Back among friends at last and temporarily safe from pursuit, Jordan looks for new avenues of investigation, new ways to solve . . .

The Case of
The Missing MacGuffin
A Jordan Hailey Story
By Jan S
Even More Chapters

Many, many thanks to my friends and beta readers, Kristina and Daphne, for their kindness and aid, and to all those who have commented, or voted, on the earlier parts. You are the muse fuel.

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11: Allies?

5:15pm. Having no other choice, the August sun beat down on the parking lot around the garage and gas pumps. The blacktop dutifully sent the heat skyward in almost visible waves.

The Case of the Missing MacGuffin was twenty hours old. I still had few leads, but the case was now pursuing me, and it was getting closer and closer.

Reaching the door to the office was like reaching a haven. Behind it were friends; behind it were allies.

I tagged the door's handle and turned around to watch the dirty, dark red car speed away. Was it following me? Was it the same one that had been at the bus stop? It must have been. Were they chasing me because they knew I was searching for the MacGuffin? Were they minions of the Ferral boys with whom I had fought? Perhaps. Perhaps now I'd never know.

I entered the room and cold, moist air grasped my body like a securing hug. I slumped against the door sill and slid down the wall to sit on the cold linoleum floor.

Tracy was at the desk behind the counter, sitting on top of Blair. She said, "Hi. Can I help you? -- Is something wrong?"

Blair jumped up, almost throwing Tracy to the floor, and yelled, "Jordan! Goood Gawd! What happened?"

Tracy looked at Blair and then at me. Her eyes flew open. "My! Jorie, what's wrong?"

Blair reached me first and was leaning over me, stroking the back of my head.

I began laughing; I'm not sure why. "There were these boys, and I think they followed me all the way while I was on the bus."

"Idiot!" Blair said. "That's why girls go in packs. Christ, Jordan!"

Blair almost picked me up off the floor and guided me to the chair behind the desk.

I said, "Well, I was on a busy street and on the bus. I don't think they could have really done anything, but it was just creepy seeing their car when I got off the bus."

Blair still leered at me. "Look at you. If you go naked, every boy in town would trail you."

"Thank you, mother," I said with a snarl that turned into another laugh.

Tracy laughed too. "No. No boys would follow Jordan then. Well, Andy and a few might." She had sat on top of the desk and now put her feet on it too. Her prairie skirt bunched around her waist. I don't know if she was giving me a glace of things that high up on purpose or not.

Then she said, "Your hair is fantastic. What did you do to it? It's really -- I love it!"

"It's only temporary. White hair stood out and that's what the cops are looking for."

Blair said, "Yeah, neon pink and blue just blends in everywhere. It's great for camouflage."

I ignored her and said, "We have to talk about the case and Andy's hand. I think the assholes from Ferral -- the ones in that fight -- are the ones who stole the MacGuffin, and it could have been their friends following me."

"Shssss," Tracy said and then hollered, "Daddy, my friend got here. We're going over to the Dairy Queen and get a coke."

"No. You're not," answered a disembodied voice from the back office where a loud TV and several men were talking about a football game. "Once Jimmy gets that truck washed, you're going to clean the inside. And I need you to stay here 'til closing."

Tracy wagged her head and mouthed words, mocking her father. She got off the desk and moved into my lap.

"Don't talk too loud," she said as she played with my hair. Then she noticed my ears. "Oh, you got your ears done too! You gonna wear those flowers to school too, Jorie?"

I wiggled around until I got her weight off my legs and onto the chair. She put her arms around my neck and her legs across the chair's arm, and again let her skirt bunch up at her hips. Blair had taken the seat on top of the desk and leered at us.

"No, I got keepers put in so I can change to little studs for school and stuff. But look at my bellybutton."

"That too! You're so lucky my daddy won't let me because he heard one person some where got an infection, and like it's a big thing to him."

Blair said, "You can't change that for school, Jordan, you know. You've really gone all the way, huh?"

"I wear a shirt at school, Blair. No one has to see it."

Tracy said, "Yours is pierced too, Blair. What's so bad about it?"

I got back to the important topics and told them about the fight, about getting chased by the cops this morning, and about what the cops' DayOS Makina said about Blair. Tracy was genuinely upset once she heard what had happened to Andy's hand, even though we knew it would be all right now. Even Blair was angry at the Ferral jerks.

"We need to get back at those creeps," Tracy said. "What's going to happen to them?"

I told her what Officer Benwell had said and that Andy didn't want to do anything that would keep any of them from playing in next week's game.

Tracy hid her face in my shoulder for a second and then jumped up. She yelled into the other room, "Daddy, Jim's done. We're going to go start on the truck. Can you get the phones and listen for the door?"

"Watch for people coming in and don't leave until at least that truck is picked up, Tracy. You can leave the other tickets with Jesse at the pumps. Are you doing something tonight?"

"Daddy! I told you! I have to be at the scrimmage with the cheerleaders, and then I might spend the night at a friend's. I'll call if that works out; as usual. You said I could use that yellow Miata tonight, remember?"

"Yeah, but drive it right, no tickets. I can't afford your insurance already. And do that truck right. Kipperman's a good costumer. Tell me when you leave."

