NoEasyWayOut (9 page)

Early Friday evening Ruthanne was sitting in a bar waiting
for Ed the editor. It was the kind of place she hadn’t been for years. There
were tattered posters on the wall, the carpet was sticky and the clientele was
mixed to say the least.

One guy standing hunched at the bar looked homeless but was
probably some about-to-be-famous musician. Girls who looked like hungover
models draped over guys with tattoos. Men and women with laptops, looking like
they might be writing the next great novel or some fashionable screenplay.

She looked around for Ed. How would she know him? She wasn’t
sure what to expect—a Woody Allen-type figure perhaps or a spy wannabe?

She saw a man walk in and stand looking around before seeing
her and striding toward her. He was tall, with dirty-blond hair that looked
like it needed a wash, three or four days worth of stubble, scruffy student-y
clothes and black-rimmed glasses.

“You must be Ruthanne.”

“Hi. And you’re Ed. How did you know it was me?”

“Look around. You’re the only one in office clothes. And
Katie told me what you look like.”

She looked down. She’d come straight from work and her skirt
suit and crisp blouse did look quite out of place here.

He sat down, his long legs just squeezing under the
tabletop.

He grinned at her. “Katie told me all about it.”

Ruthanne smiled, embarrassed to have this stranger know what
had been going on. “All about it?”

He shrugged. “Maybe not all the details. But the general
idea. The guy’s out of control. He’s got you in a place where you can’t say no.
And you need something on him to get rid of him.”

It sounded so simple and so, well, not her fault for letting
it all happen when Ed said it.

“That’s about it,” she agreed. “But how is it going to work?
He’ll never let me film him.”

“I make most of my money from the surveillance work.”

“What? You’re going to follow him?” Ruthanne couldn’t
imagine Ed hiding out, sneaking around. He was so tall he’d be spotted straight
away.

“I’m not a private eye. I do it the modern way. Fix up
someone’s house, car or office with cameras to record everything that happens.”

Of course. Ruthanne remembered what Katie had said—hidden
cameras. “Is that legal?”

“If it’s your own house it is. It’s mostly for people to see
what the nanny or the help gets up to and of course for people who want to see
what their partner gets up with the nanny or the help.” He grinned. “And it’s
mostly nothing. Most people live quite boring lives. But now and again you find
the wife and the pool boy or the husband and the nanny. Bingo. Or the wife and
the nanny. Double bingo!”

She laughed with him. At least he was used to seeing things
like that.

“And if it’s your office that’s a bit of a gray area. But
this man won’t be taking you to court over it. Not once we have the tapes.”

“But what Daniel does. It’s quite extreme.”

“I know. Katie told me some of it. All the more reason to
find a way to get him to leave you alone.”

She nodded. “But, but…” How could she say it? “I don’t want
everyone to see…to see things,” she said lamely. The thought of having it all
on film, of having anyone look at it, seeing her begging Daniel to whip her or
make her come was awful.

“Look, I’ve seen all this kind of stuff. Some of the movies
I’ve edited have been BDSM kind of stuff, you know, whips, chains, ‘yes master,
no master.’ It’s hot stuff. I can see why you’re into it.”

She was about to contradict him. She wasn’t into it, Daniel
was. But then she realized the thought of having entirely normal sex didn’t
appeal to her that much anymore. What she really wanted was to do the things
she did with Daniel but with someone else—someone she trusted, someone she
cared about, who cared about her.

“Look, it really will be all stuff I’ve seen before.” Ed
leaned forward and touched her arm. “Don’t worry. I’m absolutely unshockable.”

She rubbed her temples for a moment, trying to think. Even
though they’d just met, there was something about him—an honesty, an openness
that made her feel as if she could trust him. More than that she liked him. And
whatever she felt about Ed, he seemed to be her best chance of getting out of
this thing with Daniel, of making sure she could walk away with her career intact
and without any of her colleagues paying the price either. There was no easy
way out but this might be the best option she had.

“But how would it work? Do you have to see it?” she asked. “Can’t
you just help me record it? I mean I’m just not sure about there being a film
out there of me, well you know, doing that kind of thing.”

“It can work two ways. All the images are stored on a
receiver that only you have access to. You can upload them, edit them, do what
you want with them, delete everything if you want. Or you can hand it over to
me and I can do the editing.” He grinned at her. “I’m Ed the editor. Give me
some film and I can make him look bad, really bad.”

