Her Gran, Jezelle, was a woman of very few words. But the tale that was woven that night over macoun apples, aged cheddar cheese, strawberry jam and p...tato bread was the stuff of old legends and gothic novels. Cynthia learned about Nippa huts, the town of Tacloban, the island of Mindanao, of grinding poverty and desperation; of a foreigner and his strange family who for special, bright and pretty girls and their mothers offered a way out of the desperation of lives without options and within. " I thought 'Oh no, here it comes, an engagement ring' She opened her fist and revealed a pair of nail clippers. Oh fuck, I'd forgotten to hide them. I fought to regain my lost composure. "Where'd you find them honey?" On the glass shelf, where they always are!" I didn't know what to say, I was about to mumble some excuse, when she said, "You think I don't know don't you? I may be daft but I'm not deaf." She smiled and then went on, "You let that copper give you one last night didn't you? Don't. 38 which I now considered my off duty piece.I arranged to arrive at least fifteen minutes early, so that I could go into the large ladies room to dress. When I came out, I had ten minutes to wait before Jake Learner came into the station."So let's go see what is happening," I asked."Sergeant Michaels, and Agent Mission of the SBI, how nice to see you both," I said."Why thank you. I should have known you would be involved. Seems every time I come up here, it is to work with you Porter," she. ”“If you utter a simple word, a simple sentence…you will be disciplined.” Her voice was sharp…my body shivered; I believed her. She then took my hand in hers…she directed her voice to her husband. “The next time you see her…she will be cleaned inside and out.” She then led me out of the living room. With my hand in hers, she led me through her home…up a flight of stairs to the 2nd floor, down a hallway and into a bedroom. The bedroom was scarcely decorated…I guessed it was a queen size.