by Bill Ward
For the first time in a long while, Afina smiled broadly. “Thank you so much.”
They drank coffee and ate toast with Afina answering questions about where she lived and her family. She said nothing about how she came to be in England.
Afina was intrigued by Becky, who had piercings in her tongue, nose and multiple ones in her ears. “Did your piercings hurt?” Afina asked.
“The tongue hurt like hell but it was worth it. Emma loves it.”
“It has its benefits,” Emma laughed.
Afina didn’t understand what Emma meant about benefits. She realised her English still needed improving because when the girls spoke quickly she struggled to follow what they were saying.
“Do you like them?” Becky asked.
“They are quite nice but I wouldn’t want one in my tongue. I had a boyfriend once who suggested I get one but it was only because, you know, he thought it would feel good.”
“That’s boys for you, always thinking about their dicks!” Becky replied.
“Dicks?” Afina asked.
“You know, their penis.” Emma explained.
“Why is it called a dick? Isn’t Dick a name?”
Emma and Becky looked at each other then burst into laughter.
“I have no fucking idea why it’s called a dick,” Emma said.
“Don’t ask me,” Becky said. “I haven’t a clue and whatever they’re called, I don’t like them!”
“Becky has some other piercings in interesting places,” Emma volunteered.
“Afina doesn’t want to know about them,” Becky quickly responded.
“They must have hurt,” Afina stated firmly.
“Being serious for a moment,” Emma said. “What else can we do to help you, Afina?”
“The first thing I must do is to call my family in Romania and let them know what has happened.”
“There’s a phone in the lounge,” Emma said. “Go call them.”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“Well don’t spend hours talking to them but otherwise it’s fine,” Emma smiled.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how I will ever repay you for your kindness.”
“Us girls have to stick together,” Becky chipped in.
Afina hurried to the lounge and dialled the number for home.
“It’s me, mama,” she said excitedly, on hearing the familiar voice answer.
“Afina, where are you? What’s happened? Why didn’t you call me?” her mother responded anxiously. “There was a man here earlier asking if we had heard from you. I thought something had happened to you. Why was he visiting me before breakfast. I wasn’t even dressed. This man would not leave his name but he said to tell you to contact Stefan urgently. Who is Stefan?”
Afina was temporarily lost for words. “Just a friend,” she answered after a moment. Who was this man who had visited her family? Was it a threat? Was he letting her know they could find her family and hurt them if they wanted?
“Afina, are you in trouble? I didn’t like this man.”
“No, everything is okay, mama,” she lied. She wasn’t sure what to say but didn’t want to frighten her mother. “But mama, I had my bag stolen so I have no money or passport.”
“Perhaps Stefan has found it and wants to return it. That’s why he wants you to contact him urgently.”
“No mama, Stefan doesn’t have it,” Afina answered and then recognised it would have been easier to simply agree with her mother.
“Have you reported it to the police?”
“Yes mama but you know what it’s like. Bags are stolen all the time and there is no chance of it being found so I have no money. Can you please send me some?”
“Of course, my love. How do I do it?”
Afina realised she didn’t know how to transfer money abroad. She knew it was possible but how? She would ask her new friends.
“Mama, I will check the best way and call you back later. Thank you, mama. I will pay you back when I get a job.”
“Don’t you have a job, Afina? I thought you were working in a bar.”
“They didn’t need me at the bar so I must find another job. Don’t worry, mama. There are plenty of jobs here in England.”
“Come home, Afina.”
“I can’t mama. I don’t have a passport.”
“Go to the embassy. They will give you a new passport.”
“I will mama but that takes time and I will have to go to London.”
“Remember this is your home, Afina. Come back soon.”
“I need to go now mama and talk to my friends and ask them what is the best way to transfer money. I will call you back later.”
“Love you.”
“And you, mama.”
Afina ended the call in shock. Stefan knew where she lived and she could not go home. She didn’t know what to do. She returned to the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” Emma asked.
“Yes,” Afina responded with a half-hearted smile. “What is the best way for my mother to send me some money?”
“I’m not sure but Becky can get you some more coffee while I check on the internet.”
“Thank you.”
“And don’t worry about some cash for the next day or two,” Emma continued. “I can lend you some money to tide you over.”
Afina couldn’t help herself. She burst into tears. “I don’t know what I would have done without you both,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“As Becky said, us girls have to stick together.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Powell opened the door to the Chief Inspector and again showed him through to the lounge. This time he came alone, no longer needing the prop of another officer, with no terrible news to deliver. Thirty six hours had passed since his last visit, some of the worst hours of Powell’s life. He had resorted to whisky to try and numb the pain but it hadn’t helped, just made him even more morose. Powell offered tea, which was declined and then they occupied the same seats as before.
“So, Chief Inspector what more can you tell me about Bella’s death?”
