The Naked Truth: Shall Set You Free (NEW ALBION Book 2)

by Wallace Greensage

  ‘Molly, please…’ But Molly had already disconnected.

  Her next call would be to her father, Claude Hollingfeld, an oncologist in Port Lonagin on New Albion’s northeast coast. She had to tell her parents, but she dreaded that too; she wasn’t at all sure what their reactions would be. She was closer to her father and prayed that he would help her with her choices or at least talk them through rationally with her. She knew she needed to speak to someone.

  Chapter 52

  ‘WELL, isn’t this cosy?’ Durak commented with a huge grin as he threw his washbag onto the free bottom bunk. Spiralli, sprawled on the top bunk, stared at him but said nothing. He knew he’d soon have a new cell mate but Durak? How the fuck had that happened?

  The truth was that the prison authorities knew nothing of Durak’s connection with Spiralli, only that he’d broken the terms of his parole and that he’d attempted to re-offend. He was yet to be processed but that would be by Hardston Prison. He’d been gone for less than a week.

  Spiralli played it cool. ‘You fucked up, you fuckin’ moron!’ Spiralli hissed. ‘How the fuck did you manage to do that? I thought even you could manage a simple job like that.’

  Durak stared a Spiralli long and hard. ‘You set me up, you arsehole, and you’re going to fuckin’ pay for it.’

  ‘I was here, you were there, so it’s down to you. Don’t blame me for it.’

  ‘So who told the fuckin’ coppers?’ Durak’s face was red with anger.

  ‘How should I know? Tell me what happened and I’ll probably be able work out what you did to fuck it up so fuckin’ much that they got wind of it!’

  ‘No man. This is down to you, you little cunt. And you’ll fuckin’ pay for it! And you’ll be fuckin’ sorry!’

  Spiralli shook his head and lay back on his bunk, hands behind head. ‘Try anything, arsehole, and you’ll be the one that’s sorry!’ he told him evenly.

  Chapter 53

  LOUISA parked her car as close as she could to the Barley Mow pub on Friday evening. The car park was already full, mostly with Matthewson workers. She only planned to stay for one drink. She headed through the crowd of outdoor smokers to the main door.

  As she stepped inside, the noise of raised voices hit her as she searched the crowded pub for Billy. She needn’t have worried. Anxiously, he’d been watching the door and pushed his way through the throng, calling her name. She stood and waited.

  ‘Over here,’ he yelled in her ear over the din and pulled her along to a place near the bar. ‘What can I get you, Lou?’

  She shook her head, but couldn’t be bothered fighting him about her name yet again, especially over this din.

  ‘Dry white please,’

  ‘Wine? Don’t you want a proper drink?’

  She stared at him. He realised he wasn’t going to get any more of a reply than that and turned to the bar.

  A crowd of men she didn’t know stood next to their place at the bar and one turned around. He’d clearly already had a few. ‘Hey!’ he yelled. ‘Here’s Billy’s new squeeze!’ he shouted. The others turned and blatantly looked her up and down, then turned back to their drinks and yelled conversation without greeting her. Squeeze? She thought. Is this what I’ve been reduced to?

  ‘What did you say your name was, luv?’ the first man asked.

  ‘I didn’t. Didn’t Billy tell you?’

  ‘He may’ve. Dunna remember though.’

  Billy’s hand came backwards from the bar, holding a glass of wine. She took it and turned her back on the group.

  ‘Come and join us, Lou,’ Billy yelled, pulling her back towards the group as he returned with his drink. ‘This is Mick and this is…’ Even if she had been interested she wouldn’t have been able to hear over the hubbub. They nodded at her distractedly, more interested in themselves. Billy joined in their conversation and she stood alone, looking around. She wondered how she’d allowed herself to be persuaded into this. In fairness though, this wasn’t what she’d expected. A quiet drink and a chat. She could’ve handled that. Just about.

  Billy was in the middle of an anecdote that he thought was amusing, but no-one else seemed to think so. He turned to include Louisa twice but she couldn’t hear him. He frowned at her as his tale finished to a few polite laughs.

  ‘What’s wrong with you?’ he demanded of her.

  ‘Wrong?’ she frowned.

