by Gill Mather
She asked him why he was doing this but the man didn't reply. She began to think there was nothing she could do and went limp.
Suddenly he stiffened and turned away. He seemed to be listening to something. She couldn't hear anything. But abruptly the man turned her over on her front, fumbled about and she felt her hands being tied behind her back and her legs tied together. And something else was going on that she wasn't sure about. The man then said that if she told anyone what had happened or even thought about going to the police, he’d make sure she’d be dealt with so that there was no possibility of modelling. Who’d want a fashion model with a face like a burn victim. She’d better watch out. It was Graham Spellings’s voice. She was sure of it.
Then he got off the bed and she heard him padding softly to the door and out of the annexe. She heard the door being locked from the outside.
Angela wriggled herself to the side of the bed, felt about and tried to turn on the bedside lamp but it didn't work. Then she noticed there was no display from the digital clock on her bedside table. She couldn't remember where she’d put her mobile.
She wriggled off the bed and towards the bedroom door on the floor and out into the hall and suddenly she was pulling against something which wouldn't give. She realised her feet, as well as being tied together, were tied to something heavy so that she couldn't move any further. She lay there for a time sobbing in the dark until she pulled herself together and had a go at untying her feet from the back. It turned out to be not too difficult and she realised the knots were quite loose and soon she was free of the bonds on her feet. She managed to curl up and get her feet through her arms bringing her arms round to her front and, using her teeth mainly, she got the yarn around her wrists untied.
After that it was easier. She felt for the hall light switch but the light didn't come on. She felt her way through the annexe to the entrance door feeling for light switches, trying them as she went. Nothing. At the door she felt for one of the torches she used to go out to the stables when it was dark and shone it onto the fuse box near the door. The trip was down. She turned it back up and light suddenly flooded the rooms. She checked the door to make sure it was locked. It was but the intruder had obviously had a key therefore she dragged a heavy chest of drawers from the lounge, pushing it against the door. It took her a long time and several stops to do that. She put some of the lights off since she felt too visible from outside and drew all the curtains.
She tried to decide what to do. She thought it had been about an hour since the man (she still found it difficult to believe it was really Graham) had left. She started to think that no-one would believe her if she reported an attempted rape to the police. She still couldn't really believe it herself. She daren’t go outside. Normally she wasn't afraid of the dark since she spent so much time outside in the dark tending to horses in all seasons. It was her job. She still couldn't find her mobile and the annexe didn't have a land line. She felt mentally frozen.
She couldn't make up her mind what to do but since the man hadn't come back, she decided that she hadn't much alternative but to try to go back to sleep and tell someone in the morning. She went into her bedroom and found a strange coat on her bed and loose rope tied to the leg of her heavy bed. That was what had obviously held her back. She left the rope where it was. She wasn't sure about anything but at the back of her mind she knew that if she did decide to approach the police, they would want the scene undisturbed as far as possible.
Not wanting to sleep in the bed where she’d been attacked, Angela got out a sleeping bag and watched the TV in the lounge and eventually drifted off to sleep.
After a fitful night, she was woken by the sound of Graham’s car driving away. She turned on the TV to find out what time it was and it was about 5.30 a.m. She knew Graham left early normally. She watched the TV for a while, tried to eat some breakfast and then thought she’d better get out and see to the horses. She hadn't had a lot of sleep and felt disorientated.
She got washed and dressed, hunted again for her mobile, still couldn't find it and went off to the tack room. Once in there, she quickly saw her mobile on a table with a post-it note from Graham saying he’d found it next to the back door. Her head felt clearer in the cold air and she was coming round to deciding that maybe she should report the incident. She put on a pair of gloves, removed the SIM and put it in a plastic bag.
She dealt with the horses as quickly as possible. As she had keys to the house in case she needed to go in when Graham wasn’t there, she went back to the annexe to get her keys to the main house so that she could `phone out from there. She hurriedly looked up Petunia’s number. All the numbers most in use were on a board next to the `phone in the kitchen. Petunia was the first person she thought of calling. She knew she couldn’t leave without making some provision for the horses and they were Petunia’s horses as well. She got through straight away.
Barry, getting ready to go to work, answered and called Petunia. When Angela told her what had happened, Petunia had been desperate to help her and she had felt quite a lot better. But she had said, she wasn’t prepared to make any formal complaint to the police while she was still living at The Lodge. Petunia had said she would order her solicitors to put pressure on Graham to hand over the horses which he had so far failed to do. And Angela would then go with them. It might take a few days. Could Angela wait that long? Angela had said that she couldn't leave without the horses. She felt responsible for them. She’d try and get a girlfriend to come and keep her company which is what she did.
Her friend was only too pleased to come and stay with her in a house owned by a couple of tabloid celebs. She didn't speak to her friend about the attack in case it put her off or she went to the press. She told her friend that she had been spooked by a seance she’d been to and set up a couple of camp beds for them in the lounge.
She bought another mobile and put her SIM in it.
