The Stalking of Louise Copperfield

by Robert W Fisk

  Jayne Hyslop, DC Hyslop who had been of so much help over the death of Tess, called in as often as she could. Jayne took Louise to town to have her hair cut and her nails done. Together, but at Jayne’s insistence, they chose some nice new clothes for Louise. Jayne asked Louise to come to dinner where she could meet Jayne’s husband. Louise enjoyed Bernard’s dry wit and good humour. She was surprised by his insights and his compassion.

  “What if, in a few years, you are hardened and disillusioned?” asked Louise. “Like a counsellor who sees nothing but other people’s troubles?”

  “We all get like that from time to time,” said Bernard, “but if it becomes habitual I’ll change my lifestyle. Give up the police and go and live somewhere else.”

  ”Taking me with you of course!” said Jayne in an artificially stern voice.

  Louise became aware that the couple was trying desperately to have a family. Jayne confided that tests had shown nothing was wrong, it just wasn’t happening.

  “Like me,” Louise confided. “I wanted more children but no, it wasn’t to be. I would love to have another baby before my clock stops ticking.”

  “We might have to consider adopting,” said Bernard. “We’ve talked about it but it is very difficult in New Zealand.”

  “IVF?” asked Louise.

  “No joy, and we used up our allotted attempts,” said Jayne.

  As Louise left, Jayne gave her a hug.

  “Call me at any time, day or night,” Jayne said. “I’m always here for you.”

  After the initial foray to help Mrs Brough and the Sales Table ladies, Father Larkin used Louise on three days of the week. She dealt with Mrs Brough on Tuesdays and Fridays, and sold cakes and baking on Wednesday. Although still depressed, she was getting out and meeting people. Through Father Larkin she felt that she was doing something worthwhile. Through Father Larkin she began to realise that she was not as badly off as some others.

  That still left four empty days to get through, three after she returned to attending church. “None of us knows God’s plan,” Father Larkin told her. “Have faith that it will all work out. An extra prayer or too may help, too.”

  When Louise began attending Sunday services she mixed with other church-goers. At first there was a distance between Louise and the other women but with Father Larkin’s encouragement they began to include Louise in social events. She joined a team of home visitors who helped the elderly and the sick in their homes. Through this activity she found two more abused women that she might be able to help later when Mary McMillan and she finalized their arrangements for Calling Out Men.

  The most unlikely source of support was Nigel Jones. He started turning up in the afternoons but it was not long before he stayed for his evening meal. Often he said nothing, just sat quietly with Louise. Sometimes Jayne was present, but usually the two old friends were on their own. Nigel demanded nothing from Louise. When she found his presence annoying and wanted to be alone she would order him out. He would go quietly without a fuss. Next day he would be back.

  Over time, Louise talked about all sorts of things with Nigel. She did not tell him of her Swiss bank account, nor did he tell her about his Cayman Islands account. Instead they remembered happier times, funny things from primary school, mutual friends’ experiences, and changes in Wahanui over time. They found they had much in common as friends but both were too scarred to consider any other kind of relationship.

  Then came a tipping point, one that Louise had needed for twenty five years. As she came to terms with her situation, Louise told Nigel of her attack on Mr Bannister, and how easily he had disarmed her. From that came something Louise had never told anyone else. She spoke of her seduction by Bannister and the abuse that had gone on until she left Wahanui and trained as a nurse in Dunedin.

  Nigel made no fuss. He cuddled Louise as it all spilled out. He could feel the emotional stress Louise had endured at that time and in the years that followed.

  “Now you’ll hate me!” she wailed as she finished up describing the struggles she had had with her two marriages.

  “No, Louise,” said Nigel. “I love you for your courage, for keeping a secret for so long, for your strength in creating two marriages despite the awful dread they must have held for you. I feel angry at the depraved man who did this to you but I feel nothing but love for you.”

  Louise treasured his words but did not respond. It was too overwhelming and she suspected his declaration was made out of pity for her.

