He had very little to do when he returned from lunch—nothing compelling or important, for sure—so he played with Kani and did some web-surfing to kill time before he had to catch a taxi to the train station. He felt very little guilt about skiving, another way this job had changed him. He even understood why some of the other PAs were so disgruntled. You had to have a particular personality as well as intelligence to do this job, and he now knew he wasn’t PA material. Unfortunately, he wasn’t engineer material without the requisite degree. He wondered if he’d ever find a niche in which he felt comfortable and qualified.
At five to four, he picked up his overnight bag and headed for the lifts. He garnered a few disapproving looks from the usual suspects. He had learned to ignore them, though the unfairness of the hostility never failed to sting. He kept his head down as he walked across the foyer, hoping to avoid any more company staff.
“Daniel?”
He looked up and recognised the voice’s owner. Kani squeaked with excitement when he saw Pyon, his erstwhile partner in crime. “Julian? Hi. Are you here for a meeting?”
“Yes. With you. Come over, I’d like you to meet someone.”
“Uh, Julian, I have a—”
“Yes, I know. Don’t worry, it’s all been sorted out. Daniel, this is my boss and good friend, Leo Underwood.”
Julian indicated a quite elderly gentleman with smiling eyes and a cute little white kem in his lap, sitting on one of the leather armchairs. Kani chirped in greeting and the little kem sat up and meeped. “Hello, Mr Underwood. Nice to meet you.”
“Same here, young man. Julian told me so much about you.”
Daniel flushed. “Oh. Nothing bad, I hope.”
“Of course not,” Julian said. “And this is my husband, Zachary Ledbetter.”
One of the most extraordinarily handsome men Daniel had seen outside—or inside—the pages of a glossy magazine, stood and held out his hand. “Daniel.”
Daniel shook his hand. “Mr Ledbetter.” The man’s enormous tawny kem, draped around his shoulders, yawned delicately. Kani chirped, and won a lazy tail flick from the big kem.
“Zachary’s my nephew and legal advisor,” Mr Underwood said. “Julian?” Julian helped the man stand. He leaned heavily on a stick once he was upright, but despite the frailty of his body, there was nothing weak about his voice or his intent gaze. “Daniel, I’ve arranged with Mr Stern for you to go over some of the details of the projects your Mr Noble showed Julian.”
Mr Stern was the head of the office, and his word was law. “Yes. Uh, but I was just—”
Mr Underwood held up his hand. “Yes, you have a meeting. Don’t worry. You won’t be late. I’m afraid this can’t wait.”
As the man was an important potential client, Daniel hoped Tony would understand. “Uh, there’s a room near Mr Noble’s office where we can talk.”
“That would do splendidly. Here, take my arm. Julian does like to cling to Zachary. Can’t understand the appeal myself.”
Julian grinned, and Ledbetter’s icily gorgeous features admitted a small smile. “Leo, you’re awful,” Julian chided.
“Quite so. Daniel? Lead the way?”
Still confused by all this, and wondering why on earth Mr Stern hadn’t told him anything about it, Daniel took them all up to Tony’s office, and ushered them into the interview room. “Would you like tea or coffee, Mr Underwood?”
“Water, please, and call me Leo, dear boy. Zachary and Julian will have green tea, if you don’t mind.”
Kani stayed behind to play with friends old and new, while Daniel prepared the drinks. He found his unexpected visitors chatting with each other and petting kems when he returned. “Thank you,” Julian said. “Leo would like to see the financial reports for the last three years, and if I could see the updates on the city projects Tony mentioned last time? I believe he said he was expecting them any day.”
Daniel went to fetch the files. All of this could have been done anytime. What was the tearing hurry about four pm on a Thursday afternoon?
Leo went over the financial reports carefully, passing each to Zachary and Julian for their perusal too. Daniel had to do nothing but pass over the occasional folder, and once, fetch another file. Mr Stern or his secretary could have done this just as well, and often did so. Half past four went, then five. That was his train missed then. “Excuse me,” he said. “Would you mind if I just made a call to Tony? To let him know I’ll be late.”
