. May
I present it?"

"By all means, Mrs. Stark. The Court is all ears! Please proceed."

"Your Honor, I have adoption papers signed by all relevant parties. To
complete the process, it merely requires your signature. The papers
indicate the adoption of Susan Smith by Kenneth and Katherine Stark." Kathy
held her head up straight and proud. "I would be honored to be permitted
to adopt Susan as my daughter, Your Honor!"

From his lack of reaction, it was clear to Kathy that the Judge had at
least some advance notice of her proposed course of action. He said, "Mrs.
Stark, you are certainly known to this Court as one of the most honorable
and honored citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I have never had the
good fortune to meet your husband, but, if I may be so bold, I must believe
him to be an outstanding individual for you to marry him. The Court finds,
therefore, that you meet all tests that could reasonably be imposed on
adoptive parents. It leaves only one question -- a vital question -- that
must be answered by the young woman herself. She is fifteen years old, I
believe?"

"That is correct, Your Honor," Kathy replied.

The judge continued. "Susan, please rise and approach the bench." Kathy
was so proud of Susan who was looking beautiful in a lime-green dress she
had bought her for the occasion. Susan rose from her chair and came
forward.

"Susan, Katherine Stark and her husband have indicated their desire to
adopt you as their daughter. This is very important, Susan, and I want you
to think carefully before you answer. Do you accept the Starks as your
adoptive parents?"

"Your Honor," Susan began, "I understand your question perfectly.
Thousands... millions of children are born every day. Their parents are
whomever they are. Clearly, it just happens. The child has no say in the
matter. My case is different. I have a choice, I believe. Your Honor, if
I could pick any set of parents in the world today, I would pick Ken and
Kathy Stark."

Tears were streaming from her blue eyes, but she continued to look
steadily at the judge on the bench. "I have known Mrs. Stark for only ten
days. I love her as my mother. I call her Mom. Please, your Honor, let
me continue to call her Mom. I love her and want her desperately. I beg
you! Please approve the adoption. I've chosen my parents: Ken and Kathy
Stark!"

The judge was very interested in something on his desk as he fished for
a handkerchief and unobtrusively dried his eyes. He blew his nose and
continued. "This Court sees many family problems of all sorts. It is
rare, unfortunately, when it is in the capacity of the Court to create
happiness. Miss Smith, I am moved. I believe you.

"Accordingly, it is with joy on the part of the Court that you are
declared the daughter of Kenneth and Katherine Stark. Mrs. Stark, I
should apologize. Your daughter's statement has caused my eyesight to
blur. If the papers are ready, I would appreciate it very much if you would
indicate where I should sign."

Peter Mahoney took care of the chore, carefully blinking his eyes to be
sure he was looking at the correct line.

"Hello, Daughter!" Kathy whispered with tears in her eyes while she
kissed Susan.

"Hi, Mom!" Susan murmured as she hugged her new mother tightly.*Chapter
27*

Two weeks later Kathy and Susan went north to visit her brand-new
grandparents. Susan had still not recovered from the shock of another of
Bob's odds and ends. He had been waiting for them at the back of the
courtroom with the news that Susan, as Kathy's legal child, had just
received a bequest of five million dollars from Sam's estate. She was now
a wealthy young woman in her own right.

Kathy could not believe the change that had taken place in Susan in less
than two weeks. Except for a few deep bruises which were rapidly clearing
up, she was back to her normal self, a truly beautiful girl.

When they reached the senior Stark's home north of Williamsburg, they
were heard coming up the gravel driveway and Sam and Betty came out to
greet them. While Betty was kissing Kathy, Sam was looking at his
granddaughter. "Young lady, where have you been? I'm your grandfather,
and I didn't even know you were alive until a few days ago." He took her in
his arms and kissed her.

Susan looked at the very distinguished-looking man holding her, then
wrapped her arms around him, kissed him and hugged him tightly. "Hello,
Grandfather. I'm your granddaughter, Susan Stark, and I love you very
much!"

