Chapter thirteen
Baxter Mansion
11pm
As I walked towards the mansion I was relived to see all the lights switched off, that would make giving Baxter Jr a peace of my mind easier. Half way up the hill I noticed a beggar man, it always filled me with sorrow to see people reduced to this, it just wasn't fair. But there was something familiar about him, who was he? Barry Williams? My dad's old friend, I didn't know. Taking out all the money in my pocket (which was a fair bit since I was in my Robin Hood clothes) and dropped it in his lap.
"Bless you Robin Hood." He called after me, he'd gotten the first bit right anyway, and it was the least I could do.
Stood a little distance away from the guard house and gate I didn't know what to do next. How do I get past him? From where I stood I could see the guard sat down, his feet propped up on a table, the TV on a bag of crisps in his hands. Well he was hardly brain of Britain, but it would be stupid to just walk in there without thinking it through.
Ding, light bulb moment. Picking up a stone from the gravel I carried out my brain wave, I threw the stone at the glass and hoped up on top of the guard house. The guard opened the window and stuck his head out, looking around he decided he was hearing things and closed the window again, not the reaction I wanted. Taking my second stone I aimed at the window again from my perch on the roof. This had the desired affect and the guard came out to inspect the noise. As he walked off along the gravel path I leant down and turned the CCTV camera on the side of the guard house in the opposite direction, away from the gate.
The guard returned and took his seat again; I studied the gate unable to remember what Mark had said yesterday, did he say the guard turned on the electric fence at night? Once again I took a stone, this time directing it at the gate; I got an answer to my question as upon impact with the gate a large surge of electricity buzzed to life catapulting the stone across the path. Wondering what the commotion was he exited the guard house, perfect. Sneaking into house I switched off the electric fence and was flat on my chest on the roof before the guard had even walked the length of the path.
The second I heard the door shut I was up and over the fence, my mind now back in one track mode, I focused only on reaching the spare room window. Moving silently I made it to the foot of the balcony and repeated yesterday's process. Tiptoeing across the balcony I stole a look at my watch, 11 o'clock, I slid open the glass door and stepped into the room. Moving silently through the darkness I made my way to the room door, suddenly I heard noise out side the door, crap. The door suddenly swung open the light flicked on and before I could move a muscle George Baxter appeared in the doorway.
He walked in and shut the door behind him.
"Hi." He said a confused smile on his lips and as much as it pained me to say it he looked gorgeous, dressed down in a white T shirt and jeans.Scolding myself for my thoughts I walked towards Baxter Jr. I'd wipe that stupid grin from his face.
I couldn't control myself; before I knew what I was doing I had slapped him round the face (which is something I never do). Taken completely a back by my sudden out burst Baxter toppled backwards (im not normally this violent, but lately people have a habit of pissing me off) clutching his cheek.
"What the…" He stuttered. "What was that for?"
"How dare you." I snapped not caring if I woke the whole mansion. "You promised me!"
"What are you on about?" He was back on his feet, a hurt bewildered look in his eyes.
"You know exactly what im on about you mangy, conniving weasel!" I shouted not really sure of my insults just desperate to get him back.
"Whoa." He said ducking again "Pack it in."
"No!" I shouted. "You lying toe wrag!"
"Robin. I don't understand!" He said.
"Don't talk to me!" I yelled swinging for him again, though this time he ducked so I carried on.
Ducking away from me George tried to figure out what was wrong with me.
"I trusted you! You promised me! Right lot of good that did me, thanks for the heads up I'll not be doing that again. Like farther like son I guess only you're more of a slimy, scheming scum bag than he is!" I said still shouting still swinging.
It was clear from his face George had had enough, so completely captivated by what I was doing I didn't see what happened next coming. Putting his hand over my mouth George threw me into the computer chair and knelt down next to me his hand still over my mouth. He waited patiently for me to stop struggling.
"You calmed down yet?" He asked I nodded starring daggers at him. He had still not released me when he said.
"Now would you mind telling me what im supposed to have done?" He removed his hand from my mouth.
"See for yourself, find a copy of the Locksdale Inquirer, I bet all this turned out better than you ever imagined." I snapped, at his confused look my mind started to tick, he was either I really good actor or he hadn't the slightest clue what I was on about. But I wasn't letting my guard down; he could easily be the former.
