Maid for Him.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The women had fallen quiet, there'd been no returns for hot chocolate for nearly two hours. Coles eyelids lowered and flung back open with each tick of the clock. Staring at the ceiling for the last few hours was a sure way to lure someone into dreamland. He rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly willing them to stay open. Eventually sleep won out and he began to drift off when suddenly the creak of a floorboard had his skin prickling. He got up on his knees and spied over the top of the sofa.

He waited, his ears pricked. A shadow darkened the doorway and Cole held his breath, certain she would hear it. Why was his heart beating so hard? It was only his mother, not some hardened criminal. He knew her. Cole frowned, it suddenly hit him that he didn't know her at all. A week ago he would never have believed his mother was capable of such evil. Yet here he was, hiding behind a sofa, having lured her to discovery.

Don't feel sorry for her she doesn't deserve it. Don't feel bad, don't feel bad, don't feel bad. He chanted in his mind as he ducked back down, out of sight.

He heard her enter the room, followed by the sound of a drawer opening, a little rustling around and then she left. Cole stood up slowly and glanced around the room. Something was different but he couldn't quite work out what. He pulled his phone from his pocket and slid it to record, holding it out in front of him he hoped to catch the action on camera. Creeping from the room he tiptoed down the hall towards the kitchen. As he passed the nursery a slight movement caught his eye, heart racing and camera rolling he ducked back behind the door.

He took a moment to gain his bearings and he slowly moved to see through the gap in the door. His mother stood, in a sleek, black cat suit, over the crib where Freddy slept. In her hands were the only two throw cushions he hadn't used for his bed. He knew something had been missing. Squinting to see in the lamp lit room he watched as his mother placed the cushions in the cot with Freddy. Right up near his head, didn't she know how dangerous that could be? She then proceeded to take all of the baby clothes and pull them off their hangers. She scrunched them up and threw them into the laundry hamper. Every last piece of clothing. She pulled something from her pocket, as she picked at it in an attempt to open it, he saw it was a sachet of milk.

What the hell are you playing at mother?

She ripped it open and poured it over the clothes. She was making them look dirty, like Tess had forgotten to do the laundry and provide clean clothes for Freddy. He narrowed his eyes, she was unbelievable.

Reaching around the door he flipped on the overhead light. "Having fun are we?"

He had no idea how he held his temper. The pure shock on her face as though she was completely confident, she would never be caught.

"Cole... darling... I can explain." Her voice quivered and her eyes bulged with the shock of being caught. "I know this looks bad but really there is a reasonable explanation."

"Oh, this should be good." Cole snarled. "Wait... so good, that I'd hate anyone to miss it."

He stepped out of the room and banged on Tess's door. Freddy cried out in his crib and Cole strode over to pick him up. The entire time, holding his phone out to capture the action. Tess and the ladies came running. "What's going on?" Tess asked as she came around the door of the nursery. "Oh you," She said when she saw Coles mother.

When Ms. Washington spotted all the women, hands on hips, flames flashing in their eyes, she took a step back. "It's not as bad as you think. I was just sneaking in to get the washing. I didn't want Tess to get in trouble for not doing it, you see." She stuttered her way through her excuse.

Cole grabbed his mother by the top of her arm and dragged her into the sitting room where he released her into a recliner. GG stood guard, while Cole showed the video to Tess and Beverly.

Tess stormed over to her. "Were you trying to smother my child with those cushions?"

The horror on Ms. Washington's face told Cole that she hadn't been intending to do that at all.

"No... No... I just... well I was just." She sighed and her head drooped down. She was defeated, he could see that in the hunch of her shoulders. "I guess I wanted you to think Tess had endangered Freddy by leaving pillows in the crib."

At least she had the decency to look ashamed of herself. "That's not what it looks like on the video." Cole said.

"I'm sure that's not how the police would see it either." Tess chimed in.

His mother looked terrified in that moment. "You wouldn't? Please? I'll do anything. I'm sorry."

"Keep watch of her ladies. I'm calling the police." Cole stalked from the room, where he dialed his good friend John's number. John and he had met when he'd had some trouble at the office, a disgruntled former employee had returned to smash things up. John was the police officer who sorted it all out for him. Although, they had little in common, they'd briefly become drinking buddies, before his accident had stalled the friendship temporarily.

"Hello?" Came John's voice down the line.

"Hey, sorry buddy but I need a huge favor."

Cole explained the situation to John, who said he'd be there soon.

"Look we don't really want to press charges, just want to scare her a bit. Keep her for a couple of hours and then let her out."

John chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Sure thing, you're a cunning man Cole."

Cole hung up and as the sun was coming up he figured it would be a good time to call Mrs. Banks. The nosiest, biggest gossip in the county.

"Hello?" Her voice was crisp and showed no sign of sleep.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You did no such thing. Who is this?"

"Mrs. Banks. This is Cole. Cole Washington. I have some gossip you've waited a lifetime to hear. My mother is about to be arrested, dragged away like a common criminal. Anyone wanting to watch has approximately 10 minutes to get to the guest house on our property."

"What? Why?"

"Sorry, don't have time to talk, got to go." He turned his phone off and placed it back in his pocket.