Room Wanted Ch. 03

"Soooooooo," said the now pissed off social worker, "You haven't moved out yet," she leaned across the table, "What the fuck did I tell you yesterday bitch?"

"I want someone else in here," said Naomi, her raw emotions had started to get the better of her.

"I don't care what the fuck you want whore," she said coldly, "currently I am the only thing keeping your arse out of the can. We made a deal didn't we?" Her face changed, "DIDN'T WE?" She leaned forward again, "You were going to jump on your fucking dyke's motorbike and fuck off; bus, train, hitch-hike, whatever but we decided you were going to leave didn't we?" Naomi didn't make eye contact, staring at the table top instead, "Well Miss Williams, you remember all those drug dealing prostitutes I told you about? They are all warming up their fists and getting the fabric conditioner ready to rape you down in the laundry room;" the woman chuckled, "The warders won't do much to rescue the child molester, at least when I tell them not to."

"I've spoken with Rob and he said..." The woman seemed slowed for a second and despite Naomi's extreme distraction she noticed it, and remembered it.

"I thought I told you... this was our special secret," the woman exhaled deeply and stood up, leaning across the table looking quite angry and scary, "Don't you WANT me to keep you out of jail?"

"Rob knows all about the law, he's..."

The woman's bottom jaw flapped a few times and Naomi added this to the previous chink in Annabel Bridges well-presented armour as another sign that she might not be all the social worker she thought she was.

"I... I don't care about your... your bullshit school teacher lover's opinion," she stuttered shaking her head in disdain. "Right..." she took a breath and nodded, "right, the only way out of this... for you I mean, is to leave right now."

"What?"

"I'll drive you to the railway station and you buy a ticket to Birmingham, or Manchester, or wherever the fuck you like so long as it's a long way from here."

"Manchester? What the fuck are you talking about, I'm not going to Manchester!" snapped Naomi. She had planned on going the ten or so miles north to Pete's house, no way was she going that far.

"OK then Miss Williams," she folded her arms and shook her head in disappointed closure, "I'll just have one of those nice policemen out there lock you in a cell here." There was a just detectable break in her voice that suggested to the schoolteacher in Naomi that she was being lied to.

Rob's words came back to her,

"So she never ACTUALLY told you what you had done, or what crime you had committed? The law doesn't work like that Honey..."

"Go on then..." said Naomi.

Annabel Bridges leaped to her feet, her bottom lip wobbling and she slapped Naomi across the face.

"Don't you 'dare' me, you... you fucking bitch!" Naomi's eye's watered as she tried not to cry, "Awww widdel No'mee twying not cwy? Aww poor baby!" she mocked.

The fat social worker touched Naomi's reddening cheek and she flinched back. Her tormentor laughed and the fake shoulder shakes scared Naomi more than the fear of any physical pain she might impart. Annabel Bridges saw this and acted on it, taking back some of the moral ground she had lost with her violent temper tantrum. She sat and leaned back and folded her arms, settling back into her 'good cop', 'I'm just trying to help you' role. "Naomi, what part of this shit do you still not get? You time in this town is OVER!" She leaned towards Naomi, her hands prayerfully folded, "Screwing the landlord, messing around with his kids? All finished, get your bag, we're going to the railway station, come on," she smiled and wrinkled her nose nodding towards the door in a scary change of personality.

"I've had enough of this," Naomi said now weeping and at the end of her string, "Either bring a police officer in here and charge me or fuck off!" she shouted.

With lightning speed the other woman was up and took a handful of her hair and pulled her to her feet with it.

"Listen blondie, I'll tell you what you'll fucking do..." the woman screeched.

The door opened and there was Dave Darnell, a few policemen, the duty officer that let them in and at the back of the crowd wonderful Rob standing with arms folded and smiling. The social worker dropped Naomi's hair and stepped back, shocked and stunned by the police officers in their black T-shirts with bulging muscles and cold stares.

"Sorry to put you through that honey," said Rob, "only I came straight here and spoke with my friend Chief Inspector Murphy here and asked him about the interview under caution that went on here yesterday. But you know what?" Rob moved out further into the room, "they didn't have an interview under caution booked here." He looked long and hard at the social worker, "Chief Inspector Murphy checked with duty officer Malc here and it turned out what they did have booked was a training session in 'interviews under caution' - booked by Social Services of all people. But," said Rob, "When we checked with Social Services it turns out they don't have a social worker called Annabel Bridges. What they do have is have an accountant called Annabel Bridges, care to explain the misunderstanding Annabel?"