The truck looked exactly like the one I'd seen Kipperman use to move the MacGuffin this morning, but Tracy said it couldn't be because it had been dropped off last night. He has four trucks for his lawn service, all red, two regular half ton pickups, one with a back seat in the cab, and one that was jacked up and had big wheels.

Tracy didn't know who had dropped this one off, or at what time. The key had been put through the slot after the garage was closed.

A boy was scrubbing the wheels when we got to the back of the garage, and Tracy said, "Get a move on, Jim-boy! Let's get it done, Bro!"

"Go for it, Sis," the boy a few years younger than us said, "but don't get Dad on my case."

Tracy squirted some foam on the back wheel and wiped it off quickly. She gave the can and a rag to Blair, and Blair did the same to the wheels on the other side.

The boy said, "Great job." He backed away from the truck, waiting for me to bend over, I think.

While Tracy was handing out tools to Blair and me, the tow truck driver that had given us a ride last night walked over.

"Your daddy working you too hard, Tracy?"

"He's a tyrant, Mac. A tyrant."

"Could be worse, girl. He's asking way too much for that little car just so it won't sell, because you like it so much, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. He's a tyrant, but I've got him wrapped around my finger. Don't tell him I said that, Mac.

"Your secret's safe, but we all know that already."

"You know, I've never driven a car that didn't have a 'For Sale' sign on it, though."

"You will some day, unless you marry a mechanic. So ya'll are all going to the scrimmage tonight. What you going to do 'til then."

"Shopping! Of course. What else."

"Oh, I was wondering if you'll were gonna go eat fish bait again."

"We'll do that too."

"Who's got the best bait sold these days, girls?"

"Oh, we'll probably just go to Yo-uri-ko's. It's not the best, but it's at the mall. You going to the scrimmage too?"

"Gonna try. Want to see my boys play. I'll see ya' there -- Be good ta' then."

"I'm always real, real good, Mac." Tracy said it in a breathless voice that made it an obvious double entendre.

"Gaa, quit growing up so fast, girl."

The three of us started working on the truck. I was leaning over, vacuuming under the driver's seat, and said, "Does that guy really have two kids on the team?"

"Who? Mac?" Tracy said. "No, he was talking about the whole defense. He's like an assistant coach for the freshmen and junior varsity, and he works with Andy's father on the summer football things at the parks. So he calls every defense player in town his boys."

Then she came up behind me and goosed me. She was getting worse than Andy had ever been.

When I hollered and jumped, Blair said, "Just cut it out, Jordan! Don't squeal like that. For gawd's sake!"

I gave them each my most withering stare and went to the other side of the truck and started washing the dashboard. It was closer to the wall, and my ass wouldn't be sticking out.

Tracy giggled for longer than necessary. She said, "I sort of think Mac is real jealous of Andy. He's the only guy from this town to ever play pro ball, and that's his claim to fame, but he was only second string for like two years, and everyone knows Andy's going to be a big, huge star."

"I don't get why people make such a big deal out of that stuff," I said. "I told Andy I'd be there, but the cops are looking for me so I can't change clothes, and I bet I get spotted."

"I doubt it," Blair said. "People don't know how weird you are yet. No one will expect this."

"Well, I have to go and cheerlead," Tracy said, "and there will be lots of people to talk to. Someone might have some information about the MacGuffin, you know."

Blair was inside the truck, dusting the insides of the air vents with a toothbrush, and said, "Yeah, Jordan, you have to solve this case, right? The whole town and the cops need you. That's so you can wear skirts shorter than Tracy's cheerleader's outfit."

To shut Blair up, I turned on the vacuum and started cleaning behind the bench seat.

Then I saw something under the seat just before the vacuum swallowed it. A piece of paper was wrapped around six, bright pink pills. I'd never seen any like them before. It wasn't a big clue, but maybe they would tell me something about Kipperman's health, and every iota of information is important. I started to put them into my pockets but, of course, I didn't have any. I slipped them under the strap on the gaff; at least they would stay there.

Blair saw me doing that, and I told her I was just adjusting things.

She wagged her head and said, "You really are getting in to this, huh, Jorie? I can't believe it."

"You know it is just a disguise, damn it." I was whispering so Tracy couldn't hear over the vacuums. "Why is it such a big deal to you? The cops are looking for a boy with white hair. So I'm a girl with lots of colors in her hair. And I told you they think you're under house arrest too. You should become a boy with something besides black hair, Blair. Really."

"And how do I do that?"

I told her about the PlaHot DevIce. And she didn't reject the idea. It was harder to convince her to take most of her jewelry out of her ears and remove the make up and nail polish.

"So I'd have to look like a complete dweeb next to your hot little chick thing?"

"You're going to find something wrong with everything, aren't you? You can still wear ear studs. That won't be total dweeb, and we're going to a stupid football game. I'll be the one out of place, the only girl at the scrimmage that's not a cheerleader."

Blair stared at me, biting her upper lip.

I said, "Look, why is it so different? You try to look like a boy all the time anyway, Blair."

Blair said, "No, I don't, asshole." She turned to Tracy and asked if there was any polish remover around, but left before Tracy answered.

After a couple of minutes I left Tracy to finish the truck -- it was her job anyway -- and went to help Blair.