  ‘You look as if you’ve trodden in dog shit.’

  Louisa stared at him but said nothing. Was he serious, she wondered?

  ‘Lighten up, for fuck’s sake.’ Billy yelled above the din.

  Louisa hesitated then leaned towards him, beckoning for him to come closer. He put his head next to hers. ‘Billy, a night out with your mates wasn’t what I was expecting,’ she told him evenly. ‘I wouldn’t have agreed to come if I’d known. So, here, take my empty glass and let’s call it a night.’

  He looked daggers at her as he pulled away from her sharply. He didn’t take her glass, so she reached over and put it on a nearby table. She turned to leave.

  ‘And that’s it?’ he yelled in her ear as he followed her towards the door. ‘I invite you on a date and you stand me up in front of all my mates? Fuck me! You’re a real bitch. And I was goin’ to treat you to a Balti later.’

  It was pointless to argue. ‘Bye, Billy. Thanks for the wine.’ She turned and walked to the door. Billy stood and watched her leave.

  Unbelievable, she thought as she drove home. I thought it was a simple drink, as he’d said it would be, and he’d seen it as a date. He thinks a date is a night out with his mates in a pub with an Indian meal to round off the night. My leaving means I stood him up, embarrassed him.

  That’s it! I’m done with men!

  *

  ‘Where did your girlfriend disappear to, Billy?’ asked the only man other than Billy who had spoken to Louisa.

  ‘I told her to fuck off, the miserable cow!’ Billy lied. ‘Anyway, she’s got no tits! Can’t have a girl with no tits!’ At last he won the laughter he’d yearned for.

  Chapter 54

  DANA and Jerome met over drinks after work on Friday evening for the first time. Jerome had heard all of Dana’s problems and had offered understanding, comfort and friendship for the whole of the past week. At twenty-one, Dana was much younger than thirty year old Jerome.

  Dana’s ‘date’ was to be a far cry from Louisa’s debacle that same evening, and fortunately it continued for far longer.

  Jerome stayed at Dana’s apartment that night. It was as they lay in bed after gentle lovemaking that Jerome’s curiosity got the better of him. He’d been itching to ask since seeing Dana naked for the first time that evening. He approached it carefully. ‘That’s a fine tan you have, Dana’.

  ‘Not as good as yours,’ she joked. He had a smooth, dark, slightly overweight body that she loved to touch. She liked to run her fingers over his smooth, shaved head, and had occasionally succumbed to the urge to do that in the office when no-one was watching, much to his pleasure.

  ‘Wow, Dana, I’ve never heard that one before!’

  She playfully dug her elbow into his ribs. ‘It’s because I was on holiday last month for two weeks of sunshine. Didn’t you notice I wasn’t at work, Jerome?’ she teased.

  ‘Well, of course I noticed that,’ he replied. ‘It’s one of many things that I notice. I’m smart at noticing things.’

  Dana fell for it hook, line and sinker. ‘Oh, and what else have you noticed?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, let’s see now. Actually, I noticed something that wasn’t there this evening.’

  ‘Go on!’ Dana commanded, ever more curious.

  ‘Tan lines. I noticed no tan lines,’ he replied quietly into the darkness.

  ‘Ah! Yes, that’s very observant of you, Jerome. Goodnight.’ She kissed him and turned away from him onto her side. That’s a conversation for tomorrow, she thought, as she drifted towards sleep. I guess I’ll have to tell him everything. I wonder how he’ll take
it. And I wonder if he’ll ever become a naturist too.

  Her last waking thought was of Jerome’s naked black body playing volleyball on Serendip Beach. Pleasant dreams.

  Chapter 55

  MAY and John moved to Lucy and Jake’s chalet at SimpliCity on Saturday morning. May remained dressed but John was nude and off exploring within minutes of arrival. It was much quieter than the previous month now that the holiday season was winding down. He loved it there; they were going to have to prise him out of the place. No matter that his aging sixty-one year old body was huge and his belly enormous, a factor that had previously concerned him, but which he’d overcome the moment he’d been introduced to naturism a few shorts weeks ago.