  Nigel went to Wahanui High School with Louise, not to confront Mr Bannister but to talk with the School Secretary, Mary McMillan about Louise’s idea of forming a group named ‘Calling Out Men’, or COM for short.

  Louise suggested that they should not invoke any sense of feminism in their title even though gender equality was their aim. Consequently they should change the noun to Monsters, not Men, thus emphasising the awful dread that victims endured. It was a happy and productive meeting, out of which came a fresh energy for Louise plus a feeling of self-worth. She had survived and she could show others how.

  Another sea change occurred when Nigel asked why Frank had left such an adorable woman. Louise told Nigel about the stalking and about Ultor, the Avenger.

  “There was a whole series of incidents aimed at me,” said Louise. “I don’t know who I offended but they wanted revenge. When the police traced the Facebook entries, they found the name Ultor. Kezia’s laptop had been used. I thought it was Charlotte because she had been in the house. She got quite angry with me for asking if Ultor was her. Part of the vengeance was vandalism; a slogan on the front door, poison spray on the lawn, photos on Facebook showing Youssef and Kezia near a motel – childish stuff really, stuff that fourteen year olds like doing.

  “But Frank left because The Stalker had put rabbit poison in Tess’s dog biscuits. Poor Tess had to be put down. Frank was livid that Alexander had been in contact with Pindone. He was so upset. Then there was a family fight and he left.”

  “So, you suspect Charlotte?” asked Nigel, treading warily. That would explain where Charlotte had been going when she sneaked away dressed all in black. She was with Frank now. Was that what she was after? To take Louise’s man away?

  “Yes, I do. She denies it but Detective Hyslop thinks so and is getting evidence,” Louise replied.

  “Let’s go and see her,” said Nigel. There and then he called Charlotte and set up a meeting in a coffee house for the next afternoon.

  “Hi Charlotte,” said Louise, taking great care to show no emotion.

  “Louise, how lovely of Nigel to bring you along,” Charlotte replied.

  Nigel was silent but obviously wanted to speak. He decided to let the women speak first.

  Louise fired first, speaking sweetly as women sometimes do when they have a bone to pick.

  “Charlotte, in some ways I want to thank you, but in other ways I want to spank you,” she said.

  “Why? Whatever have I done?” asked Charlotte, affecting great surprise.

  “I want to spank you for stalking me,” said Louise. “You did some nasty things. I thought we were friends but you have a big problem with jealousy, sister.”

  Louise was looking at the table top. Charlotte looked across the room. Neither woman would lock eyes.

  “It... It wasn’t me,” said Charlotte.

  Louise would not be drawn into any discussion. She knew what she wanted to say and then she would walk away. “Then I need to thank you for stalking me. Your actions made Frank leave me. Although I still love Frank in many ways, Nigel is going to be a far better husband.”

  Nobody moved. The women were like two fluffed up cats staring each other down, except Louise stared at the table top while Charlotte stared across the room.

  Then Louise pushed back her chair and stood up. She walked with a straight back across the café and out through the door.

  Nigel say for a moment, waiting for Louise to leave.

  “I think you just lost the best friend you
could ever have,” he said to Charlotte.

  “Here are your coffees,” said the shop assistant as she arrived with a tray full of drinks.

  “Just put the tray on the table,” said Nigel. The coffees had been paid for. Nigel walked to the door and left Charlotte staring at three cups of coffee.

  After telling Nigel about her terrible secret, Nigel told her about his guilty feelings when he should have protected Louise.

  “I should not have left you with him, alone like that,” said Nigel.

  “Don’t worry, Nigel. It’s all under control,” was all Louise would say. Nigel was not stupid. He knew that when the time came Louise would tell him what had a happened, and he realised that for him, apart from the hurt to Louise, it meant nothing in their relationship. He loved her come what may and despite what might have been..

