Followed

by Cara Alexander

  ‘Jane? It's me, Beth.’

  Her eyes search behind me to see if anyone's watching, then as if satisfied, she beckons me inside.

  I follow her into the living room, a large fluffy black cat raises its head and looks at me suspiciously.

  ‘What a lovely cat. Is he yours?’

  ‘Yes, but it's a she.’

  She motions to a chair, I sit down.

  ‘Do you live here alone?

  ‘No, it's my parent's house.’

  I can tell she's nervous she wants to get it over with quickly, so do I.

  ‘Jane, I have to record this.’ I take out my phone and place it on the table in front of us. ‘Is that alright?’

  She frowns and looks confused.

  ‘We have to do this. It might happen again and next time you might not get away and...’

  A look of horror crosses her face, she nods, I press record.

  ‘It was so terrible.’ Her voice is so soft I can hardly hear it. I mouth louder and she nods. The cat snuggles close to her as if giving her comfort. I just sit and hold my breath.

  ‘Where did it happen?’ I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

  No reply.

  ‘Where did it happen, Jane?’

  She says nothing.

  ‘Was it a car, did they pick you up and drive you somewhere?’

  Still she says nothing so in desperation I ask. ‘Did it happen in a house, in a field, in a shed?’

  She looks at me in amazement.

  ‘You know about the shed?’

  I nod. ‘Yes Jane, the first time I was attacked it was in a field, but I got away. The second time was different, there were two of them. I was dragged from my friend's garden in broad daylight, hauled into a van and then driven to a shed in a field.’ I hold up my phone. ‘The police will have both our statements on this recording, I know it's hard, but they need to know what happened then they can help us.’

  She looks at me with wide eyes.

  ‘How did they get you into the shed, Jane?’

  ‘I was walking home from work, I always come home for lunch, I don't work far away. A van drew up next to me, and a man popped his head out of the window, he asked if I knew the way to Oxford, he was looking at a map, so I went over to show him. The next minute the side of the van opened, a man pulled me inside and shut the door – it all happened so quickly.’ She stops and begins to cry.

  I go over and hug her. ‘What did he look like?’

  ‘He was wearing a black hood, and on top was a black cap. It was pulled down over his face, he smelt of cigarettes, he was wearing a mask over his mouth, his voice sounded funny.’

  ‘What happened then?’

  She pauses and looks at me, tears stream down her face. ‘He put something over my eyes and did things to me, it was so awful, the van was going fast then when it stopped, he dragged me out of the van, pushed me into a shed and pulled my pants down. He wouldn’t stop, I begged him to stop but he only laughed, then he raped me. Then the other man came in and hit me, and then they...’ She stops and bursts into tears.

  ‘What happened then, Jane?’

  ‘They took off all my clothes and… It was so awful.’ She shudders and looks at me. ‘I begged them to stop, but they were so strong, I couldn't do anything...’

  I bite my lip and pass her tissues from a box on the small table.

  She stops to wipe her face then carries on. ‘Another man came, I think they called him Dick or Dicken, I’m not sure. They’re voices sounded horrible like Micky Mouse. He told them to put me in the van. Then I heard the sound of a tractor. Everything went quiet. I heard them moving around then I heard the sound of a car and then a van driving away.’

  ‘Was this in the statement you gave to the police?’

  ‘Yes, it's in my head all the time, like a film that never stops.’

  Jane's eyes are wide with fear, she's reliving it all over again. A shiver runs down my spine as she sobs.

  ‘I pulled off the thing he covered my eyes with, put on my clothes and waited till the tractor had moved away, then I ran out. I ran and ran; I was so frightened. Then I went to the police.’

  She sits with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, slowly rocking backwards and forwards.

  ‘This happened last year, didn't it?’

  She nods and sits hugging her knees to her chest.

  ‘Why did you retract your statement? It would have helped the police; they might have caught them.’

  ‘I was frightened they'd do it again,’ she mumbles. ‘After it happened, I knew someone was following me.’

