Bronwyn had dropped Ciara off at her apartment to freshen up before heading to her place to do the same. When she re-entered the apartment building's lobby about two hours later, she found Ciara already sitting in the small waiting area near the reception. She looked radiant, dressed in Marlene Dietrich-style, warm grey Harris Tweed trousers and a retro-chic blouse. A matching waistcoat and blazer completed the ensemble....

Ciara switched off the navigation outside Wendy's shop. After Bronwyn and Harrison had left, she had called Nelson to inform him of the new developments and he had agreed to give her another day off. Ciara knew he was invested in helping with the investigation. And so was the hotel owner. She had thought about where to spend the day and decided that a little browsing was just too tempting. She felt the resistance as her c...

Bronwyn knew she was dreaming. It was the surroundings and the way Ciara looked at her. They were floating in a sea of warmth and tenderness. It was a dream, but at the same time, it felt so real. The way Ciara touched her, kissed her, caressed her. She felt herself slowly drifting from sleep to wakefulness but didn't want to wake up. In her dream, Ciara tenderly made love to her. With slowness and grace, she had never kn...

They were the first to enter the small breakfast room, which had probably once been the parlour of the cottage. Two other tables were set, so they hadn't been the only guests that night. The landlady was busy arranging various breakfast items on what appeared to be a self-service buffet. Bronwyn wished her a good morning and led Ciara over to the table marked with their room number. She noticed the woman's eyes following...

Bronwyn would never admit it openly, but as she sat down across from her boss in his office, she winced a little. The night's marathon had left her with more than a few sore muscles. She had showered at Ciara's place after helping her clean up the mess they had made of her bed. Changing the sheets and bedding after such a pleasurable night, she hoped to be able to slip under the fresh linen with her lover again tonight. T...

It was well after ten when Bronwyn knocked on the half-open office door. They had agreed to meet later, and Bronwyn had taken the opportunity to tidy up a few things at home before packing up her files and notebook to go to Ciara's office. Ciara was sitting at her desk, talking quietly into her headset. The room was bright as always and as Ciara turned towards the door she seemed to recognise Bronwyn's shape. Probably a c...

Bronwyn awoke in a mess of sheets, Ciara snuggled close to her and the steady rhythm of her breathing told her she was still sound asleep. She had no idea what time it was, but the light coming in through the curtains was dim and dreary, and she could hear the rain outside. As she crawled deeper under the covers, she felt the smaller frame next to her move and a soft, warm hand caress her torso. "Do you have to get up for...

When Bronwyn awoke the next morning, the sun was rising. There was this warm golden morning light coming through the half-darkened curtains. She looked around, unsure for a moment where she was. Then she remembered. Ciara was sitting in an armchair near the window, a silk robe wrapped loosely around her, it felt as if she was looking at Bronwyn. "Good morning, are you watching me sleep?" "Listening to you wake up." She sm...

The call had come that morning, and it wasn't from the hotel. It was from the Met's Deputy Commissioner personally. He had called her boss directly, and by the time they arrived, a hand-picked team was already working the room. Sergeant Evans knew he was watching her, trying to read her expression as she took in the scene, wondering what she would make of it all. Forensics were already working in the room and the stretche...

Janus Yellow looked concerned. "Are we stuck on Fidelis Island?" Penelope, his wife, had just informed him that the impending storm had caused all the ferries to stop running. Janus lamented, “If the nudist show on the mainland hadn’t been cancelled, we would have been home by now.” “I know you were looking forward to that show, Janus, but we have been through this. The nudists told me that the venue they booked was too c...

Alone, in silence, You embraced the distant stars, Wiped away your tears And listened to their stories With a brave and grateful heart. - Haruna Murakami. ~~~~~ "Chief Engineer's personal log, this 25th day of Gamelion. 1600 hours. Lieutenant Commander Selene Kheperkare of the ISS Bellerophon reporting. We are now cruising at sub-light, two weeks away from planet-fall at Ereshkigal in the system of Zeta Ophiuchi, where I...