by Faye Parker
“Hey, it’s not your fault! You’ve been a good friend to me since I started here. It’s not your job to protect me, and anyways, I’ve learned a few self-defense moves.”
“I’m glad you have. Most people freeze the first time they need to defend themselves, but you didn’t.”
“I guess so,” I said as I stood up and tucked my chair back under the table, thankful to be able to avoid Louise’s eye contact for a moment. I only wished that had been the first time I’d had to defend myself. I shuddered as thoughts about the last time I saw Robert ran through my head. Louise must have assumed I was still thinking about Denver.
“Do you want me to say you’ve gone home sick? I can cover for you?” She offered, placing a supportive hand on my arm. I bit the inside of my lip so I wouldn’t flinch. She meant well, and the action had been intended to be supportive. I just wasn’t the touchy kind of girl anymore.
“Nah, I’m fine… honestly. Besides, I have a shit-ton of work that needs doing. I’ll be busy all afternoon.”
When I finally got home that evening I took a long, hot shower. The scalding water still didn’t help me feel that his sweaty hands were still all over me.
I kept myself distracted from my thoughts by tackling the grout between the bathroom tiles. I felt surrounded by mold and dirt: I needed everything to feel fresh and clean. The smell of the bleach and the job itself helped keep me preoccupied until it was time to fall into bed and try to sleep.
Louise was waiting for me a few doors down from the office as I walked in the next morning. “Hey, how are you? I was gonna phone last night but didn’t want to smother you.” She had a regretful smile on her face, eyes surveying my eyes for signs of tears or weakness.
“Me? I’m fine…” I gave a little laugh. “Tough as old boots, in fact. That douche isn’t going to stop me doing my work – besides, I really need this job.” I replied as lightly as I could muster.
I needed to change the direction of this conversation, otherwise, there would be more tears and I'd promised myself that I wouldn't cry again.
“Anyway, you never said why you were with your non-boyfriend again yesterday.”
“Ha! As if. He’s so not my boyfriend.” She joked. Glad we had moved on from talking about me I teased her more.
“Ok ok, if he’s not your boyfriend." I said with air quotes around the word, “I bet you want him to be. God those eyes and the muscles. You’ve got to admit he’s easy on the eyes… if not a bit…” I struggled to put a word to describe Daniel.
“Intense?” she offered.
“Crazy?” she thought again. “Built like a big old brick shit house?”
We laughed and I got the impression we were both relieved that the conversation was no longer a serious one.
We dropped any mention of Denver or Daniel as soon as we got into the building but were still laughing by the time she left me to go to her desk. There was a note waiting for me on my desk. Mildred had already been into the office and left again since her youngest was ill, but my duties for the day were scrawled on the page in front of me.
“Shit.” I said aloud to myself, “I’ll never get that all done today!” With that, I removed my jacket and turned the tower of my work computer on.
I only stopped to grab a quick bite at lunchtime, devouring my entire packed lunch in minutes and returning back early to get my work finished. About twenty minutes before home time, I got a phone call from Denver.
“Good afternoon, Ellie.” He cooed, innocently.
Bastard, I thought.
“Yes Denver, how can I help you?”
“My assistant, Jessica has had to go home early today; she was supposed to make up some empty files for me to bring with me to the meeting on Monday. Spare 10 minutes from your work and do them for me?”
Not even so much as a “please”. I gave the phone a dirty look.
What I really wanted to say was, “Do them yourself, dickhead.” But my actual response was, “Sure! No problem! I’ll get right on that now for you.”
I really couldn’t afford to lose this job and as a partner in the business, Denver could really mess things up for me. I just needed to keep the boat very un-rocked until I got a job elsewhere.
Louise stopped by my desk as I had the folders in my hand, ready to leave into Denver’s office. When I explained what I was doing her mouth formed a flat, grim line across her face.
“I don’t like it,” she bristled. “I can take them for you.” She reached for the files.
“No!” I said a bit too loudly before continuing at a loud whisper. “Look, if he thinks he can intimidate me, I need to show him that he can’t.”
“Well at least let me come with you.”
“And how would that look?” I questioned. “I’ll be fine; it’s a two-second job.”
"Well, if you're sure." She didn't look convinced but brightened, she'd had an idea. "Hey, how about meeting up with us when you come out? I'm going for drinks with a couple of others. You're very welcome to join us in Flanagan's?"
I didn’t like the thought of going straight back to my lonely flat so I agreed that I’d see her shortly. I would have one drink and then leave. I needed to save as much money as I could but after the last week, I deserved at least one strong drink.
I allowed myself to be excited. Flanagan’s would be a nice end to the day. It would only take a few moments to give Denver his files.
As I made my way to his office door, I could see that it was shut, so I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders before knocking.
“Come in.”
Chapter Eight
Ellie
I held my breath as I went into the office. I’d half imagined something overly opulent, or something creepy, but I was disappointed as it was neither. His office was just an ordinary office, filing cabinets against the walls, mismatched folders resting about them, and a large desk with a computer and overflowing with papers.
