CHAPTER SIX
After playing two games of Twister, they had dessert of chocolate cake that Mike made earlier that day.
" It's been fun guys, but I have to get going. I have an early start tomorrow," Naomi put her plate in the sink.
" I'll walk you home," Don offered but Raph jumped in.
" You walked her home the other night, its someone else's turn," Raph said, " I'll do it."
" Both of you can walk me home," Naomi linked arms with them and they headed out onto the streets.
As they neared her apartment, they saw a couple of fire engines parked alongside the street and Naomi gasped, " A fire?" she started running inside the building, Raph and Don following behind.
The door to her apartment was open and two police officers were inside. Naomi stopped dead in her tracks, her face white. Someone had sent her apartment on fire! Everything was destroyed, nothing was spared.
She felt dizzy, " Oh God no…" she whimpered.
" Are you ok?" Don asked worriedly.
" Of course she isn't, someone set her apartment on fire," Raph put an arm around her shaking shoulders, " Do you know who did it?"
" Garland," Naomi whispered, " Everything's gone…I have nothing left. What am I going to do?"
A police officer walked up to them and the turtles stood aside, " Is this your apartment?" he asked Naomi.
" Yes," Naomi whispered, " it was."
" I'd like to ask you a few questions," the officer lead her inside and closed the door. The firemen left and the turtles hesitated, unsure of what to do.
" Poor Naomi," Don murmured.
" You better go tell the others," Raph commanded him, " I'll stay when the officer is finished talking to her."
" Okay," Don agreed and quickly disappeared as Raph waited in the hallway. A few minutes later, the door reopened.
" I told him it was an accidental fire," Naomi said to Raph.
" What? Are you crazy? We know Garland did this, why didn't you turn him in?"
" I just…can't," Naomi said hopelessly, " At least my stuff was insured, but it still doesn't help. Its like loosing a part of my life."
" You can stay with us," Raph assured her, " Until you find another place."
Naomi sniffled, " Would that be okay with the others?"
" Sure," Raph was positive, " It'd be cool with them."
Naomi opened the door again and peeked inside to take one last look around. The kitchen was totally destroyed…so was the living room, bathroom and her bedroom. But some of her clothes and personal stuff might be salvaged. She crossed the threshold and Raph grabbed her arm, " What are you doing?" he demanded.
" I'm going to see if my clothes are still intact," she told him and headed for the bedroom. She stepped through what had been the doorway and sighed. The bed was nothing but a blackened lump, the furniture charred and so was the closet. There was a huge hole in one of the closed doors and she could see some of her clothes were ruined, but others hadn't been touched. She gathered up the clothes that can be wearable. She'll come back for her personal things.
Thank God I had my hand-bag with me, or I'd be broke, she thought as she and Raph left the apartment and headed for the sewers.
* * *
" We heard what happened," Mike greeted Naomi once she arrived, " We're sorry," and he gave her a supportive hug, " We're here for you."
" And you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Leo added then looked over at Splinter, " Is that okay Master?"
Splinter nodded, " it is find with me my son. Our home is Naomi's home now. But you turtles must help her find whoever set her apartment on fire."
" We will Master," Mike nodded, " we already know who did it…its just the matter of finding him again."
Raphael scowled, " it shouldn't be too hard." He said then turned to Naomi, " You don't happen to know where Garland lives do you?"
" I'm afraid not Raph,"
" Um, there's a simple solution to your answer Raph," Don dug out their dog-eared telephone book, " The phone book can be very useful for locating people."
Raph grabbed it from him, " All right, there's no need to be so high and mighty," he said frowning at him. He flipped through the pages until he came to the G's, " Garland….darnit, he's not listed," he said throwing the book aside.
" Are you sure?" Naomi retrieved the book and looked herself and her face fell, " He's right. Garland must have a silent number."
" Unless Garland is a fake name," Leo suggested, " His whole name might be fake."
" That's true," Naomi agreed.
" I'm going back to the pub, he might return there," Raph decided, " Do you want to come?" he asked Naomi.
" Are you crazy Raph? She's in enough danger already," Don protested.
" I can speak for myself Donnie," Naomi interjected, " No, I wont come Raph, but thanks for asking."
The turtles all went for their jog through the sewers after dinner. Naomi stayed to keep Splinter company. She even meditated with him and found this very relaxing. It helped to take her mind of things for awhile.
It was nearly ten pm when she retired for the night…but she couldn't sleep. Images of her apartment on fire stayed in her mind. She tossed and turned and gave up. She got out of bed and padded into the kitchen. Perhaps some warm milk might do the trick
She warmed the milk and poured herself a glass, she took a sip and made a face. Naomi thought warm milk tasted terrible. Suddenly a shadow loomed over her, startled, the glass fell from her fingers and crashed toe the floor.
" Sorry I scared you," Raphael grabbed a broom and helped clean up the mess. It hadn't woken anyone else up though.
" That's okay," Naomi said weakly, " I couldn't sleep."
" Me neither," Raph said, " I still can't believe what Garland has done…and why would he do it. You have to tell me Naomi. Why is he after you?"
Naomi sighed, " I…cant tell you. You know that Raph."
" I'm not buying it," he said, " You can tell me and I promise I won't tell anyone else. You have my word."
" But you won't believe me," she was grasping at straws now. She might be stubborn, but Raph was worse.
Raph crossed his arms, " Try me."
Naomi hesitated, " Let's go back to my room and talk. I don't want anyone to overhear." They headed for the spare room and sat down on her cot.
" The reason why Garland is after me…is because I can read his mind."
Raph stared at her dumfounded, " You can-what?"
" Read his mind," she repeated, " You know-we have telepathy."
" Why him though?" Raph demanded, " Can't you read other people's minds?"
" No. Just his…Matthew Garland is my twin brother."