When I walked into the bathroom, she had the polish off of seven fingers already. She just rolled her eyes at me and said, "Come right in. I guess you should feel at home in here, huh?"

Tracy was the only other person within miles likely to come in here. I ignored the remark and said, "What color do you want your hair?"

"Is the red going to look like that mahogany stuff or a bright orange bozo or something?"

"It says fire red. We can do one strip and then change to blonde if you don't like it. One piece of red in blonde would look interesting."

"You're really are getting into this, Jord. Are you going to become a hair stylist now?"

I could have said "fuck you, Bitch." Instead I said, "Never know. You have something against hair dressers now, Blair?"

Blair didn't answer. In fact, until I was almost finished she didn't say anything else, only nodded when I asked if the red dye was acceptable and if she wanted two blond streaks in the front. When I was on the last lock of hair, she said, "So really, Jord, do you think you are actually a girl?"

"Shut the hell up, bitch," I said calmly and continued doing her hair.

I turned her to look in the mirror and said, "I think it looks good. So really, Blair, do you think you are actually a boy?"

"Shut the fuck up, bitch," she said calmly.

Tracy came in and yelled, "All done, even though I got abandoned."

She put her arms around my neck and tilted her head onto my shoulder. "Wow, Jorie, that's wonderful. You look great, Blair; no one is going to know you. But now you should get out of this room before someone drives up. Could you go outside and watch for people while I change?"

Blair just glared at her and left without a word. I started to follow but Tracy held onto me. She said, "Wait, Jorie, I want you to do something for me."

I said, "Tracy, you don't need a disguise. They aren't after you."

Once the door was closed behind Blair, Tracy kissed me, stuck her tongue in my mouth and wrapped her teeth around my lip.

I pulled back. "You're really bugging Blair, you know, and when I'm back to being Jordan again, you're going to lose all interest in me."

"Maybe. Maybe not," she said. She pulled a string at her waist and let her skirt fall to the floor. She was wearing a pair of pink panties, of course, with lots of lace, not quite a thong but almost. I wondered if I'd wind up wearing things like that now. The way things were going, it seemed inevitable.

She took off her t-shirt, and she wasn't wearing a bra. I let out a huge sigh and let my shoulders fall, but Tracy didn't notice.

She said, "Is that stuff easy to get out? Could you give me a white streak on one side?"

I stared at her until she put her hands on my back and pushed me to the sink. With her breasts squeezed against my back, she said, "Please, Jorie."

"Come on! Damn it. I don't like this fucking game, Tracy. You don't really like people like me. You have admitted it."

"Nah-uh. I always liked you, Jorie. Really. Can't we be friends? That's all I want. Come on, do my hair."

"Just get dressed first. This stuff won't get on your clothes."

She took a powder blue T with a cloud of yellow flowers on the front from a locker and slipped it on. It almost hid the top of her panties.

While I was doing her hair, I said, "Blair is really getting ticked about this. And this isn't really me. You're screwing things up and are going to miss her when she is gone."

"Maybe I'm not really what Blair wants, Jorie. It makes me sad. Really. But things never last that long for me. Ever."

I thought that was obviously because she flirted with everyone, no matter what kind of relationship she was in. But I didn't say anything. It would have done no good.

Tracy added, "And maybe this is really you too! Have you thought about that?"

When I had finished doing her hair, she gave me a hug and a kiss again before telling me how wonderful it was. I had given up fighting her off by then.

Then, with one arm still around my neck, she began pulling up my top. I tried to hold it down.

"Hey, I showed you mine! You gotta show me yours now. Besides we're all girls here, right? Or if you're not, showing your chest is no big deal. Either way you gotta show me."

I sighed and lifted up my top. She began fondling the forms as if they were real. I couldn't feel it, of course, but I let her anyway.

"They look nice, but why did you get ones so small?"

I shrugged and told her I like them like that, that it looked more natural.

"Oh. I like huge titties so much! Can we get you some balloons to wear?"

I snickered and shook my head. "Why don't you try some sometime, Trace, if you like them like that so much?"

"Ugh, not on me! On my friends. And these are better than having nothing."

"But Blair hides hers."

"Yeah, but she has really nice ones. Not big, but all round and -- nice."

She pinched the middle of the forms and said, "Why don't they have nibbies?"

"You can get them, but I didn't think I'd need things like that sticking out all the time."

"We could glue some pencil erasers on, or find some old bolts in the garage."

"No! These things cost a ton."

"I guess not," she said and giggled. She put her head back on my shoulder still fondling one of my breasts. "Too bad."

It did seem to make her genuinely sad, and I rubbed her back. She nibbled my neck some.

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12: Adversaries?

Blair stuck her head in the door and made a very loud gulping sound before she said, "Hate to ruin all the fun, but someone just drove up."

Tracy said, "That will be the guys for Kipperman's truck. We can go as soon as I'm done with them. Tell them I'll be right there, Blair."

Tracy tool a pair of shortalls from a locker, and slipped them on. "Can you help me with these button things, Jorie."

Blair stormed out.

I started to do the two top hooks on Tracy's overall., I remembered those being tricky when I was little and wore things like that, but she said, "Do the side ones first."