“I’m afraid, as we have an ongoing investigation, there is little detail I can provide. Bella was on patrol with Constable Myers when they stumbled upon an argument between a man and a woman. They tried to intervene but the man stabbed both of them.”
“So you have this man in custody?”
“No we don’t. We have the incident captured on CCTV, which is how we know what happened. Constable Myers is still in Intensive Care and we haven’t been able to interview him.”
“Where did this happen?”
“Western Road.”
“And the woman?”
“She ran from the scene and that really is as much as I can tell you.”
“Have you been able to identify the man or woman?” Powell persisted.
“Not yet but we will,” the Chief Inspector stated with conviction. “At least we know what they both look like. I will keep you informed of progress,” he said, rising from his chair.
“So this looks like a case of a simple domestic gone badly wrong?” Powell asked, ignoring the Chief Inspector’s attempt to end the questioning and staying seated.
“I’m sorry Mr. Powell…”
“Please, everyone just calls me Powell.”
“Powell, I really can’t answer any more questions. Please be assured we are doing everything possible to locate the man who murdered your daughter. She was one of us and though she was quite new, she was very popular. Every single Officer is in off leave, going door to door with a photo of this man. We will find him.”
Powell realised he wasn’t going to get any further information so shook hands and escorted the Chief Inspector to the door. At least they were keeping him informed and getting visits from a Chief Inspector probably wasn’t the norm but reflected Bella’s death was being given the highest possible attention. Not that Powell believed one death was any more important than any other, except to tho
se immediately affected by the loss of someone they loved.
He returned to the lounge deep in thought. It appeared his Bella had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had no doubt the police would do everything in their powers to bring Bella’s killer to justice. They looked after their own but he could not sit around and do nothing. He would also start looking for this man, he shouldn’t be too hard to locate.
Powell decided he needed more information. He couldn’t rely on just what he was being drip fed by the local police. He didn’t want to make the call but there really was no other way. It had been almost twenty years since he last spoke to anyone. Twenty years since Vanessa was killed and he almost lost Bella. Now she was gone too. It was Bella who had pulled him through those difficult early years. Young children didn’t allow you to sit around feeling sorry for yourself. But at night the demons had come and the nightmares which reminded him of how he failed Vanessa. The passing of time made it easier but he had never forgotten and the guilt had never fully gone away.
So he dialled the number that was only meant for an absolute emergency even though this wasn’t the type of emergency envisaged when he was given the number. He wasn’t sure if the number would even still be valid after so many years. After a short time, a female voice answered. He gave his code number and explained he needed to speak with Brian Cooper, not knowing for certain he would still be alive, let alone doing the same job. He was put on hold and then a male voice came on the line.
“This is the duty officer,” the man stated. “How can I help you?”
“I wish to speak with Brian Cooper,” Powell reiterated.
“Mister Cooper is a very busy man. I’m sure I can help you.”
“Please tell him to call Powell. It’s urgent.”
“Look Powell, someone of his seniority isn’t just going to call back every Tom, Dick and Harry, without a damn good reason. What is this about?”
“Just as well then my name’s Powell, not Tom or Dick or Harry,” he replied sarcastically. He was just about keeping his anger in check. “Tell him it’s about Bella. I guarantee you he will want to call me.” Powell ended the call to save further discussion.
So Brian was not only alive but someone in a senior position. Powell wasn’t surprised to hear his old friend’s career had progressed positively and was pleased by the news, as it would make it easier for him to provide help.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Afina had realised as the day went on that Emma and Rebecca were more than just friends. They held hands and kissed like any lovers. She had also been invited in their bedroom to find a change of clothes and there was just the one large double bed. Afina had been careful to hide her bottom when she tried on the clothes. It had turned a bright blue and yellow colour and wasn’t something she wanted to have to explain.
Afina had no problem with her new friends being lovers. She had never previously known any other lesbians and did wonder if they would still have taken her home if they weren’t into girls but given her recent experiences with men, she could understand better the attraction of women. Back home they wouldn’t have been able to be so open about their relationship. Dinosaurs like Dimitry would have insulted them if he saw them holding hands in the street.
Afina’s mother had transferred a thousand euros to Emma’s bank account, which Afina knew was probably all of her life savings. They had investigated other ways of transferring money but Afina had no passport or means of identification, which was needed when collecting the money. It would also be necessary to go in person to collect the money, so when Emma had suggested transferring the money to her bank account, Afina had been quick to agree. She had no qualms about paying the money into the account of what was virtually a stranger. She completely trusted Emma and Becky.
It was Monday morning and the girls had left for work. Afina was so grateful to them for allowing her to stay in the apartment even when they weren’t there. She didn’t think anyone at home would be so trusting. You’d come back to your apartment at the end of the day and it would be stripped bare! Afina just couldn’t face the thought of leaving the apartment. She was only ten minutes from Stefan’s place and couldn’t risk bumping into him or Dimitry on the streets.