Sam could feel the tears forming in his eyes as he continued to hug this
lovely girl. Betty looked on. "Kathy, she is so beautiful! She's a
younger you. Ken will be thrilled."

"Mother, do you really think so? I can't even reach him! I don't know
where he is. I'm so scared. Of course I love Susan dearly, but I'm afraid
Ken will think I've lost my mind! I've written him, but I don't know if he
even got my letter."

They went inside, and Susan went into the kitchen to get to know her
grandmother while Kathy and the Admiral went into his study. "Dad, what do
you think? I told mom that I'm scared to death! Ken may not even know. I
can't reach him by phone."

Admiral Stark loved his daughter so much he refused to think of her as a
daughter-in-law. He regarded her fondly. "He married you, didn't he?"

"I don't understand."

"My God! Is my son lucky! He's sharing his home with two of the most
beautiful women in the world: his wife, and her younger twin, his daughter.
Kathy, there is no problem. Absolutely no problem! Ken is madly in love
with you, and I know you believe that now.

"Sweetheart, Susan is a younger you! It can't miss. Besides, I've only
known her for a couple of minutes but already I love her almost as much as
I love you. As a flag officer I weigh probabilities. It's what we deal
with. There are no certainties in this world. But this is as close to a
certainty as I've ever seen: Kenneth Stark will love his daughter, Susan.
Believe me! He will."

Kathy smiled. "Okay. I give up. Dad, I love you."

"And I certainly love you. You should know, Kathy, you're not my
daughter-in-law. You're my daughter. Period! Kathy, you are the greatest
thing to happen to this family in centuries!

"Now, something's been on my mind. I'm sure you remember the fateful
day when we had that... talk... in this very room? Well, you said two
things. First, that you had been a prostitute. Second, that you could
never have children. Kathy, we discussed the first and dismissed the
second. But it's been on my mind. How do you know you can never have
children?"

"Why, Dad..." Kathy began. "Because a doctor who checked the girls in
the house when I was seventeen said so..." She stopped in mid-sentence.
"My God! Do you mean to suggest...?"

"Kathy, I'm not suggesting anything, I'm asking. But it occurred to me
that if you hung on to the belief that you were a prostitute long after you
left the trade, I might inquire about the other. Have you had a complete
gynecological examination recently?"

"I'm a fool, Dad." She stood up, bent over, and pointed to her lovely
rear end. "Would you please stimulate my brain by giving it a kick? It's
right here!" She pointed at her ass. She went back to the chair, sat down
and looked at the Admiral ruefully, "That's what happens when every time
you sit down you're sitting on your brains!"

"Kathy," he said, "that's the one thing I don't like about you. You
take yourself so seriously!" He grinned at his daughter and she grinned
back.

"Dad, I promise! I'll have that complete gynecological checkup as soon
as I can get an appointment!"

"Fine!" He looked at her and continued, "Now, why is it I sense my
daughter has something else on her mind?"

"Dad, maybe it's because I do. First, you know your daughter is utterly
shameless? If Ken came through that door right now, I would have my legs
spread wide to welcome his glorious cock into my cunt in about half a
second?"

"Kathy, your language is... vivid, but so what?"

"I love to play a little game with Ken, often when he's asleep. Dad,
when the nipples of my breasts are fully erect -- which is most of the time
when Ken is around -- I find they neatly fill the depressions in his
shoulder caused by bullet holes. In fact, I tease him. I tell him they're
holes left by some Vietnamese wench who left a permanent impression.

"But seriously, Dad, I love the big lug more than life itself. I don't
want to see him screwed, by anyone, ever -- except me, of course. Dad,
I've been reading books about the Navy and how it works -- everything from
_The Bluejacket's Manual_ to Mahan. And keep your mouth closed, please,
thank you very much. Ken would kill me if he knew. He tells me I'll be
telling CNO what to do. Anyway, one of the books was on military
decorations.