The older woman flustered a bit then obviously having come up with a story took a deep breath.

"It was just a joke," she said, trying to add a rather wobbly smile to the proceedings, "just a bit of a giggle between teams, education and children's services, l you know how it is!" she giggled a nervous and wholly unbelievable chuckle.

"No," said Rob, "I don't, why don't you tell me."

"I was put up to it, it was..."

"That's enough," said the Chief Inspector placing a hand on the trembling fraudster's shoulder, "Annabel Bridges I am arresting you for false imprisonment, assault and impersonation of a public official. You do not have to say anything but..."

"But..." she tried to cut in but to no avail.

"...it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court - anything you do say may be given in evidence; you were saying?"

Annabel slumped back in her chair and began to fall to pieces. She had been put up to it, it seemed by of all people Hilary. They were first cousins, and after a few moments Rob remembered that he'd met her once at Lizzie's Christening.

"Why?" he said with exasperation, "Why would Hilary do something that fucking evil to someone she'd only ever met once or twice?"

"She HATES her!" snarled Annabel, "she came into your life just when she was thinking of getting back with you! The fucking help! A fucking babysitter! The skinny, blonde, sexy fucking NANNY!"

"That's why you said I was the Nanny," threw in Naomi, "Hilary called me the Nanny at Christmas - bitch."

"How fucking..." snarled Rob, "How fucking dare she!"

"People thought that this blonde bimbo was Elizabeth's Mum for fuck's sake!" growled Annabel Bridges.

"Easy now," said the chief inspector, "this is all being recorded so can you all mind your language please."

"Recorded?" said Annabel, "what... how..."

"Well we noticed that for your training session yesterday you struggled getting the CD's out of the machine, your colleague Mr Hobbs told us on the phone as soon as we described him to another colleague and they put us straight through to him. I understand you had a bit of an argument with him today. Refused to come with you did he?"

"Yes," she sniffed, "yes he did."

"Good for him," said the senior policeman, "he might just have kept himself out of prison by doing that, he still should have rung us mind you and the county will know best whether he gets to keep his job. When you arrived this afternoon young Malc here set the machines and pressed record before he came and got you. Good thinking Malc."

"Thank you sir, I do like to be helpful to social services."

"Right Mr Darnell, Mr Stanley and Miss Williams, if you can go with these officers and write me some statements, Miss Bridges and I can have a little chat. Can't we... Annabel..."

One officer remained in the room with the Chief Inspector and everyone else was led away to complete written statements about the peculiar goings on over the last 36 hours.

After a hug from Dave Darnell, Rob took Naomi home and to her bedroom and gave her a large cup of tea, wrapped a blanket around her feet, and left to get the kids from school. She was asleep in moments.

It took more time than usual and there was no sign of Lizzie; not even for the tea and cake they often had prior to the evening meal.

Rob indicated to Naomi that she should follow him, and she did. They sat on the sofa in her loft room with instant coffee this time.

"I had a call from Pat Murphy," he said sniffing and looking pale, "It seems that that skinny little runt Kyle has been pumping my Lizzie for information about you ever since you moved here. Lizzie was mad about you of course, and just kept singing your praises. One minute you're lifting Matt out of the bath, next you're Cinderella, then working Christmas miracles with Paul, keeping Carla out of Carolyn's hair, every lovely thing you did made her hate you more. And Hilary can't do with anyone that does anything better than her. It seems that when you went swimming, someone asked Lizzie where her Mum, you, got that fantastic costume from; Lizzie just laughed and told Kyle. He reported it straight back to his Mum - that was the final straw.

He was ordered to find out about the dress Carolyn made for you, apparently Hilary wanted Lizzie to try and get the picture from the shelf 'out of interest' because she was so keen on Carolyn's latest creation but Lizzie said no, bless her. That little gem of inflammatory spite came from none other than Jen Harvey I might add.