"Tracy! You can dress yourself."

She stuck out the tip of her tongue, grinned and said, "Pretty please."

The shortalls were white with little pink and blue hearts all over them. They were so tight on her I could see why she wanted help, and they didn't really cover all of her cheeks either.

Once I had her dressed we went into the garage and saw another red truck parked by the bay. Then I saw Jojo and Hancock going towards the office.

I told Tracy they were the jerks that had ruined Andy's hand. She huffed and bit her lip, but then walked over to them. I ducked back into the women's room and called Blair from the other door which opened into the office.

"So, Jorie, did you and Tracy have fun?"

"Yeah, lots, Blair. Now shut up. You know she'll stop that stuff and go back to you the second I'm out of disguise."

"But when will that be? Ever? And will you stop? Getting Tracy is a big reward for doing something you love to do."

"I keep telling you that it isn't for me! Now just listen! That's two of the guys that smashed Andy's hand out there, Blair, and I think they took the MacGuffin too, and they know me," I said.

Blair laughed -- actually laughed -- about that. "Well, that's why you're dressed like a slut, isn't it? To hide?"

"They know me in the disguise! I was a girl when they had the fight."

I went into the stall and closed the door.

"Are you going to take a piss with me right here, Jordan? You really have gone all the way. Be sure to sit down, girl."

"Shut up and deal, Blair! Why are you blowing off this case? You're the one they pulled in."

I'd only gone into the stall to adjust things inside my gaff. I wondered if those tape things really worked like Q said they did. When I pulled the gaff down the piece of paper that I had found in the truck fell out and some of the pills rolled out of the stall.

Blair picked one up and said, "Jordan, you're taking these!! You really are serious, aren't you? I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"I found them in Kipperman's truck. Do you know what they are?"

"Everyone knows that trannies take pink pills, Jordan. Knock it off. How long have you been doing them? Where do you get them?"

"Blair! They aren't mine! Geezus! Am I the only one that cares about the MacGuffin? They were in the truck. I'm doing all of this for you, and all you do is keep giving me shit."

"Yeah, I just bet that Kipperman is taking massive estrogen, Jord. OK, I'll see if Luke can get that clown to say anything about the MacGuffin, and you can have some alone time with Tracy. Luke is me, if you didn't get that."

I opened the stall door just in time to see Blair go into the garage. I went to the other door and opened it a crack.

I heard Jojo say, "Com'on, Tracy. It wasn't me. It was Pike. He goes all ape-shit sometimes. Hell, if Andy doesn't play, kicking Northfud's butt won't be the same."

"Yeah," another voice said, I guess it was Hancock, "and we didn't start it. It was some crazy little chickie that Andy was with. She just tore into Pike for no reason."

I wanted to go out and slug the jerk.

"It was kinda funny." Jojo was talking again. "She was taking on Pike and Bill all alone. Andy and I were just trying to stop them until Pike went all postal. Have you and Andy called it quits or something? He was pretty tight with that girl."

"You're not going to say you did it for me are you, Jojo? That's crap." Tracy said.

I heard Blair then, her voice was a little lower than usual. "Did you guys really take the MacGuffin too? I heard you said a bunch about it during the fight."

Real tactful, Blair! I groaned silently.

"Who the hell said something about that. It's a damn lie!" Hancock said.

"Just asking," Blair said. "Someone told me you bragged about it during the fight. Really, I think it would be cool to grab that thing, kinda."

Jojo laughed. "Yeah, but we didn't. Man, who would want that kind of shit? That whole night was just weird. Anyway, who are you?"

"Luke Blair," Blair said.

"He goes to Southlake, and helps around here sometimes."

"A freshman?" Jojo asked, or maybe declared. "To bad you can't go to a real school. Your team sucks annually, you know."

"Sophmore. We win a few B-ball games sometime anyway." Blair said.

Hancock said, "I'm leaving. Hand me the key, Tracy. Joe, you're getting me at Kipperman's shed, right?"

"Yeah. I'll see you later, Tracy. Listen, when you find out about Andy's new girl friend, give me a call. I'll treat you right."

"Thanks, Jojo. I'll keep you in mind," Tracy said, "but don't hold your breath or, on second thought, go ahead and hold it."

Jojo chuckled.

Blair said, "You're not going near the mall, are you? Tracy was going to give me a ride, but her Miata is going to be crowded. Could I get a ride? "

She was getting into a car with that jerk!

"OK," Jojo said. "I can get you there, I guess. Have to pick up Hancock first. Always willing to help an unfortunate Southie. See what a nice guy I am, Tracy?"

Tracy said, "Get out so I can lock up and leave." She was actually letting Blair go alone with that guy!

After they had left, Tracy promised me that Jojo wasn't all that bad, and that it was only Pike that needed to be watched. I'd seen something different today, however. Tracy finished the paperwork, and I used her cell to call Blair.

"Hi, Tonya," Blair said.

"Tonya? Blair, you got in a car alone with the ass that broke Andy's hand!!"

"Uh-huh, going to have to change that ring tone. Everyone knows my girl friend is calling me. It will be OK. I thought you wanted me to look into that thing, so I'm headed to the mall to do that. OK? Look I can't hear because of static. I'll call you when I get to the mall. Bye."