  ‘Did this stop after retracting your statement?’

  She nods.

  It's getting late. I get up and look out of the window. Nick's moved the car it's outside the house, time for me to go.

  ‘Don't worry. This nightmare will soon be over. If you think of anything, or just want to talk, call me, you have my number. Put it somewhere safe and don't tell anyone I've been here – okay? Not even your parents.’

  She nods, puts the scrap of paper, with my details in her pocket and stands up.

  ‘Don't go out for the next few days unless you really have to. Tell your parents you're not feeling well, call work, tell them you're sick or something.’

  She stares at me, a look of panic on her face. I sound just like Nick he's always saying this to me, but I'm worried, I suppose he does it because he's worried. I look at my notes, have I forgotten something, I've a feeling I have, but it's time to go.

  I give her a hug. ‘Please don't worry, it'll be over soon.’

  She nods and walks with me to the door. ‘Don't forget to call me?’

  I nod and leave.

  Once outside, I turn and look back at the house. Jane's peeping out from behind the living room curtain looking at Nick in the car. As I get in, I give her a wave. Nick looks up at the window, then we drive off.

  18

  Back to Mum’s

  ‘How did it go, what happened?’ he mutters as I get into the car.

  The car is thick with smoke. ‘What do you think?’ I ask, winding down the window. ‘She's a total wreck. You must get someone to watch the house, until they're caught.’

  He frowns and drives faster. ‘This is unofficial, how can I get her police protection if she doesn't report it?’

  ‘You know why. She's terrified it'll happen again. I listened carefully to her description of the two men who raped her and they could be the same men who attacked me.’

  At first, he doesn't say anything he just sits gripping the steering wheel staring at the road ahead. ‘So, what happened?’

  ‘They pretended they'd lost their way. They had a map so she offered to show them how to get to Oxford. That's when she was pulled into the van. I've got it all down on this.’ I hold up my phone. ‘I asked her if it was alright to record it and she agreed.’

  He says nothing, just grunts. ‘What happened then?’

  ‘She was taken to a shed and raped by the one who dragged her in the van. Then they took off her clothes and raped her again. One of them was more violent than the other. It was only when the other guy came that they stopped, otherwise...’

  The car goes around a sharp bend at a ridiculously high speed, I feel his thigh against me, he's going faster, he overtakes a car, there's another coming towards us.

  ‘Nick, slow down, you'll kill us!’ We miss the car by the skin of our teeth. He slows down, I sit staring ahead, stunned at his stupidity. ‘What's wrong with you, Nick?’

  He doesn't reply.

  I take a deep breath; I don't need this. It's bad enough talking about this stuff without having him to deal with. I watch him out of the corner of my eye. ‘That was really close, we could have been killed.’

  He turns and looks at me. I'm struck by the expression in his eyes. He looks tired, as if he's had enough, or maybe he's just fed up with these unsolved cases.

  ‘When did it happen?’ he asks.

  ‘A year ago, las
t September. The only reason she escaped was because a farm worker showed up in his tractor, if he hadn’t, I hate to think what would have happened.’

  We drive along in silence, he's deep in thought, I'm thinking about my conversation with Jane. ‘Nick, can the recording I made with my phone be used as evidence?’

  He shrugs and says nothing.

  ‘What about her clothes, would the police ask her to keep the clothes she was wearing for evidence?’

  ‘Shit. Bloody lights!’ He slams on the brakes, I'm flung forward.

  ‘What's wrong with you?’ I gasp. ‘Stop driving like a maniac!’

  He sits drumming his fingers impatiently on the wheel, cursing the lights. ‘I thought you said she was naked. Did they test her body for traces of semen?’

  ‘I just told you Nick, the first time she was raped she had her clothes on. They were probably in such a rush to get their hands on her.’

  I can feel him watching me, then the lights change.

  ‘Then what?’ he asks, staring ahead at the road.

  ‘They stripped her and raped her, then the other guy interrupted them.’