“Now Daniel,” Leo said, pinning him with his sharp eyes. “I told you not to worry. I assure you what we’re doing here is much more important than meeting Mr Noble on time. Or do you think you know better than Mr Stern?”
“No, sir. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted. Now, tell me about the company. How do you like working here?”
Daniel did his best to sound positive. Leo wanted to know about his background, his education, and without even trying, managed to elicit the facts about Daniel’s parents. Zachary Ledbetter listened intently as Daniel told that part of his story, nodding with apparent sympathy from time to time. When Daniel was done, Julian took his husband’s hand. “Zachary lost his parents when he was seven.”
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said.
“So am I,” Zachary said, sadness briefly clouding his brilliant green eyes. “You’re one of the few people who knows the truth of that, I’m sure.” He looked at his watch, and something passed between him and Julian. Julian looked at Leo.
“Not long now,” Leo said, apparently apropos of nothing. “Perhaps another cup of tea, Julian? Daniel, I would love a fresh glass of water.”
After half past five now. Daniel suppressed a sigh. “Certainly. Tea, Mr Ledbetter?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Even with the fresh drinks consumed, and all the files gone over in minute detail, his visitors were still in no hurry to leave. It was now after six. Daniel began to wonder if Leo was a little dotty, or if he’d been set up for a particularly elaborate practical joke. “Will Mr Stern be joining us?” he asked.
“Yes. In fact, now, I believe. Edward, how nice to meet you finally.”
Daniel scrabbled to his feet as the company head walked in. “Leo, you too. Sorry about the circumstances though. Daniel.” Daniel jerked, not expecting to be addressed. “I need you to come with me.”
“And that’s our cue to depart, Julian. Daniel, Zachary will stay a little longer for reasons that will become clear.” Julian helped Leo stand, then Leo laid his hand on Daniel’s arm. “I want you to know that you have my full support, and that of my family.”
“Thank you, sir, but support for what?”
“Daniel, this way, please.”
For tuppence, Daniel would have stamped his foot and yelled “No!” He really didn’t appreciate not being told what was going on, or being ordered about like cattle. But with Mr Stern in front of him, and Zachary Ledbetter behind him, he had no choice but to let himself be taken up two floors to Mr Stern’s office, and into the adjoining meeting room. Another shock awaited him—a man he didn’t know stood there, along with Spen. Kani squeaked excitedly when he saw Spen and Myko, but Daniel made him shush.
“What’s going on?” he demanded. “Spen? Why are you here?”
“Daniel, this is Detective Inspector Shah,” Mr Stern said. “He needs to talk to you. Spencer will explain, and Zachary has offered to be your legal advisor if you so wish it.”
“Legal....” He gripped the back of a chair because his knees had gone weak. “Am I under arrest?”
“Absolutely not,” Detective Shah said. “Please, Daniel, do sit down. Mr Reardon will explain. Thank you, Mr Stern.”
“I’ll be in my office,” Mr Stern said. “Daniel, you are not in trouble.”
“Thank you,” Daniel whispered. He slid into the chair he’d been using as support, and held Kani protectively close to his chest. Everyone else took a seat, then Zachary spoke quietly to his beautiful kem who then disappeared. “Has something happene
d to Dee and Alex? Spen?”
“No, no. Daniel, everyone’s okay. Dee and Alex are perfectly safe with Mum and Dad. This is about Tony and the conference.”
Daniel started to stand, but Zachary placed his hand on his arm, so he stopped. “I told you I didn’t want to pursue that,” he growled.
“I know, but things have moved on. Inspector?”
Shah coughed. “Daniel, Tony Noble’s just been arrested at the hotel where you and he were to meet.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he’s been buying GHB over the internet, using his office laptop,” Spen said. “I asked Jyoti to check the disk image backups and it’s all there. Not just his internet searches, but also the emails confirming purchases. He’s a fucking techno-idiot, thank god.”
