Casey and Me

Did NOT see that coming

Miss Ainsworth's face was like stone by the time I'd finished recounting my story. "You're sure of this?" she asked. "I don't mean to doubt you, but I need to know that this was a ... willing exchange."

"Oh, it was willing," I said bitterly, fighting off the urge to be sick again. I'd already had to run to the toilet twice. "I mean, I love my parents, but I'd never do anything like that with them, not in a million years!"

"I was afraid of this." Miss Ainsworth sat back in her chair, lacing her fingers together. "I knew taking Casey on was going to be a bad idea, but I never dreamed she'd get you caught up in her lies."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Casey and her family are, in a word, con artists," Miss Ainsworth said. "And that's not because of their heritage either. Ellis is part Romani, and he's one of the most kind-hearted people I know."

I looked at Ellis, who nodded and gave me a wink. "Dad's ma," he confided. "She was a really good soul, and made sure Dad knew to raise me and Sally right."

Miss Ainsworth smiled, but it was a sad one. "I fought hard to get Casey away from that toxic environment," she said. "At first she seemed to comply with my directives, but it didn't take long for her to go behind my back and sneak back to her parents'. I confronted her the next day, and she told me that she loved her family, and that she would never let anyone separate them.

"So I talked to her parents the next day. And they put on the exact display you described. It was far more graphic, though, but I won't disclose those details. I called the police on them for child molestation, and after an investigation, Casey was removed. I then had to place her on house arrest, essentially preventing her from leaving the school grounds at any time, but again she slipped out and returned to her house. I called the police again, and found out that it was all a scam. Jane and Kenneth aren't even her parents."

"What?" I said, stunned. 

"When Casey was born, her birth mother was tricked into signing her parental rights over to her sister, Jane," Miss Ainsworth said. "How and why Jane managed this was anyone's guess, but it's my understanding that the sisters had had a falling out of some description, likely to do with their mother, who'd thrown Jane out for stealing. The Romani are a tight-knit people, and they don't take betrayal from within very kindly.

"Jane held a grudge for quite some time, and when she found out her sister was pregnant with Casey, she hatched a plot. Casey's mother had let slip she'd slept with Jane's former boyfriend, and Jane was even more angry when she found out that union had borne fruit. So the very first thing she did was have Richard killed in a car 'accident'."

I shivered, revolted. Ellis tightened his arms and rested his chin on my head. "Go on," he said, his voice like iron. 

Miss Ainsworth nodded. "Naturally, Naomie was devastated at the loss of her partner, and Jane swooped in to be the 'caring' sister. And that was how she convinced Naomie into signing away her rights when Casey was born. I won't go into further detail, but after Naomie found out the truth, she..."

I shook my head. "No, it's okay," I said, suddenly aware of Miss Ainsworth's pained face. I now knew enough of the truth to put two and two together, and the answer saddened me. "So, what do I do now?"

"I can't advise you," Miss Ainsworth told me, a grateful look in her eyes. "Your friendship with Casey may just be the thing which saves her. But if her claws get too tight, you'll have to fight to get clear. And Casey won't let go. She's never had a real friend in her life, and since you've offered your genuine friendship, she's going to latch onto you like a starving dog on a bone. Be careful."

"I'll do my best," I promised. "And thank you."

Miss Ainsworth smiled sadly again. "I know you won't tell anyone who doesn't need to know."

"God no," I said. "I'm not a blabbermouth."

"I didn't think so," Miss Ainsworth said. "I didn't mean to misdirect you so, but since you've worked it out, I know I need not say another word. I can only pray she comes back to me of her own free will, but I know she won't."

"We can all hope for that," Ellis agreed. 

"Sometimes hope can be a powerful tool," Miss Ainsworth admitted. She firmed her shoulders. "Now, young lady. It is way past dinner time, but there's a little shop in the village that sells fish and chips. Try not to make too much noise when you come home, please."

Ellis and I took that as a firm dismissal, and we said our goodbyes before slipping quietly out of the office. "Right," Ellis said decisively, taking my hand and leading me down the hall. "Go to the gate and I'll swing around with the car. And be careful."

"I will be," I promised, giving his hand a squeeze before hurrying on ahead. Casey and her aunt and uncle would probably be too busy doing all sorts - and it would likely be too late for Casey to come back in any case. Even so, I knew there was still trouble ahead, and even though I had a thick coat on, I couldn't shake the chill which had lodged itself at the base of my spine.