"Keep you're finger on the emergency button!" I yelled, but I think she had already hung up.

I tried to call Andy too, but only got his voice mail. I dropped into the desk chair and sighed.

Tracy came and got into my lap. Now I was squashed, as if I wasn't already down enough.

"It will be OK, Jorie," she said and kissed me and wiggled her butt. I was getting so tired of that; when was she going to get over it?

Nothing was going right. Nothing was going to be OK. Still.

"Let's go, Tracy," I said, pushing her away. "Let's get to the mall.

"Yeah! We got time for lots of shopping before the scrimmage, and there are some things I want you to try on."

"I just want to go right to Old Navy and get some bike shorts to wear under this stupid skirt."

"Why do you want to put something on under that, Jorie? It looks great."

"Because I have to watch my every move. Every boy in town is looking at me waiting for something to slip, and a girl is too."

Tracy giggled and said, "More than one, babe. That's the greatest thing about being a girl. Everyone looks at you! The girls that aren't interested one way are still checking out the competition. Come on -- lets find us some ammunition, girlfriend."

"Tracy, that's not what I want to do tonight!"

"I know, I know. You're on a mission. But your agent is still out. Let's try on some things until Blair calls. We can do that, can't we?"

"And I don't want to waste all my money."

"They don't charge to use the changing rooms, babe. This is going to be fun!"

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13: Investigating?

I never agreed to Tracy's shopping spree. I still wanted to go straight to one of the cheap stores and buy some shorts, nothing more, but that proved to be impossible.

Tracy parked her car near the Nordstrom's entrance and before we got through the store I'd had five dresses held up to me "just to see", and I'd held three up to Tracy. At that store the clerks were so attentive, I didn't have to try anything on. Tracy's second stop was Victoria's Secret and was only window shopping too, but when we got to The Gap my luck had run out.

There weren't any of the kind of shorts that I wanted but Tracy found four things that she demanded to see me in. The booths were tiny and there was barely room for one person to stand in them. Still I had to push Tracy out and cross my heart three times as I promised I'd show her each outfit, before she would let me change alone.

Once she was gone I stared at the dresses. There was a light blue halter-topped sun dress with tiny, yellow daisies forming pin stripes. I decided that one would be the first.

I stepped into it, and tried four times before I got the strings tied in the right place. I looked in the full length mirror. Tracy had grabbed one that was smaller than any sales assistant would have told me to try on. It was much shorter than the designer had intended, and the top didn't come around as far either. I wasn't sure at all that that kind of top would ever work for me.

I kept just looking in the mirror. It was made of cotton, very soft and light. This was the very first brand new dress I'd ever had on in my life. I spun around and around trying to see lots of angles in the mirror.

Tracy hollered from the corridor. "Come on, Jorie! Let me see already! It's been an age."

Time was up. I'd have to at least walk out into the store with this on. I kept my arms crossed as I walked out.

"Ohhh. That's awesome. Put your arms down."

I did, but I grabbed Tracy and whispered into her ear. "Look at the top. Does it come around far enough too keep the seams on my boobs hidden?"

Sympathy isn't one of Tracy's more common responses, and she burst out laughing. "Com'on. Let's go have a look."

She pulled me back to the dressing room and stood in the open door. She had me spin around with my arms in lots of different positions. Then she said, "Nope. It stays closed just enough. Of course when your tities grow it might be a problem."

I sighed at her, but giggled too. When she finished laughing at me, she said, "Can't you hide those some way?"

"Yeah, if you're real careful with the glue and use make up, I think, but it's hard on the sides, and I'm no expert."

"You seem pretty darn good at it to me. Try on another one. Faster this time!"

Even though it was just a skirt, the next thing I had to wear for her was of the little black dress type, a kind of thing I'd never worn before, and I was really surprised that Tracy had picked it out. Also it looked pretty stupid when I put the top I'd been wearing back on.

Tracy cracked up when she saw that combination too and pulled me over to the blouses. I took a solid white one with a bow at the neck instead of the pink one with a peter pan collar she liked.

"Wow, I can see why you kept hovering around that skirt, Jorie. Not my thing, but you look fantastic. Not with that hair though. Do you have the right shoes?"

I rolled my eyes at her. Yeah, like it was all my idea.

Again, I had one of my unique worries though, and again I cupped my hand to Tracy's ear to ask about it. This time she didn't pull me into the dressing room, she just spun me around and pulled the slit in the side of the skirt apart right in the store.

At least she did keep her voice down when she said, "Well, Jord, you can't wear great big briefs like that with that skirt, but get some panties with higher cut sides -- or a thong -- and you have nothing to worry about. Why do you think I always called you 'bubble butt'? You can show a bit of bun any time! And you can see the shape in that already."

The other two outfits she had me put on were all Tracy. One was a smocked-topped dress with a bow in back and balloon sleeves. If it hadn't been for the box neckline that came so low, it would have been a little girl's favorite. I think she had dreams of getting one just like it and us going about as twins.

After that I was down to the last thing she was making me wear, a raspberry trapeze dress with absolutely no shape at all, and I was finally done with all that.

