The sergeant had just released my ankles when his radio bleeped.

“Yes?”

“We’ve got her,” came over the radio, loud and clear.

“Thanks, out.”

He looked up at me and saw my smiling face.

“Now perhaps we can get to the bottom of this whole mystery?” I remarked.

“You seem remarkably calm given that everything that has happened in the past few days.”

I chuckled.

“Yes. I suppose I am given that all my possessions and home went up in smoke less than 72hours ago. But being realistic and all that, worrying about it isn’t going to bring any of it back now will it?”

He smiled back.

“I don’t mean to pry but have you been living as a woman for very long?”

“That’s all-right. Just a few days. Oh, I’ve been cross-dressing for years but... well events of the past few days have well, helped me make up my mind once and for all. Does that answer your question?”

He went a bit red in the face at the full on answer. I felt that there was no sense in beating about the bush as he already knew that I was really a man underneath the clothes that I was wearing.

“I guess we should go and meet up with the rest of the team?”

He got into the driving seat of the rental car. I glared at him for a second or two then I walked around the car and got into the passenger seat.

We drove back towards the main A33 highway. The array of vehicles with flashing lights told us that Lindy hadn’t got very far. We arrived to see her being placed into the back of a Police Van.

Two Thames Valley Officers came over to the hire car.

“We need you to come to the Station make a statement about what just happened,” said the first one to me directly.

“Don’t you have enough evidence already, with the recording and everything?”

“We probably do but it does us no harm to have more than enough.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

I was escorted into the centre of Reading and the main Police Station. I could hear whispers between the officers along with furtive glances towards me. I could easily guess what they were talking about.

In the end, there wasn’t much to making the statement. I was becoming an expert now so it was a lot less stressful than before. It also helped that the officer already knew the major facts of the case.

Even so, it was mid afternoon before I done everything and was allowed to leave. Thankfully someone had driven my rental car to the station so I was able to drive away.

Sadly, my problems didn’t end there because I got onto the ring road in Reading and found it hard to get off again. I think I must have done almost two complete circuits before I found the right turning. As I sad in the queues at the seemingly endless sets of traffic lights along the A33 I tried to make sense of the days events.

Only the sound of the car behind me tooting its horn disturbed my thoughts.

Some 55 minutes later I arrived back at my Hotel. I tried to call Ingrid but I didn’t get a reply. I called the rental company who indicated that they would get someone to collect the car as soon as possible.

Alone in my room, looking out of the now rush hour traffic heading out of London along the A4 I suddenly felt lonely, very lonely indeed.

It all became too much for me. I sat down on my bed and began to cry.

I don’t know how long I sat there sobbing but by the time there was a knock on the door, it was quite dark.

I didn’t move to answer it. Whoever it was, could go to hell for all I was concerned.

The knocking became more insistent.

“Go away!” I cried out.

“Please Sarah. Open the door. I need to know that you are all-right.

“I am so go away!”

There was no more knocking on the door. I wondered who it could be especially as I couldn’t reach Ingrid on the phone.

Sometime later there was a knock at the door.

“Go away!” I shouted.

“Sarah. This is Inspector Bryant. We spoke on Friday evening outside your house.”

Somewhat reluctantly, I got up and opened the door.

He wasn’t alone. Ingrid was there with him.

“Ms Robinson, Ingrid here was worried about your mental state. I have to say, I was too. You have been through a lot. Besides, she saved me a call. I have some news about Lindy.”

I let out a big sigh.

“You had better come in.”

I closed the door behind them and tried to put on a brave face. I wasn’t hopeful that it would work.

The problem with the Hotel room was that was just one chair.
“Please Inspector, take the chair. Ingrid and I will sit on the bed.”

We all sat down then there was a pregnant silence.
Ingrid broke it by saying,

“Inspector, you said you had some news?”

“Yes. Lindy has been charged with a number of offenses. At the moment, they are what we call ‘holding’ charges. In due course, some more serious charges will be laid including the possibility of Murder. We also found a loaded gun in her possession as well as the Taser.”

