Girl Changed

by Mark Bailey

  Milly knew they were on together; she could feel it. Dannii explained her two relationships with Simone. There was a platonic relationship and a sexual one. She used the metaphor of university study. ‘It’s like doing a subject where you don’t like the theory but enjoy the practical,’ explained Dannii. Simone was that subject; she was not only beautiful but terrific in bed — the practical was great. Milly considered it; there was no harm done.

  She wondered at Simone’s complacency though. Simone believed Milly would go berserk if she found out about Dannii. Dannii loved Milly and was inconsolable when she discarded her before flying to the U.K. Simone knew that, so she had leverage over Dannii. She believed Dannii couldn’t do without Milly or Simone in her life. The trouble was, as Dannii pointed out, she couldn’t give a toss about Simone. She would continue the practical side of the subject and the sexual benefits with Milly’s blessing, and they could use it later as leverage if they needed to.

  ‘The things one has to do,’ lamented Dannii, smiling.

  ‘Just hold up if you can. You need to be strong, Dannii,’ replied Milly, and they both laughed as they broke out singing I Kissed a Girl, and I Liked it, by Katy Perry. Dannii had it recorded on the Music App on her iPhone, so they started up a jig and danced away; she was so happy. She had been afraid Milly would be angry. She told Milly she believed Cameron Chadwick had no idea what they were up to and was sure Simone was doing a line with Matt Boyd Jr. as well.

  Then there were the articles in the paper. They weren’t doing Milly irreparable damage — not yet. She believed Simone was just climbing life’s greasy pole. The only problem with this pole was that it was high stakes and big money. There were only ever two positions: right at the top looking down or on your backside at the bottom looking up. Simone needed to be careful. This pole was particularly greasy at the top. That would start her inexorable slide to the bottom where she could end up not only on her beautiful bum, but flat on her back.

  Milly checked the emails on her phone. Stopford had sent her the promised information. She had Tina’s mobile number, and the date of the phone call from Stewart to Gus Charles was confirmed as November 14, 2016. She rang Tina Small.

  ‘Hello, this is Tina. Leave me a message, and I’ll call you straight back.’

  Milly left a message and her number. Tina called back within ten minutes. Then Milly called Rosie and told her she was flying back to London Saturday morning from Scotland and would try to catch up sometime Saturday afternoon. She didn’t want Rosie turning up at her unit while Tina was there. There was a knock on the apartment door; it was 7:00 p.m.

  Milly answered the door. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Tina looked up at Milly; she looked frightened, and Milly sensed something — something wasn’t quite right. They stood staring at each other before Milly apologized and stood aside, asking her in. Tina stepped into the apartment, and Milly shut the door behind her. She looked down at Tina; she stood below Milly’s breasts — she was tiny.

  ‘Hi, Tina, my name’s Milly. Pleased to meet you,’ and she offered her hand. Tina shook it.

  ‘Hi. I don’t think this is a good idea,’ said Tina, re-claiming her tiny hand.

  ‘Please have a seat.’ Milly directed her over to the dining suite and asked if she would like a tea or coffee. Tina declined.

  ‘This doesn’t feel right. I think I’ll go.’

  ‘Please sit down, Tina. You have nothing to fear from me. I don’t want sex; I just wish to talk with you. What’s your hourly rate?’

  ‘£160 per hour?’ she answered like she was enquiring to see if it was okay.

  ‘I’ll pay you £200 for an hour if you’re willing to talk with me. Tina relaxed; money spoke all languages.

  ‘Coffee. Black with one sugar,’ she said as she sat at the dining table.

  Milly looked at Tina as she made two coffees. She was Asian, probably Korean, and was dressed to look young. If she claimed she was fourteen, it would be quite believable. She would never get onto licensed premises without I.D. Bloody Stopford; I’ll kill him next time I see him, she thought; he should have warned me. As for Kerford, well it was obvious what turned him on. Milly sat at the dining suite and handed Tina her coffee. She said thanks in her high-pitched perfect English accent. She even sounds young, thought Milly.