"The paper, you grassed me up to the Inquirer about me being a girl." I said.
"What!?" He said realising my hands and standing up.
"That's exactly what I want to know. There's a story on the first page of your families propaganda paper all about how Robin Hood of Locksdale is a woman and if she's lied about this, what else could she have lied about!!" I snapped. "What conclusion do you expect me to come to?"
"It wasn't me, I haven't left the house all day I've been too busy." He said.
"Ok I know all you lot think people in the Southside are all inferior but im not thick. You can use a phone to call a newspaper." I said.
"Robin I didn't call the paper." He said looking away with his arms folded.
"Like im gunna believe that." I said turning away as well; he wasn't the only one who could be childish.
Suddenly George was in front of me; with one gentle finger he slowly turned my head to look him in the eye.
"I didn't call the paper." He said so tenderly and so gently I actually believed him.
His hand now cupping my face I studied his perfectly symmetrical face, his calm affectionate expression, his bottomless blue eyes and said.
"Aren't you tempted?" His face filled with colour (something I've never seen on him before) as he said.
"By what?"
"Your dad" I said "imagine what he'd say if you said you could hand him Robin Hood on a sliver plate, imagine if all of this was a trap just to lure me here again so you could hand me over to daddy."
"Is that what you think?" He asked. Removing his hand from my face.
"Is that what this is?" I asked him.
"Maybe" he said catching me off guard "Or maybe not, but if it was im sure I'd have called security by now."
"You could be preoccupying me, just until they get here." I said.
"Could be" He replied "Or I could be just as surprised to see you here as you were to see your stage name in the papers this morning."
This shut me up. What if he was telling the truth?
"If it wasn't you who was it? I haven't told anyone else." I asked.
"I dunno what about you outlaws?" He replied.
"They wouldn't." I said with absolute certainty. "There's something funny about this."
"You don't say." He said sarcastically.
"Oh shut up!" I snapped the previous moment's affection long forgotten.
We stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few minuets; I knew I had to offer up some sort of apology.
"Im sorry." I said "You know for the slap." He cheek was still bright red.
"Its alright, apparently girls like a few battle scars." He replied and I groaned, he was so pompous.
"Why do you have such a big problem with me?" He asked.
"Oh I dunno? Lets think about that shall we, maybe it's because you're such a pampered prince!" I snapped.
"Maybe you just need to learn to take a joke." He shot back.
"Or maybe you just need to get over yourself!" I said.
"You didn't mind so much last night." He mumbled.
"Hey! That never happened, ok? It was just a moment of weakness and I can assure you it won't happen again." I replied desperate to get my point across, I'd maintained quite a reputation as the only girl immune to his charms.
"We'll see." He said with a mischievous grin.
"No we won't! If you want me to not have a problem with you, you can start by backing off." I said. He laughed and held out his hand which I shook as he said.
"Deal."
"ROBIN!" shouted Marks voice in my ear peace.
I gestured to George one minuet and stepped aside.
"What's up Mark?" I whispered.
"Looting, we've got a call from the Southside museum of art reporting a robbery" He said "sorry to wake you but it sounds important."
"Its ok" I said feeling guilty, I stopped abruptly, of course why didn't I see this before "The museum? A robbery at the museum?"
"Yeah." Said Mark not quite following me.
"He needs the museum; plans can't go ahead if there's a museum in the Southside! He can't build, so what dose he do? He robs it of all the art and then…" I whispered.
"There's one less thing stopping him!" Mark said cutting me off.
"Exactly!" I said it was well and truly the light at the end of the tunnel, our plan B.
"I'll be right over." I said hanging up.
Looking over at George I didn't know what to say.
"You gotta go?" He asked. I nodded.
"I figured, well you'd better get going, or you'll be late putting my dad to shame." He said with a mischievous smile.
Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought. Sure he seemed a bit narcissistic and vain and selfish and self-absorbed, the list goes on. Maybe he's decent.
Much to my unawares and misery I heard loud booming barking across the grassy meadow that was Georges back garden, the guard dogs.
"Oh crap." I said half way down the rope; I looked up to see George leaning over the balcony.
"Is that the time? I didn't know it was time for the guard dog rounds. Best get moving." He said smiling.
"Or you could help me." I offered. He just laughed. Ok, I thought running for my life, I take it back, just because were getting along doesn't mean he's decent!