A Woman Scorned
Disclaimer; New Tricks belongs to Auntie Beeb, but I sneaked in and borrowed them while she's busy with Dr Who.
Rating; Probably T, to be safe.
Pairing; A simple Sandland tale.
Episode; This is set after Rob's divorce. So it could be just after 'Big Topped'.
/
Brian looked up as he heard the outer door open, he nodded a greeting to the man standing just inside the doorway.
"Sir." He said simply. His boss nodded in response, Brian thought it must be his imagination, but the younger man looked nervous. "Can I help you with something?"
"Is DSI Pullman in?" He asked, peering across the office at the closed door.
"Yes Sir, she's collating the time sheets, ready for the end of the month."
Strickland nodded and crossed to the door. He tapped lightly and waited for permission to enter.
"Come in." Came the reply, he opened the door and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Brian shrugged and put his mind back on the computer screen in front of him.
/
Sandra watched as her boss, quietly closed the door, before standing nervously in front of her. She smiled softly.
"Is everything alright sir?" She asked. He sighed.
"I need to have a word, if you have a minute. It's a personal matter, and well, a little bit embarrassing." He looked down at the table in front him.
"Okay." Sandra said, a little bit wary, "Do you want to sit down?" He nodded and took the seat opposite. "It can't be that bad."
"I haven't told you what's happened yet." He answered. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, you all know that my wife left me for another man. Despite my best attempts, it's common knowledge." He shifted uncomfortably. Sandra nodded.
"Nothing stays secret in a place like this." She confirmed. He shrugged.
"Yes, well. My divorce has gone through, I'm now officially single."
"Part of me wants to say congratulations, but I'm not sure that's appropriate." Sandra tried to lighten the mood, Robert smiled.
"I don't know. Seems like a weight has been lifted." He replied. Sandra decided it seemed like he wanted to talk, so she asked the question which was at the front of her mind.
"What happened Sir? There are lots of rumours running around, but I'd prefer to know the truth." He was quiet for a moment.
"I knew she had been with other men. Kaye was used to having anything she wanted, that's why I pushed for every promotion that was offered, everything I did was to make her happy, but it was never enough." He looked down sadly. Sandra reached over and took his hand.
"I'm sorry, I know she was your wife and that you loved her, but she sounds like a complete bitch, with a capital b." He laughed softly.
"You are so right. But as you said, I loved her, and I could forgive her the occasional affair. But I couldn't forgive her when she got the children involved in her sordid little lies."
"What do you mean?"
"I was supposed to be away for a night at a symposium, but it was cancelled, so I came home unexpectedly. It was eleven o/clock at night, so I was surprised to find Roo and Mione sat on the sofa, watching a film which was far to old for them, eating junk. When I asked them what was going on, they told me they couldn't go to bed because Mum was upstairs with a friend, and they were not allowed to go upstairs." His eyes blazed as he spoke, Sandra was shocked as she heard the true story.
"That's awful!" She exclaimed.
"I was furious, She was with a 'friend' of ours. I told them both to get out and I filed for divorce the next day. I gained sole custody of the children."
"I'm not surprised, how old were they at the time?"
"Mione was ten, Roo, eight. Obviously that was nearly two years ago."
"That's got to be hard, raising your children while doing this job." He nodded.
"That's why I've done my best to stick to nine to five. But I've had to employ an au-pair. That's part of the problem I've come to you with."
"Oh."
"Kaye has found herself a new husband, he's a multi-millionaire producer, and she wants the kids back, she wants to take them to live in Miami. So she has appealed the decision, and told the court that I've been sleeping with Clara, the au-pair, which I haven't in case you're wondering, she's only nineteen, young enough to be my daughter."
"It never crossed my mind Sir." Sandra replied. Robert smiled.
"Thank you. That means a lot, and please, call me Robert."
"I'll try." She grinned. "But I still don't understand..."
"She has also told the court that I was sleeping around while we were married, which again is rubbish, I was never unfaithful, unless you count that pub lunch we shared when I first took over UCOS."
"I don't think chicken and pasta salad in a packed pub counts as a dinner date." Sandra smiled. He nodded.
"I know, but she has named you as 'the other woman'." He rushed, looking embarrassed. Sandra looked as though she had been slapped.
"Me!"
"Yes, I'm sorry, but you may get a summons to court. I've got a list here of dates which she claims we were together. If you could present evidence to the contrary, it would show her up as the liar she is." He handed her a sheet of paper. She sat looking at the sheet, dumbstruck. Robert felt the need to break the silence. "I'm sorry. She's grasping at straws, trying to smear my name. I told the lawyer is was ridiculous, that you barely tolerate me as your boss..." He went quiet. She looked up from the sheet.