We understand from Annabel that the mad bitch does have a mobile phone snapshot of it though, which is part of how she managed to convince Annabel to go after you. You were a nasty little gold digger apparently. You're everything that Annabel wasn't - pretty, curvy, blonde and most importantly nice, that was enough to push her over the edge apparently."

Naomi took a deep breath, "Fuck."

"Exactly; Hilary now knows that you and I sleep together and I think that Lizzie might by now, but the police have told her not to answer her mobile or emails from her mother for the time being. Lizzie and Carolyn share everything in the way of sisters of course so I expect Carolyn knows as well now. My Lizzie didn't have the wherewithal to spot that young Kyle was playing detective with her.

He knew that she cared about him so he played on it; 'your family is so much nicer than mine, No'mee is so lovely, I wish I had her for a mummy, Mummy and Daddy row all the time'. So she told him about how we live, and what we do, that Carla worships you and creeps up to your room, Carolyn comes up to room and has a glass of wine every now and again, and our days and evenings out. Carolyn and Lizzie already think we are (their words) 'boyfriend and girlfriend'."

"Jesus!" hissed Naomi, "How's Lizzie?"

"Not good; thinks it's her fault and that she's let everyone down, she won't listen to me and Carolyn isn't back yet; could you..."

"I'll go see her right now," she stood up. "Some No'mee TLC, I'll bring her downstairs for tea."

"Thanks Darling," he stood up and squeezed her tight. "Nomes," he said, "I..."

"Don't worry Rob," it'll all be over in a jiffy."

"But..."

"Lizzie? Back in a mo' Rob, honest." She patted his face, then kissed his cheek.

She padded downstairs in just her slippers. Lizzie's door was shut, something it hardly ever was. Naomi turned the handle and quietly pushed the door open. Lizzie was sat on her bay window seat and turned a red-eyed, tear stained and now shocked face on Naomi. She made to open her mouth but instead she tried to run past her.

Naomi had needed to stop various children running away quite a few times when she worked in special needs and she caught Lizzie quite easily and lifted her slight frame up and into a hug. Once Lizzie realised what she was doing she put her arms around Naomi's neck and gripped her with her legs, the same way tiny Carla did.

Naomi cooed soft words into her ear and stroked her lustrous wild blonde hair.

"Hey baby, it's all OK. Nomes is here honey pie, I've got you."

Lizzie squeezed her even tighter around the neck so she backed up to the bed and sat down on it. Lizzie leaned back so Naomi could see her face. She stroked her hair again and smiled. Lizzie burst back into tears again.

"OK honey, it's OK, you get it out of your system, you cry until you're ready to stop." Years in teaching had taught her this was the best way to stop emotional children from crying.

"I'm... I'm... s... s... so sorry Nomes," she managed to burst out among her tears.

Naomi put a soft and gentle reassuring hand to her cheek, almost nose to nose,

"You honey pie have NOTHING to be sorry for, honestly. You are the kindest sweetest girl it has ever been my pleasure to know, and you were taken advantage of by some very nasty people."

"But... the police station... what Annabel did to you... it was because of me."

"Not your fault sugar," she said, "they were grown-ups that played on your wonderful sweet and caring nature, and you aren't to worry about it anymore."

Naomi swung her feet onto the bed and leant back on the headboard keeping Lizzie on her lap and in her arms the whole time.

"Bloody Kyle, I always wondered why he put the baby voice on so often, because I fell for it obviously." She sniffed and dabbed her eyes with the short sleeve of her white school blouse. "I will never speak to him again, I might punch him next time I see him, but..."

Naomi pulled her into a hug,

"No you won't honey, you'll stay my special sweet girl that you have always been. And you'll go on and grow up and be the best darned piano playing, school teaching, horse riding, Doctor and Vet this town has ever seen."

"Thank you Nomes," she grinned, "I am really sorry..."

"If you keep saying you're sorry missus, I may just have to tickle you."

Lizzie laughed and looked mischievously at Naomi, who pursed her lips and took one of her hands from the teenagers back.

"Sorr..."

Naomi struck straight away within seconds had a giggling, wriggling blonde teenager helpless in her arms, and she even went so far as to blow a raspberry on her neck.

Concerned at what the commotion could be Carolyn was in the door and checking on her much loved sister. She saw straight away, and came over to the bed and sat near Naomi's feet.

"Glad everyone's OK here!" she grinned.

