Faraday 02 Network Virus (23 page)

She shrugged. There wasn’t time to think about that now. The day ahead was going to be busy. She picked up Stafford Paulson next, driving his car for him because she’d taken him home last night and left him with his wife with instructions that she should make sure he took a couple of aspirins and went straight to bed and had a decent night’s sleep. Then she had driven back to her lodgings at her aunt’s place in Newton Abbot.

He was up and waiting for her when she arrived. He claimed he had slept well and was feeling fine with no bad effects from his violent activities the night before. The cut on his face had a small plaster on it but the smear of a bruise hadn’t spread to blacken his eye. When asked, he felt the back of his head a little gingerly but said he had nothing more than a tender swelling where the boot had landed.

“
Do you mind if we call in on Sidney on our way in to the office?” she asked. “I think I can get more information out of him about our friend Charles Hawardine.”

“
OK. As soon as we get in I want to get a search underway for our friend Sean Hendon,” He grinned. “This is getting personal.”

When they arrived at the hospital they were passed along to the sister of one of the men’s wards. They showed her their warrant cards.

“
I’m Sarah Richardson,” she announced when they met her. “We were told there was something a bit funny about Sidney Pullman when he was admitted last night so I put him in one of the private rooms. He’s in number three.”

“
What’s the extent of his injuries?”

“
Not as much as we at first feared. The man’s not the heroic type who suffers in silence. The X-rays showed one rib is cracked in two places but was too low to threaten the lung. His shoulder was slightly dislocated but we reset that without any trouble, although the amount he hollered suggested we were taking his arm off.” She smiled briefly. “He’s got plenty of bruising down his left side including a large one on the inside of his thigh. But they didn’t get to his testes. His abdomen’s sore but we don’t think there’s any internal damage.”

“
So you’ll be letting him out quite soon?”

“
He says he’s frightened that they - whoever they are - will get after him again if he’s released.” She shrugged. “He’s not exactly courageous. However that’s your problem, not mine.”

“
Can we see him?”

“
Go ahead. Rather you than me. As I said, he’s in number three, second door on the right.”

When they entered the single room Sidney was lying on his side facing the door. His eyes widened when he saw Paulson.

“
It wasn’t me, Inspector. I swear on the bible that I’ve never touched the girl. I don’t even know who she is or what she looks like.”

Stafford stood looking at him while Charlotte moved to the foot of the bed. His eyes followed her.

“
That’s not quite correct, is it, Sidney?” she said.

His gaze turned to Paulson. “Who’s this?”

“
This is Chief Inspector Faraday,” he said with deliberate slowness. “She is a very important person and I’ve brought her here because we need some vital information from you.”

“
What do you want? I’ve told you everything I know. And I’m not very well,” he ended with a whimper.

“
You haven’t told the whole truth, Sidney.” Charlotte bent over him and he recoiled with a groan as far as his injuries would let him. “You haven’t told us where you went last Thursday morning while your sister was working at The Black Bear.”

“
I told you I just went out to get a paper.”

“
We know you’re lying,” said Paulson.

“
Sidney, we have the evidence of another witness that you were in a dark blue Bentley when Tracey got into it. Then the car took you to visit Charles Hawardine. Are you going to continue to lie to us?”

Pullman’s face crumpled. “I knew it wasn’t going to do any good,” he complained. “Charles said he’d look after me. But he wasn’t there last night when they came for me, was he? And my shoulder hurts like hell.”

“
I think you ought to remember, Sidney, that it was us who saved you from a damned good beating last night,” said Paulson. “If we hadn’t come along you’d have probably ended up a neutered cripple, perhaps even dead.” He shook his head. “It’s about time you learned who the people are that you can rely on.”

“
I think, Sidney,” said Charlotte, “that you have to tell us the whole story before you get into really deep trouble.”

The man nodded, then winced. “All right, I will, as long as you give me protection.”

“
What sort of protection do you want?” asked Paulson.

“
Can’t I go back to that open prison? They was all right there. There wasn’t any real criminals there. They was all blokes what had been unlucky like me. And there was lots to do, books to read, and nobody worried about what anyone else had done in the past.”

“
I don’t know about that, but we’ll have a word with the probation service and see what they come up with.”

“
I don’t want to go back to Daisy’s place. They broke in there just like it was made of cardboard.”

“
We’ve said we’ll see what we can do,” said Charlotte. “Now tell us what happened on Thursday morning.”

Pullman took a breath and stifled a groan. “All right. We were taken back to Charles’s place.”

“
Who was?”

“
There was some snooty prefect lad and the little girl - Tracey, did you say she was called? - and there was me. And the bloke driving the car, of course.

“
And what did you do at Charles’ place?”

“
He wanted to give the girl a screen test. He - he’s got a sort of film studio.”

“
Really?” She looked at Paulson. “Where’s this film studio - in the house or in the stables?”

“
No. It’s in the top floor of the boathouse down by the river. It’s hidden behind some trees. He’s made it into a studio with a glass wall and video cameras and special lighting. That’s what he wants me for.”

“
And what sort of films does he make there?” But Charlotte could guess.

Sidney appeared to be suffering from his injuries again. “I don’t know,” he whimpered. “I haven’t seen any of them.”

“
What did he need Tracey for?” asked Paulson.

“
Can’t you guess,” said Charlotte. “What did Tracey have to do for this screen test, Sidney?”

“
Well, she had to undress.”

“
What? Completely?” Stafford was horrified. “Wasn’t she frightened?”

“
No. She knew it was going to happen. The boy had told her what was going to happen. So she took her clothes off without even blushing.”

“
And what were you doing, Sidney, while she was undressing?”

“
Me?” Another stifled groan. “I was getting the spotlights ready. Charles wanted me to point various spotlights to her at different angles while the cameraman was taking his shots.”