  Not so May. Her sixty year old rolls of surplus flesh were, in her eyes, embarrassingly unsightly and, although she swam in the sea naked, she wasn’t ready to commit to nudism to the extent her husband had done. She actually liked the feeling of being naked but didn’t like being seen nude. She compromised by always wrapping a sarong around her naked body. She’d seen other ladies of her size and age happily naked on the beach and unconcerned with how they looked. If only, she thought.

  As May and John sat with their coffees on the deck, John had a permanent smile. He seems so content, May thought. I should really make an effort too. For him. Maybe tomorrow.

  Chapter 56

  AS Ben Spiralli was brought into the visitors’ room at Hardston Prison on Saturday afternoon, Philip Stelt, seated at a low table, watched him as he approached and as a guard shackled him to the immovable table.

  Spiralli nodded to his friend. ‘You got my message? Did you bring what I asked for?’

  ‘Yep. But it was taken from me before I was let in. Apparently a scantily-clad lass, a box of Cuban cigars and a bottle of single malt aren’t permitted. I never knew that!’

  Spiralli gave the slightest hint of a smile. That was more than he’d managed for several days.

  ‘Tell me,’ he commanded, eager for news.

  Stelt passed on all he knew of the rumours about Durak’s attack on Dana. ‘Ben, were you behind it?’ he asked.

  ‘Who the fuck told the police?’ Ben replied, avoiding the question.

  ‘I don’t know, Ben. You didn’t answer me. Was it anything to do with you?’

  Ben said nothing and stared sullenly at Stelt. ‘The rumour is that you paid that Ukrainian psycho to hurt Dana,’ Stelt continued. ‘Is it true? It wasn’t the smartest idea you’ve ever had if it’s true!’

  ‘Fuck you, Phil! Who’s spreading all these rumours anyway?’ Ben demanded.

  ‘It was in the Globe for a start but the report didn’t say a lot. But everyone’s talking about it around the city. I heard it from a few people. Of course, only a few have connected it to you, you’ll be glad to hear.’

  ‘What I don’t get is that only me and Durak knew…’

  ‘So it was you behind it! Fuck, Ben. What were you thinking?’

  Spiralli glared at Stelt; Stelt squirmed under his hostile stare. ‘As I was saying, only me and Durak knew about it. Even Bobby-Joe didn’t know other than to give Durak a few bucks. How was Durak picked up?’

  ‘The police were waiting for him at Dana’s flat. He got a thumping from a huge mama, the rumour goes. There was backup apparently but she didn’t need it. But it was that twat of an inspector that fucked with us last month in Pereval that was behind it.’

  ‘What? Now you fucking tell me!’

  ‘What difference does it make?’

  ‘That cunt’s getting under my skin. We’re going to have to have a reckoning sooner or later.’

  ‘Ben…’

  ‘But how did he know? That’s what I don’t get.’

  ‘Fuck knows. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.’

  ‘You won’t hear a fucking thing. What about Bobby-J? What’s going to happen to him?’

  ‘I don’t know the details but Bobby-Joe has been charged as an accessory to attempted murder right now. Of course, he’s claiming he knew nothing about what was going on. He was just the driver.’

  ‘It’s true. He didn’t know anything.’

  ‘I heard that the police had some hand-written notes from someone but couldn’t tie them back to anyone definite, which was presumably you. They didn’t have enough to link Bobby-Joe to you either. At first he said the note he received was from you, but he changed his statement when his brief arrived and said he didn’t know who’d sent the note. Durak’s saying fuck all. Maybe it’ll come out later, but I don’t see how unless Durak tells.’

  ‘His word against mine!’

  ‘Ben, for fuck’s sake keep your head down from now on.’

  ‘Don’t expect I’ve got much choice about that anymore!’

  ‘Why?’ Stelt asked with a frown. ‘You been warned off?’

  Ben shook his head and said nothing. He didn’t want to tell his mate about the Colombians or that Durak was now his cellmate.

  But it did make him think that the prison governor and his staff didn’t know jack shit about the connection between him and Durak. If they did they surely wouldn’t have put them both in the same cell.

  Would they?