As soon as we got out of the store, Tracy started to hold my hand. I thought of my mother doing that today too, and I smiled and wondered if I'd ever get to walk though a mall with free hands again.

But I also decided that, just to be nice to Mom even if she'd never know about it, I'd get out of this skirt she hated. I pulled Tracy back into the store and bought the little blue sun dress and changed into it.

When we were walking through the mall, I asked her again if the top was wide enough.

"Worrywart! I guarantee no one can see anything, Jorie."

"Well, it's really a size too small, is all."

"Yeah, but they want it to be too long. I think it'd be better even a lot shorter."

"Not a lot! But maybe a couple of inches or so."

"Can you sew?"

"Me? Not likely. Even if my Mom could, she isn't likely to have taught me to, now is she? Did your mom teach you to?"

Tracy's hand tightened on mine just perceptibly. "My mom never taught me a thing, Jordan."

"I'm sorry." I didn't really know about her family at all and had hit a nerve.

"Why? You didn't have anything to do with it, did you? She walked out on us when I was about five and Jimmy was two and Greg was at school. Just went out to the garage and never came back. Jimmy started crying and I couldn't get him stop until Greg got home and called Daddy."

"You don't know what happened to her?"

"Yeah, nothing. Just went away. She wouldn't come back. I never saw her again. I don't fucking care what happened to her."

I wrapped her in a hug,even though we were right in the middle of the mall walkway. I said, "I'm sorry," again because I really couldn't think of anything else to say at all.

"Stop saying that, silly! You were only five too. You didn't kidnap her, I'm sure."

I giggled.

"It really is OK, Jord. A long time ago and all, you know? And you are so sweet that it's magic. I don't tell anyone that stuff, Jorie, really. You pulled it out of my lips some how, didn't you?"

"I sorry," I said, but smiling.

She leaned her head on my shoulder and began rubbing my side.

"Uh-oh," she said, "We need to get you some more new clothes! I told Andy about seeing your bellybutton this afternoon, and he made me promise to make you wear something like that to the game tonight."

"Tracy! We've shopped enough!"

"You have. I haven't tried on anything yet. That's not fair! And I told him that before I knew you got it pierced. Don't you want to show that off?"

I wasn't totally sure that I hadn't sort of made Andy the same promise, but we had already spent too long in the mall.

"We should have heard from Blair by now! Look at your phone and see if there's a message. Let me call her!"

There was no message and Blair didn't answer. "So you still think Jojo is such a great guy? Shit!"

"Clam down, Jord! Geez! It hasn't been an hour yet -- well, just barely. I'll call Jojo and see what is going on, OK?"

She Has His Number On Her Phone?

"Jojo, you didn't kidnap that guy you gave a ride to, did you?"

I leaned close to Tracy's ear, but still couldn't hear Jojo's answers.

"I don't know. Maybe to blackmail me into going on a date? I don't like him nearly enough for that. Nah - ugh - half-hour."

...

"Ummm. OK, we'll just keep looking around."

...

"No, but he does dye his hair I think, but that doesn't make him one of those."

...

"Yeah, pretty sure. I need to find him. Bye."

Tracy closed the phone and said, "Nope he didn't kidnap her. He dropped her off about thirty minutes ago. She's her somewhere."

"Then why wouldn't she have called? How can you believe him?"

"Well, because as stupid as he is, he isn't dumb enough to kill her when people know she was in his truck. He'd at least wait 'til tomorrow sometime."

"It's not funny, Trace!"

"No, it wouldn't be if something really happened. But let's just walk around and see if we spot her before we call the National Guard. Want to go to Clair's and Piercing Pagoda and find some things to stick in your tummy?"

"I have to keep this one in for eight weeks."

Somehow that sentence was seen as agreement. I did insist we go by the sushi shop first and look for Blair, but she was nowhere to be seen. We headed back to the jewelry stores but on the way discovered a big sale at American Eagle Outfitters, and Tracy had always wanted a pair of destroyed denim shorts.

The store was crowded but within five minutes we were standing in line for the dressing rooms, each holding four brand new pairs of ripped up shorts and a few tops.

When we were near the front of the line I asked Tracy if she really needed help with the top hooks on her shortalls, and if she wanted me to do them then. She said, "Yeah, they're almost impossible. But, Jorie, let's just share a room. Or it will take us days of getting back in line. These are bigger. We'll have room, and we did it before."

I couldn't find an answer that I wanted to speak even in a whisper with other people so close, so I agreed by silence. It was a mistake.

I walked in to the room first and, before the door was closed, Tracy pulled the string that was holding up my dress. The thing had fallen half way off me before I realized it, and I yelped. I turned around to see Tracy giggling and giggled to. I let the dress fall the rest of the way, and reached out to undo her buttons.

Staying very quite, she said, "Wow, Jor, those are some real, real unsexy undies you have on. But I thought you had -- I mean -- don't. . ." She reached over and started rubbing my crotch.

I tried to move her arm away and whispered, "Don't, Tracy."

But she wasn't done. She put her arm around my back and kept moving her hand between my legs. "But I thought you -- don't you have..."

It was only seconds, but I could already feel the results, and her hair in my face and her smell in my nose didn't help any. "Yes, I do. Now stop it, damn it." I spoke in more of a low growl than a whisper now, and I had shoved her away, hard.