“
Was that all you were doing, Sidney?” asked Paulson.

Pullman switched his frightened eyes to the inspector. “I promise you I never touched her. I was too busy with my spots and my jellies.”

“
Jellies?”

“
They’re the different coloured filters we slide in front of the lights to produce different effects.”

“
OK,” said Charlotte. “Was Tracey standing up in the nude while these shots were being taken?”

“
Some of them, and some she was lying on the bed.”

“
So there’s a bed in this studio, is there?”

“
Yes, a great big semi-circular bed. It’s the main thing in there. It’s all done up in white with a big white headboard and an angled mirror above it so that the camera can get shots from above.”

“
Didn’t you say something about a glass wall?”

“
That’s right,” Pullman agreed. “The camera’s behind the glass wall so that it doesn’t make the actors feel funny.”

“
So, let’s be honest, Sidney,” said Charlotte. “You know that some sort of sex scene is going to be filmed there.”

Paulson broke in, “With a twelve-year-old girl.”

“
Did any sort of sexual activity happen while you were there, Sidney?”

“
No.” He shook his head and winced again. “No, I think they were just testing to see if she’d be all right.”

“
And did they decide she would?”

“
I don’t know. I was working on the lights. That’s my job. So I didn’t hear what they were talking about.”

“
So what happened at the end of this screen test?” asked Charlotte. “I take it Tracey was allowed to get dressed again.”

“
That’s right.”

“
Then what happened?”

“
Then we were taken back to Torquay.”

“
What time did you leave?”

“
I think it was after nine. I remember ‘cause the boy was worried about Tracey being late for school. But she didn’t seem bothered. I think she was going to bunk off anyway.”

“
Did you see her go into school?”

“
No. They dropped me off first before they got to the school.”

Charlotte looked at Paulson and he nodded. “Right,” she said, “I think that’s all for now, Sidney. I think the best thing is for you to stay here for the next couple of days to recover from your injuries. You’ll be safe here while we make other arrangements for you. And be sure that you stay here and don’t try to leave without my or Inspector Paulson’s permission. If you do you’ll be on your own and it’s a dangerous world out there for people like you.”

“
Don’t worry.” Pullman lay back on the pillow and looked sorry for himself. “I think it will be more than a week before I have the strength to get out of bed. I ain’t going nowhere without you looking out for me.”

“
Meanwhile we’re trying to find out who attacked you. I think we can put a stop to that sort of violence.”

He didn’t seem anxious about finding his attackers so they left him. They found Sister Richardson and explained to her that they didn’t want him moved, ignoring her protests about the cost of keeping the fellow in a private room.

On the way back to the car Charlotte said. “I’ve got enough evidence to get a search warrant for our friend Hawardine. We’re going to need a team of at least a dozen to cover the house, the outbuildings, the boathouse and the grounds. We’re going to take the place apart to find that girl. There’ll be a lot of evidence to record and we’ll need a photographer on the team as well.”

“
It’ll be a pleasure to sort that character out. Ugh. What sort of individual will do things like that to a twelve-year-old girl?”

“
I didn’t like that man immediately I saw him,” she said. “It will be a pleasure to wipe that oily smile off his face. Let’s hope it also brings an end to our search for Tracey.”

Today was certainly going to be a busy one.

- 29 -

Marion took a lot of time preparing for her day out. She decided it was important that she looked smart and attractive but made sure she couldn’t be accused of being sexy.

She put on a white silk blouse with a V-neck but made sure that all the buttons were done up and there was no hint of bra showing. She wore a plain, dark skirt that finished just below the knee and wasn’t too tight over her buttocks. Low-heeled black patent shoes completed her clothing except for a dark cardigan which she draped over her shoulders.

Her make-up avoided too much eye shadow and she chose a fairly pale-coloured lipstick. Only a touch of light perfume was put behind her ears and none down her cleavage. She brushed her shoulder-length hair vigorously enough to make it shine.

Nevertheless she saw his eyes brighten when he saw her and she wondered if she’d overdone it.

“
You must promise me you’ll keep your hands to yourself when we’re out,” she warned him. “Remember I’m still a married woman. Now I also carry a rape-spray in my handbag since that Sunday.” She was lying but he wasn’t to know that.

“
I’ll do nothing without your consent,” he promised.

For the whole of the morning he obediently drove her wherever she wanted to go. They parked whenever they reached each location where she remembered Tracey had enjoyed going. They showed her photo to any officials they met, none of whom could recall seeing the little girl in the last few days.

They talked of various subjects as they drove. When the conversation returned on one occasion to what had happened at the Red Garter, he said, “I really am truly sorry for what I did to you Sunday before last.”

“
Actually it wasn’t the first time I’d been raped.” Why did she say that?

He looked at her in astonishment, then shook his head. “I think you’re too sympathetic when you listen to other people. You need a man to protect you.”

“
It’s the
men
who do the raping.”

“
So what happened on the previous occasion?”

She realised that, having raised the topic, she would have to tell the whole story. “It was a long time ago. I was very young - only nineteen. My boss took me to a pub after we’d been working late one evening. I obviously drank too much. I have wondered since whether the drinks might have been spiked. Then on the way home in his car he stopped in a lay-by. He was the first experienced man I’d met who didn’t understand the word ‘No’. Until then I’d only gone out with boys who stopped when you told them to, more or less.”

“
So he forced you?”

“
I suppose you’d say that. When I told him to stop he just carried on undressing me and kissing me. Then all of a sudden I realised he was having sex with me. I suppose he would say that it wasn’t really rape. But I didn’t agree to it happening and I tried my best to stop him - not that I was very good at it.” She sighed. “However I can’t complain because Tracey came out of it.”