The following day, Graham `phoned her on her mobile while he was at work and said that he was sorry but the horses were going to have to go to Petunia’s place. If she wanted to go with them, she could. Or she could stay in the annexe. Either way he’d understand. If she went with the horses, they’d have to sort out the details of her pay etc later as this had happened so quickly.
She gladly left The Lodge with the horses on the Thursday. Petunia had been very kind. She had encouraged Angela to report the incident to the police. After getting away from The Lodge, she was so relieved she would have put it behind her as she wasn't hurt at all but Petunia persuaded her that reporting it was the right thing to do. In fact it was her duty to save any other girls from the same experience. Petunia was so supportive. She wanted to get another girl in to look after the horses to begin with but Angela had refused saying she wanted to do it. She was given a bedroom with an en suite and a huge salary rise and made to feel very welcome. They, Petunia and Barry, were going to sort out some separate accommodation as soon as possible so she could be independent. For the time being though Angela had felt secure and happy where she was.
That was it.
There was also a statement from Mrs Allan, Graham’s housekeeper. Hugh had been against her giving a statement to the police but Graham had apparently said that he wanted the police to be given full co-operation. So reluctantly Mrs Allan had gone to the station when asked.
She confirmed that she wasn’t there on the night of the alleged assault. She had left much earlier in the day to visit her sister as she always did on Tuesdays and stayed the night due to the weather.
She was asked some general questions, how she’d come to work for Mr Spellings and how long she’d been his housekeeper and details of a long-standing relationship emerged. She had lived near Graham when he was a child. She was a widow with no children of her own and since Graham’s mother wasn’t always well, she often looked after him. He was like a son to her and when he had become successful and asked her if she’d like to come and be his housekeeper, she’d jumped at the chance. That
had been five years ago. She implied that Petunia was no better than she should be and hadn’t liked an almost live-in housekeeper resident in the grounds but it was the one thing Graham had insisted upon. Normally he’d let Petunia have her own way about everything. More fool him her words implied.
When pressed about Graham’s mother and home circumstances generally as a child she said she wasn’t willing to speak ill of the dead and thought it was irrelevant to the current case and it was left there.
No she didn’t know what Graham’s movements were or were supposed to be the night of the incident. She wasn’t his diary secretary. The electricity was off. She had none at all in her house but she made do with lamps and fires and was quite comfortable thank you. If she had wanted anything, Graham would have seen to it.
Did Graham ever make advances to the stable girls or any other women employed for examples as temporary cleaners or anything like that? Certainly not, said Mrs. Allan. Goodness knew why but he had appeared to be very attached to Petunia and very upset when she left.
Had Graham ever shown an interest in Angela, the girl who had been assaulted? None whatsoever. What did Mrs Allan think of Angela? She was a sensible pleasant girl who did her job well and sometime spent time in the kitchen with Mrs Allan. So if Angela said she had been assaulted by Graham, did Mrs Allan think she was telling the truth? She must have been mistaken was the reply.
She was asked about the key situation and confirmed what Graham had said.
No Mrs. Allan hadn't noticed any signs of intrusion the next day. She hadn't seen anything of Angela before she left so wasn't in a position to comment on whether Angela behaved any differently.
Ali also went through Graham’s interview notes again and noted that it said he’d been born and brought up in Basildon. Hadn't Hugh said something about having grown up with Graham. Well who would have thought it. Hugh was an Essex boy!
ALI CONSIDERED WHAT she'd read. It didn’t look good for Graham. Ali wasn’t sure about him herself. There were a lot of derogatory things written about him in the tabloids but it was mostly generated by “sources close to Petunia” since their separation and mostly unsubstantiated accounts of his philandering. Graham had kept stoutly silent in the face of the onslaught. But Ali couldn’t see why he would risk a prosecution for sexual assault. Angela had said he’d threatened her with violence and disfigurement. In the police interview DI Hunter had suggested Angela wanted to be a model so she would have been especially frightened about being disfigured. But Graham had no known associations with the underworld or the sort of thugs who’d carry out such a threat. He was a business man and, apart from adverse publicity about his love life via Petunia, the only other stories about him related to his business dealings. Perhaps the strain of the separation was telling on him. But an ordinary person didn’t just go and do something like that, did they?
Again Ali thought about digging further into Angela’s background but rejected it. Hugh would never allow it. But how else would they get Graham off? Hugh was a great advocate, but he wasn’t a miracle worker. If Graham didn’t assault Angela, the possibilities were that either someone else masqueraded as him or that it didn’t happen at all and Angela had made it up and used stuff from Graham’s house to ensure his DNA and fibres from his clothes were present on her bed. She had a key to the house. She could have done it.
But again why? Perhaps Petunia paid her to concoct the story or offered her some other inducement such as a modelling introduction. But both of them would have had to be certain sort of single-minded, ruthless, very unpleasant people to do such a thing to an innocent man. It seemed very far fetched. But girls and estranged wives had done that sort of thing over the centuries to advance their causes. It wasn’t impossible. The question was would a jury believe Angela had made it up and, more than that, had manufactured the evidence. Ali thought she’d have to get Hugh to agree to some sort of investigation into her background.
The other alternative was someone else masquerading as Graham. The question was who and why. Perhaps Graham could supply some leads in that respect.