"Screw you, bitch, then! Just fuck off," she muttered and stormed out.

I threw my dress on and was still tying the sting behind my neck as I hurried out after her. I saw her leaving the store, and I began to trot. I called her name, and she shook her head but didn't turn around. When I was in the mall I yelled, "I'm sorry. Just listen, Tracy."

Finally she sat down beside one of the fountains.

"I thought we had become friends." She was crying.

"Tracy, please listen. I do have those things down there. Do you know how they work?"

She glared at me with the evil eye. Well, I was unsure. She was known to be interested in other things.

"OK," I said, "Well, I've got on this thing. It holds all that down - real tight - down between my legs. That's the only way I could ever wear shorts like we were looking at. And with that skirt -- I thought -- you know, just in case. But those bits can decide to. . ."

"They spring up when they get hard! Oh."

"Yeah, and it can hurt."

"And my touching you there. . ."

"Yeah, or when you rub against me with your naked tits, or wiggle in my lap, or like that."

"I'm sorry, Jordan. I -- I -- " She sniffled. "It hurts a lot?"

"It can after a while. Tracy, can't we just be friends? Just regular friends? And not have to do like that?"

"I won't any more. I didn't mean it to be mean at all, but it was, wasn't it? Even without that thing you have. But, Jordan, I don't do well with just regular friends. It always turns into sex and then it always turns into shit."

"It doesn't always have to. You think that's happening with Blair?"

She nodded.

"But, Trace, she is only real pissed because of what you are doing when I'm around."

"Not just that. Before too. She doesn't really want what I want, Jor."

"I don't think you want what I've got. Do you? And Blair is weird and a half, Trace. But she is worth the effort. Just work it out with her. Give it time"

"And you and I aren't weird?" Finally she smiled.

"When we find her, don't start flirting with me, and hang on me. I think that hurts her. Do it to her. I think she really does want to be real close to you. Maybe just not go as far as you want."

"You don't really understand, Jord, but you really care about her, huh?"

"Partners. And even if you did break up with her, even if she dumped you, I could never go out with you. Not for years and years, Tracy."

"OK, I'll try to stop, but you are just so, so cute. Do you really think we can be just friends? Forever?"

"Why not? And even if Blair isn't what you are looking for for forever, she can be great for for-now."

She rubbed an eye, and said, "I really do want to get a pair of those shorts."

"Me too! Let's hurry before they are all gone!"

We held hands again and walked back into the store and towards the dressing rooms. "But we can't use the same room, huh," she said.

"No, that will be OK."

"What? My bod doesn't make you hard? Oh, of course."

"No. Seeing doesn't do it for me. So I can help you with your buttons. But don't you just want me to do that just to be turning me on? And I don't want to do things that -- you know -- make you want to do things that aren't going to happen."

"No. I just like -- I don't know. It isn't like that though. But what about seeing Andy naked, Jord? Would that make that thing you wear hurt?"

"No. I've tested with porn. I'm just not visual, I guess. With anyone."

"Can we kiss?"

I pecked her on the cheek and said, "Sure. But not with tongues for long. OK? And not when Blair is around, Trace. It's not fair to her, Trace. Really."

After pecking me on my lips, she said, "You are so nice. Can I be your partner like Blair?"

"No! She's the only partner I can handle, and it's a pain! Not the kind down there; in the part back behind that, and a royal one. We can just be friends. Real, real friends.

"Best friends?"

I nodded and put my head on her shoulder.

"Best best friends?"

Nod.

"Best best girl friends?"

"Not the code word kind? Yeah, alright I guess, in private for that part most of the time though."

"Best best girl friends forever?"

"Tracy! Can't you take yes for an answer?"

In less than two hours something had happened to Tracy. I don't know what it was. I felt differently about her. It was like we had something in common, maybe. But I have no idea what the something could be, because we were so different in every way.

These clothes were doing something to my head, I think. It would be hard to break it to Tracy when I went back to my old opinions once I got back into some baggy cargos and a band shirt. But she would probably feel totally differently then too.

But for right now it was fun being with her.

We stood in the line until we could get back into the room where we had left all of our stuff and talked about her brothers and family while we waited. I had never heard her talk about things like that before. Even with Blair, she always talked about celebrities and school intrigues and teacher's idiocies and like that.

Seeing girls in these kinds of shorts hadn't really given me an idea of how tiny they are. My Mom probably wouldn't have approved, and I would have chickened out if Trace hadn't been there and started making clucking sounds. And she pointed out that they were more modest than most swim suits, which was true.

She bought two pairs. I only got one, and they didn't look like faded blue jeans, more like they had once been white and were washed with a red sweater, and they had one blue gingham pocket and one yellow calico pocket that stuck out below the frayed edges of the legs. I also bought a new cami top that looked like water stained silk with a draw string neck. It also had a draw string at the bottom that wasn't meant to do anything, but I could tuck the hem up and use the string to keep it any length I wanted. I think it's pretty great even though Tracy said it looks like a potato sack.

When we had paid for them the shopping trip was finally over, at last.

Tracy tried to call Blair again, but still got no answer. Even Tracy was getting seriously worried and bit her thumb, but she tried to hide it.

