The Simmons

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

the Usual Suspects Copyright Mr. Simon Barber

A black dressed mare stood alone in the early morning mist. Stood alone beside an open grave, her heavy veil covering her from those without who might see her face. She remained unmoving, silent, looking down into that open wound in the earth. Staring at a simple wooden coffin now laying at its bottom. Within lay the body of a stallion, its skull blown open in a senseless act of suicide. Slowly, almost reverently she removed a short black glove. Underneath was the unmistakable markings of a Hanoverian blooded mare, and upon the now naked paw rested a single solid gold band. Gently she edged that band off, held it out over the open earth and dropped it. It bounced on the coffins cheap pine lid, landed, spun then fell flat. A few moments later two grave diggers came forward, watching in reverent silence as the widow replaced that black cotton glove onto her paw. Her act was selfless, and one of great monetary value. For the Depression was still in full force, and that single golden band could have purchased a months food. Still one could not argue with a widow, even one who’s clothing proved she had little extra to spare. Reverently they began shoveling earth over the coffin, years upon years of experience allowing them to ignore those deep racking sobs of loss.

Two nights later on a North bound train the pinto stallion Phillip Albert Simmons lay on a Pullman bed, watching in the dim light as his ‘widow’ raised herself from his body, pushing a sweat matted mane from her face. “Excellent acting sis” he commented, enjoying the pleasurable feel as her paws ran up his naked ribcage. “They really believed you.”

“Was real” his younger step-sister admitted. “After tonight, we will never see each other again. Never have contact. And all because of that Nancy Rote.” She readied herself, then settled down again. Slowly. “My very last time with you. I might as well be a widow now.”

“No choice” Phillip replied, reaching up to tug on the gold chain that hung from his sisters breasts. “If not her, my informant warned me that the FBI was beginning to close in. I had to choose which would catch me. It was a mistake trying to settle down. My death is your only chance of freedom. You free, or in jail the rest of your life the plaything of guards and any butch fem that wanted you? Besides, I’ll be fine in Germany with the old family. They have already accepted me, even though my mother wasn’t German.”

“With war coming? I remember dah talking about the last one. Your certain you’ll be okay?”

Phillip laughed softly. “I’ve a position waiting for me. I’ll be flying a BF-109, not rotting my hooves off in some frozen trench like they did last time. When its over, I’ll send for you. In the new Germany no one will care that we were already related by our parents second marriage before we married.”

Luann Simmons smiled down at her step-brother. He was dreaming again she knew. The chances of him surviving a war like the last one were slim. Even if Germany won, her chances of finding him were slimmer. Her fathers mother had been Jewish. Germans hated the Jews. Something told her that having Jewish blood in this new Germany would be a very bad thing. Should she travel to Germany and her secret be found out, a secret her husband didn’t even know, she would probably be murdered. Luann had been in love with Phillip as long as she could remember, their families had been neighbors in New Amsterdam. Now he was leaving. Leaving because he was too close to being discovered. “You are absolutely certain that it was the right thing, leaving that carbon for those two to find?”

“Lover, that shrew broke my best salesman code while I watched her. She didn’t even need a paper for notes. Just cracked it like it was written in clear. Thank God I was able to explain the stars, and that circle around Nancy’s name. Nancy herself will one day rival the English Hound himself. But right now both are still impressionable. They can be guided. Better them than the cross-dressers baby battalion.”

Luann grimaced “You fell in love with her, so you said. Was it true?”

Phillip nodded yes. “Exactly as I did with you. Talking with her. Her beauty, her intelligence. Her quick grasp upon everything I said. Luann, I am in love with her. Just as I am in love with you. I knew you, having once been Mormon, would accept her as a co-wife. The shrew was simply a plus. You and Nancy are the only two women in my entire life I have ever loved. I might even have found a love for Alpha. In time. If only I had known before I took that contract. But I was trapped, trapped with no way out. If only they had broken her, but amateurs don’t have that kind of luck. By the time she escaped, any chance of turning her to our side was gone. It was either kill her, or trick her. I could no more kill her than I could kill you.”

Luann ran her paws from her husbands chest, slowly down his heavily muscled form until she was caressing her own body. “And my poor poor lover could no more kill someone he loved than he could become an angel.”

“Exactly” the stallion admitted. “Bad weakness of mine I am afraid. Just because the Rotes caught on faster than the FBI only means that they are far more intelligent. Even without them, as I said. My informant warned me that in another few months and I’d be dodging the Feds, without any chance of protecting you. You have the coded letter I had the German Embassy create?”

“In my purse” the mare admitted. “Exactly what does it say?”