  ‘Alright, Tina, to get off to a good start I’ll pay you for an hour.’ Milly handed her £200 from her bag. ‘Are you feeling better about things now?’

  ‘Yes,’ replied Tina as she folded the money and put it into her purse. Even her purse was small, thought Milly. The transaction completed, the conversation began.

  ‘Okay. I’ve engaged your services because I want to ask you some questions about a client you were with last year.’

  ‘I don’t discuss clients, Missus,’ replied Tina as she went to get up from her chair.

  Milly put her hand out in an affable but firm kind of way. Tina re-acquainted herself with the chair. ‘Please … call me Milly. Can you just hear me out … please? You can keep the money if you decide you still want to leave. I won’t try to stop you. I lost my sister last year. She was murdered at the South Croydon Inn last October 19, and I believe you were in the room the previous night.’

  ‘Like I said I don’t …’

  ‘Hang on,’ interrupted Milly again and she handed Tina another £100 from her purse. Tina took it, smiling slightly. Bloody little con artist, thought Milly.

  ‘What do you want to know, Milly?’

  ‘As I was saying, my twin sister was murdered at the South Croydon Inn, on or around last October 19 and I believe you were with a client in that same room, the night before.’

  ‘You’re not a copper, are you, Milly?’

  ‘No, I’m a psychologist, which has nothing to do with anything we are discussing tonight.’

  ‘Good because I won’t be talking to no filth.’ Milly could see the venom in Tina’s eyes and knew then she was every bit of nineteen years old.

  ‘That’s fine; you won’t have to talk with the police, not about anything we discuss tonight. So, first things first. Do you remember the night in question?’

  ‘Like it was yesterday,’ replied Tina. ‘He is a filthy bastard that bloke, trying to stick his dick into me everywhere. He went at me for two hours straight. I could hardly walk when he finished with me.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Tina,’ said Milly. ‘Can you tell me anything about him physically?’ She described him to a T; at least how Stopford described him, as Milly hadn’t met him. Then she described how he asked her to role-play and wear her school uniform and pose in various ways, and then he started inserting objects and playing games, all the time drinking. She said he was unusual in that he was careful with the full condoms each time he ejaculated, placing them carefully in a plastic bag that he later placed in a bin in the bathroom.

  ‘There were three in all,’ she claimed.

  ‘Is there anything else?’ asked Milly.

  ‘Yes, Milly. Were you and your sister identical twins?’

  ‘We were. Why do you ask?’

  ‘Well, it was either you or her … because one of you was there that night.’

  ‘It was my sister, I can assure you. I was either in or on my way to Scotland.’ Milly couldn’t be sure exactly where she was. She was confused; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  ‘What was your sister’s name?’

  ‘Sibby. It’s short for Siobhan.’

  ‘Then Sibby was there. I saw her on my way out. It was late, about 10:30 p.m. and I passed her on the way out of the inn. When I saw you tonight, I thought you were her; that’s why I was hesitant. Sibby was giggling and laughing.’

  ‘Who was she with?’ asked Milly.

  ‘She wasn’t with anyone I could see. She was out of it, though, on drugs or pissed.’

  ‘Was the other guy still in the room?’

  ‘Yes, I would assume so, because I was first out, and he didn’t pass me on the way. In fact, when I left, he had just
opened another bottle of whatever it was he was drinking, and he didn’t have any clothes on. I just wanted out of there.’

  ‘If it’s not a rude question, Tina, why did you stay?’

  ‘The money. Hanni gave me £750 for three hours’ work.’

  ‘Hanni?’

  ‘She works there; she’s always there. She gave me half to go in and the other half when I finished.’

  ‘How old is she?’

  ‘I can’t really say … you all look the same to me,’ she said, and they both laughed. So, she’s got a sense of humor, thought Milly. ‘She would have been between forty and fifty years old, I guess.’

  ‘Has Hanni given you money before, Tina?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Do you know what happened later?’

  ‘Hanni would have driven him home. She does that sometimes.’

  ‘No, the next day I mean.’

