Chapter 5. Back to Emily May
PC Blackwell patrolled the dinghy park on the landward side of the marina at
Burnham. For several days now, several of the better and more expensive racing
dinghies had been vandalised. With an important race meeting only days away, it
appeared that some of the better boats were being nobbled. It always happened in
the early hours of the morning so he had been detailed to keep watch. Last night
nothing happened, tonight looked like being the same. He looked at his watch.
3.35 a.m. "Might as well get on my bike and head home," he muttered to himself.
"Better wait till four, I suppose." Hardly had he sat down again in his little
sheltered hiding place than he heard a car. He saw a vehicle coming along the
track-way. As it came abreast he noted its license number and radioed it in for
a check and asked for backup to be ready in case it was needed. Keeping in the
shadows, he crept towards where the car had now stopped. He saw the driver get
out but was expecting him to have an axe or something similar with which to
smash up a boat. He would witness it but keep himself safely out of the way. The
patrol car would pick the miscreant up as he left the town. To his surprise the
driver pulled what looked like a body from the car and he heard him speaking to
her but only getting moans in reply. Leaving the 'body' by the path, the driver
reversed and then drove off. He didn't see the policeman.
******
Pete hadn't slept. He kept wondering what he should have done to prevent her
going. He knew Alison had a mean streak in her and knew also she had set up this
caning. Trudy was strong headed and tough so he thought she could take it but
what if it was more than the usual six of the best? Supposing they gave her a
dozen? She wouldn't be able to sit for a week. 2 a.m. still no phone call. 3
a.m. no call. What has happened to her? 3.35 a.m. "I'm dropping her off in a few
minutes." That was all the message said. The driver had immediately shut the
phone off. Pete didn't have time to ask how she was. Immediately he rowed ashore
and ran along the boardwalk. At the top of the ramp he could see two figures on
the ground, one in uniform with a torch. Trudy opened her eyes when he spoke.
"Trudy what did they do to you dear?" She never answered. He bent to pick her up
and she screamed and then passed out. The blanket fell open to reveal the blood
soaked sheets.
"I'll get an ambulance." PC Blackwell radioed to his control room for the
ambulance and asked that the driver of the limo be detained for questioning
about a serious assault. The constable knew Pete slightly and questioned him
about Trudy until the ambulance arrived. Pete insisted he go with her to the
nearest hospital at Chelmsford some twenty miles away. Only there did he see the
full extent of her injuries. A young policewoman came and took a statement from
Pete, photographs were taken of Trudy's back and buttocks but they kept her
sedated so no one could question her. She seemed to know though, when Pete was
holding her hand and talking to her. The police informed Margaret and brought
her to the hospital. Part of her blamed Pete for what happened, although she
also realised he had tried to help her.
Behind the scenes, the police were active. The chauffeur was questioned at
length. He worked for a car hire company who revealed that the car was hired by
Alison Frouget's escort service. Under further intense questioning the driver
told where the court was and the police sent a forensic team in. The courtroom
floor had been cleaned but they still found tiny scraps of blood and they did
find the birching horse which also had blood, urine and semen traces.
By midday, Pete was so exhausted with the worry and lack of sleep, the nurses
found him a cot and he lay alongside Trudy. That evening off duty PC Blackwell
came to see how she was getting on and suggested Pete went back to Burnham with
him and get a good night's sleep. He couldn't do anything at the hospital as the
doctor's were keeping Trudy well sedated and on a morphine and fed by an
intravenous drip.
Pete slept fitfully on the barge and was up early. He phoned the hospital and
found Trudy was beginning to waken. He phoned Margaret who wasn't yet up, and
told her the news and asked if she wanted to go with him to the hospital. She
did. On the way they were able to get together again as friends and she knew
Pete would do his utmost to see Alison and her friends got their just deserts
even if they did have influence in high places.
By now the press had got hold of the story and the hospital was more or less
cordoned off, Margaret and Pete were allowed through and spent the day at the
bedside. Trudy could now recognise them although she found it difficult to talk.
Dressings covered most of the back area of her body so most of the whipping
stripes were covered. They weren't allowed to be present when the dressings were
changed. Late that evening, Pete took Margaret home. She cancelled work. They
sat discussing what to do over a makeshift meal but in reality they knew they
couldn't do anything. It was all in the hands of others. He spent the night in
Trudy's bed.
******
Alison sat in a police cell and cursed the vandals that damaged the boats in the
park. Had the policeman not been there, the driver would have returned and there
would have been nothing to link her with the event. Alison cursed Judge
Masterton for getting carried away. She knew he was a real sadist and had to be
restrained before but this time she had unwisely given him the go-ahead to do
what he liked. By now the police would have gone through the files of her escort
agency. Hopefully they hadn't yet gone through her flat and found the video
tape. The judge had sent it to her by courier immediately afterwards and it was
still in the machine. She had played it through twice and had been delighted by
the pain the bitch had received but even in her wildest dreams she had not
believed the Judge could be so brutal.
They came and took her to the interview room. Her lawyer was already there. For
some time she feigned ignorance but as the police produced more and more
evidence, her involvement became clear as did her position as head of a high
class prostitute organisation. Gradually the net was spread wider and her
working girls were questioned. Some worked just for the money, others because
they were blackmailed into it. Alison's London flat was searched and the video
found. It was all the evidence the police needed to round up most of the others.
It was better and more concrete evidence than Trudy's somewhat incoherent memory
of what happened.
Trudy was released from hospital a week later. She could walk with difficulty
and needed strong analgesic pills to control the pain. Sitting even on soft
cushions still gave her considerable pain although she tried not to show it.
Margaret and Pete gave her the choice of going home to Billericay or to the Emma
May. To Margaret's obvious disappointment she quickly chose the barge. Pete
immediately asked Margaret to stay on the barge too until Trudy had more fully
recovered but she was worried about work and her ability to keep up the payments
for Trudy's previous offenses. "Don't worry about that," Pete said, "I'll loan
you the money and add it to what Trudy owes me already and she can pay it back
by working for me. That way she will have to stay here longer."
"Beast! Sodding slavedriver!" was Trudy's answer but her smile indicated she was
far from displeased with the idea.
Finis