“When will she appear in court?” I asked trying to put on a brave face.

“Wednesday. She is being held without bail. We will oppose any request for bail because she is an obvious flight risk.”

“Do I need to be there?” I asked, “I’m not sure I can face her at the moment?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. It will be several months before the trial begins.”

Then the reality hit me, I would have to expose myself to the world including the press. My heart sank.

“What is wrong?” asked Ingrid seeing the

“Lindy will make sure that everyone knows who I am. The press will have a field day with me and… Well, you know.”

The Inspector said,
“I am sure the CPS will offer her a deal.”

“What 5 years in return for a guilty plea?” I said indignantly.

He smiled back at me.

“5 years for Arson, 5 for Blackmail, 5 for threatening you with a Taser plus being in possession of a loaded firearm and another 5 for false imprisonment all served consecutively, if I have anything to say about it.”

“What about Aunt Rose? You have her confession on tape?”

He shook his head.

“Her legal team will say that was just bravado. If we can make it stick then she is going down for a whole life term.”

“That is good yes?”

“For you, yes it is. For her? Well that depends upon her.”

“Thank you for letting me know about her. She deserves everything she gets.”

I thought for half a second before adding,

“From the results of due process that is.”

The Inspector looked a bit impatient.

“I think I’d better be going… Goodnight Ladies.”

Ingrid showed him out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Then she looked at me and smiled.

“You did very well today.”

Her comment surprised me.

“No, it was more like failed Tranny nearly got his head blown off.”

She smiled again and before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me and started giggling.

I tried hard but in the end, I joined her.

Ingrid sat there for some time without saying anything.

I started to get worried.

Eventually she said,

“Despite the fact that you are most certainly not a failed ‘Tranny’ as you so crudely put it, I will help you in anyway that I can,” she said softly in her slightly Germanic accent.

“I sense a but coming?”

She smiled. This was one of the British things she had gotten used to.

“Yes. There is a but.”

I sat intently.

“This whole thing with Lindy has totally messed you up. I think that at this time in your life you need some stability above everything else. Starting to live full time as a woman on top of what has happened to your home might be just too much to handle all at once?”

I couldn’t disagree with her on that point. Then right on cue, I started to cry, again. I couldn’t understand why I was doing this so much.

Ingrid came over and hugged me. It felt good. She smelt good.

We stayed the night in the Hotel. Ingrid made me feel safe. I was in a place where that was all that was needed for me to sleep. It had been a long day.

- - - - - - -

Tuesday morning.

I woke up to find the sun streaming through the window. Ingrid was lying in exactly the same position as she was when I closed my eyes the night before.

Without thinking, I kissed her lightly on the lips.

She made a pleasing sound so I did it again.

This time, she opened her eyes and smiled at me.

“That was the nicest way anyone has eve woken me up. Thank you.”

Before I could respond, she kissed me lightly.

Before we could get into any serious snogging, Ingrid said,

“Sorry to put a dampener on things but I need to pee.”

I giggled as I unwound my arms from around her body so that she could get out of the bed. I turned over and almost fell out myself. I cursed myself for not getting a room with a single big bed rather than a twin bedded room.

We checked out of the hotel and returned to Ingrid’s home. To our surprise, there was a Police car parked outside. As we approached the front door, an officer emerged from the car.

“Hello. You must be Sarah and Ingrid. I’m Chief Inspector David Bull from New Scotland Yard. I wonder if I may have a word with you?”

He showed us his warrant card to prove his identity.

“Please come on in,” said Ingrid.

We all went inside.

“I’ll put the kettle on,” said Ingrid as she closed the door behind us.

“Please sit down Inspector,” I said as I took my coat off and sat down at the small table where we’d eaten our meals.

He sat opposite me. I guessed he looked a bit uncomfortable with me.

“Don’t worry Inspector, I don’t bite,” I said trying to defuse the situation.

“No. It is not that. I have some news about your case.”

“Is it about Lindy?”

“Yes.

He swallowed hard before continuing.