“We found a Class C substance in his home,” the inspector added, “and doctored bottles of mineral water in the hotel room which we suspect also contain this drug. We also, uh, found pictures on his phone. Pictures of you. Naked.”
Daniel covered his mouth, wanting to puke. Kani meeped in concern, nudging his arm. “I’ll get some water,” Spen said, rising to fetch it from a metal jug standing on a tray at the side.
“Daniel, I just need to ask this to rule it out,” Inspector Shah said. “Are you in a sexual relationship with Tony Noble?” Daniel shook his head. “Have you ever had sex with him? Did you give him permission to take photos of you naked?”
“No, never,” Daniel whispered. “It was him?”
“Yes, we believe so. Security footage at the hotel doesn’t back up his version of what happened that night. We’ve got him on the drug charge, no question. We can get him on administering a toxic substance and sexual assault, if you give a statement.”
“I don’t remember anything.” Spen returned with the water, and nudged the glass towards Daniel when he ignored it. Daniel took a sip, but nearly gagged on it.
“I understand. All we need from you is what you do remember, and whether or not you consented to photographs and the sex.”
“I can’t. I don’t want to drag my family into this.”
“Daniel,” Spen said. “He’s done it before. His last PA left because Tony pressured him into sex and took photos of him. The one before him left because Tony made advances. They didn’t want a fuss either, which is why you were victimised. Do you want this to go on and on? Another young man who needs a job badly enough to ignore what’s been obvious for some time?”
Daniel glared with the full force of his sick betrayal. “You lied to me. You said you’d drop it. I told you I didn’t want to pursue it.”
“Yes. But I wanted you not to be drugged and raped tonight more than I wanted you to like me.”
Zachary interrupted the staring match. “Inspector Shah, I believe you need Daniel to make the statement at the station. Daniel, if you consent to this, I can sit in with you to advise you or answer any legal questions you may have.”
“I haven’t consented.”
The inspector sighed. “At the moment, Daniel, the drug charges will probably result in a fine. Mr Stern is prepared to sack Noble for that alone, but he’ll just move on to another post and carry out his harassment elsewhere. With your statement, and the supporting evidence we have, we might be able to make sexual assault stick, and that puts him on the register. He won’t be able to find another job without disclosing his record. No more victims.”
“My duty is to my family first, not strangers.”
“What if it was Alex in his first job?” Spen said.
Daniel stood, holding his stomach. Kani, who’d been very quiet all this time, licked his cheek to comfort him. “My brother and sister. The publicity. They’ve already been through so much.”
“Your name will be kept out of the media,” Detective Shah said. “That’s standard in a sexual assault case.”
“What if he gets off?”
“He’s still on our radar. And he’ll still have a conviction. I want this guy, Daniel. He’s a rapist. Don’t let him walk.”
Daniel turned to Zachary. “What do you think?”
“He’s correct about your identity being protected. I can’t promise Noble would be convicted of assault charges, but Mr Stern is certainly going to fire him. He was simply waiting for confirmation of the drug purchase. He’s formally suspended without pay, and I believe the usual disciplinary proceedings will proceed quite quickly.”
“You knew,” Daniel said, staring at Spen. “This afternoon, you knew what was going to happen.”
“Yes. We had to lull him into a false sense of security. Daniel, there was no breakfast meeting. He had drugged mineral water waiting for you. He was going to do it again. He was going to attack you. He’d do it as often as he could get away with it.”
Daniel sat again, not sure if he could prevent himself from vomiting. He shook his head as Zachary offered him the water.
“Perhaps we could leave it until tomorrow?” Zachary said.
“If necessary. Noble will get bail if we do. He won’t on a sexual assault charge, not without conditions. We can make sure he stays away from you and your family.”
Daniel chewed his lip. He’d wanted to avoid all this, but maybe his objections didn’t amount to much now. “I’ll do it,” he said. “But for the record, I really hate you for doing this,” he said to Spen.