"Dad, Ken took four bullets in the shoulder, presumably enemy bullets.
Why doesn't he at least have the Purple Heart? It's supposed to be
virtually automatic in such cases. The only thing I know is that it
happened in 1974 when we were bugging out. That may be part of the
explanation. But damn it, Dad! He lives with those wounds. I just play
with them. If he deserves a medal, he should have it!

"There's something else: Ken's very honest and forthright with me. He
tells me anything and everything about his past, life at the Academy...
anything. Sometimes he's a little reticent because he doesn't really
believe I could be interested, but he tells me. Maybe that's why this
thing has been bugging me. He says nothing. The most he has ever said is
that he didn't duck fast enough. I don't even know what ship he was
serving on. My guess is that it was the river navy, though. It's the only
way I could see him getting hit by small-arms fire. Do you know anything
about it?"

"Kathy, I don't. And, as usual, you're right. As you were speaking, I
was kicking myself because I don't know, either, and I'm his father. You
met him years after it happened. Hell, I visited him in the hospital and
let him put me off the same way he did you. Want to make a deal? You've
promised to see a gynecologist. I'll promise to find out what happened to
Ken in 'Nam. Deal?"

She stood up and extended her hand. Again, he was a little surprised at
the firmness of her grip. "It's a deal!" she said.

* * *

As they headed back home, she glanced over at Susan. "What did you
think of your grandparents?"

"Mom, could I answer a different question? I consider myself the
luckiest girl alive! I didn't know the judge was going to ask me what he
did that day in court. I only hope and pray that you understand my answer
was from the heart. I love you, Mom! You know something else? I am the
luckiest girl in the world. I not only have the neatest parents in the
world, but the neatest grandparents, too."*Chapter 28*

It was time to prepare for Susan's enrollment in high school. Kathy
reflected on the events of the summer just past. Reflecting on it, the
summer was the most pleasant she could remember. It was exciting to get to
know one's daughter... and oneself. She smiled, thinking of the fame they
had achieved, this time on the sports page for a change.

As a break from the academic tutoring she was doing, she and Susan had
gone out to the club one day to play tennis. She had demonstrated the
basic strokes and they started hitting the ball back and forth. The pace
quickened as she saw Susan improving dramatically with every stroke. She
developed a vicious topspin drive in no time, lashing the ball into the
corners of the court, but always inside the chalk.

It had been a hot day, and Kathy called a break to catch her breath.
She hit Susan with the flat of her racket when she heard the girl murmur
with a grin on her face, "The old lady's out of shape. The legs always go
first." Kathy noticed with satisfaction that Susan was breathing hard as
she said it.

They found that the mother-daughter tournament was scheduled to begin in
less than an hour. "Mom, could we enter? For kicks? You're too tough!"

She had agreed and went to see the pro. There was an open spot in the
draw and he wrote them in. As she did, Kathy reflected that she and Susan
had a running athletic competition. Inevitably, it was her experience
against Susan's youth -- their physical skills were about equal, but at a
level far higher than either realized. Kathy looked down at her body.
Because of all the exercise, she decided her physical condition and Susan's
were perfect.

They met their two opponents in the first match. The girl was about
sixteen, while her mother appeared to be in her forties. While they had
been waiting for the match, Kathy had briefly reviewed doubles tactics with
Susan, who immediately understood the reasoning behind them.

Their opponents served first. The girl served to Kathy who hit a
forehand smash down the center of the court. The girl, coming to net,
could manage only a weak volley return that Susan slammed into her feet for
a winner. The match was 6-0, 6-0. In fact, they swept the tournament
without losing a game.

Kathy was proud of Susan. In response to a question, she claimed to
have been playing tennis since the age of six. On the way home, Kathy
kidded her about her answer. Susan explained it. "Six or sixteen: the
difference is the one, right. And plus or minus one is pretty close, isn't
it?"