Tracy put her arm on my shoulders. "She's probably around here somewhere, Jorie. Don't worry; we will find her. Maybe she just wouldn't come into the girl's sections of the stores because of how she was dressed. Or something."

We walked from one end of the mall to the other looking for her. It was the only idea I could come up with, and it was better than sitting still.

At the far end of the food court -- Blair wasn't there -- we made a quick U-turn. That was when I saw two younger boys quickly turn and look at the Mrs. Field's counter. One of them was Bobby from the bus stop.

I pulled Tracy into a faster walk. At the first corner I glance back. They were following us!

"Trace, do you know that boy? He's the one that tried to get me into that car and then followed me on the bus, and now he is here!"

"Damn. Jorie. Let's go. Let's get out of here."

"But Blair!?"

We stopped walking, so we could think. The two boys went into a book store, but we could see them waiting near the door.

"OK. OK," Tracy said, "there's nothing they can do to us inside here. It could be a coincidence. Lot's of people come to the mall on Saturday night. And you picking up a stalker isn't that weird, and they're only freshmen or so, not real threats. So, let's just be calm. OK?"

"They have to have something to do with the MacGuffin Case, Trace. They have to be friends of Pike and Jojo. Where is Blair?!"

"Let's go to the sushi place. If she's looking for us she will come in there sooner or later. OK?"

I nodded and we started walking again. "We need to get back on the case. I've wasted way too much time. And the cops are going to find out who I am and. . ."

"What else could we have done? And shopping is never a waste of time, girl! Stop that kind of talk." She quickly glanced over her shoulder. "They're still there. -- We can talk to people tonight. I've asked some people to keep their ears open too and let me know what they hear."

"Like who?"

"Mac. That tow truck driver, and he's going to talk to his ex wife, who hears about almost everything sooner or later. And I'll talk to some of the cops I know too."

"Not that lieutenant. She's the one who's convinced Blair and I did it."

"Well, I can find out why she thinks that, if I see her, OK? So see there is progress, and Blair is around too. Cheer up, best best girl friend for forever, OK?"

I smiled at her calling me all of that.

She said, "Hey, you know what? I think you need company tonight, since you've got a stalker. We are BBGFFFs; do you think I should spend the night at your house? No, making out or snuggling, just laughing and being safe. I promise."

I burst out laughing. "Tracy! I can see it! My 'rents finally decide I'm not gay by catching a girl in my bed! They pop from delight and explode in anger at the very same instant."

Tracy started laughing as hard as I was.

"Maybe at your house?"

"Yuck! No Way? "

"It would drive Blair crazy too."

Just then some one slapped me on the back of my head! Really hard!

I turned around and Blair was standing there, utterly pissed. "Well, screwing Blair sounds like a great idea, huh!" she said.

I threw my arms around Blair. That wasn't something we usually did and she stiffened. I said, "Creep! Where have you been!? Why didn't you call?! We've been scared S-less!"

She pulled away from my arms and said, "Some little dweeb ran down my phone battery. And everyone in this place has been an asshole all night."

Tracy grabbed Blair in a tight hug. That didn't calm Blair down though. She kept glaring at me even while she petted Tracy.

Tracy said, "We have been looking all over, Blair. We were so worried."

Blair kicked one of the shopping bags I'd dropped. "Yeah, I can see how hard you've been looking! You even changed clothes again, Jordan. The skirt's thrill wear off? How many little outfits are you planning to get into today?

"I didn't mean to take you damn phone, and you know it, and I didn't use it much, and didn't have a charger. So knock it off. You could have looked for us! Or waited at Yo-uri-ko's. And I'm sick of you being mad at me. Everything isn't always my fault, jerk."

I walked off and sat on a bench twenty feet away. I had could see Tracy wispering to Blair, and see them making out some more. At least, because of the way that Blair was dressed, that only annoyed the old people walking by in the usual way, and didn't shock them the way Blair and Tracy usually did.

They came over to me, and Blair said, "OK, Jordan, when the phone was dead I tried to borrow one from people, but the whole place is full of creeps. No one would let me use theirs. That's why I was pissed."

I chuckled at her naiveté. "Course not."

"Why? I've had to do it before, and it wasn't a problem."

"You look like a boy now -- not a damsel. A boy in distress is just weird -- and suspicious. Why didn't you just wait at the restaurant? You knew we would look there."

"Mr. Friend was in there with that police woman. She's who I'm hiding from, right? He would have probably recognized me, like he did you. And I hate that guy anyway."

"What's so bad about Mr. Friend? I don't even think he'd tell the cop who you are. He didn't rat me out."

"He thinks I should be a total grind because I'm half Chink and half Jewish. An real idiot."

"You're not Jewish, Blair."

"I've told him that, but it won't sink into his tiny brain. I have a Greek grandfather. That's how I got this great nose and curly hair. I've got the look, and that's close enough for him."

Tracy said, "Yeah, Jorie. For you he's just the guy that keeps handing you college catalogues, but for a lot of people he's something else."

Blair said, "I'm starving. Let's go see if he's left the sushi place and, Jordan, I think I did learn something about last night from Jojo. But it's not much."

--------------------------------------------------------------

More to Come.