“Thank you, Ellie," Denver said as he looked up from his computer screen.
“You’re welcome.” I just about managed not to spit the words out.
“Y’know Ellie,” he gave a big sigh, “I was just being polite. Putting together some stationery isn’t exactly the hardest job in the world… I mean, just about anyone could do it.”
He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. “I mean, yes, it seems like you’ve worked well, but what true value do you bring to Sawyer’s or are you easily replaced?”
My resolve wobbled – was he threatening my job?
“Mildred has been very happy with my work.” Although the uncertainty in my voice didn’t match.
“Yes yes,” he said dismissively. “But Mildred’s planning to be away for a little while now, isn’t she?”
I didn’t speak, I couldn’t breathe. What was supposed to be an in-out job to leave some files into his office was taking a turn for the worse.
Eventually, he broke the silence.
“I believe you have some keys.”
“Keys?”
"Yes, dear, keys." He rolled his eyes at me. Patronizing bastard. Yet I already knew what he was talking about.
“The ones Mildred gave you for her office that you’ve had since you started here?” There, he went straight to the point.
“What about them?” I asked as innocently as I could. My mouth was Sahara dry and I thought I could guess what was coming. In fact, I was sure I knew what was coming.
“You’ll make me a copy of the full set.” He demanded.
The arrogance! Not only did he demand copies, he expected me to present them to him on a silver platter.
“Mildred made it very clear my keys were for emergencies only. That her office contains many confidential client files.”
“Tsk, tsk. You are a slow learner, aren’t you?” he shook his head slowly and retrieved his mobile phone from the table. A few seconds later he’d brought something up on the screen. “Look, Ellie, do you recognize anyone?"
The so
und was low, but I heard the moans before I even saw the screen. A sex tape? What the fuck? Why was he showing me a sex tape?
"Mmm, Denver!" a woman's voice whimpered out of the phone's speaker. The camera was shot in the first person, from behind the woman who was bent over a table, her dark hair covering her face.
“Yeah, baby, you like that?” Denver’s voice spoke on the video and the shot moved to pan over the back of her head, down to her naked back and further down to where her skirt was hitched up and where the person taking the video was watching himself slide into the woman.
I looked away in disgust, handing the phone back to him as I heard the video version of Denver telling the woman she was a dirty girl, then the sharp sound of a smack and her moaning in pleasure.
“What the fuck are you showing me that for?” I raged. The fact I was unable to keep my language in check at work paled in comparison to him showing me his homemade pornography.
“Well, baby,” he smiled innocently, “You’re here after work time… the guys knew we met last week and had drinks, they were in one of the other booths when we arrived.” He stood up, stretching. “Even watched us leaving together. So what if we’d decided to stay a little late at work tonight? I mean, it’s easy to change the time and date on this so everyone thinks it’s you.”
“You wouldn’t…”
“Well, you see, I need the keys.” He shrugged at me.
“Are you trying to blackmail me?”
He ignored the question.
“Or, you could just give me the Chester file and we could have a little fun when we’re here.” He leered at me. “I promise I’ll not to make a video this time.” He moved around the table, resting on the edge of it. “I hear it’s a comfy table to bend over – just the right height.”
“Go fuck yourself, Denver.” With angry tears in my eyes, I stormed out of the room, glad that the only one in the building now was the domestic who was out of sight. I heard vacuuming one of the meeting rooms. I quickly collected my things at my desk before running home.
I was reeling, but the walk home helped me keep distracted enough that I didn’t cry. I thought over all the work I’d done with Mildred since I had started but I had no idea what the Chester file was. It had never been mentioned, at least not that I had remembered. I’d no idea of its significance.
I thought of the local businesses that I knew of since I grew up around here, but that was no help.
What was the Chester file?
My phone vibrated across my kitchen counter at the same time my microwave pinged. Louise.
“I’m sorry I didn’t meet up with you guys," I said as I answered the phone. Shit! With everything that had happened, I'd forgot to meet her.
“Are you ok?” her voice sounded urgent. “I went back to the office but you were gone.”
“I’m fine.” I sniffled, the adrenaline leaving me to my tears now. I was just thankful I was alone.
“I’ll be over in 10 minutes.” With that, she hung up the phone and I let myself sob.
Chapter Nine
Ellie
I heard the knock at my door within minutes of putting the phone down.
When I answered, Louise, took one look at me and pulled me into a hug. Even though I didn't do hugs, for once, I really appreciated it, clinging to her tiny frame as I swallowed back the remaining tears. When the ache eased a little, she finally spoke.
"What did he do?" she was trying to speak calmly, but I knew there was fury beneath it.
"I'm going to lose my job.” I sniffed. “He's got a video of some woman having sex with him in his office and he says he's going to show it and imply that it’s me. That I’ve been sleeping with him."
I sagged down onto the sofa and Louise followed. "If he does that, everyone will think I got this job by fucking one of the partners… a married one at that. Any respect for me or chance of my job lasting will be gone."