Following their club win they went on to area matches and finally to the
state championships. Perhaps because Kathy was so well known, perhaps
because of their shared beauty, the tournament -- usually reported in the
microscopic print on the sports' page with long lists of scores -- had some
reporters and photographers in attendance.

In the finals they met a team from Roanoke. The daughter was eighteen,
and her mother was in her mid-thirties. It was obvious watching them warm
up that they were very good and very experienced in tournament play. Susan
served first. Kathy thought they won the tournament with that single
serve. Susan served to the girl who was receiving deep. Her serve came off
her racket like a bullet and kicked up chalk as it hit in the service box
while moving at an angle sharply away from the girl. She could only watch
it hit the screen behind the adjacent court.

In many ways, it was a strange match. Like the others it ended 6-0,
6-0, yet many of the points and games were hard fought. Their opponents
were real ladies and congratulated them warmly on their victory. The girl expressed surprise she had never met Susan on the state junior tournament
circuit, because clearly she was the best female junior she had ever seen.

As the mother and Kathy relaxed with drinks after the match, the woman
commented that she had never seen a mother-daughter pair like Susan and
her. "There's one thing I don't understand. You're obviously her mother --
you two look like twins -- but you can't be. You look like her older sister. And if you'll forgive my jealousy, only slightly older. How on
earth did you do it?"

Kathy couldn't remember what she had replied but knew it was some
double-talk that seemed to satisfy the woman. _Or else,_ Kathy thought,
_she's just too polite to pursue it._ Their picture appeared in several
Virginia newspapers and it was played up big in Norfolk. Susan was
thrilled. Kathy was concerned that Susan might be recognized by some of
Sylvia's former customers but realized she had had little customer
exposure, and all traces -- including her nude photo on the bidding sheet
-- had been destroyed.

As promised to Admiral Stark, she had been seen and examined by the best
gynecologist in the area. She told him that she had been told as a
teenager by a physician that she could never have children. The doctor
gave her a thorough examination. He had a sense of humor and laughed when
he saw the now-faded stamp imprint.

When she was again fully dressed, he reviewed the examination with her
in his office. "Mrs. Stark, we like to think of medicine as a science.
To the extent we know certain things, it is. However, there are still far
more things we don't yet know. The process of conception is one that we
still don't really know a great deal about. Frankly, I see dozens of women
who are physiologically sound, whose husbands are potent, yet who fail to
conceive for whatever reasons.

"Clearly, there must be a psychological or neurological element
involved, because it's not uncommon for a woman to give up on ever having a
baby, adopt one, and then become pregnant. I will say this, however: I
don't know who the doctor was who said you could not have a baby. I do
know I found absolutely nothing wrong with your reproductive system. He
may turn out to be correct, but to do so he used astrology, numerology, or
something of that sort. He did not use medical science. He could not have
found anything that would make that a physical fact.

"I would add only one more thing. It is rare that I get to examine a
woman who is as beautifully prepared for motherhood as you are. Barring
complications, there should be no problems. My only advice to you and your
husband is to keep trying. Whenever you mention him, your eyes light up. I
commented earlier on your... markings. I conclude you enjoy a very active
sex life and clearly you seem to enjoy it. Continue to have fun trying to
make a baby."

_He's got that right!_ Kathy thought. _Just the thought of making love
with Ken makes me hurt._ She realized that her fun with Susan had helped
her get through what would otherwise have been an unendurable separation.

Then her thoughts returned to a call she received from Sam Stark a few
weeks earlier. She recalled it vividly in her mind's eye. "Kathy, it's
Dad. Remember when you were up here, you turned around, bent over, and
wanted me to kick you in your brains? Well, I was sure you just wanted me
to admire that lovely little rear of yours. I was about to say so when I
remembered you're the best pistol shot in the state, and you're armed.
Anyway, if you think you sit on your brains, I must be walking on mine!

