The Mammoth Book of Lesbian Erotica (61 page)

“Well, she must have made some errors.”

“More likely one of her housemates is spending more than his fair share.” Abigail looked up and grinned. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

Helen’s shoulders slumped. “No, Abby, please. No.”

“Yes! This is definitely a job for Nightgirl!”

It was drizzling, and the tarmac surface of the deserted car park was wet. The puddles reflected the orange light of the few working streetlamps. A lone pigeon walked carefully
around the edge. It stopped and cocked its head to one side as though listening. With an explosive burst of sound and light, the Night Car barrelled down the street opposite and shot through the
car park entrance, fishtailing wildly. The pigeon scrambled into the air, leaving a few feathers behind. Abigail, dressed in her spandex Nightgirl costume, yanked at the steering wheel. The car
pirouetted through three hundred and sixty degrees and slithered to a halt. A blue glow lit the underside, and in the bonnet a red light oscillated back and forth.

Abigail climbed out and shut the door. She pointed a remote control at her car and clicked a button. The locks clunked and the lights faded. Abigail looked around and strode across the car park
towards a row of semi-detached houses. Her red cape flapped behind her. She reached for the set of lock picks in her belt and headed for number 27.

The lock was old-fashioned and no match even for Abigail’s limited skills. She punched the air in delight and put the picks back in the pouch on her belt. Inside, the hallway was dark.
Abigail headed for the stairs. Flat E was at the top of the house, spread across the generous loft. She knocked at the door.

“Hello?” Tess peered through a gap in the door.

“Hi!” Abigail grinned. “I’ve come to help you.”

“Who are you?” Tess opened the door fully and peered closely. “Abigail? Abigail Vailing? Is that you? What are you doing here, and why are you wearing a mask?”

Abigail drew herself to her full height. “I’m Nightgirl, crime-fighting super heroine, and I’m here to help you with your bills.”

“Nightgirl? But you’re Abigail Vailing. I sit next to you in our Organizational Analysis classes.”

“Well yes, that’s my secret identity, but after dark I’m Nightgirl, the Dim Defender. How come you recognized me? That never happens to Superman or Batman.”

“I knew your voice. And your eyes.” Tess looked up and down Abigail’s body and grinned. “Look at you, girl! You look fantastic.”

Abigail grinned back, and twirled. “Do you think so? I’ve always worried that it makes my bum look big.”

“Are you kidding? Your bum looks perfect, and so does the rest of you. Hell, I wish my stomach was that flat.” Tess reached out and ran her hand around Abigail’s waist.
“Wow! The material feels amazing, doesn’t it?” She let her hand slip down over Abigail’s hip and bottom. “What are these knickers made from, PVC?”

“That’s right.”

“And why are they on the outside?’

Abigail giggled. “I’ll show you. Look!”

She peeled the panties down a couple of inches to reveal a chrome zip. “That goes right down between my legs!”

“Really? Can I feel?” Tess didn’t wait for a reply. She ran her fingers down the zip and inside Abigail’s red PVC panties. Abigail wiggled her hips. “Blimey. I can
see why you’d want to keep that hidden. Why did you get trousers like that?”

“At first they were the only ones I could find on eBay, but now I find them quite convenient, actually.”

Tess winked. “I bet you do, honey. Anyway, look at me, being all rude. I haven’t invited you in.”

She held the door open and Abigail stepped into the flat. She looked around the large, open space. “This is nice, Tess.”

“Yes, it’s not bad. I share a kitchen downstairs, but I’m lucky that this flat has its own ensuite shower room. The others have one between the three of them. You should hear
them in the mornings.”

“Helen said you’d been having trouble with your bills.”

Tess frowned. “Yeah. I can’t understand it. I worked it all out so carefully, but the phone bill is about three times what I’d expected. The electricity is a bit high too, and
I’m even spending more on food than I thought. I seem to go through a box of cereal a week.”

“Don’t you split the bills?”

“No. I rent the house and sublet rooms to the other three. They pay me a fixed amount each month. I had hoped it would cover some of my own costs, but it’s not even close at the
moment.”

Abigail gave Tess a solemn look. “Tess, I’m sorry to tell you this, but there’s a high possibility that at least one of your housemates is ripping you off.”