  ‘I know a woman was murdered … your sister? The filth picked me up and questioned me. I just played along, totally dumb. I hardly answered any of their questions. They fixed me up a year ago. I had cocaine in my bag; it wasn’t mine, it was a client’s cocaine, but they wouldn’t listen.’

  ‘What are you doing with your life, Tina, apart from this?’

  ‘I’m studying ancient history. I wanted to be a school teacher, but my drug conviction has put paid to that.’

  Milly saw a chance and decided to take it. She had no idea where all this was going, but she did know that both Kerford and Dasti at least had serious problems if it could be proved they saw Sibby and knew she was at the inn before she was murdered. She looked at Tina and Tina stared back.

  ‘I was in Australia last week and had to appear as a witness in a drug case because I had been charged with possession of four grams of cocaine.’

  ‘Really?’ Tina looked at Milly again, like they were kindred spirits. It was basic psychology for Milly. To get someone on side, someone who appeared to be your opposite, point out your similarities. If you wanted to glean information from someone who had served two years in jail, tell them you’d served three — they might even respect you. Milly’s revelation had a stunning effect on Tina. She thrust out her hand.

  ‘My name is Nari,’ offered Tina. ‘It’s Korean.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Nari. My name is Dr. Milly McTaggart.’ They both stared at each other again and burst out laughing.

  ‘I don’t know where this is going, Nari. I don’t know if I will ever get the police involved, but I need answers, and you have continued that process for me ...’

  ‘I have a feeling the police are already involved. How did you know about me at the South Croydon Inn?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, Nari. As for your charge, I am sure there is a deal to be done, just like mine. If anything comes of this and you help me, I will help you ... I promise! I’m sure that your conviction can be quashed, and you can teach ancient history if you want to.’

  Nari stared back at Milly with her sad brown eyes. She had nothing to lose. ‘I trust you, Dr. McTaggart.’ She got up to leave, and they exchanged email addresses. Milly made sure Nari had her phone number. ‘I’ll call soon or make contact by email,’ she said.

  Milly closed the door behind Nari and returned to the dining table to check her phone.

  Chapter 20.

  The flights to and from Australia were long and arduous. Milly was still suffering jet lag; she was tired but had trouble sleeping. She told Rosie she was in Scotland until the next day, so weighed up staying in to catch up on sleep or having a night out in Watford. If she hit Watford’s nightlife, she could be caught in a lie, stumbling drunk into shared acquaintances or, indeed, Rosie herself. Milly subscribed to Murphy’s Law when an outcome was doubtful, usually finding herself on the wrong side of it. No, she decided, it would be safer, and more sensible, to stay in.

  She decided to set up a Facebook account. Jane Dobson had advised her to avoid joining Facebook until the trial in Australia had finished. Sentencing was imminent, the trial over, and it would be a good platform for sharing grievances, especially if the media gave her a hard time. Only trouble was she didn’t have any friends so now was a good time to start. Simone was on Facebook, and they would share some friends, a point not lost on Milly if things got nasty.

  She googled ‘Create a Facebook account’ and followed through the prescribed four steps. She knew how to use it; she had used Dannii's before. When her page was up and running, she added information to her timeline including her professional qualifications and some photos. She googled security settings and looked through ‘Basic Privacy Settings and Tools.’ She wouldn’t restrict access to anyone, reminding herself she didn’t have any friends yet. Then she sent out friend requests; Dannii was number one, then Simone and Rosie and Stopford and Windsor; then P.C. Stone and Ella and John Russell. There were some she couldn’t find; most she could, everyone was on it, it seemed, especially if they were young. She searched for Nari Kim and sent her a friend request too. Then she decided to search for other, more recalcitrant acquaintances.

  She searched for Sim Charles — no luck; plenty of people by the name of Sam Charles and one Slim Charles, but no Sim Charles. She looked for Joe Charles — nothing there either. She even typed in Cailin Stewart but didn’t expect anything and wasn’t disappointed. She searched for Donald Kerford but couldn’t find the Donald Kerford. Next, she searched Naomi Harris and, bingo, up she came. She looked through Naomi’s page. There were some beautiful photos of her; all her photos would be beautiful, she thought, but there was no mention of Sim, except to say Naomi was in a relationship. Milly looked at her timeline, then friends, and searched friends, looking for Sim and Joe. She scrolled down, and there he was, bloody Daggy Kerford, as the Russells had called him.