“When someone from a Commonwealth Country is charged with a serious offence we pass all the general detail of the crime etc to their country’s High Commission. Late last night the High Commissioner himself contacted the Home Secretary. She in turn got the top brass in the Met and Thames Valley out of bed for a meeting at Australia House. I got pulled in just before dawn to handle the whole case at our end”.

My mind was trying to comprehend what he’d said. The words ‘our end’ leapt out at me loud and clear.

“What do you mean ‘our end’?”

“Well, I don’t know all the details myself. Suffice to say, Lindy is not the real Lindy. She is wanted in Australia for several very serious crimes. The New South Wales Police are sending over all the details and a high-ranking officer will be flying here in the next few days. There is every chance that Lindy, or whoever her real name is, won’t stand trial here but will be extradited to Australia in the very near future.”

At this point, Ingrid returned with the tea. She sat the tray down on the small table in front of us and poured three cups.

As we added milk and in the case of the Inspector, several heaped teaspoons of sugar to the liquid I have a chance to start to get to grips with what he’d just said.

“Are you trying to tell me that I went through all that for nothing?”

Ingrid put her hand on my arm.

“No Sarah, what the Inspector is trying to say is that the crimes she is wanted for back home are of a far more serious nature than the ones here.”

“What can be more serious than attempted Murder, Arson and trying to extort my home from me?”

Then it hit me.

“Oh! She actually went and killed someone?”

The Inspector smiled back at us.

“There is an International Arrest Warrant for her on the charge of Murder. We sent her fingerprints to the High Commission and they realised that they were a match someone of interest to the New South Wales police. They know her as Kylie Mackay but this might be another alias or assumed identity. Hence the moves by the brass to make sure that she does not get away this time.”

“This time?”

“I don’t know all the details but Ms Mackay managed to get out of Australia hours before the warrant for her arrest was issued. She was tracked Johannesburg. Three days later someone with her description but using Lindy’s name took a flight Amsterdam. There Interpol lost track of her.”

He took a sip of tea.

“Thankfully we have her under lock and key. It was felt that you should know of these developments as soon as possible, hence my visit. Things will become a lot clearer by the weekend and we start extradition proceedings.”

“She’s mad you know,” remarked Ingrid.

The Inspector shook his head.

“She might be slightly crazy but to have organised the events of the past few days takes a clear and lucid mind. Her interview after her arrest was also very lucid as she tried to put the blame for everything onto you. Apparently, it was your idea to burn down your house and rip off the Insurance Companies. None of that held water with my colleagues in Reading I might add.”

He finished his tea and stood up.

“I know you have been through hell these past few days but I think you have someone here who cares about you. I’ve seen far too many cases where the victim has undergone a truly shocking experience where the victim pushes away all those around them who really care about them. My words of advice on this is ‘Don’t let that happen to you’”

He walked towards the door to the flat and after opening it, said,

“I’ll be in touch as soon as there are any more developments.”

Then he was gone.

I was dumbstruck. No other words could come close to what I was feeling. Totally numb could not ever begin to explain how I felt. Once again, my life had been turned on its head as I sat looking on unable to do anything to stop it.

Ingrid returned from showing the Policeman out. She sat by my side and held my hand.

“Don’t worry. Whoever she is she will get what she deserves.”

“I know but I can’t help but feel a bit cheated. Part of me I wanted to face her in court. I wanted to condemn her to eternal hell and to thank her for making my choice about living my life as the person I really am a lot easier. But another part of wanted her to disappear into the deepest black-hole imaginable and never see the light of day again.”

Ingrid smiled back.

“I wondered about that. When I tested you on Saturday, you didn’t hesitate to turn left.”
I nodded my head.

“I only realised that a bit later. I did think about running a mile but as soon as I tried on that first pair of shoes, I knew that I didn’t want to go back.”

Ingrid smiled at me again and squeezed my hand. I knew that I was in a good place despite everything that had happened in the past few days.

[To be continued in the sixth and final part]
{there a few more twists and turns to be exposed}