"It appears that your husband was a real hero. I'm still tracking down
the details, but here's what I have so far: He was in command of one of
those river gunboats we were using out there and they were evacuating a
group of Vietnamese from an encircled village. You were also correct on
the timing. It was when everything was coming unglued all at once. At any
rate, most of his crew were ashore helping to organize the evacuation, and
then all hell broke loose. North Vietnamese regulars attacked the village
to try to collapse the defense perimeter before they could evacuate.

"A couple of Ken's guys were hit, and they were all cut off. He took a
weapon and singlehandedly fought his way to them and then got them out.
The flotilla commander had been killed in the first attack, so even though
he was wounded Ken took command of the force. They held off the enemy
until the people he came for were boarded and on their way to safety.

"Kathy, I'm trying to speak as an admiral and not as Ken's dad. What he
did that day deserves a very big medal. We're talking the Navy Cross or
possibly even the Medal of Honor. Anyway, I don't know why Ken never said
anything. Perhaps it's because we left with our tail between our legs
while he was still in the hospital. I don't know. However, the record is
being reconstructed from various information sources, and we're trying to
locate some eyewitnesses. We have names of guys who were there and we know
where to look for them, so it's only a matter of time. Kathy, thank you.
I'll keep you posted, and I'm glad your brain still works."

Kathy told him she had kept her part of the bargain and reported what
she had been told. "So, Dad, it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.
Ken and I will just have to work harder when he gets back!"

Finally, she thought back to the day she and Susan visited the State
Police barracks and saw Will Stockdale. She had been greeted by the troop
commander, Captain Collins. Lieutenant Pinkney, who had arranged the
escort for Susan, was there as well.

"Captain Collins, it's a real pleasure to meet you. I have you to thank
for the escort to my apartment provided by Trooper Stockdale on my wedding
night. It was very thoughtful of you. I'm afraid you've been hearing a
great deal about me over the last year or so, and not much of it could be
good."

"Mrs. Stark... but may I call you Kathy? Around here you're only
known by your first name. There are so many Kathy stories floating around
the barracks, I couldn't count them. They're all respectful and -- pardon
me for saying it -- loving. I hope it's not too painful a memory for you,
but I remember vividly the morning last year that the call came over the
police radio net that 'Kathy's down. Somebody shot Kathy.' No last name,
just Kathy. With Virginia law enforcement that's all the identification
you need." He finished with a warm smile.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he said turning toward Susan
who had been listening to this senior officer greet her mother with such
respect and love.

"Captain, I'm very proud to introduce you to my daughter, Susan. Susan
was the one who was injured when Lieutenant Pinkney provided the escort."

"How do you do, Susan? It's a real pleasure! I don't think you know
this, but the greatest pride we have had in our fellow officers was when we
learned a Norfolk policeman had killed that sadistic matron who shot at
your mother. You see, your mother spent a brilliant career making law
enforcement agencies look very good. Mostly, we just stood around and
cheered while she did our job for us. It was long overdue for us to do
something for her.

"Kathy, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could I see those famous badges I've heard so much about?" Kathy smiled ruefully and took them out.
Susan's eyes widened as she saw the gold. The captain looked at them
carefully, looked at Susan and smiled. "Young lady, from the look on your
face -- and on your mother's -- you've never seen them before." Susan shook
her head.

The Captain looked at Kathy with a question. She nodded, and he handed
them to Susan. "Susan, as far as I know, those badges are unique. Your
mother is the only law-enforcement officer with dual jurisdiction -- both
State and Federal. She's also the finest pistol shot in the state.

"Kathy, I can tell you're looking for someone, and it can only be Will
Stockdale. Am I right?" Kathy nodded. "He's around somewhere, I'm sure.
Let's find him.

"I'm right here, Captain," said Will from behind. "I'm delighted to see
you women here today. He looked particularly at Susan. "Miss Stark, if I
may say, you are looking particularly beautiful. I'm so happy there were
no lasting effects. We heard what had happened to you. I shouldn't say
this, I suppose, but it's a good thing that woman is dead." Turning to
Kathy, he said, "Now what can I do for you?"

