Sextortion, page 13
"What about the sex?" she asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it, Chrissy."
"It's still going on, then?"
"Yes, yes it is."
"I still reckon Danny's behind the whole thing. Have you tested him yet?"
"Yes, and he has nothing to do with it. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"About Danny. Selina, I know you don't think he's involved, but..."
"But what?"
"I saw him with a girl."
"A girl? When? Where?"
"Today, by the common. I didn't think anything of it when I drove past but... They were holding hands and then he kissed her."
"What did she look like?"
"Blonde hair, quite attractive. I only caught a glimpse of her as I drove past."
My stomach churning, I knew it was the tart. So he was involved with her! My eyes filling with tears, I leaped up and went to the loo. I couldn't believe it, Danny, my husband! It all fits, I mused, recalling Chrissy's words - it all bloody well fits! Looking in the mirror at the tears running in rivers down my cheeks, I tried to work out why he'd done it. Money? Jealousy? I was the one bringing in the money while he'd been struggling to write, I was the best-selling author, the celebrity...
The money was one thing, I reflected - but the sexual abuse? How could he have put me through all that? More importantly, where to go from here? I didn't know what to think, what to do. Confront him? He'd only deny it. I should have realized from the start that something wasn't right. A girl coming to the house demanding five thousand pounds because I'd ripped off an insurance company and been conned by Barry? That was hardly blackmail material! Danny saying that we shouldn't involve the police, that I had to write the second book and pay the bitch... I reckoned that he knew I'd be listening on the lounge phone when she'd rung. What an act he'd put on! The sex, the photographs... All cleverly designed to get as much evidence against me as possible.
The bastard must have met the tart after she'd left my place, I thought incredulously. They'd obviously got pissed together, on my money! An old friend, my foot! The lying, two-timing, cheating bastard! Calm down, I told myself. OK, they'd had twelve thousand pounds from me, but they'd not have a penny more. Drying my eyes, I returned to the table and sat down, wondering what to say to Chrissy.
"Are you OK?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, I suppose so," I snivelled. "I should have guessed, shouldn't I?"
"How could you have guessed? I mean, there was nothing to implicate Danny."
"He'd seemed so concerned, so helpful and supportive. I still can't believe it!"
"Look, don't tell him that I saw him with the girl. I don't want to get dragged into this, Selina."
"Don't worry; I'm not going to say anything to him. I shall carry on as if I know nothing. How he dreamed up such a scam, I'll never know. He's got no imagination whatsoever."
"Bear in mind that Danny might not be the only one involved."
"What do you mean?"
"You're obviously in no fit state to think properly, but I am. I reckon that he joined forces with the girl some time after the blackmailing started."
"If that's the case, then she is working for someone - her boss, as she calls him."
"It's unlikely that Danny thought this up. As you said, he has no imagination. From what you've told me, I reckon, after he'd screwed the girl, he started seeing her behind your back."
"Yes, that fits because she's only been to the house once and had sex with him. Every time I've seen her, Danny's not been around. When he'd had a go at her on the phone, that must have been for real, and he probably did go to a private detective. At some stage, he must have met her... Perhaps she came to the house while I was out and..."
"And he screwed her again. That's when it began, Selina. He arranged to meet her, started seeing her, having sex with her and, like all men who put their cocks before their brains, he couldn't stop."
I was sure that the bitch hadn't told Danny about the men on the common, and he couldn't put a stop to the blackmailing because her boss was in control. He was just screwing her behind my back, meeting her for sex. There was nothing he could do to help me, so he'd taken advantage of the situation and fucked her. He wasn't getting a share of the cash, he wasn't in league with the tart - he was just using her for crude sex.
"Chrissy, I'm going home," I sighed.
"Don't go yet. Stay and have another drink, it'll calm you down."
"Funnily enough, I do feel calm. God knows why I'm not in hysterics!"
"I'll get you another vodka."
"OK, thanks."