  Feeling that love, Louise went from strength to strength; she had a purpose in life, Calling Out Monsters, and she had love in her life. Although Nigel’s future seemed as bleak as hers, Louise did not worry. For once in her life she was happy to take things one day at a time.

  CHAPTER 52.

  During her very low periods, Louise had given a great deal of thought to the matter of how to challenge figures like Bannister. She had learned that direct confrontation did not work. Nor would a challenge through the Courts work because accusations made there became one person’s word against another’s, except that it was never a level playing field. Louise decided that to level the playing field, a woman needed a support group and enough facts to lend credibility to the woman’s case. That meant paying for experts such as the investigator who had dealt such a blow in the Family Court, and a Public Relations expert to handle the publicity. A solid firm of lawyers who practised in this field was essential.

  Louise was relaxing on a couch by the window looking out at the street. A car pulled up on the street outside. Mary McMillan got out and strode purposefully down the pathway to the front door. Louise went to open it.

  She was pleased to see Mary, who was disgusted by the custody hearing decision.

  “That’s typical,” said Mary. “Men always get their way. It’s just not fair.”

  “I don’t agree,” said Louise. “I was naïve and thought that Frank would play fair. Mary, we need to focus not on the broad issue of women’s rights but on the small part that we can do something about.”

  Mary held strong views on the topic but she listened to Louise. It made sense to limit what they could take on.

  “In the case of a woman crying that she had been sexually abused, it is one person’s word against the other, just like me and Frank. I played fair. Frank got dirty and hired an investigator to find dirt on me. Look at the case of Bridget Carruthers. Her husband is a minister for God’s sake.” The irony of her expression slipped past Mary, who could see the whole credibility issue open before her. “And he rapes her regularly. She has no credibility on her own, and the abuse will go on.”

  “So,” said Mary. “Are you saying we should engage a private investigator to check out Harold Carruthers?”

  “Yes, I do,” said Louise. “Two reports, one on her and her activities, what people think of her, what she might or might not have been up to, and one on him the same. And the next time she is abused, we need to detail the attack, medically and forensically like they did with me. You never know what we’ll find.”

  “But if Bridget has been playing up or something, another man, maybe, won’t that hurt our case?” asked Mary.

  “It would be worse if was sprung on us in Court,” said Louise. “Like it was with me. It will also make our complainants realise that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is the only way to gain credibility over the husband.”

  Mary left full of ideas she needed to think through. Louise was quite right. Too often a woman thought that all she had to do was tell her story, while the man was free to dig dirt, contradict, claim he was elsewhere; the only way to win was to do what Louise said. She thought she might start by finding out who Frank had used.

  CHAPTER 53.

  Kezia offered to return to Wahanui to be with Louise. It was a kind offer that comforted Louise but she knew that in the University environment, although doing Foundation Courses, Kezia was a star, regularly reporting A grades, and even some A+ marks. Kezia loved the open and free environment and of course, she had the love of her life, Youssef. It would not be fair to interrupt her course so Louise put on a brave face and told Kezia it was a lovely offer but quite unnecessary.

  Kezia discovered the Poly Sports Centre where she could exercise with a trainer, play team sports which she had avoided since she turned twelve, and swim. Her puppy fat disappeared, her face became leaner like her mother’s and she glowed with health. At long last she felt that she belonged in her body and began to take better care of it. Freed from the constant fear of Frank and Mr Bannister, Kezia was happy and settled.

  Kezia changed Youssef’s name to Joseph Tumai by deed poll. Tumai meant ‘tumble’ which fitted with how her mother Louise had found him, when a bag of icing sugar tumbled from a top shelf. He now wore clothes from New Zealand retailers and became Joe. With his brown skin he looked like a Maori. His English improved rapidly, especially when each night for over an hour Kezia made him rehearse what he had learned that day. Although she tried to ring her mother each day, Kezia was very busy so it often became only twice a week.