After playing two games of Twister, they had dessert of chocolate cake that Mike made earlier that day.
" It's been fun guys, but I have to get going. I have an early start tomorrow," Naomi put her plate in the sink.
" I'll walk you home," Don offered but Raph jumped in.
" You walked her home the other night, its someone else's turn," Raph said, " I'll do it."
" Both of you can walk me home," Naomi linked arms with them and they headed out onto the streets.
As they neared her apartment, they saw a couple of fire engines parked alongside the street and Naomi gasped, " A fire?" she started running inside the building, Raph and Don following behind.
The door to her apartment was open and two police officers were inside. Naomi stopped dead in her tracks, her face white. Someone had sent her apartment on fire! Everything was destroyed, nothing was spared.
She felt dizzy, " Oh God no…" she whimpered.
" Are you ok?" Don asked worriedly.
" Of course she isn't, someone set her apartment on fire," Raph put an arm around her shaking shoulders, " Do you know who did it?"
" Garland," Naomi whispered, " Everything's gone…I have nothing left. What am I going to do?"
A police officer walked up to them and the turtles stood aside, " Is this your apartment?" he asked Naomi.
" Yes," Naomi whispered, " it was."
" I'd like to ask you a few questions," the officer lead her inside and closed the door. The firemen left and the turtles hesitated, unsure of what to do.
" Poor Naomi," Don murmured.
" You better go tell the others," Raph commanded him, " I'll stay when the officer is finished talking to her."
" Okay," Don agreed and quickly disappeared as Raph waited in the hallway. A few minutes later, the door reopened.
" I told him it was an accidental fire," Naomi said to Raph.
" What? Are you crazy? We know Garland did this, why didn't you turn him in?"
" I just…can't," Naomi said hopelessly, " At least my stuff was insured, but it still doesn't help. Its like loosing a part of my life."
" You can stay with us," Raph assured her, " Until you find another place."
Naomi sniffled, " Would that be okay with the others?"
" Sure," Raph was positive, " It'd be cool with them."
Naomi opened the door again and peeked inside to take one last look around. The kitchen was totally destroyed…so was the living room, bathroom and her bedroom. But some of her clothes and personal stuff might be salvaged. She crossed the threshold and Raph grabbed her arm, " What are you doing?" he demanded.
" I'm going to see if my clothes are still intact," she told him and headed for the bedroom. She stepped through what had been the doorway and sighed. The bed was nothing but a blackened lump, the furniture charred and so was the closet. There was a huge hole in one of the closed doors and she could see some of her clothes were ruined, but others hadn't been touched. She gathered up the clothes that can be wearable. She'll come back for her personal things.
Thank God I had my hand-bag with me, or I'd be broke, she thought as she and Raph left the apartment and headed for the sewers.
* * *
" We heard what happened," Mike greeted Naomi once she arrived, " We're sorry," and he gave her a supportive hug, " We're here for you."
" And you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Leo added then looked over at Splinter, " Is that okay Master?"
Splinter nodded, " it is find with me my son. Our home is Naomi's home now. But you turtles must help her find whoever set her apartment on fire."
" We will Master," Mike nodded, " we already know who did it…its just the matter of finding him again."
Raphael scowled, " it shouldn't be too hard." He said then turned to Naomi, " You don't happen to know where Garland lives do you?"
" I'm afraid not Raph,"
" Um, there's a simple solution to your answer Raph," Don dug out their dog-eared telephone book, " The phone book can be very useful for locating people."
Raph grabbed it from him, " All right, there's no need to be so high and mighty," he said frowning at him. He flipped through the pages until he came to the G's, " Garland….darnit, he's not listed," he said throwing the book aside.
" Are you sure?" Naomi retrieved the book and looked herself and her face fell, " He's right. Garland must have a silent number."
" Unless Garland is a fake name," Leo suggested, " His whole name might be fake."
" That's true," Naomi agreed.
" I'm going back to the pub, he might return there," Raph decided, " Do you want to come?" he asked Naomi.
" Are you crazy Raph? She's in enough danger already," Don protested.
" I can speak for myself Donnie," Naomi interjected, " No, I wont come Raph, but thanks for asking."
The turtles all went for their jog through the sewers after dinner. Naomi stayed to keep Splinter company. She even meditated with him and found this very relaxing. It helped to take her mind of things for awhile.
It was nearly ten pm when she retired for the night…but she couldn't sleep. Images of her apartment on fire stayed in her mind. She tossed and turned and gave up. She got out of bed and padded into the kitchen. Perhaps some warm milk might do the trick
She warmed the milk and poured herself a glass, she took a sip and made a face. Naomi thought warm milk tasted terrible. Suddenly a shadow loomed over her, startled, the glass fell from her fingers and crashed toe the floor.
" Sorry I scared you," Raphael grabbed a broom and helped clean up the mess. It hadn't woken anyone else up though.
" That's okay," Naomi said weakly, " I couldn't sleep."
" Me neither," Raph said, " I still can't believe what Garland has done…and why would he do it. You have to tell me Naomi. Why is he after you?"
Naomi sighed, " I…cant tell you. You know that Raph."
" I'm not buying it," he said, " You can tell me and I promise I won't tell anyone else. You have my word."
" But you won't believe me," she was grasping at straws now. She might be stubborn, but Raph was worse.
Raph crossed his arms, " Try me."
Naomi hesitated, " Let's go back to my room and talk. I don't want anyone to overhear." They headed for the spare room and sat down on her cot.
" The reason why Garland is after me…is because I can read his mind."
Raph stared at her dumfounded, " You can-what?"
" Read his mind," she repeated, " You know-we have telepathy."
" Why him though?" Raph demanded, " Can't you read other people's minds?"
" No. Just his…Matthew Garland is my twin brother."