  He brakes suddenly, just missing a car. ‘I don't think she would keep the clothes, she probably went home, had a shower then threw them away - that's what most victims do.’

  ‘What, even if the police told her to keep them?’

  He shrugs. ‘They probably had all the evidence they needed.’

  I sit listening to the recording - she doesn't mention the clothes or having a test, so I give her a call, but it goes to voicemail - I leave a message telling her to call me as soon as she can.

  Nick parks in the street around the corner from our house. He stays in the car, I get out.

  The officer watches as I walk into the garden and go inside, he knows who I am, I'm sure of it, he must think I'm nuts.

  As soon as I’m inside, I pull off the wig.

  Then my phone rings.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘It's me, Beth.’

  ‘Jane, I'm so glad you called, I forgot to ask you something very important. Did you have tests taken at the station and what happened to the clothes you were wearing, the day it happened?’

  There's a long silence. ‘Jane, are you still there?’

  ‘I didn’t want them,’ she whispers.

  ‘What, the tests?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What about your clothes?’

  She doesn’t reply so I ask her again. ‘Jane, what about the clothes you had on that day? Where are they?’

  ’I kept them.’

  I can’t believe it, she kept them!

  ‘I waited for mum and dad to go to work at the bakery then I buried them in the garden.’

  I start walking around the kitchen, pressing the phone tightly to my ear to block out the sound of someone knocking at the door. ‘Can you get them by tomorrow? We need them for forensics.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Jane, if you have the clothes then we have evidence and we need all the evidence we can get, don’t we?’ I know I’m clutching at straws but I have no idea how it works. She doesn't reply for a while, probably wondering when she can dig them up without anyone seeing her.

  ‘When my parents go to work, I can do it then. Do you want to come here, or shall I come to your place?’

  The knocking on the door gets louder. I run and open it. Nick rushes in. ‘You took your time!’ he growls. Then he motions to the phone. ‘Who's that?’

  I put my finger to my lip, he stops talking. ‘Jane, can you hold on for a minute.’ I mute the call and turn to Nick. ‘She has the clothes. Shall we collect them from her place, or arrange to meet her somewhere?’

  ‘I don’t know why you’re bothering, if they did the tests.’

  ‘She said she didn’t want the tests, but you can check with forensics, can’t you?’

  He shrugs. ‘Do you still want to collect her clothes?’

  ‘Yes.’

  I sit watching him flick through his phone, then he stops.

  ‘What about 11ish tomorrow, in the pub near the train station in Oxford? I’ll collect you at 11.30, that way she'll get home safely and so will you, and I won't miss my meeting.

  ‘Yes, sounds good.’

  ‘Sorry about that, Jane, I was just talking to DI Stephens, can you meet me tomorrow in the pub next to the train station in Oxford, say around 11.00 in the morning?’

  She says yes, I close my phone and turn to Nick. ‘Can you get the clothes to forensics tomorrow?’

  He nods. ‘I should think so, but don't get your hopes up, it's been a long time, they might not find anything.’

  I shrug. I’m not the detective, he is. ‘I’ll send you a copy of the recording I made with Jane, it’s all evidence isn’t it?’

  He grunts and continues flicking through his phone.

  For the first time in days I feel we're really getting somewhere. Then I think of Jane, she withdrew her statement. Would forensics have checked the shed? They must have, it was a crime scene. I turn to ask Nick but he's on his way out of the door.

  ‘Have to get back to work, talk to you later.’ He closes the door. I go into the kitchen, pour myself a large glass of wine, bung a pizza in the microwave and call Mum.

  19

  The Station Pub, Oxford

  Nick should have been here ages ago, where is he? Surely he hasn't forgotten us?

  Jane's looking terrified, she just dug up vital evidence from her back garden and thinks someone was watching her.

  ‘Don't worry Jane,’ I mutter, standing up to stretch my legs. ‘Nick must have an emergency, it happens all the time. I'll try one more time, if he doesn't answer, we'll get a cab. Okay?’