“I’m sorry.” Spen stood. Myko gave Daniel a strangely disappointed look, his tail drooping. Kani squeaked at his friend, but Myko’s human didn’t look at him. “Mr Stern will want a quick word, and then I’ll head off. Thank you, Zachary.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve done good work.” Daniel gave his ‘informal advisor’ a glare for that, but Zachary didn’t blink.
Spen sent one last look of appeal Daniel’s way, but Daniel didn’t soften, so he left, and shortly after, Mr Stern came in. “Daniel, I’m very sorry to hear what’s happened. You and I will have to talk about your future here, but for now, I want you to take tomorrow and the next week off on paid leave. I believe the police have to confiscate computers and so on, so you’ll need to stay out of the way. If Noble attempts to contact you—”
“You tell us,” Inspector Shah said. “I have a car downstairs. Thank you, Mr Stern.”
Daniel felt too numb, too betrayed, to even look at his boss as the officer led them out to the lifts. “Who knows?” he asked Zachary. Inspector Shah was talking on his phone, paying them no attention.
“Myself, Julian, Leo, Spencer, his assistant, Jyoti, and Mr Stern. Mr Stern is very anxious to keep this quiet for now. If and when Noble is charged, there will likely be media coverage. A regrettable amount of gossip will inevitably follow, if my own office is any indication.”
“Wonderful. I guess this job is toast anyway.”
“Why would you want to continue working for a man like that?” Zachary asked.
“I don’t. But I need a job.” He didn’t feel like explaining all the issues involved in that need. He didn’t want to be here at all.
“You need friends more,” Zachary said, still with the stiff formality that coloured everything he’d said so far. “I learned this from Julian.”
“The only friend I’ve got just stabbed me in the back.”
The inspector turned. Apparently he had been listening after all. “That friend just saved you from sexual assault, maybe even death, if Noble had got his dose wrong.”
“He has a point,” Zachary said. “I believe Spencer acted from the finest motives.”
Daniel didn’t know what to say to that. Spen had lied to him. Spen had saved his bacon, maybe his life. Spen had just lost him a job he needed to prove he could look after Dee and Alex. Spen had just saved him from a job that was ruining his life. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he muttered.
The process of making the statement was easier than he expected. He thought he’d have to sit in one of those horrible interview rooms like they used on TV cop shows, but instead Inspector Shah took them all to a room with ordinary sofas, of
fered him tea, and took him carefully but not unsympathetically through the events of that evening, and his relationship with Tony. Zachary asked his kem to come out, and Kani’s respectful playing with the lovely creature offered some welcome distraction at points of stress. The inspector was considerate about breaks too, and everyone was remarkably patient. Still, Daniel had a headache and a stomach that still wanted to turn inside out by the time he was asked to sign the statement the inspector had typed up for him.
“Is it enough to convict him of rape?”
The inspector grimaced. “It’s always difficult to prosecute that, Daniel, and with you being the only witness and having no memory of the event, that’s not going to help. However, we do have a good deal of solid circumstantial evidence supporting your version of events and directly contradicting his, so I’ll push hard for it. The drugs and the pictures are definitely going to get him into trouble. The final decision on the exact charges isn’t up to me. You haven’t wasted your time here, I promise you.”
Daniel shrugged. “Can I go now?”
“Yes, of course.” The inspector turned and fetched something from the table behind him. “Ah, you might want to look at this too. I’ll have Victim Support contact you, and they can give you more information about counselling and so on. Medical tests as well.”
It was the same damn pamphlet Spen had offered him. Daniel shoved it into his pocket with a muttered “thanks”, and looked at Zachary. “Thank you, inspector,” Zachary said, getting to his feet. His kem positioned himself gracefully along Zachary’s shoulders again. “I’ll advise you if Daniel decides to engage another legal advisor.”
“That’s fine. Thank you, Daniel. It took courage to come here tonight.”
No, just a pushy ‘friend’, he thought. Zachary called Julian, and then ordered a taxi. They stood outside the station to wait. “How much will this cost me?”
“Nothing, for now. You’ll be told if you need to incur any costs.”
“Why? You don’t know me.”
A Fluffy Tale 2: Warm & Fuzzy Page 11