“You wouldn’t have to try very hard,” she said ruefully.

He laughed. “I know. Katie filled me in on some of the
details.”

“But I’ve never edited film. On the other hand I’m not sure
about you seeing everything.”

He shrugged. “Two things to think about. First if I do it it
will save you a big headache. And I can do it well, make sure your face is
never in it so he can’t turn it back on you and I can make sure he looks as bad
as possible. Second I’m a big boy. I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I’ve edited all
kinds of stuff—adult movies, home surveillance tapes.” He shrugged. “It pays
the bills so I can make the films I want to make.”

She felt a bit reassured. “All right. I guess it will be okay.
As long as you promise it will be.”

“I’ll make it all right, I promise.” He looked pleased. “Don’t
worry, Ruthanne. I’ll get you out of this. And then…” he hesitated and stopped
himself. “So let’s talk surveillance. Where do you do the stuff you do?” He
grinned. “And which locations can we get to?”

She felt a little embarrassed but she had to talk about it
if he was going to be able to help her. “There’s my office. And my apartment. “

“That’s no problem. I’d need an hour in your office max,
maybe a little more in your apartment depending on the size. Where else does it
all happen?”

“In his car—well, cars. He has three that I’ve been in. He
may have more.”

“Not much chance of rigging anything up there, plus it would
be risky. There’s always a chance the cams would be found in a car. But you can
wear something, a tiny pen cam or button cam, which might get some good
footage.”

“And hotels. We’ve been to a few.” She tried not to think
about the last time and what had happened or what Daniel wanted her to think
might have happened with the hotel staff.

“Same problem. Someone else’s turf. You can get into a lot
of trouble doing that. Especially in a hotel. You could end up filming all
sorts. Okay.” He paused, thinking. “So we’ll rig up your office and your
apartment and get some cams for you to wear. That should get enough coverage.
And then you can make a decision about the editing later.”

She nodded.

“So. I could come over on Sunday morning.”

She looked confused.

“To your apartment. To fix up some cameras.”

“Sure.” This was moving faster than she expected. But he was
right. If she was going to do it it might as well be soon. The sooner she
filmed something the sooner she might be able to get out of her relationship
without causing too much collateral damage.

“Okay,” she said. “So how am I going to pay you for all
this? How much will it cost?” She was asking like it made a difference but he
could have named almost any price. The thought of getting Daniel out of her
life was worth it even if it took all her precious savings. She’d just have to
put off buying her own apartment for a few more years.

“Didn’t Katie tell you? It’s free. A favor to her. She’s
helped me out a lot in the past. It’s about time I did something for her.”

Ed looked like Daniel when he arrived on Sunday with a
travel bag full of strange devices. But these were going to help her, not hurt
her. She made coffee while Ed put things out on the table—a teddy bear, a smoke
alarm, an air freshener, a wall clock and even a hook for the back of a door,
all hiding wireless motion-activated cameras that would transmit to a base unit
she could keep in the closet and which would record everything.

“Let’s walk it through then. Come to the front door. Pretend
I’m him. So, I come in here, you open the door.” He paused, looking around. “We
could put the smoke alarm on the ceiling. The angle’s not great of course but
it will give us a basic coverage. Have you ever done it in here? Is it likely
to be a crucial area?”

She flashbacked straight away to the first time Daniel had
visited her apartment. He’d presented her with a big bunch of flowers and
kissed her on each cheek. He’d complimented the way she looked and said how
much he had been looking forward to spending the evening with her.

If the camera captured that, he’d be winning boyfriend of
the year awards. The next time though, things had been different. They had been
“playing” already in the car and she was willing to do whatever he asked.

As soon as the door closed behind them he told her to get on
her hands and knees. He’d stood behind her, lifted up her skirt and pulled down
her panties so she was completely exposed. “Crawl,” he’d said, standing behind
her, watching the view. “And stay on your hands and knees until I give you
permission to get up again.” She’d gone down the hallway like that, knowing he
was watching her, feeling aroused by the power he had over her, by the way he took
complete control. And now if he did that again, Ed would see it too.

“We’ve used it,” she said, blushing slightly. “But not a
lot.”