"I can help straight away. This date here, the twenty ninth, I was with my mother at the nursing home, it's her birthday." She looked up at him. "You really think I only tolerate you as a boss?" He looked away, unable to meet her eyes.
"I think that's pretty clear. You have made it quite clear in the past that you don't like me."
"I have?" She watched as he stood.
"Thank you for your help. If you can go through those dates, that would be very helpful." He needed to get out of the office, he had already shared more of his personal life with her than he had any other person. He felt stripped bare and he couldn't sit here, looking into those sapphire blue eyes for a moment longer. He had long given up any hope that the woman in front of him would ever give him anything other than the time of day. That's why he had entered into the relationship with Christy, to try and move on with his life. Though that had been a complete disaster. She had played him like a pro, and Sandra and the team had been witness to his humiliation. He was nearly at the door before he heard her voice.
"Robert! Wait." He stopped, his hand on the handle. Hearing his given name uttered by her velvet voice was almost a torture, but one that he would gladly endure. "I'm sorry, I never meant to make you feel like...like." She struggled for the words, he smiled sadly.
"Like I was something Brian's dog had rolled in." He finished. She stared at him. "It's alright, I'm used to it, even my parents thought I wasn't worth the effort." He added with a small smile. She stood and approached him.
"Can I ask you a question?" She asked. He nodded. "Has anybody ever told you you're special?" She knew she was crossing a line, but something had been triggered inside her when she had heard how he thought she felt about him, and his acceptance of that had frightened her, that a person she had worked so closely with had been through so much, without her realising filled her with shame. He looked a little startled for a moment, like a rabbit caught in headlights.
"I..Um.. I.." He stuttered. She smiled kindly.
"I thought not. You are you know. God knows we wouldn't be here without you, they'd have closed us down, Jack would be dead of boredom, Esther probably would have murdered Brian by now, and Gerry would probably be in another doomed marriage. And I'd probably be back on the promotion treadmill, instead we are all part of something special, that really helps people, and for what it's worth, I know that it's mainly because of you. Bevan used to involve us in all the politics and bean counting, I know you keep most of that away from us. And I do appreciate it. Even if I don't show it." She watched his face as he blushed, he really did have an expressive face when he wasn't hiding behind a mask. He smiled.
"Just doing my job." He replied as he opened the door and left the office. Sandra sat back down, she was shaken by the picture which had been painted, and by the loneliness of the man who until now had seemed so self assured. She knew he had just run from her, and she had let him go, for now, but this was far from over.
/
It was nearly eight thirty in the evening when Sandra drew her car up outside the clean, well kept semi which belonged to her boss. She paced up the path and rang the bell. It wasn't long before the door was opened by a young girl, who from her dark hair and clear deep blue eyes, could only be one of the mini Stricklands. Sandra smiled.
"Hi, Is your dad home?" She asked. The girl nodded politely, before yelling at the top of her voice;
"Dad! It's someone for you!"
"Who is it?" She heard the familiar voice reply, as he appeared from what must be the kitchen because he had his sleeves rolled up, and a drying up cloth in his hand.
"Don't know, but she's very pretty." Came the reply, making Sandra blush. Robert blushed scarlet when he saw who it was.
"Sandra, come in." He stood to one side as she entered. He looked at his daughter who was smirking at him slightly. "Haven't you got any homework?" he questioned. She smiled sweetly.
"Nope."
"Maybe you could find some." He suggested.
"Nope." The girl replied cheekily. Robert rolled his eyes.
"Sandra Pullman, meet Hermione Strickland. There, now will you go?"
"Okay." The girl smiled sweetly and bounced up the stairs. She paused at the top and called down. "Dad?"
"Yes."
"It's about time." She smiled, the affection clear on her young face. She dodged the cloth as he threw it at her disappearing form. He turned to a grinning Sandra.
"Sorry. She keeps going on about how I've been 'out of the game' for too long." He explained, his face still red. Sandra laughed.
"It's fine." She followed as he led her through to the kitchen. A young woman was sat at the table with a boy, who again was the spitting image of his father. The woman smiled warmly.
"Sandra, this is my son, Rufus.." The boy made a face, "..known as Roo. And Clara, without whom I'd be lost. This is DSI Sandra Pullman." The woman stood and held out her hand.
"Pleased to meet you. Robert is always talking about you." She said in a friendly voice, tinged with an Australian accent. She turned to Robert. "Roo's all done with his homework."
