Ruperts statement was so full of confidence Loretta was absolutely convinced that he believed he was under her influence. At first she only suspected it, but now she was convinced it was so. For whatever reason he believed she had pushed enough to protect him and was still doing so. She decided to leave it alone.

“Just making sure,” Loretta said.

“It’s just enough,” Rupert said and added, “I mean I still have enough of my senses to be enjoying this immensely but none of the usual stuff, you know, the kind of things that might bother a guy, bothers me. It’s great.”

“Wonderful,” Loretta said pulling into traffic. He was adorable looking. He was one of those guys that could transition well… no Adam’s apple, long hair, smooth face… he had a lot going for him. Even now, if he had just a little more practice he would bring most people to his side with very little effort. With a little voice coaching the rest would follow easily.

Loretta pulled into the parking lot of the family style restaurant and they spent a moment transferring their purchases from the back seat to the trunk. Loretta also watched carefully how casual Rupert went through that casual process of stepping into public. He had left the car without hesitation.

It wasn’t just that, but it was how he left the car. Rupert was moving almost as if he’d had lessons on how to move as a girl. Loretta was becoming awestruck and amazed as they entered the restaurant. Loretta knew then what was happening and smiled. She reached out slowly and felt both of them just as the receptionist spoke.

“Good morning ladies. Two,” The young girl said cheerfully.

“Please,” Loretta said following the girl with Rupert behind her. Loretta knew they were nearby.

The other car, a rental, parked just a few stalls away, was still running.

“I think that’s just about it,” Henretta said easing back against the seat of the car. Loretta’s maternal great grandmother wasn’t so much speaking as enveloping her daughter Helen.

“I think your right mother. He’s very adorable and surprisingly confident. It really didn’t take all that much.

“It actually didn’t.”

“All he really needs now is time,” Helen said swirling about the interior of the car that Rosaline had rented.

“Hello,” Rosaline said bringing her phone to her ear. It was Hilda, Helen’s secretary.

“Okay, you’re flight is booked for your return. You leave at noon,” Hilda said and then added, “and Mr. Diamond wants you to know he’s closed the issue at his end and sends his love to your mother.”

“Thank you Hilda,” Rosaline said turning to Henretta as she pulled her seat belt and closed it. “They’ll make a very cute couple.”

“They already do,” Henretta said settling her mind as Rosaline started to drive off. “I’ll see you at home.”

“See you grandmother,” Loretta thought the thought before adding and “thank you for helping us.”

“Bye honey,” Helen added.

“See you at home mom,” Rosaline said as she turned for the airport.

Loretta meanwhile picked up a menu watching Rupert intently. There was a nag at the back of her head that something wasn’t right. It had all gone so smoothly. Rupert had slipped into this without hesitation and with so much confidence it almost seemed as if he’d been pushed yet she hadn’t done a thing.

“Rupert,” Loretta said softly so her voice didn’t carry too far.

“Yes,” Rupert said looking over his menu at Loretta.

“How do you feel,” Loretta asked cautiously.

“I’m starved,” Rupert said just as the waitress walked up. “Do you still serve breakfast?”

“We serve breakfast around the clock honey.”

“Awesome.”

Helen was going to order first to help Rupert ease into it but when the girl asked if they were ready to order it was Rupert who spoke first.

“I want the omelet, but I’m afraid to have it with the cheese. These jeans are already too tight. What do you think,” Rupert asked looking at the waitress.

“Breakfast is your most important meal and those jeans fits you perfectly,” The waitress said. “I’d go with the cheese.”

“Cheese omelet,” Rupert said. “Hash browns extra crispy, and toast, extra butter. No, no butter and we’ll call it even on the calories. With a small orange juice.”

“There you go honey,” the Waitress said. “And you ma’am, what would you like.

Loretta just sat there looking at Rupert in amazement. He… No, SHE was out, there was no doubt of that as Loretta looked back at the menu and added, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

“Will that be it,” the waitress asked.

“I’m beginning to think probably not,” Loretta said laughing.

“Excuse me?”

“No, we’re good, thank you.”

Loretta turned towards the widow facing west as the Sun was going down it was just a little after five. Eight on the East coast as Loretta turned back to Rupert.

Meanwhile, James Diamond was reviewing reports as a technician reached his door. She knocked once.

“Come in,” James said.

“Mr. Diamond, you said you wanted to be alerted when we had activity on our ultra-broadband accounts and we have. As it happens, it appears we’ve got activity on three separate individuals from the same linage.”

“Yes, I know. They were running a coordinated test for me. Do me a favor, go ahead and delete that file and have technical services recalibrate the feed for me. Send me an email when that’s completed.”

“Yes sir,” the technician said turning to walk away. Jack smiled. He didn’t need a record of what his ladies were doing since they were doing what he wanted them to do. Besides, he had an idea.

Jack picked up his phone and punched in Bob Brickyards number over at the FBI. It rang once.

“Hey Jack, what’s up?”

“Hi Bob, a while back you called about help with surveillance on your Kosovo mob connection with what’s her name?”

” Leonora?”

“That’s the one! The one you sent the flyer out on?”

“Yes, that’s her, what have you got,” Bob asked.

“In the background on the flier it noted that her brother, deceased, was often dressed as a girl?”

“Yes. Odd as hell. Still processing that one Jack. Something to do with the Nanny. Hold on a second let me get the file… Got it. Her name was Althea. She was a peasant from a small village South of Macedonia. Anyway, something to do with their beliefs? Not sure what it was all about, but they were superstitious enough to practice a ritual that made dressing young boys as girls a necessity to hid them from dark spirits searching for male children. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know?”

“How does that fit this Leonora Character?”

“Well this Leonora, who was Eleonora when she was Kosovo by the way, played with her brother like he was a doll. When the family and that Nanny escaped during the insurgency of Albanians against the Serbian around 1990 things got pretty elaborate between her and her brother.”

“How’s that?”

From what I gather and from the reports it became extremely erotic between the two which continued even when she started taking over with her father. I’m pretty sure he was killed in a car crash right after they arrived. Let me confirm that. Report here says it left her pretty devastated. Why, what have you got?”

“Tell you the truth I’m not sure yet but if I could get you someone inside, close to this Leonora, I mean really close, would you be interested?”

“How close is really close Jack?”

“As close as her brother was? Would that be close enough.?”

“You heard what I’d said right? She treated her brother like one of her dolls. That went right up to the time just before he was killed Jack. I’m being serious here, they were pretty kinky.”

“I understand. So I’m asking again, would it help if I could put someone next to this Leonora?”

“You could get someone that close?”

“Might take a bit of doing, but I think I’ve got a team that might give her a new doll to play with and you a perfect set of ears.”

“Jesus Jack! If you could do that…” Bob said. “I’m being serious here, we could close down their entire Ukraine Mob…