“Okay, just a ceiling cam should do it. Front room.” He
looked around. “Important?”

She nodded.

“Where? Sofa?”

“Yes.” She pictured herself bent over the back of the sofa,
her bottom raised high in the air as Daniel spanked her hard. Then he’d moved
her onto the coffee table, still facedown and made her stay there with her legs
apart while he sipped a glass of wine.

“And the coffee table,” she said.

He looked around. “Okay. A camera inside the TV so whether
it’s on or off it still records what happens in the room. But just to make
sure, we’ll put the air freshener cam here.” He placed it on a low shelf. “That
should capture a good side view of the coffee table, not too high up.”

“Now,” he said, looking around. “What about the kitchen?”

She nodded again, remembering leaning up against the fridge,
rubbing ice over her nipples so they’d harden up while Daniel watched before he
put a clothespin on each one, the soft plastic ends pinching her hard. He liked
the way it looked and squeezed her breasts together, then let them go, watching
the clothespins dancing and tugging at her nipples. Then he’d slapped her
breasts gently, enjoying seeing how each slap made the clothespins move again
and making her gasp.

“The clock would go well here. You can replace your old one
for a while. Say it broke if he asks. It’s a small room. So that should cover
it.” He stood against the wall where the clock would go. “Move around in here. Let
me check.”

She moved between the fridge and the stove and the countertop,
aware of his eyes on her, wondering what he would see when he viewed the film.

“Great. That’s covered. Now the bedroom. I guess that sees a
lot of action.” He smiled at her.

“Apart from Daniel not much at all.” She didn’t want Ed
getting the wrong idea, thinking she was some kind of sex-crazed woman who had
all kinds of partners doing all kinds of things.

“So you weren’t seeing anyone when you met him?”

She shook her head. “Going through a dry spell.”

“Hard to believe.”

“And I’m not seeing anyone now. Daniel doesn’t count.”

“Good, good, that’s great. For you I meant. So you’ve got no
emotional attachment to him at all?”

“I had.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “I liked him at
first when I thought it was a real relationship.”

“How do you mean real?”

“That he liked me for me, not just for the things we did—well
that he did to me,” she corrected herself.

“He must like you.”

“He doesn’t,” she insisted. “He’s nice to me a lot of time,
really nice but I could be anyone really. He doesn’t really care about getting
to know what I think or what I like. I sometimes wonder if I could be any one
of a hundred girls, a thousand girls whom he flatters, buys off with expensive
gifts then does the stuff he does.”

Ed put his arm round her and squeezed her against him. “I’m
sorry. You deserve more, a lot more. But we’ll get him.”

She nodded, liking the way it felt to have his arm around
her, feeling reassured and comforted, liking the way he said “we” as if they
were a team.

“And he’s an idiot too if he doesn’t see how special you
are.” Ed’s eyes seemed to be an even deeper green than before as he looked at
her.

She held his gaze, not sure what was going to happen next
but he stood. “You stay there. In fact, lie on the bed and I’ll see what we can
do. I’m guessing we need a couple of cameras in here?”

She nodded.

“The bear can go here.” He made a space between a couple of
other cuddly toys. “From what you said he won’t notice you have a new one.”

She shook her head and laughed.

“We need a few more angles covered. A hook on the back of
the door will get one angle, then we need the other side of the bed and one
from the head of the bed. Are you usually lying down?”

How much detail did he need? She wasn’t sure what to say.

“I mean does most of it happen at bed level? He doesn’t
suspend you from hooks in the ceiling or anything?”

“Not so far. Not yet.”

“Shame. It would suit you.”

She laughed. Was he flirting with her?

“Joking. But I can see why he’s fixated on you.”

They eyes met and she felt that familiar flutter in her
stomach.

He looked away. “Sorry. Not really the right time, is it?
But thinking about you doing all this stuff—I’m only human.”

She looked away, not sure what to say.

“Lie down on the bed. Let me work out the angles.”

She lay there, her mind drifting. What would it be like to
kiss Ed, to do the things she did with Daniel with Ed, with someone who really
cared about her?

The bed shifted as Ed reached across her. “It’s okay. Don’t
move. Just finding a place for this little bad boy. I’m going to fit it in the
headboard.”

She was very conscious of him close to her again, of his arm
reaching across her, of the centimeters between them. If she rolled toward him
they’d be practically cuddling.