“Oh!” Tess put a hand up to her mouth. “But they’re so nice. They wouldn’t do that, would they? How can you be so sure?”

Abigail clenched her fist. “It wouldn’t be obvious to someone like you, Tess, but to a trained and experienced crime fighter like myself, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Someone is
abusing the trust you have placed in them.”

“But what can I do about it?”

“Don’t worry. Now I’m here, we’ll soon get to the bottom of this evil plot. The first thing we need to do is commence a surveillance operation.”

“You mean spy on them?”

“Yes. We’ll start with the guys, because in my experience, only one in . . .” Abigail silently ticked off her fingers. Her lips moved slowly “. . . eight villains is
female.”

“Okay. John is in room C and Dave is in D. They’re both on the floor below. Simon is on the ground floor in room A.”

“We’ll spy on Simon first, then, because he will be the easiest. Looking through first-floor windows is tricky unless there’s a tree opposite.” Abigail looked hopefully
at Tess. “There isn’t one, is there?”

Tess shook her head.

“Never mind. I’ll go and see if I can see what Simon is up to.” Abby unclipped a case from her belt.

“What’s that?”

“It’s an extendable periscope. I’ll crouch outside his window and use this to look inside.”

“What if his curtains are drawn?”

“Villains never draw their curtains.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes them look suspicious.”

“But if you can look in and see what they’re up to, doesn’t that make them even more suspicious?”

“Well, yes, but – never mind. You wait here.”

“Can’t I come with you?”

“Not yet.” Abigail pointed at Tess’s white blouse. “You’re not dressed right.”

She crept downstairs and out of the front door. There was only one window on the ground floor, to the left of the door. Abby crawled along in the shadows until she was underneath it. She
extended her periscope and smiled. The curtains were drawn, but they didn’t quite meet in the middle. Abigail peered through the gap.

Simon was lying on his bed in jeans and a T-shirt, watching a small portable television. A cup of coffee steamed on a bedside table. As she watched, he picked it up and took a sip. He looked
back at the television and chuckled.

Abigail was just shifting position, trying to get comfortable, when she heard the front door open and close. She froze. Footsteps scrunched on the gravel path. Abigail had to bite back a scream
when someone sat down beside her.

“Hi, Abby,” said Tess. “I got changed into some dark clothes. Is this better?”

Abigail’s heart was still pounding. “Golly, you gave me a fright.”

She looked at Tess, who was wearing black slacks and a black polo neck sweater. “Well, your clothes are better, but the blonde hair is a bit of a giveaway. You could do with a
hat.”

Tess nodded. “Good point. Don’t you have a spare hood or something?”

“I’ll bring one tomorrow. Now hush. He’s just getting up.”

“Let me see.”

“Not yet. Just sit there for a moment. And stop fondling my bottom.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t help it. Your outfit feels so nice.”

“Well, stop it. It’s distracting. He’s left his room.”

“Oh, no! Is he coming out?”

“I doubt it. He was barefoot. Look, he’s back. Now that is interesting.”

“What? What?”

“He’s got a chocolate digestive biscuit and a cordless phone.”

“But I’m the only one who buys chocolate digestives! He usually gets Kitkats.”

“Told you so. He’s pinching your food. They’re probably all at it. What about the phone?”

“Well, I got cordless so they wouldn’t have to sit in the hall and make calls. They just have to replace it afterwards.”

“Damn! He’s got into bed. Now I can’t see what he’s doing. He’s definitely on the phone, though.”

“How will we find out where he’s ringing?”

“Easy. We’ll wait until he puts the phone back and press redial.”

“Wow. You really are good at this.”

“Thanks. Do you have to sit so close? Your hand is rubbing against my nipple and it’s getting a little stiff.”

“Sorry.”

It was over half an hour before Simon replaced the telephone. Abigail jumped to her feet and entered the house. She picked up the handset. It was still warm. She pressed the
redial button.

“Damn! I think he must be onto us. He’s cunning, I’ll give him that.”

“What?” asked Tess. She shut the front door. Abigail held the phone out. Tess took it and listened.

“At the third stroke, the time will be eight fifteen precisely,” said a well-spoken female voice.

Tess looked puzzled. “The speaking clock? How could he have spent forty minutes talking to the speaking clock?”