Graham had the resources so they ought to be getting a good firm of investigators onto the case. In a determined frame of mind, Ali marched off to Hugh’s room.
HUGH WAS ON HIS private line. He looked faintly irritated when Ali stayed there and didn't go out and he turned to face the window. He seemed to be having a bit of a set to with someone. Sounded like perhaps a female who was being too pushy. Hard to tell but whoever it was was certainly getting the brush off in Hugh’s aloof restrained manner. Ali stood up and started to go out of the room but Hugh slammed the `phone down.
“What is it?” he said shortly.
She told him what she thought about the Spellings case. He rubbed his eyes and said, actually fairly kindly, that he’d already discussed it with Graham and some investigators had already been appointed.
Then she asked what Hugh thought about May’s statement. If she was called, what she said about Graham’s mother suggested that she wasn’t a good mother. It could make a jury think that Graham might have a grudge against women and strengthen the prosecution’s case.
“Well I’m not going to call her, and if the prosecution do and start up some psycho-babble argument, I’ll just have to nip it in the bud.”
“But once it’s out it’s out, isn’t it?”
“Well maybe we’ll take some preliminary point about it. But we need to wait and see if they want to use her statement first or call her.”
“You must know her pretty well yourself. You know, having grown up with Graham.”
“Yes. She’s a very dear old thing. She’s devoted to Graham and he’d do anything for her.” He looked out of the window. “Without her, his childhood would have been appalling. She and my own parents protected him from a series of unsuitable stepfathers.” He looked back at her. “And that’s strictly confidential. And I mean within these four walls. Please don't even tell anyone within the firm. Not even your bosom pal Samantha. I shouldn't really have said anything about him but I trust you Ali.”
“Of course. What about Graham’s dad then?”
“No-one knows who he is and that’s totally confidential too.”
“I was just wondering if you’re not too close to the case. Maybe you should hand it over to someone else.”
“Don’t think I haven’t raised it with Graham but he wouldn’t hear of it. And I couldn’t let him down.”
“But that’s part of it isn’t it? He may not realise what’s best for him or….what’s appropriate for you. Just because a client wants a particular thing, doesn’t mean we have to go along with it if it’s inappropriate.”
“Ali please don’t imagine I mind you questioning me. Not at all. It’s good. But if it’s not illegal or unprofessional, then I have to act for him if he wants me to. There’s no two ways about it. Thanks for bothering though.”
“Oh. Well. OK. Do you think there’s anything else I can do?”
“Not for the time being. It’s late. Why don't you go home.”
“Yes. Fine.” She felt immensely stupid. Of course he’d have matters in hand and have thought about anything relevant. She was getting overwrought with the case.
“Thanks a lot Ali. You’ve been a lot of help.” Hugh called after her as she left the room.
CHAPTER 9
WHEN ALI AND Sam showed up at the offices of Summer Homes, they found they were not early arrivers, in fact the crush was well under way. Darren had obviously recruited the prettiest girls from his various branch offices to run around with trays of drinks and eats and the ploy was working as quite a few people were already fairly merry. No-one actually pinched anyone’s bum’s these days. Far too risky, but there was a lot of general bonhomie in the girls’ direction. Sam, having made a considerable effort with her makeup within the confines of Patterson’s ladies’ room and put on a new strapless sequinned dress, soon had an admiring crowd around her.
Ali was using the opportunity to
pump a trainee solicitor from another local firm about how he had secured his own training contract. It didn’t sound too promising. A first from Cambridge, a public school background and a family with contacts in just about every field you could think of seemed to be the answer. He hadn’t fancied architecture or accountancy or banking, so his father had called in favours in the legal world instead. No, Jeremy hadn’t got any suggestions how Ali might secure the treasured training contract just on her own merits he freely admitted. His own contract was nearly at an end and then he planned to call in more favours and get a job in London where the family had a flat he could doss in. And no, he didn’t think his current firm were planning to take on any more trainees just now.
Ali looked around and wondered why Darren wasn’t taking the opportunity to chat up Sam. Sam obviously thought so too as Ali noticed her glancing over at Darren from time to time. She was getting a friendly smile in return but nothing more. He didn’t go over and Ali could tell Sam was disappointed, though she hid it well.
Jeremy had ditched her by this time in favour of someone more likely to further his career rather than the other way round, therefore Ali scanned the room. She saw Tammy flirting unsuccessfully with Darren. Then her eyes alighted on Hugh who had just made an entrance. However he ignored her and went over to old Wattsey who was happily helping himself to another drink and a portion of canapés the size of a small oil tanker.
Trouble was, not having previously been part of the legal and/or property fraternity of Colchester, Ali knew almost no-one here who wasn’t a member of Patterson Watts. The only other person in the room who appeared to have no-one to talk to was Summer Homes oily office boy who was standing by the phone in case anyone important called. So it was a choice between inveigling herself into Sam’s group or the ignominy of lurking by the wall or going off to powder her nose. Just at that moment, Sam looked over, smiled and beckoned. Ali was only to pleased to be summoned.