"Will, could we go somewhere and talk?" They found a quiet corner in the
troopers' lounge and sat down. "Will, I have a problem I think you can
help me with. You know how big a city Virginia Beach is. You really need
a car to get around and Susan is starting high school next month. She'll
be a junior. She just got her driver's license and... Well, she drives
like me."

"Kathy, are you serious? Is she really that good?"

Kathy smiled and nodded. "She really is -- probably better. Why?"

"Well, ma'am, as you know -- but won't admit -- you're a legend around
here. And that most particularly includes your driving. We have a
training track out back here. Well, I asked the Captain if we could get
you behind the wheel of one of our cruisers. He thought about it, but
finally said no. He said you're too big a name in this state, and he
wanted no embarrassment. But if Susan would be willing?... If you'd let
her?..."

"May I, Mom? Please? If the captain says it's all right?"

The captain said it was fine with him if Mrs. Stark approved. Kathy
nodded and smiled at her daughter.

The whole troop off duty went out to the track. Will fitted Susan with
a crash helmet and a Nomex driving suit and drove her around the track. It
combined a high-speed track with both a skid pad and a slalom course.
First, Will drove the course with Susan riding beside him. When they got
back to the starting point, Susan prepared to make her run.

Kathy asked what the track record for the course was. She had been
observing the car as Will had driven the course. Turning to the Captain
she asked, "Are you a betting man? I'll wager Susan breaks that record by
at least one full second. If we lose, you and all your troopers who are
off duty will be our guests for dinner tonight. If we win, you have to
have us as your guests here at the barracks."

"Kathy, did I hear you say you would buy food for this whole army at a
good restaurant, or we feed you what passes for food here? Is that the
bet?" Kathy nodded. "Then Kathy, it's a bet!"

He raised his voice, called the troopers over, and explained the bet. A
couple of troopers ran to set up the electronic timing equipment they would
need. Soon they were all ready. Meanwhile, Will was busy making side bets
with his buddies at very attractive odds. It was pointed out to him that
the record holder had spent nearly three years bringing the time down to
its present level. Will just nodded, smiled, and took the bets.

When everything was set, a light ahead of Susan went from red to amber
to green. At the instant the light changed, she was off with her rear
tires smoking from the wheel-spin. Kathy watched impassively as Susan
found the perfect line on the banked track and took it with the cruiser
running flat out. Jaws dropped as the cruiser roared around the track for
the three laps agreed, flew out onto the skid pad and executed the required
maneuvers, including a bootlegger's turn at very high speed.

Will muttered, "Damn! I forgot to bring out the speed gun!"

Finally, she roared through the slalom while the cruiser rocked like a
bathtub with its tires at the very limit of their adhesion in spite of its
special suspension designed to minimize body roll. She roared across the
finish line, spun another 180 degree turn and stopped on almost the precise
spot from which she had started.

The captain had been watching in utter amazement. He turned to Kathy
and asked, "How long has Susan been driving?"

Kathy grinned at him. "I apologize, Captain. That was a setup. Will
has told me I'm pretty good. Susan's only been driving for three months,
but she's probably better than I am. She's very good with cars."

"How much did she beat it by?" the Captain called out. The answer was
by over five full seconds.

Susan got out of the car and ran over to where they were standing,
stopping just long enough to shed her helmet and driving suit.

The Captain put out his hand and shook hers. "Susan, that was utterly
amazing! We're going to get a plaque with the time on that run. I know
you're only in high school, _but..._ young lady, we're always trying to
recruit young women into police work. Not many are interested. Of the few
that are, some are unsuited. Unfortunately, too many of the remainder
aren't very good. You are _very_ good! If you ever look for a job,
there's one here for you."