Perhaps the private detective was still on the case, I ruminated. OK, so Danny was fucking the bitch, but he was probably still doing his best to end the blackmail. She'd hardly tell her boss what she was up to with my husband, and Danny certainly wouldn't tell anyone. When the horror ended, if it ended, he'd appear to be completely innocent. His cock before his brain? We'd not had sex for ages - he was obviously getting it from somewhere.
"There you go," Chrissy smiled, placing my glass on the table. "I'll tell you what I'd do if I were you."
"What's that?"
"Follow Danny the next time he goes out."
"What good will that do?"
"Well, for starters, it'll prove my theory. Don't say anything to him, just carry on as usual, if you can. Follow him the next time he goes out."
"It's the last thing I want to do, but I will."
Finishing my drink, I told Chrissy that I was tired and needed to sleep. She insisted that I stay but, with my mind a swirling ocean of anger, I left the pub. Finally reaching home, tears streaming down my face, I was pleased to find Danny still asleep on the sofa. I couldn't have faced him that evening; I was in no mood to talk to him. Climbing the stairs, I stripped naked and crawled beneath the quilt. Completely exhausted, I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Seven
Danny came down in his new jeans and a clean white shirt the following morning. Reeking of aftershave, he'd had a shower and combed his hair, as if he planned to go out. I was quietly fuming, aching to have a go at him, but composing myself as best I could, I forced a smile.
"Got a hangover?" I asked, hoping he had.
"No, I feel fine."
"You should have a pounding headache, you were completely pissed."
"Selina, the girl rang while you were out last night. She said that you only gave her two grand."
"Two grand?" I echoed, surprised. "I gave her five thousand. What the hell's she playing at now?"
"God knows. Hang on, if she's told her boss that you only gave her two grand and she's pocketed the rest... Christ, this is getting worse!"
"I've just about had enough of this, Danny. I'm going away."
"Away? Where to?"
"Anywhere. I can't take any more, I've had it."
"OK, we'll have a break somewhere. Er... Look, I've got to go into town again."
"What for? You went yesterday."
"Yes, but I ended up in a pub, didn't I? I won't be long, only an hour or so. Why don't you get on with the book while I'm out?"
"Yes, I will."
"OK, see you soon."
Surely, he wouldn't be meeting the tart for sex so early in the morning? I pondered as he left the house. There again, why not? He was probably screwing her at every opportunity, while I was out, when he went for his walks... He'd probably fucked her dozens of times. But this might be my chance to prove it once and for all, I contemplated as I grabbed my bag and left.
I saw him walking some hundred yards or so ahead of me. Keeping my distance, I followed him, slipping into driveways every now and then in case he looked round. As he reached the common, I was sure he was going to meet the bitch there, but he walked on. Knowing my luck, the very first time I was following him he was probably going to do nothing other than go into town!
He spent some time in the second-hand bookshop before going into a stationers and emerging with a carrier bag. As I followed him home, I began to wonder about Chrissy's theory, as she'd called it. It did fit, all added up, but I still couldn't believe it. If the girl's boss had sent her round to blackmail me, and then Danny had taken a fancy to the tart, become involved with her... It was feasible, but I couldn't imagine Danny doing a thing like that. Screwing her on the side when he knew she was blackmailing me? Time would tell, I mused as he entered the house - time would tell.
"Oh, you're back," I smiled, finding him in the lounge.
"You've been out?" he asked.
"Only to post a letter. Did you get what you wanted?"
"Yes, paper and ink for my printer. There was nothing of interest in the bookshop. Selina, I've been thinking about this break. I have a lot of work to do, so would you mind if I didn't go with you?"
"I suppose not. I was only thinking of spending a couple of days in a hotel somewhere, just to get away from it all - relax my mind."
"OK, that'll leave me to get on with my next book. I've had this great idea... I won't tell you about it yet."
"I'm going up to my den to book a hotel. I want to leave as soon as possible."
"I'll miss you, love."
"Yes, I know you will. I'm going upstairs."