"Yeah," said Naomi giving Lizzie the occasional tickle, "it's because every time she says she's sorry I have to tickle her."

"Sorry?"

"Yes," said Naomi and she tickled Lizzie again.

"So sorry is the word that Lizzie can't say?"

"Yes."

"Sorry."

"Yep." Naomi took the hint, three or four times over until they headed downstairs and the splendid tea that Rob had created.

Carla, Paul and Mattie remained unaware of what had happened. Sat in Carolyn's room later, Lizzie announced that she would never speak to her mother, Annabel or Kyle ever again, and no amount of apologies would ever make up for what the three of them had done to her and Naomi. It was decided that nothing more need be said about it; the police had said that they were considering charges against Hilary and Annabel and they might be needed in court. Rob said that they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

It later emerged that although Kyle was very much the junior partner, he had taken a full part in the planning. He treated Lizzie with contempt and told his mother that his step sibling was so stupid she'd give him tonnes of information on 'that woman'.

Hilary was taken to the police station to 'help with enquiries'. It also turned out that she'd got the initial idea to involve social services from a discussion that she had with her old 'friend' and Rob's Boss Jen Harvey who had asked her what she thought of her ex-husband going out with someone that looked like a slut.

Hilary had yet to meet the new lodger, and didn't at that stage know that the lodger and the slut were one and the same. The children's desire to get the great photo of Naomi and Dad on the shelf in pride of place and the rave reviews she had from Lizzie and Carolyn was the start of the matter and the Christmas Day choice followed by the suggestion she was Lizzie's Mum was the final nail in the coffin for Hilary.

She had been drunkenly waxing lyrical to her cousin Annabel at a family funeral about how her new husband wasn't all she supposed he was. Yes, he had been great in the sack, and the thrill of their secret affair was the best thing that had ever happened to her; Rob was great in bed, on the understanding she could fucking get him there.

Matt was a sweet boy but the last thing she was going to do was throw her life away looking after someone else's crippled kid. Even his mother Anna, who Hilary had really liked, had seen sense and had run away leaving the poor little sod and his nappies for someone else to sort out.

Rob seemed always to be doing something with the girls or Matt, they made love occasionally and it was really nice. But when she leapt into bed with her neighbour Steve while Rob and the kids were at school it was fantastic, even better when they were all in the house next door.

She still remembered with a tingle a time a Saturday when everyone had been running around in the garden jumping around and through a lawn sprinkler Rob had brought out from the garden shed. Carolyn, little Lizzie and Steve and Tammy's son giggling and shouting as they leapt through the fan of water that would rise and fall in slow motion.

The tingle wasn't from the simple parental pleasure of English summers and innocent childish play, it was the way the Steve had pushed her against Rob's desk in the study, raised her blue cambric skirt and thrown it over her back, pulled down her knickers, smacked her behind and fucked her as she peered through the slightly dusty smelling net curtain, watching 'her' husband and 'his' wife playing with 'their' children. He pulled her large tits free from her bra and squeezed and mauled them, dragging at her nipples with his nails. It was probably one of the strongest orgasms she'd ever had.

But now that rush was gone. There were no more secret sexual acts to had, Kyle had seen to that in his strange desire to crawl around the place at all times of the day and night fancying himself as a bit of a detective, and seemed to delight in walking in on his parents whenever he thought they least wanted him to. Again, something else she put to her advantage.

Steve was made redundant and while his wages were never that good, the whole process to a man in his mid-forties had a bit of an emasculating effect on him and he struggled to maintain his erections and Hilary's criticism didn't help.

From the time of their split she had lorded it over her ex husband; however her life went she always had Rob to look down on. Despite what she felt about Steve and Kyle, Rob just went from bad to worse. Her friend Jen Harvey kept her up to date and seemed to delight in doing so, talking about the latest goings on at the Stanley house she'd lost in the divorce settlement even though she had wanted to move out and live with Steve; storm damage, leaks, walls kicked down by drunken yobs and even an attempted break in, and Hilary could take great delight in the expense it all must be for him and his limited income.

Then his brother died and he was given that huge house in the village mortgage free - he'd even given her half of the profit from selling their old house. Add to that his brother's considerable investment portfolio so long as he lived within his means he was set up for life as was his nephew Matt.