He had another idea. "Susan, have you ever shot a pistol?" She shook
her head, no. "Your mother is the finest pistol shot alive. She says you
are good at all the things she's good at. Would you like to shoot a few
rounds on our pistol range? Maybe your mother would like to shoot, too?
Would you, Kathy?"

Kathy grinned. "I was afraid you'd never ask! I would love to. Susan,
would you get that case from the back seat, please."

Susan came speeding back with an aluminum carrying case in her hand.
They went to the pistol range where they found the targets arranged in sets
of three. The targets would spin, back to front, on a pivot controlled by
the rangemaster. At the start, there were three black silhouettes. When
they spun so the shooter could see them, they were combinations of felons:
targets to be shot, and civilians: not to be shot.

They decided they would fire it from the draw position. Kathy opened
the case Susan had brought. In it were loaded cylinders for her LadySmith
which dropped in quickly to reload. Kathy went first to show Susan how it
was done. She went out to the shooting position with her purse in her left
hand. After putting on sound-absorbing ear protectors, she waved ready.

The targets spun: all bad. Her weapon sounded like a continuous
thunderclap after a draw the officers admitted they never saw. Six bullets
fired, two each into the ten spot marking the heart location on the
targets. She continued in her unerring fashion. She came back to the line
and reloaded the now-empty cylinders while the targets were being scored.

Susan had been watching her mother's movements carefully. She took the
unloaded weapon, and Kathy showed her the sighting patterns. Then she put
a loaded cylinder in to get the feel. Finally she was ready. If there had
been videotapes made, the two images would have been duplicates. When it
was over, she had lost to her mother by one point. She had a single nine
with all the rest tens.

The Captain spoke to his troop. "You have now seen a demonstration of
how to shoot this course. We will forgive Miss Stark her miss. After all,
this is the first time she has ever held a gun in her hand, let alone fired
one. Also like her mother, she put two bullets into each target. The
other bullet was, of course, a ten. One bullet in the heart is as lethal
as two, but then we know Kathy -- and her daughter -- believe in being
sure.

"Susan, you shot the highest score on this range ever! We won't mention
how your mother did. I hope this serves as a model to you men. A girl fires this score within minutes of holding a weapon in her hand for the
first time. It really isn't so hard, is it?

"But now I have some bad news. I made a wager with Kathy and lost.
Mother-love triumphed. She bet me that Susan could turn the track at least
one full second faster than the best previous recorded time. You all know
the results. Therefore, the only honorable thing to do is to pay up.
Accordingly, under the terms of our wager, we must host the two women at
dinner here in the barracks this evening!"

The troopers cheered, and the Captain turned to Kathy, "There you see
true Virginia gentlemen: paying a lost wager with a cheer!" He grinned at
her and winked.

Kathy looked at him speculatively. "Captain Collins, could I make a
confession? I thought that something like this might happen, and I know
that the state doesn't go overboard on your food budget. If you keep
quiet, I've made arrangements to have dinner tonight catered for you and
your men. It can be canceled on a phone call, of course, but actually, I
was planning to take you and your men out to dinner in your own barracks.
May I still? Please?"

"Kathy Stark, you are a piece of work!" Collins said with a grin. "I
wasn't kidding when I spoke earlier about all the Kathy stories.
Collectively, they are forming a legend. Needless to say, you and Susan
added to the legend this afternoon. We would be honored to accept your
gracious invitation."

Kathy found Susan talking with Will. "Mother, do you know what Trooper
Stockdale has just done?"

Kathy grinned at them both. "No, I don't know what Trooper Stockdale
has just done... but I can guess. But Susan, I do think he'd like it
better if you called him Will, wouldn't you?"

"Susan, I would appreciate it very much if you would. I call your
mother Kathy, and she isn't much older than you are. May I call you
Susan?"

"Of course, Will, and I would love it!" Susan replied, with a smile that
just about melted poor Will to the ground.