Sitting at my desk, I deliberated on going away for a couple of days. I didn't want to go, but I knew I needed some time and space. Looking through the phone book, I found a hotel in a town about twenty miles away, far enough from the horror. As I was about to lift the phone and book a room, it occurred to me that Danny might have the tart round while I was away. Intuition or whatever, I felt that going away was a mistake.
Walking to the window, I gazed at the front garden, making my plans. I'd tell Danny that I was leaving and then hide in the house. The more I thought about it, the better the idea seemed. I had to be sure that he was screwing the bitch, and I might even discover... Dreadful though the thought was, I might even discover that Danny was her boss.
Taking a suitcase from the top of the wardrobe, I went downstairs. I didn't know where I was going to hide, what I'd do for food, but that didn't matter - the plan had grabbed me. Finding Danny sitting in the garden, I told him I was leaving, just going away for a couple of nights.
"Now?" he asked in surprise, gazing at the suitcase.
"Yes, why not?"
"Well, I..."
"I'll walk to the station."
"Where are you going?"
"I've a choice of two hotels; I'll ring you when I get there."
"I don't see why you have to go this minute."
"I'm only going for a couple of nights, Danny. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can relax."
"OK, I'll come to the door with you."
"No, it's OK."
"All right, I'll see you the day after tomorrow."
I went back into the house, opened the front door and slammed it shut, and then crept up to my den. I felt guilty, angry, morose... Having to lie to Danny like this, trick him, hide in the house... This wasn't what my marriage was supposed to be about! Marriage? What marriage?
Locking the door, I sat at my desk, wondering what to do. My plan was ridiculous. There I was, locked in my den... Hearing the front door shut, I dashed to the window to see Danny walking down the path. Now where was he off to? I wondered. How come, the minute he'd thought I was out of the way, he'd gone out?
I paced the floor, gazed out of the window, sat at the desk, and ignored the phone five or six times. Checking my watch, I realized that Danny had been gone for three hours. He was probably with the bitch, fucking her dirty cunt. "Shit!" I breathed, finally unlocking the door and going downstairs. "He's a bastard!"
The afternoon dragging on, I drank far too much wine, wondering when he was going to come home. I'd make some excuse or other; tell him that I'd changed my mind about going away. No doubt he'd make his excuses, lie to me about going for a walk or bumping into an old friend. Lies and deceit were enveloping me, crushing my mind.
By eight o'clock that evening, the wine had worked well. After falling into a deep sleep on the sofa, I awoke two hours later. Danny still hadn't returned, I perceived through my alcoholic haze. Looking out of the window, sure that he was with the bitch, I wondered why he'd not taken the car. She must have lived within walking distance, maybe twenty or thirty minutes away. The radius would take in thousands of houses and flats. Even if she lived ten minutes away, I'd never find her.
By midnight, it was pretty obvious that he intended to stay with the slag, so I staggered upstairs to bed. I doubted very much that he'd be home early, probably planning to spend the morning as well as the night fucking the slut. He'd probably make out that he was walking or had been asleep when I told him I'd phoned from the hotel. He'd come up with some lie or other, I knew!
Saturated with alcohol, I slept well, waking at ten o'clock to the sun streaming in through the window. Venturing downstairs, I went into the kitchen to make some black coffee. There was still no sign of Danny, the bastard! Pacing the lounge floor, wandering out into the garden, drinking more and more coffee, I became increasingly angry as the morning wore on.
When the phone ran at midday, I grabbed the receiver, thinking that it would be Danny. He'd probably ask me when I'd got back, say that he'd popped out for a while and wouldn't be long. As the bitch started giggling in my ear, asking me whether I missed my husband, I told her to fuck off.
"Now, now, Selina - don't be rude."
"You can go to hell!" I screamed.
"I want three thousand pounds by tomorrow morning, or else!"
"I'm not going to give you three pence, let alone..."
"My boss has your husband, Selina. I told you that he'd get upset and..."
