Four Lives: Part Twenty

~ beetleypete

This is the twentieth part of a fiction serial, in 783 words.

Two police cars arrived quite quickly. Marian had given the name of the road she had seen on the sign, and said she was parked behind the closed-down shop. By the time they got there, her dress was torn at the cleavage and back pleat, and she had rubbed her eyes to smear the make-up.

After messing up her hair when she saw the blue lights flashing, she jumped out of the car and ran toward them before they could get out of their vehicles. Suitably hysterical, she fell into the arms of the first policeman to emerge, and sank to her knees on the ground.

A policewoman walked over and lifted her gently, taking her over to the second car and helping her sit in the back. After a brief barrage of questions, Marian pointed to the end of the road. “He lives on the left, just past the junction. A big house, with a Subaru car parked outside. He told me his name was Lee Fowler”. The policewoman shone a torch over her, checking for injuries. She spoke quietly, her tone gentle.

“We are going to take you to a special place, it’s called a rape victim’s suite. You are safe now, and will be looked after. Trust me”. Pointing at her car, Marian let some tears flow. “He dragged me over the driving seat. My shoes fell off, and they are still in there. My handbag too, and the car keys”.

The policewoman nodded. “I know, but your car is a crime scene now. We are getting experts to come and inspect everything and take photographs. All your things will be returned to you”. Another policeman got into the driving seat and started the car.

As the police car turned around behind the shop a third car arrived, and two more officers got out and stood by the hire car. The second car that had come to the scene drove away in the direction of Lee’s flat.

For a while, it was all a blur. The crackling of the police radios, numerous acronyms of letters that meant nothing to her, code numbers being called over handsets, and the bumping of the car as it drove fast to wherever they were going. The policewoman was saying something. “Do you want anyone notified? A partner? Husband? relative?” Marian shook her head. “No, I live alone”.

The special room she was taken to was laid out like a living room, with sofas, a coffee table, and even side lamps. Everything was explained to her in detail. All of her clothing would have to be taken as evidence. She would be provided with a tracksuit to wear, and some disposable slippers. She was given water, after decining tea or coffee, and then told that a female doctor and nurse would be coming to take photographs and swabs. “Don’t worry, you will be alone with them, and somewhere private”.

Swabs were taken between her legs, inside her mouth, on her neck, on her hands, and under her fingernails. Each one was put into a tube and marked with some numbers, her name, and date of birth. Her clothing went into large brown paper bags marked ‘Evidence’, and her name and different numbers were written on them.

Wearing the tracksuit and oversized slippers, Marian turned to the policewoman. “Can I have a shower, or at least a wash?” The woman patted her hand. “Once everything has been recorded, we can allow you to have a shower. It just has to be checked by CID first”.

Over an hour later, a young Indian woman came in, accompanied by an older woman with a kindly face.

“My name is Detective Inspector Banerjee, and this is Detective Sergeant Scott. We will be looking after you, Marian. You can go with the uniformed officer and have your shower now, but then we will need to ask you a lot of questions, okay?”

When she got back in the room, the detectives had set up a video camera on a tripod, and placed a laptop on the coffee table. They also had a voice-recording device next to the laptop. Inspector Banerjee motioned for her to sit on the sofa opposite.

“Just to let you know, the man you named has been arrested at his flat, and taken to a different police station. We are going to need a full statement, the best you can manage. I appreciate it has been a very difficult time for you, but I want you to tell me everything you can remember, from the first moment you met him this evening”. Marian sat down and took a deep breath

It was going to be a long night.

30 thoughts on “Four Lives: Part Twenty”

    1. Marian is intelligent, and committed. But even if convicted, Lee would not be in prison for life. However, he would be on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and have to declare the rape conviction when applying for any regular job. So the plan to ruin his life would definitely work.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  5. (1) Marian sank to her knees on the ground, unzipped the policeman’s pants, and said, “I have an insatiable craving for sloppy seconds!”
    (2) Marian: “Lee drives a stick. And I’ve got the DNA to prove it!”
    (3) Overheard:
    Marian: “I lost my shoes, my handbag, my car keys, and my virginity!”
    Policewoman: “We can only help you recover three out of four.”
    (4) Policewoman: “This is Officer Jones. He would like to get in the car with you so that the two of you can reenact the crime while I take photographs.”
    (5) Policewoman: “Do you want anyone notified? Partner? husband? relative? sex therapist? tabloid editor?”
    (6) “A doctor and nurse will come swab the deck.” (I knew this would be in the cards.)
    (7) Everything had to be checked by El Cid, the Spanish lab specialist.
    (8) A young Indian woman introduced herself as Detective Inspector Banerjee. “Just so you know, I’m not the kind of Indian that lifts up manhole covers and shoots unsuspecting passersby with a bow and arrow.”
    (9) “This is Detective Sergeant Scott. He will be looking after you, Marian, while you take a shower. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room in there for two.”

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  9. She had better be a good actress. There must be certain questions that are designed to detect fabrications? What is the penalty for making a false accusation of this kind? This guy deserves it, but I suspect there are quite a few who dont’t.

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    1. The charge for making false allegations in the UK is ‘Wasting Police time’. The current maximum sentence is six months in prison.
      Marian has been schooled by Lyndsey on what to say, and how to repsond to cross-examination.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Things are changing a lot, and the police are reacting to past criticsim. This is also not a ‘domestic’ allegation, it is against someone she seemingly hardly knows. So they would proceed on the basis that she is telling the truth, and have an idea that he will claim the sex was consensual, in his defence. There is a great deal of physical evidence to support Marian’s case, on this occasion. That is why Lyndsey constructed the plan based on her extensive court experience.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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