  In his profile picture, Kerford sported a grin. The photo included his wife and two children. Milly clicked on the photo, enlarging it. His wife was beautiful and his daughters gorgeous, and Kerford’s eyelid looked even more pronounced. To Milly, it was the center of his face now, like the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island; she couldn’t believe she had missed it. Outwardly, he was handsome, with his smile and gold fillings in his front teeth, but now that she knew Kerford had a fondness for young girls, his photo took on a cunning and shifty character; like a rat with a gold tooth, thought Milly.

  She continued her search through Facebook. She looked for old school friends and acquaintances she hadn’t seen in years. She found some and sometimes their parents. Some looked older; some hadn’t changed much. She found information she hadn’t known from their further education and their jobs. She could also tell what groups at school had stayed in touch. One had passed away. There were many more that Milly couldn’t find any trace of. Next, she sent Rosie a message confirming she would be on an early morning flight from Scotland to London the next day.

  ‘Which airport?’ came the reply from Rosie. Milly ignored it. It was 10:30 p.m. She went to bed.

  The following morning, she called Rosie. She had slept in; it was 11:00 a.m. Milly checked flight times from Scotland Friday night but couldn’t find any flights from Dundee or Edinburgh. She wondered why Rosie wanted to know what airport she was flying into, so she had a half-credible story concocted if asked for any detail. That’s the trouble with telling lies, she thought.

  ‘… I was happy to pick you up,’ Rosie explained. ‘Theo wants a meeting this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Apparently, he has some important news.’

  ‘No worries. Greg Stopford offered to pick me up, so I went with him. You know what he’s like.’

  ‘Hmph,’ chuckled Rosie. ‘Still got his eyes taped into his eye sockets has he, to stop them falling out?’ They both laughed.

  ‘This afternoon will be fine, Rosie, any time after 1:00. Let me know, will you.’

  Rosie rang Theo, and then sent a message back to Milly, confirming 2:00 p.m.

  She picked Milly up from Saint Albans Road at 1:45 p.m. Milly was happy to walk to Watford Therapy; it was
a beautiful day, but Rosie insisted.

  ‘I just want to give you some background, Milly,’ said Rosie after they had hugged and kissed each other hello. Rosie was happy to have Milly back in her life and made a fuss on seeing her. ‘You look beautiful, and you’ve lost weight.’

  ‘Thanks, Rosie. That’s a nice change from everyone telling me I’ve put weight on.’

  ‘Regarding the meeting with Theo then. Remember I told you that Theo and Annette holiday in the U.S every other year and I believed he would like to start or buy a business there?’

  ‘Yes Rosie, we discussed it in the car when you picked me up from Heathrow … the first day we met.’

  ‘That’s right. Well, there has been some type of business offer, and I’m not privy to any of it. I’m not sure if Theo has received or made an offer, but it involves another business and may also involve some relocation of resources to the U.S.’

  Milly thought she could see what was coming. ‘You mean a move for me, don’t you?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she answered. ‘I’ve been offered a position and Stuart is interested too. He would consider either working here in the U.K. if a position for a practicing psychologist becomes available in Watford while Theo’s away, or even to work in the States if there is something on offer there. It depends where Theo is located; you know he can’t stand the thought of working alongside his father. We’ve started advertising for people with qualifications like yours and mine, so I’m not quite sure what kind of offer, if any, he’ll make you.’

  ‘Just when I thought I might finally get settled after the turmoil of Sibby and …’

  ‘Hold it, Milly, don’t start panicking yet. I’m sure the choice if there is to be a move, will be yours. As I said, Stuart and I are considering it while our girls are still young. The business proposal involves a move to Brooklyn, New York, and I must admit, I find the prospect rather exciting.’

  Milly thought for a minute as they drove into the car park at Watford Therapy. ‘Didn’t you say you weren’t privy to any information, Rosie?’