  She nods and looks nervously around the pub. It’s lunch time and quite busy now. We’re sitting in a corner away from the bar, but I can tell she’s worried.

  My call goes to voicemail. Maybe he switched his phone off, but why not text me, he could at least let me know if he's coming or not. I try one more time, then I call a cab.

  Twenty minutes later we're pulling up outside her house, she gets out and peers back at me.

  ‘Call me, yes?’

  ‘Of course, and please don't worry Jane.’

  She waves and runs to her house.

  I watch until she's safely inside, then get the cab driver to take me home. I'm hoping Nick will be there, but the house is empty.

  I run upstairs to his bedroom, he's not there. His room faces the back, mine faces the front. From the window I can see the young officer at the end of the garden. Now I know why Nick was chatting to him on the first day he came here, he knows him from the station.

  Where the hell are you Nick?

  The officer in the front of the house smiles and watches as I get into Mum's car. I sit pretending to be on my phone while watching him through the car mirror. Just as I thought, he's on his phone. Let's hope he's calling Nick. I sit waiting for a call from Nick, but nothing happens. Then I have an idea. I asked the police a couple of times to fit CCTV along our street, I even asked Nick to have a word for me but so far nothing's been done, I'll give them a call, find out what's happening then ask if I can speak to Nick.

  A bored-sounding woman answers the phone.

  ‘Hi, this is Beth Papadakis, I phoned a few days ago and was told someone would contact me regarding CCTV being fitted in our street but nobody has, can you tell me what's happening?’

  ‘Sorry, I can't help. I'll leave a message for someone to get back to you.’

  ‘No, that's what they said last time, this is urgent.’ I can feel myself getting angry and grit my teeth. ‘I want to speak to someone, now!’

  The woman sounds frustrated and tells me to hold on.

  A few minutes later she comes back on the line. ‘Sorry, I've asked around and nobody knows anything about it.’

  ‘But this is ridiculous, someone must know.’

  ‘I'll check with my colleagues, and call you back, what's your number?’
/>
  I feel like screaming but I give her my number, then I ask if Nick's there. She says she hasn't seen him. I turn on the ignition and start driving to Evesly. Then I remember the shed, I forgot to ask her if they checked to see if CCTV was in the shed.

  I call her back, she sounds annoyed.

  ‘I’ll let someone know you called.’

  Before she can hang up, I try one more time. ‘Look this is urgent, people’s lives are in danger. I need to know if CCTV is in that shed.’

  I'm driving slowly waiting for her to find out, I don't want to get done for being on the phone while driving so I slow right down. Forensics were all over the place after what happened to me. Nick said this was normal procedure, but did anyone check for CCTV? All of this could be on camera. The shed is on Major Hudson's farm in one of his fields, he was in the army before he became an MP so wouldn’t he be hot on security?

  The woman’s voice cuts into my thoughts.

  ‘Sorry, I can't access the case file, and even if I could, I'm not allowed to divulge this information over the phone, I suggest you come into the station and speak to someone.’

  ‘But this is urgent!’

  ‘As I said, I’ll leave a message about the CCTV in your street, and for your other question, you’ll have to come into the station.’

  I’m shaking with anger and slow right down. No call from Nick, no text. It’s mid-afternoon on a summer’s day and all I can think of is Nick. Where the hell is he?

  Major Hudson's farm is just a short distance from where I am so I might as well go and see for myself. I drive for a few more minutes till I get to the field where the shed is, turn off the engine and sit listening. Apart from the sound of birds there's no sound at all, just an eerie stillness about the place.

  I climb out of the car and walk towards the shed – suddenly I hear it, a rustling noise, I freeze.

  Nothing happens, it must have been a breeze in the trees. Clenching my teeth, I duck under the police tape and open the door. With the light from my phone I scan the walls and ceiling. Then I hear the sound of a tractor. This is what Jane must have heard. I shiver and go outside the shed.

  A flash of light from above the trees catches my eye. It's a sunny day so probably just a reflection of something. There it goes again. It seems to be coming from the tree facing the shed.