Slamming the receiver down, I reckoned that Danny had been sitting next to the bitch when she'd phoned me, either that or in bed with her. How the hell could he do this to me? I wondered as the phone rang again. Ignoring it, I had a shower and changed into some clean clothes. The phone continuing to ring intermittently, I was determined not to let them rile me. Danny could play his games for all I cared - pretend to be tied up in a bloody basement or whatever. He could play his stupid games!
He didn't come home that night, and by the following morning I began to worry. I might have been so very wrong, I reflected. Chrissy could be barking completely up the wrong tree. But she'd seen Danny with the tart, holding hands and kissing her. Was it the tart? Perhaps he was having an affair with some other blonde bitch. My thinking becoming muddled, I finally decided to ring Chrissy for advice.
"You're lucky to find me at home," she exclaimed. "I've managed to get a day off because..."
"Chrissy, Danny's gone missing," I interrupted her.
"Missing?"
"He went out two days ago and I haven't seen him since. The bitch rang and said that her boss has him."
"God! OK, er... Look, I'll come round."
"Yes, yes come round."
Waiting for Chrissy to arrive, I imagined Danny with the bitch, counting out my money, scheming his schemes. Had he enjoyed anal sex with her? I pondered. He'd have seen her weal-lined buttocks and she'd have told him what I'd done to her. But it didn't matter - nothing mattered anymore. At last, the bell rang and I dashed through the hall.
"Why didn't you ring me yesterday?" Chrissy asked as I opened the door.
"I... I've been away for a couple of nights, staying at a hotel."
"How do you know Danny's missing, then? He might have gone out somewhere."
"I've been phoning on the hour, every hour, Chrissy. He's not been back since he left two days ago and I don't know what to do."
"What did the girl say?"
"She reckons that her boss has Danny and they want another three thousand pounds. If Danny's not involved..."
"Hang on, let's think about this. I still reckon he's involved, and he's doing this to make you pay up."
"I don't know, I really don't!" I sighed as we walked into the lounge. "I've thought of everything, every connotation."
"The other night in the pub, my conclusion was that Danny became involved with this girl some time after she'd started blackmailing you. But there are two possibilities. Firstly, my original idea might be right. She's working for her boss and Danny's just screwing her for the hell of it. Secondly, Danny's in this with her."
"So, where do I go from here?"
"If you pay up, whether Danny's in with her or not, he'll come home, right?"
"Yes, if he has been kidnapped, they'll release him, and if he's with the tart..."
"OK, so the first thing to do is get him back here, which means paying the girl."
"How will I know whether Danny's lying or not? If he's been with the girl, he'll lie, if he really has been tied up in a basement... No, I'm not going to pay her."
"It's up to you, but you'd be taking a risk."
"I realize that. On the one hand, I can't believe that he'd do this to me, on the other... Kidnapped and dragged into a basement?"
"If I were you, I'd pay up this time and take it from there."
"Wait a minute. If the girl is working for some man or other and Danny's screwing her... If he'd been dragged into the back of a car, he's not likely to go off screwing the tart, is he? He said that he was shit scared the first time it happened. He's hardly going to..."
"You never know with men, Selina. From what you've said, this girl is a bloody nymphomaniac. What normal man wouldn't..."
"Yes, I see what you mean. OK, I'll give her the three grand, get Danny back, and take it from there."
"When's she coming round for the money?"
"This morning."
"You'd better go to the bank."
"No, no I've got it hidden upstairs. What about you following her, Chrissy?"
"Do you know what time she's coming?"
"No, she didn't say."
"Well, I can't hang around all morning. I've got a dental appointment, for one thing. When you've paid her and Danny gets back, take it from there."
"OK."
"I won't stay, Selina. She might turn up at any minute and I don't want to be hanging around. Ring me later."
"Yes, I will."
Seeing her to the door, I didn't feel any better. I still had no idea whether Danny was innocent or not. But at least I'd had someone to talk to, to discuss the horrendous situation with. All I could do was wait for the bitch, and then wait for Danny to come home. If I told him that I was going to the police, and he tried to stop me, that might suggest that he was working with the tart. If he really had been abducted a second time I was sure he'd agree to call the police in - no matter what might happen to my career.