“He didn’t,” said Abigail. “He rang it just before he put the phone back so no one could find out who he’d been ringing.”

“Gosh. That is cunning. What will we do?”

“What time does he usually get back in the evening?”

“About six o’clock. Why?”

“I’ll be here at half-past five. I’ll break into his room and hide under the bed. Once he’s got the phone and I know whom he’s ringing, I’ll signal you. Then
you can distract him for long enough for me to sneak out.”

“That’s a great plan.”

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“I hear you’re going round to see Tess again tonight,” said

Helen.

Abigail frowned. “That was supposed to be a secret.” “She’s very excited about it. I think she’s rather taken with

you. God knows why.”

“Maybe she thinks I’m someone to look up to.”

Helen coughed, and swallowed hard. “Yes, that must be it.”

Abigail folded her arms. “If you’ve quite finished, Helen,

some of us have crime to fight.” She sniffed and walked out.

Abigail stood outside flat A and brandished her lock picks.

“Abby, wait!” called Tess from the top of the stairs.

“Shhhh!” hissed Abby with a finger to her lips. “Do you want everyone to know we’re here? And try to remember that my name is ’Nightgirl’, not
Abby.”

“There’s no one else in, Abby. Anyway, I thought you’d like to know that I have a master key. It might be easier than picking the lock.”

“Yes, well, that seems like a very amateur way of going about things, but as you’re here, you might as well open it.”

Tess unlocked the door and held it open. Abby stepped into the room. She reached up to her throat and unfastened her red cape.

“Tess, would you look after this for me? If I need to make a quick getaway, it might hinder me.”

Tess looked as though she’d been given the crown jewels to look after.

“Wow, thanks, Abby! You can rely on me. I won’t let you down.”

“Good. Now scoot, quickly, before he gets back.”

“Bye!” Tess skipped upstairs.

Abigail closed the door and walked over to the double bed. She knelt down and peered underneath it. Seeing nothing but a couple of boxes, she lay on her stomach and slithered into the gap. She
looked at her watch. Ten minutes to go.

The door opened. She heard a footstep, and a click as the person pushed the door shut. Abby shifted position and was surprised to see a pair of stiletto heels. She gulped as the figure knelt in
front of the bed and slowly lowered its head.

“Hi, Abby!”

Abigail looked away and banged her head on the floor. “Tess. What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t stay in my room, Abby. I was too excited.” Tess flattened herself and shuffled sideways. “Come on, budge up.”

“Tess, you can’t get under here! What about distracting him so I can get out?”

“Oh, I’ve thought of that. I rang Helen. She’s going to come round at about half past eight to discuss an assignment with him.”

“Helen agreed to do that?”

“Yes. She wasn’t too happy about it, mind you. Muttered something about how you’d probably enjoy getting tied up again. Gosh, it’s cosy under here, isn’t
it?”

Abigail jerked up and banged her head on the underside of the bed. “Ow! Would you stop that?”

“What?”

“You touched my bottom again.”

“I didn’t!”

“You did, too. There! You’re doing it again!”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Tess, I don’t think this is going to work. You’d better go back to your room.”

The front door of the house banged.

“Too late,” whispered Tess. “I think he’s back.”

A key slid into the lock with a scrape of metal. The tumblers clicked as it turned. The door gave a faint creak. Abigail held her breath. Behind her, Tess snuggled closer. A pair of black boots
stepped into view. The girls heard a rustle of material, and a faded leather jacket landed on the armchair at the other side of the room. The television burst into life.

“This is the six o’clock news, from the BBC. In the headlines tonight, the Government proposes sweeping changes to the education system. There’s confusion in America when the
president fails to recognize his own Chief of Staff, and in sport, despair for giant-killing minnows Millington Town as they are knocked out of the FA Cup quarter finals by Chelsea.”

“Bastards,” said a voice. The bed creaked when Simon threw himself on top of it.

Abigail shifted. Tess was very close, and had slipped an arm around her. She could feel Tess’s breasts pressing into her back. She tried to slide forwards. Tess clung tighter.

The bed shifted again. Simon sat up, his feet inches from Abigail’s nose. He walked to the door and opened it. As soon as he left, Abigail rolled over to face Tess.