  Kezia’s experience with David Bannister was constantly on her mind. She pondered on how much more effect it would have had if he had forced her to have intercourse. Her mind turned to her mother’s experience and then to all the other girls that he must have affected over time.

  ‘How had the situation been allowed to continue?’ she thought. Because of social status and credibility. How could the situation be changed? Through groups working with forensic investigators to back up the woman’s claims.

  Kezia decided that she would become a forensic scientist.

  CHAPTER 54.

  Through social media and school and church organisations Mary McMillan and Louise called for women who had been abused to come forward. Jayne Hyslop became a member after Louise received death threats from an anonymous source. Louise gave the notes to Jayne to have the handwriting analysed. The result was a prosecution that sent a stern warning to poison pen writers. It also publicised the work of the group, which had grown to over twenty women involved on a daily or casual basis.

  Nigel was beside Louise all the way. He was with her when she filed process papers for an appeal against the decision of the Family Court on the basis of lies being a major reason for the decision that Louise was not a suitable parent.

  Nigel swore an affidavit the he had not had sex with Louise on the night alluded to. He had credible witnesses to attest to his absence while getting more liquor at Larcombe’s insistence. Louise got out the notebook where she had recorded the conversation that she had heard between Frank and Stuart Larcombe, where, given the events at the party, it was obvious that Frank had been talking about his wife. Louise no longer cared who found out that she had been a sexual target. She was a victim not a perpetrator.

  As she gained more energy and more confidence Louise tried to help Nigel get over the loss of Charlotte. He needed someone to talk to. She told him about Bernard’s statement about finding oneself in a situation that seemed to have no cure. Nigel took the story very seriously.

  “Perhaps that’s what you need to do,” he said. “There is nothing keeping you here in Wahanui. Why don’t you do as Bernard suggests and start fresh in Dunedin?”

  He explained that his own work was depressing him and perhaps a sea change would do him good. Louise was surprised. She had been so close to her own misery that she had not seen that Nigel might have problems too.

  Gradually, they shared confidences about Nigel’s work and Frank’s business. Nigel’s conscience was troubled by the way in which he had facilitated Frank and Larcombe’s plans, favouring them with information and del
aying their competition. He also admitted that he turned a blind eye at times when he noticed the conditions of building consents were not being observed.

  Louise had only one answer. “Front up to it, Nigel,” she said. “You have changed the way you do business with Frank and Stuart Larcombe so you now have integrity. But the dishonest practices of the Wahanui Council are getting you down. Why don’t you start afresh somewhere else?”

  One evening Nigel produced a set of papers, drawings and specifications of the two projects that most worried him.

  “Louise, will you please keep these safe?” asked Nigel. “These are the certified copies of the plans and specs for both Frank’s building projects. I have decided to take your advice and front up to what’s worrying me. I am going to declare both of Frank’s projects unsafe. It may be that the originals will disappear and be replaced with doctored copies pushing the blame on to me. These papers are my insurance.”

  Louise put Nigel’s papers with her own insurance and bank papers. On impulse, the next time Mrs Hohepa called, she asked her to mind the papers for her until things settled down.

  CHAPTER 55.

  Louise had turned the corner. Her moods stabilized as she felt fewer black holes sinking her with regrets and shame. She decided that her whole life should change. The counselling sessions had given her tools with which to tackle her issues, tools that she put to good use while she stayed shut in her house.

  One of these was the historical novel analogy: You clean your house to keep it healthy. Why shouldn’t you clean out past events? Although they were part of her history, things that had made Louise what she had become, they were like a book, filled with different chapters.

  It all started with Mr Bannister, she realised. Bannister belonged to an early chapter. The quiet open child who had gone to High School became a bundle of guilty secrets that she had to hide from the priest, from her friends, from her family. Mr Johanssen, the kindly school principal at that time, came closer to her problem than anyone else, almost discovering what was wrong with her. She wished she could find someone like Mr Johanssen who was kind and considerate and yet strong and firm in his beliefs. Perhaps her grandfather or Nigel came close?