"Great. Are you meeting Dan tonight?" He asked, She nodded. "Okay, well, be safe." He smiled at her, turning to the kettle. Clara smiled at Sandra.
"See you later?" She asked, Sandra smiled.
"I'm not sure, I hope so." The young woman leaned closer.
"Try to get him to chill a bit, he works way to hard." She whispered in Sandra's ear, before grabbing a jacket and heading out the front door. She watched as the man in question finished clearing the kitchen. He turned to his son.
"Can you pack you're school stuff away and start getting ready for bed?" He told the boy.
"Can I read my Dr Who book in bed?" He asked. Robert nodded.
"So long as it's not going to give you nightmares. I'll be up in a minute." As the boy passed he, he turned to Sandra.
"It's nice to meet you." He said in a shy voice, but his bright smile was contagious and Sandra couldn't help returning it.
"And you." She replied. The boy disappeared up the stairs. Sandra accepted the coffee which was held out to her, She smiled. "Your children are lovely." She told him. He returned the smile tenfold.
"Thank you. So what brings you here at this time of night?"
"I went through the list of dates you gave me, I've managed to account for all but one." She fished a large envelope out of her bag. "I've written it as a statement and signed it, if you need me to stand up in court, I will." She gave him the envelope, as he took it, their fingers brushed. "Do they know what's going on?" She asked. He nodded sadly.
"I've never stopped Kaye from having contact with them, and I found out that she's been trying to get them to agree to go to Miami. She's going down this route because they both told her they want to stay here."
"Then don't worry, my statement will show her up as a liar, and the courts will take the children's opinion into account. You are doing a great job." He put the envelope on the side.
"I had better go and check on them, I'll be back in a few minutes, will you wait?" he looked at her hopefully, she nodded. He left her and went up the stairs. He looked in on Rufus first, who was sat up up bed reading.
"Half an hour, then lights out." Robert told him. The boy nodded. Robert was about to leave when his sons quiet voice stopped him.
"Dad, is she the one?"
"The one?"
"The one Mum says you were with." The boy explained. Robert sighed.
"Yes, she is. Although it's not true. Sandra and me are just friends. She doesn't like me the way your mother says." He tried to explain. The boy shook his head.
"I think she does like you. You should ask her out." He told his father. His face serious. Robert smiled.
"Maybe. Night."
"Night Dad." Robert pulled the door closed, then crossed to the opposite bedroom, he knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in." He entered and watched for a few minutes as his daughter leafed through a magazine, her music playing softly.
"You don't have to stay shut up here you know." He told her, she shrugged.
"I'm quite tired, I think I'll get an early night. I've got the netball team try outs tomorrow." She grinned at her dad. "Besides, I don't want to cramp your style. She's very beautiful."
"Mione, she's just a friend."
"I know. But she likes you. Don't be afraid Dad, not everybody is like Mum, or Christy." He looked into her young eyes, so similar to his own.
"I know." He told her. She smiled.
"Night Dad."
"Goodnight sweetheart." he was about to shut the door when she stopped him.
"Dad... If she stays the night, that's alright. Roo and me, we know what it's all about. Don't think you have to protect us." Robert smiled and nodded. He closed the door and returned to his guest. He watched as Sandra stood in front of the fireplace, looking at the framed pictures there. She must have sensed him watching her, because she turned to him with a smile.
"Who's this?" She asked, pointing to a photo of the children with a young red haired woman. Robert smiled.
"That's Nellia, she was our first au-pair. The agency I contacted when I realised I needed help sent her to us, she was amazing, she really helped the children through that first year. She was here doing a gap year, she's at university back in Germany now." He pointed at another photo, this one Sandra recognised as Clara. "Clara is training to be a full-time nanny. The time she spends with us is part of her qualification. She's the eldest of five, so she is great with the kids, she's like an older sister to them. She's just started going out with Dan Carter. He's one of the new PCs just arrived from Hendon. He had to deliver some papers to me one weekend, I think it was love at first sight." He jumped slightly as she touched his arm.
"You're really scared you're going to lose them." He looked down.
"Kaye is marrying a man who is worth several million. They could give the children everything without ever having to leave the house. I'm a single man, working full time. We both know the courts tend to favour the mothers in custody battles. Plus, with their money, they can afford to fight to the end. I don't have a bottomless pit. So, yes I'm scared. I'm bloody terrified." He rubbed his hand across his eyes. She grasped his hand in hers, her other hand cupped his cheek. She stared into his eyes.