Kathy continued, "Back to your question. I think Will has probably just
about cleaned out his barracks mates for the next couple of months or so.
Will, I think it's only fair that you buy Susan a dinner sometime soon. If
you did what I think you did, you cleaned up!"

"Kathy, it was unfair, I guess. I know how you drive. When you say
Susan's good, she's _good!_ Then o' course, they went double or nothing on
the range, some of them, and that's all she wrote! Susan, it would be a
great honor to take you out to dinner. After next payday, I expect to get
about half the barracks' entire pay, so any place at all."

"Will," Susan replied, "I would be truly delighted! Please call and let
me know what date would be convenient." She gave him another of her smiles.
Kathy recognized it as a duplicate of her own.

"Now that the business is taken care of, I would like to get back to our
conversation about Susan. Will, do you agree that Susan's a bit better
than your average beginning driver?" Kathy asked.

"Ma'am, you're joshing me! She could drive the tracks at Darlington,
Charlotte or Daytona, she's that good. Yes, ma'am! If it's got four
wheels and an engine, Susan can drive it! And I'm not real sure she needs
all four wheels, either. Susan, I've never seen that slalom driven better!
Now, Kathy, what do you want me to do?"

"Will, I was thinking about a car. I think Sue needs one to get to
school. It's not a question of money, but I don't want her looking all
that different from the other kids. On the other hand, I can't stand
anything mechanical that doesn't work well... _very_ well. I want to get
Susan a car that looks like the basic high-school junkie, but good. Do you
think you can help? I know you have friends I suspect do this for a
living. Am I right?"

"I caught your drift at the beginning Kathy, and I've been thinking. I
want Susan in a car that won't mess her up too much. Air conditioning, for
example, understand? I have an idea. Mazda makes a car, the 323 GTX. Now
it's a real pocket rocket, with a turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive,
Recaro seats, three spoilers on the rear -- the whole nine yards. Now,
what if you bought one new? I have friends that could take off the
spoilers, paint it a standard factory color, that sort of stuff. It would
look like Susan's driving a 323 which is sort of an econobox. Now, Kathy,
make no mistake. Susan would look like she's driving a new 323 you can
pick up for less than $10,000. The additional work isn't much. How does
it sound?"

"Honey, how does it sound to you?" Kathy asked Susan.

"Mom, could we? Really? A car of my very own to drive to school?
Fantastic! It sounds fantastic."

"Okay, Will. It's a deal. I'll order the car tomorrow. Does it matter
what the original color is?"

"No, ma'am, but a light color would be good if they have one. Now, the
car comes with some things like a sunroof, rear wiper, and the seats that
aren't available on a normal 323, but I don't think anyone will notice. My
friends will deliver it back to you a week or ten days after they get it.
Okay?"

"Will, it's a deal!" Kathy said. "Now, let's see about dinner, shall
we?"

The dinner was a spectacular success. Later, while driving home, Kathy
said to Susan, "That was beautiful driving, dear. And beautiful shooting."

"I'm my mother's daughter! What more can I say?" Susan responded.
"Mom, you've been holding out on me. At dinner I learned that you've
killed three men with that weapon in your purse. At our table all they
could talk about was your shooting. 'Five shots fired. Four in the heart,
one in the brain.' That's true, Mom, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. I don't really know why I still carry that thing, but
it's been very useful. Susan, how would you like one with a bra holster?"
They both laughed at the thought.

* * *

Kathy and Susan went together to meet the educationists at the high
school. They had an appointment with an assistant principal named James
Worthington. After they were shown into Mr. Worthington's office and took
seats, Kathy began, "Mr. Worthington, I've come in this morning to enroll
my daughter, Susan, as a junior in your school."

"That's fine, Mrs. Stark. May I have a copy of the transcript from her
previous school?"

"Mr. Worthington, there is no previous school. Susan has had private
tutors in the past. She has decided that she would like to meet more young people so she is enrolling in the public schools. Now, what is the
procedure?"

"Why, Mrs. Stark, this is highly irregular.