Ottey was finishing up for the day when she received a call from Karen. She wanted to see her. Ottey needed to get home for her children but Karen’s request sounded urgent, as if she had in that moment decided to talk to the police, and Ottey didn’t want to procrastinate in case she changed her mind. She said she’d be straight over. She called her older daughter Carla and after some canny negotiation, Carla agreed to make her and her sister’s supper. Ottey reflected that her maternal line of credit with her teenage daughter had become a little overextended of late. She took Mackenzie with her to see Karen.
When they arrived the first thing they noticed was that the name of the business had been changed to Betty’s Dry Cleaner’s after Gerry Stokes’s late wife. Karen was nervous when they walked in.
‘Gerry said we can use his office,’ she said. They followed her up the stairs. It had been changed. It looked more functional than before and certainly less ostentatious. All the photographs of Danny with his ‘celebrity’ friends had been removed. Gerry was sitting at the desk. He rose to greet Ottey and Mackenzie.
‘Detective, thanks so much for coming.’ Ottey thought he seemed happy, but there was a lingering dullness of regret behind his eyes. ‘Please sit.’ He gestured to the sofas.
‘New furniture?’ Ottey commented.
‘Yes. We got rid of the old stuff. Seemed the right thing to do, all things considered,’ he replied, sitting himself. Ottey didn’t understand what he meant at first then the sordid truth occurred to her. Danny must’ve committed some of his sexual offences on the thrown-out furniture. Gerry misconstrued her expression, as she was thinking this, to signify her surprise at his staying in the room.
‘Oh, Karen has asked me to stay. I said it might be better if I didn’t but she’s told me everything she’s going to tell you anyway.’
‘No worries.’
‘Gerry’s made me assistant manager,’ said Karen with a little pride.
‘Is that right? Congratulations.’
‘Well, we’ve made a lot of changes round here recently. Just the one final thing remains unsettled. Which is why Karen asked you here,’ said Stokes. He looked at Karen as if to give her an assuring prompt. She took a large intake of breath.
‘Danny raped me. Here. In this office. One night after work. It started as like a joke. Then he locked the door and…’ She faltered momentarily then carried on. ‘Gerry asked everyone here, all the girls, last week, if anything had happened to them. So I told him. He’s the one who told me to call you,’ she said.
‘It took some encouragement. There are also other complaints. Those girls are also willing to come forward,’ said Gerry quietly. Ottey warmed to the old man even further.
‘Did you tell anyone at the time?’ Mackenzie asked. She had leant forward and taken Karen’s hand.
‘Flick. I told Flick,’ replied Karen.
‘She took her to a rape crisis centre. That’s why we called. They did a rape kit,’ Gerry explained.
‘I was so frightened. I needed this job. I decided not to go to the police after all. I’m so sorry.’
‘That’s completely understandable. Can you give us the details of the crisis centre?’
‘Yes.’ Karen searched her handbag and brought out a card which she gave to Ottey.
‘Do you know where Danny is now?’ Ottey asked Gerry.
‘I’ve arranged to meet him at his apartment. Obviously I have no intention of going over. But you can pick him up there now,’ he said with quiet regret.
‘Karen, I have to ask. Will you be willing to appear in court?’ Ottey asked. Karen looked suddenly terrified, as if she thought this would be it. That it would all be over.
‘I’ll be with you, Karen. I’ll come to court. Everything will be fine,’ Gerry reassured her.
*
‘I can’t get over Gerry. Can you imagine that? Dobbing in his own son?’ said Mackenzie in the car on the way over to Danny’s flat.
‘He’s taking responsibility,’ said Ottey.
‘But it wasn’t his fault.’
‘That’s obviously not the way he sees it.’
Danny was surprised to see them. Cocky at first but when Ottey informed him of the reason for his arrest the colour drained from his face. The fact that his father had instigated it seemed like a fatal blow to his confidence. Ottey remembered how shocked and sickened Mackenzie had been when they had released Danny from the MCU and so, even though she wasn’t an officer, she handed her the handcuffs. It was Mackenzie’s first cuffing of a suspect. It was one she would never forget.