"Don't! Don't you dare give up. She's not the only one who can play dirty. Her accusations have pulled me into this, and by default the guys. Tomorrow, we'll start digging. There will be something, there always is." She watched as a spark of hope danced in his eyes. "And I don't hate you, the reason I've always kept you at arms length is simple. All the men I've been involved with have been unattainable. Either married, or otherwise. Basically I've always been attracted to men I can't have. It's protected me from the threat of becoming domesticated. You were never a safe option. You are single, and attractive, and I think I've been terrified that my mother was right, we could be a very handsome couple. And the thought of that has kept me from letting me see you... Until tonight." She ran her hand down his jawline, feeling the light stubble. "Suddenly, tonight the thought of domestic life doesn't seem so scary. I'd like for us to be ….Friends." She struggled for words. He shook his head.
"That's the problem. I don't want to settle for 'friends' I want more, and I know that you don't..." He was silenced by the feel of her lips on his.
"Maybe I do." She whispered against his soft mouth, he smiled.
"Even if I come with an instant family." He teased. She nodded.
"If they are prepared to share you with me. Remember, I'm inheriting your two fabulous children. All I'm bringing to the table is my mother!" Robert laughed.
"You are forgetting your three bodyguards, who will probably think you've gone mad."
"I can handle them." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, he smiled and pulled her against him, enveloping her in his embrace. Their lips collided again, this time the kiss was more passionate, filled with promise. He pulled away reluctantly.
"Can you stay tonight?" He almost pleaded. She nodded softly.
"Will it be alright with your children?" She asked. "I don't want to upset them."
"To be honest, I think they will be more upset if you're not here in the morning." He smiled. She laughed.
"Can I make a confession?" He nodded. "I had hoped, after this mornings conversation that this would happen, so just in case, I popped a few things into an overnight bag. It's in my car." He looked surprised.
"You hoped that I'd ask you to stay?" He couldn't quite believe that this fabulous woman had come here this evening wanting him." She nodded. "How long...?"
"This morning, when you said your ex had name me as the 'other woman'. A little voice inside me said 'I wish' and I realised that I really did. You know me, if there's something I want badly enough.."
"And you want me?" He still couldn't quite believe it. He was grinning like a cheshire cat now.
"Yes I do. I think I'm in love with you Robert Strickland." She told him earnestly. He caressed her face gently.
"I know that I love you, I have for a long time." He kissed her again, only breaking apart to lead her to the stairs. He paused for a second.
"Shall we go and get that bag?" She nodded.
"Absolutely."
/
Four weeks later.
Robert frowned as he saw the official letter on his doormat. The legal letters had been coming thick and fast, as Kaye stepped up her campaign agaist him. She had become especially vindictive when she had found out about their newly born relationship, and had gone all out to hurt him.
Then about a week ago, all had gone quiet. He had asked Sandra, but all she had told him was that Brian may have discovered something to fire back at them. He opened the letter, before rushing into the kitchen, where Sandra was preparing scrambled eggs for the children. He smiled.
"She's stopped all proceedings. She's not going to try and take you to Miami." He blurted out, as happy as a kid at Christmas. Roo and Mione shot from their seats and gave their father a bear hug, before breaking away and launching themselves at Sandra. Robert joined the huddle, the pure relief making him want to weep.
At that moment a weary Clara wandered in.
"Hey guys, what's up." It was Roo that answered.
"Mum isn't going to take us away. We can stay a family!" He practically shouted in an excited voice. Clara squealed and joined the family huddle.
Nothing was going to stop them being a family now. Sandra laughed, she was finally home.
/
Kaye stood in shock, watching as the bailiffs carried yet more of her possessions from her house. Well not her house evidently as is had just been repossessed, along with the cars, and just about every asset Marcus owned. He stood glaring at her.
"You couldn't leave it alone, you had to try and get your final revenge on him. Shit, no wonder he was happy to divorce you."
"How the hell was I supposed to know you've never paid any tax!" She countered.
"Well, somebody found out! You didn't even want the kids." He yelled as he stormed out of the door. She held a hand written letter which she had received the week before in her fist. It was from that Pullman woman, she had warned her to leave Robert and the children alone, or face the consequences. She had scoffed at the letter, had shown it to her new husband and laughed. Now she wished she had taken more notice. The proceedings had been withdrawn as soon as the family court had found out that her and Marcus were facing numerous counts of tax evasion and fraud. She was ruined. The last line from the letter stuck in her mind.
'Leave my family in peace.'
/
Author's note. I've done several stories where Rob has been separated from his kids, so in this one I decided he would get to be the daddy, and kaye would be the one left with nothing – Serve her right!
A great big thank you and virtual hug to all those who read my stories, and to those who take the time to review. You're the best! XOXOX. Sarah.