“Can you see it?” he asked.

She turned over and looked at the headboard, her eyes
scouring the ruffled patterned velvet. She shook her head.

“It’s here.” Ed pointed to a small black circle that
disappeared in the black and rich-brown pattern of the velvet.

“Great choice of headboard. Perfect for this. Okay, one more
over here.” He got up and crossed to the other side of the bed, bending his
knees so his eye-line was almost at bed level. He scanned the wall behind him.
It was a blank white wall. There was nowhere to conceal a camera. “This might
be difficult but it would be shame not to cover this side. I don’t suppose you
want to hang a picture on this wall?”

She shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it. I haven’t got
anything.”

“Something with an ornate frame that could hide one of
these. Think about it. I can come back and put one in if you like. Or I could
put one up in the light fixture but overhead shots aren’t great. You just get a
lot of the top of people’s heads. Not that useful unless you want to prove
someone’s going bald or wearing a toupee.”

She laughed. Maybe that was the way to get to Daniel.

“Come on.” He stretched out his hand to pull her off the
bed. “Let’s see if we’ve missed anywhere.”

“No. I think you’ve done everywhere.”

He pushed open the door to the bathroom. “Never anything
going on in here?”

“No. Not so far anyway. And you’d get footage of me in the
bath.” She didn’t say it but she was thinking—would she be able to use the
toilet if she knew it was being recorded?

“So we’re done.”

She felt a pang of disappointment. Was he really finished so
soon?

“Now I just need to install these others and get you up to
speed on how to use them. It’ll be at least another hour yet. I hope that’s all
right?”

It was very all right.

Ed got to work while Ruthanne made more coffee and scrambled
some eggs for them to eat. It felt curiously pleasant and domestic having him
there, having someone to talk to. She could get used to this.

They sat at the table in the kitchen, eating.

“When he’s here you need to think a bit about the cameras,
try to maneuver things so you know you’ll get a good angle.”

“Okay.” She was dubious, not entirely sure either what a
good angle would be or how she would maneuver Daniel. “Can you show me?”

“No problem. Well do a run-through. But I’ll let you keep
your clothes on.”

They both laughed.

“Probably,” he added with that cheeky grin again. “And when
he’s here you need to think about what you’re saying. I’ll block out your face
but we’ll need your voice for the biggest impact. You’ll have to say no a lot.
Even if you say yes in the end. I can always edit the yes out. The camera
always lies.”

He smiled. “Do you say yes in the end?”

She nodded, embarrassed to admit it. “He makes me enjoy it. He
makes me want to do it.”

“That’s good. I mean it’s good that you enjoy it. I mean…” He
looked confused. “Well, whatever. Like I said, I’m not called Ed the Editor for
nothing. I can make him look bad however much you enjoy it. So.” He looked at
her speculatively. “You do enjoy it then?”

She shrugged, embarrassed. “Yes and no.”

“What’s the yes and what’s the no?” He wasn’t letting her
off the hook that easily.

“I like some of the things he does, the feelings. I like the
lack of control.” She realized that was true as she said it out loud. “But I
don’t like that I don’t trust him and he just goes too far. Well this one time
he went too far.” She didn’t want to tell Ed what Daniel had done or what she
suspected he might have done.

“Maybe you would like it if you both agreed on your
boundaries beforehand.”

She nodded. “Yes, sometimes it’s like he does things because
he knows I don’t want him to. He does it almost because he wants me to suffer
not because he wants me to enjoy myself.”

“That’s the difference. You should try it with someone who
really respected you, someone who really liked you.” He looked at her with his
spiky hair all messy and his green eyes behind his glasses and her stomach
started doing somersaults.

She looked back and the moment stretched, then she looked
down, not sure she was ready for this.

He turned back to his food, the clatter of cutlery breaking
the tension. “Great eggs. Can I come every Sunday?”

She laughed. “Of course,” she said lightly but meaning it.
It would be nice to have him around. She had never cooked for Daniel. She had
never eaten a relaxed Sunday brunch with him. In fact there were a lot of
ordinary everyday things that she had never done with Daniel.

“Okay. Let’s run through. The cameras are ready to go. We’ll
test everything out and get some footage. Then I’ll show you how to delete and
keep and make sure the cameras stay charged up.”