Afina knew that the policewoman was dead and the policeman seriously injured. She had heard it on the radio news. The police had appealed for witnesses to come forward. She was a witness but too scared to contact the police. She was quite sure Dimitry would never allow her to give evidence and even if he was locked up, she was certain he had friends who would pay her a visit. There was also her family to consider. She was feeling guilty both about having to ask her mother for money she could ill afford to give her and potentially putting them in danger of reprisal from Stefan for her running away.
During the day, Afina cleaned the apartment from top to bottom. She felt it was the least she could do in return for being made so welcome. When the girls came home they thanked her and suggested they should all go out for a drink after dinner. Afina wasn’t keen on the idea and the girls quickly understood she was worried she might bump into her assailant.
“We’re just going to our local favourite pub,” Becky stressed. “It will be perfectly safe. You don’t normally get many men and if you do they’re gay.”
Afina realised Emma and Becky would frequent pubs where the likes of Dimitry would never think of going. “Okay, let’s go,” she said.
“Great and don’t worry about having no money. When our friends catch a look at you, they will be queueing up to buy you drinks,” Emma said.
It took a minute for Afina to understand what Emma meant and then she smiled shyly. “I like girls but not in that way.”
“Won’t stop them trying to convert you,” Becky laughed.
“Can I ask a question please? Is it possible to make a call from your phone without the person I am calling seeing the number?”
“Easy,” Emma said. “Do you want me to show you how?”
“Yes please.”
They went to the lounge, Emma pushed a few buttons and then handed the phone to Afina. “There you go. I’ve hidden the number.”
“Thank you, Emma.” Afina said. She waited for Emma to leave the room and then dialled nine, nine, nine.
CHAPTER NINE
Adriana was home by herself listening to music on her laptop. She enjoyed listening to the latest songs and creating playlists of her favourites. She also enjoyed the freedom of having a bedroom all to herself since Afina had left. She had stuck some posters on the wall and moved things around a bit so she felt it was now her bedroom. She’d collected the remaining evidence of it once being her sister’s bedroom and stuffed everything in a single cupboard. She loved her big sister but was very pleased she had moved out so she could make the bedroom her own.
Her mother had gone shopping and wouldn’t be back for at least an hour, which gave her the time to chat with some friends about the latest music in the charts. Afina had introduced her to loads of English music and she was a particular fan of Ed Sheeran. She hoped one day to see him in concert.
There was a knock at the door of the apartment. She expected it to be one of her friends so was surprised to find a stranger at her door.
“Hello. You must be Adriana,” the man said with a smile on his face. “Is your mother home?”
“No, she’s out shopping.”
“She must have forgotten I was coming. I’ll come in and wait for her to return.” As he said it, he pushed past Adriana into the hallway.
“Come back later,” Adriana started to say and then found the stranger had his large arm around her face and across her mouth so she couldn’t call out. He pushed the front door shut with his spare hand.
“Keep quiet and you won’t get hurt,” the man threatened. He withdrew a large knife from inside his jacket and held it close to her face. “You’re a pretty girl, just like your sister. It would be a pity to spoil your looks. I’m going to let go of you now. Nod if you promise not to cry
out.”
Adriana nodded and he removed his arm from around her face but he kept hold of her hair.
“What do you want?” she asked in a trembling voice.
He returned the knife to his pocket and removed a piece of paper. “Tell Afina to call Stefan on this number urgently. Otherwise, I’ll be paying you a return visit and I won’t be so gentle.” He pushed the paper into her jeans pocket and she could feel his fingers stroke her thigh through the inside of the pocket. Then he placed his free hand between her legs and rubbed
He leaned towards her and crushed her lips in a powerful kiss. She couldn’t escape as he still had hold of her hair and roughly forced her head forward for the kiss. He took hold of her hand and forced her to feel his growing erection while continuing to force his tongue into her mouth.
“If I have to call again, next time I’ll be fully enjoying that young body of yours,” he threatened, breaking off the kiss and freeing her hand. He reached out and squeezed her breasts. “Very nice,” he leered, then turned and left. “Make sure she calls,” he shouted over his shoulder.
Adriana slumped to the floor and cried with relief as much as anything. She had expected to be raped.
Powell didn’t have to wait long to hear back from Brian Cooper. It was just a couple of hours later when his phone rang with a withheld number.
“Powell,” he answered.
“Hello, Powell. It’s been a long time.”
The voice was instantly recognisable. A crisp public school accent developed in prep school and refined at Eton and Oxford. He came from money and by all accounts upset his family by refusing to follow the family tradition of a career in the army, choosing instead to do his fighting in the shadows with MI5.
They had joined the service at the same time and been on the same training courses. Both of them had been recruited at University, in Powell’s case that was Warwick where he’d studied Chemistry. It had been fortuitous when he was approached because he had no idea what career to follow. He knew he didn’t want to be sat at a desk doing research. Why he was picked out, he never knew but he had been well chosen as he excelled at the training for his new role.