"Blackmail?" she pondered, before turning to look at me. "So, what does he want? You to actually sleep with him or he shares this?"
Somewhere inside, my intuition screamed not to tell her the truth. As much as I liked Louise and I wanted to trust her, I wasn’t sure how to process what Denver had actually wanted from me. I needed to buy some time. I hated myself for doing it but I lied to her.
"Yeah," I nodded. "But it doesn't make sense, he's the married one - surely spreading a video that he says is me would get him in trouble?"
"You'd think that." she said, unconvincingly, "But the thing is... he's involved in some messed up shit."
That made no sense to me, but I was relieved that was the point she was focusing on and not calling me out on being such a terrible liar. "Eh?"
"Look, I promise not to say anything to anyone about what he's trying to do to you… Please, you can't tell anyone about this."
I listened in shock as Louise told me that Denver and his wife were very much a respectable couple, doing respectable jobs, living in a respectable neighborhood and with tidy, respectable lives.
Yet, he and his wife were involved with the Doyle gang. She said that although there was no proof, some even thought Denver had close links to the head of the Doyle gang. Louise was pretty sure that Denver's wife was one of the madam's for their gang's sex trade.
"Are you saying," I laughed, "that Denver and his wife are pimps?" I laughed incredulously. "There's an actual underground sex business in Londonderry and Denver isn't just customer - he's running it?"
"And doing very nicely at it, or so I hear." the bitterness in her voice took me back. "His wife makes sure the girls keep in line. He deals with the buyers and handles the transactions."
"So it's not a brothel?"
"No, there are brothels, but Denver and she are involved with the high-class buyers and selling on the broken women. Of course, Denver likes to make a little extra by blackmailing the married businessmen who enjoy the darker games he lets them play."
"And where better to see how much they can afford and to move it painlessly from their accounts than working in the biggest accountancy firm in the area?" Finally, the penny had dropped for me.
That was why he works at Sawyer's. He could easily make up invoices to receive the blackmail payments and they would all be hidden in plain sight.
That's what the Chester file was for. It had to be.
Maybe Mildred was just biding her time until she uncovered Denver for the bastard he really was.
"It makes sense now," I whispered to myself.
"What does?" keen eyes surveyed me; "Do you know more than you're letting on?"
I couldn't say it. I didn't say it. I knew what I had to do: keep quiet for long enough until I could get another job and away from Sawyer’s. As much as Denver was trying to blackmail me, what did I care about another one of his john's getting blackmailed?
I came back here for Ryan, he needed me to keep a flat going to he can move into it and be supported when he's released. Ryan is finally clean and sober - if all I have to do is hand over one file to Denver to keep my own head above water before leaving my job, then so be it.
I had no sympathy for the men that Denver was blackmailing. They'd used women against their will, they deserved whatever they got. And Denver would get his eventually too.
Just hopefully after Ryan was living with me and I’d settled in a different job.
"Denver had seemed so nice," I played for time. "I can't believe it all, but looking back now it makes sense... was he grooming me to be one of their girls?" I doubted that would be the case, the only thing he really wanted from me was the set of keys for Mildred's office.
"Possibly," she said unconvinced. "More likely that he wanted you as one of his own collection," she admitted. "He has a real thing for dark hair and blue eyes like yours."
It would be later that I’d find it ironic that Denver’s unwanted interest was because of my bottle of hair dye and inability to get used to the brown contacts I’d bought. Now they were the assumed reason why Denver had taken
an interest in me in the first place.
"He's married!" I said in shock.
"Maybe so, but apparently they're both fine with the other having… varied tastes away from home."
I laughed hysterically at the way she'd explained it. Once I’d stopped she was looking at me, and I had a feeling I wouldn't like what she was going to say.
"I think we should tell Daniel."
"Why on earth would you even suggest that? Not your boyfriend my ass."
"He’s not!"
"So why do you think he needs to know? You just said you'd keep this to yourself." I felt betrayed.
I stormed over to my sink and poured myself a glass of water. "What's he going to do?" except get in the way of me being able to do what I need to do and move on.
"You don't like him, do you?"
That was a question.
There were things about him I didn't like, but that was because it felt too soon, I didn't know what to do about the flicker I felt when I saw him, or the fear I had now that I suspected he might know who I was - or at the very least that he knew I wasn't called Ellie.
I couldn't let him get near. It was too risky and all those routes lead to me losing my job and therefore my flat, and how could I help Ryan then?
"It's not that I don't like him," I lied, "I don't know what he could actually do." I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension I now felt. "Yeah, he owns a gym and is one huge motherfucker, but what's he gonna do - frighten Denver again? I don't think that worked the first time."
"I can't go into it, but I promise I won't say anything right now. Think about it over the weekend, we'll talk about it again on Monday - let's see how Denver plays this with you at work. If he's trying to get you into his bed, then he'll want to play nice."
This time I wasn't convinced.
Louise insisted that we got some food for me to eat and we spent the next couple of hours watching a chick flick on TV that we'd both seen before. I was glad of the company and that she'd dropped the conversation about Denver and Daniel.