Phillip laughed softly. “I think I will let Alpha tell you. If she can read German as well as she claims she can. It does cover everything, washes you with virgin holy water. I warn you though. When you get back all the hired help will be gone, all the non-animal stock and the barn will be ashes, the house tossed with much missing. The important much that is. Other than the money you have with you, you’ll also be flat broke. I am sorry, but I do need the money love. Your best chance will be Nancy. Can you really find a way to become part of the Rote group?”

“I honestly do not know Phillip.” Luann leaned back, electing a moan of pleasure from her lover. “I am an excellent business manager. I am Hapsburg. I guess it isn’t my fault that someone stole all the money in our accounts. After your death that is. Why it happens when, while I am in Creekside?”

“Tomorrow evening exactly. You will be left destitute. The bank will foreclose in three months. No matter what you promise them. Let it go, it was a wonderful dream but its gone now. And there will be evidence you will not wish to be connected with. Cut your losses and run.”

“How am I supposed to get Nancy to trust me anyway? I may not even like her.”

Phillip chuckled. “Hon. She’s beautiful. She’s gracious. More important she has a weakness. Women who have been used by men and cast aside. For all her intelligence, and do not make a mistake of thinking her simply lucky. For all her intelligence she has that one weakness. A sister in need. Why, she is the first woman besides you to welcome me into her home and make me feel welcome from the first word. If your going to change your spots, going after people like us is the best way to go. You know what to look for at least, and no one other than I truly knows you were involved. It was a good thing after all to keep you isolated at the ranch..”

“So I should fall in love with her? Phillip. I’ve never even kissed a woman. Not even mom. She hugged, never kissed. What if I can’t do that? What if I am revolted by such a thing.”

“Then be her loyal friend. Look Luann. You wanted to stay in America. I don’t know why but well, maybe it is for the best. To do that for you I had to destroy your entire history. If you walked into a collection agency now, they would simply collect you before you could open your mouth. Not hire you. Trust me my love, anyone can tell what you are just by looking at you. And to discover your bloodline? You will be a prize to any auction. After tomorrow night all you will have is your basic history, your years running the ranch successfully and your good name in town. Nothing else. Its what you said that you wanted.”

“I wanted children too” Luann corrected.

“And the Doctors said you can’t have any. Birth defect, malformed womb that they had to cut your tubes to save your life because of a tubal pregnancy. And to protect you from another such pregnancy. There was nothing you or I could ever do about that. I had hoped though, with Nancy. But that won’t happen.”

Luann sighed, looking away, out the Pullmans window into darkness. “Or her little wife Alpha? To have children to care for again. Even if I am nothing more than a Nanny. Phillip, I so want children in my life. It is why I agreed to join you with your breeding program. To have children around. If even for a little while.”

“Even though you hated what we were doing. You still wanted children bad enough to follow my orders. Do what you have to my dearest love. But know this about Alpha. I almost split her in two, and that isn’t a joke or brag. Nancy had to hold on to me so I wouldn’t go too deep. As it was I hit the back of her womb hard once. She was bleeding and in pain for two days. She’s tiny love. But for a shrew she is strangely attractive. I guess that’s what caught Nancy’s attention. After what she went through, there were only two choices. Turn away from physical contact completely or take a woman. Thank God she decided I was the gentleman for her. She is exquisite. If only she were like us, or we were legal. Looking at her in the position you are in now. Oh God Luann, I’ll never forget that view. Her face. Never. I’ve dreamed of the two of you together, it is heaven.”

“What of the photographs you have of them both?” Luann leaned forward, laying her body along her step-brothers length. His stop would be coming up soon. Best to burn his scent forever into her mind, lest she ever forget. “Nancy and I? I’ll try love. No promises but I’ll try. I won’t push though. She’ll have to come to me. Even then. I don’t know. A woman? I don’t think that possible for me.”

“A woman who is probably your only chance of survival Luann, as friend or lover. Remember that. Those prints though, used as evidence that the dead stallion was me I fear. That shotgun made quite a mess of his face. The police had them, you have them now. Of course, the negatives are waiting for me in Germany.” Phillip grinned. “Memories. You, them. Our stock. We almost made it. Another year and a half, then retirement. Thank God that tramp looked enough like me that the police believed.”

“Almost never counts. And your stop is coming up. I miss you already my brave stallion.”

Two more days found Luann Simmons stepping off the train at Creekside. She had cleaned herself religiously three times, no scent of her step-brother husband remained. Her luggage consisted of a single bag, all the clothing that she had worn while with Phillip had been left at charities along the way. Now she wore her black mourning clothing. Walking to a waiting taxi she asked if he knew where the Rotes lived. Of course he did, and minutes later she was on her way to beard the lioness in her den.

Or be gutted by her.