  *

  As Benjamin Spiralli lay on his top bunk that night after lights out, he thought about what he’d learned from Phil Stelt. How the fuck had the copper known about Durak? How had he known anything at all? No-one knew; only Durak and him. Had Durak said something to someone? Durak had been adamant he hadn’t said anything to anyone, that it was all Spiralli’s fault. If he was lying, he was convincing. So if it wasn’t Durak, who was it? It couldn’t have been anyone on the outside, he realised. There was no one who knew, no one who could have guessed. That meant it had to be someone at Hardston. But who? And how did that cop get to know about it?

  Spiralli rolled over, hopeful of sleep, but his mind was churning. He simply couldn’t work it out.

  And he never would. The thread, from a suspicious prison psychologist, to her naturist psychoanalyst friend, to Ella, to Charlotte and finally to Todd who had followed a hunch, was simply too tenuous.

  Chapter 57

  ON Saturday evening, Lucy and Jake arrived at Charlotte and Todd’s home together with Tiffy and Jason. Tiffy was a few months older than Lucy and Jason older by two years. Both dressed modestly casual as they arrived. They’d nervously agreed to come on the promise of absolute secrecy from the other guests. Ella was already there and Molly and Dana arrived soon afterwards.

  ‘Welcome to our home, Tiffy, Jason,’ Charlotte warmly welcomed, after Lucy had made the introductions. ‘It’s good to meet you. Lucy’s told us all about you, so don’t worry, this is a private dinner and everything will stay within these four walls.’ She and Todd were already nude as they had been for most of the day, as was Ella who had arrived just after lunch. Lucy whipped off her dress, her only garment, the moment she entered the house.

  ‘Thanks so much for your invitation, Charlotte,’ Tiffy answered. ‘We’re really pleased to meet other…new friends.’ Tiffy seemed uneasy; this was all so new to her, stripping away her clothing in front of strangers. Jason smiled and squeezed her arm in reassurance. ‘Where should we leave our clothes?’ she asked, determined to make the effort.

  ‘I’ll show you,’ Jake offered, as Lucy threw her dress to him. All three headed to the spare bedroom where Ella had already left her sundress.

  *

  ‘You nearly said it’s good to meet other naturists, didn’t you?’ Ella teased Tiffy, when they’d undressed and returned. ‘You changed it to “new friends”.’

  Tiffy smiled and nodded. ‘It’s strange for us to widen our nudey circle, isn’t it, Jason?’

  Jason nodded too. ‘We’ve only really been naked with Lucy and Jake. They introduced us to it.’

  ‘You girls were school friends I think Charlotte told me,’ Todd commented.

  ‘That’s right,’ Tiffy answered with a smile. ‘Neither of us were nudies then though!’

  Todd
served drinks and Charlotte showed them into their front room. ‘Sorry we can’t sit outside even though the weather’s still fine. We’re not set up for entertaining there yet, but we will be next year. We’re putting in a pool.’

  ‘I see you went ahead with blinds in here,’ Jake commented. ‘That had nothing to do with your father…’

  ‘Alright, mister!’ Lucy interrupted. ‘That’s enough of that. We’ve all heard that story.’

  Charlotte shook her head. She still wasn’t over the experience. Or the aftermath, but that was a private family matter, not to be shared.

  Even Tiffy and Jason had heard Charlotte’s tale of woe. ‘Your mother isn’t receptive, I hear,’ Jason commented.

  ‘That’s an understatement,’ Todd remarked. ‘She’ll come round though.’

  ‘You think?’ Charlotte asked mockingly.

  ‘In time,’ he assured her.

  ‘It’d be nice if it’s in this lifetime,’ Charlotte countered.

  Clearly beaten, Todd changed the subject. ‘So how did you discover that Lucy and Jake are naturists now?’ he asked Jason and Tiffy.

  ‘I can answer that in a heartbeat,’ Jake joined in. ‘My wife blurted it out the first time she and Tiffy got together. At a coffee shop, no less.’

  Lucy thumped his arm. ‘I bumped by chance into Tiffy at Meadowfields Mall about a year ago. We were close friends at high school. We went for a coffee to catch up on old times. It just sort of came out while we were chatting about our lives now.’

  ‘Yes, when you told me about the chalet you bought at that nudey resort,’ Tiffy added.

  ‘And you said that you and Jason had been to a nudist beach in France and had liked it.’ Lucy went on. ‘I think that was how it all came out.’