by Bill Ward
Twenty four hours after being taken to Brighton police station Mara was allowed to leave but informed she should expect to be called in for further questioning so she mustn’t leave the area without first checking with the police whether it was okay. As she stood outside, she was uncertain at first what to do and where to go but realised the only person she really knew in Brighton, who wasn’t currently in jail was Afina. She didn’t want to go back to the empty building she had called home for the last two years so took out her phone and called Afina, suggesting they meet up at the bar but not for a couple of hours, as she needed to make some calls back home to explain what had happened.
Powell was half way down the motorway and Lia was asleep in the passenger seat when Brian rang.
“We have a potential problem,” Brian said.
Powell became alert. He had been worrying everything was going too well. Most operations he remembered never went so smoothly. “What’s wrong?”
“Unfortunately and rather unbelievably Victor is going to be released first thing tomorrow and there is nothing I can do about it.”
While it was bad news, it had always been inevitable Victor would eventually be released, Powell just hadn’t anticipated it being quite so quickly. “How come?”
“They have a new head of Psychiatry and he isn’t someone we’ve dealt with before. It seems he’s made a quick assessment that Victor is perfectly safe to be let out and return to Romania. Apart from anything else it seems beds are in short supply and the idea of shipping any further treatment costs for Victor to Romania, is a very attractive option and helps with their budgeting.”
“Can we ensure he gets straight on a plane to Romania?”
“Not really, it isn’t a mandated condition of his release so essentially he is free to come and go as he pleases.”
“Couldn’t he be charged with at the very least being an accessory to Stefan’s trafficking business?”
“The police are trying to put a case together but at the moment there isn’t any real evidence, as nobody is talking. Some of the girls have mentioned him driving them to their place of work but we can’t arrest him for being a taxi driver.”
Powell thought about asking Afina to make a statement accusing Victor of assault and rape but the charge would never stick, not without forensic evidence or witnesses. It would be her word against his and the prosecution would no doubt give her a torrid time in the witness box. It would be unfair, given what she had already gone through, to ask her to get involved with a case that had so little chance of being proven.
“What about the Romanian angle? Surely he’s wanted over there for some crime?” Powell asked, hopefully.
“Seems not. He is known to the police out there but there’s no current, outstanding warrants.”
Powell was concerned Victor would come looking for him and Afina. He had hoped to have solved the problem of Afina’s future before Victor’s release so he would be the only one in any danger. Currently he had a house full of very vulnerable females and Victor could come visiting before lunch the next day. “I could do with some extra security at my house. Do you think the local coppers would be willing to post someone outside?”
“I’ve already spoken with them and they are so thankful for you handing them Dimitry, there will be two officers outside from tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks, Brian. I’ll try and get the girls out of danger and back home as soon as possible.”
“That would be for the best. You’ve changed you know? The Powell of twenty years ago would have made Victor disappear permanently.”
“You’re not seriously saying I should have murdered Victor?”
“Not at all! I think you’ve changed for the better. Bella would be very proud of you.”
“Thanks. I was very proud of her and though she didn’t know it, she completely changed my life. In difficult situations I actually find myself thinking, what would Bella want me to do.”
“I’ve also arranged for two other officers to track Victor to see if he does get on a plane,” Brian added.
“When he finds out Dimitry and Stefan are locked up he will probably be on the first plane out of the country, at least he will if he’s got any sense but you can’t be too careful.”
“My sentiments entirely,” Brian agreed.
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
Powell had returned with Lia just a short time before Afina was due to leave for the bar to meet Mara. There were hugs and tears as Lia thanked Afina for being a friend and not ignoring her plight. The two other girls, who had revealed their names to be Cosmina and Violette, were also thanking Powell for their rescue and at Afina’s suggestion it was agreed they would all go to the bar to meet Mara and celebrate. Including Afina’s mother and sister there were seven of them in total split between two taxis.
As soon as Powell arrived at the bar with six females in tow, the staff moved quickly to create a large enough table to seat them and Mara when she arrived. Powell ordered champagne and announced the party should commence. In truth, he was a little concerned about Victor being free next morning but he didn’t want to worry any of the others and reckoned this might be the only chance for all of them to celebrate together before most of them returned to Romania.
Afina had a quiet word with Powell and he readily agreed to her suggestion that she invite Emma and Rebecca to join the celebration so by the time Mara arrived twenty minutes late, she was surprised to find a party in progress.
Introductions were made and Afina noticed broad smiles on the faces of Emma and Rebecca as they said hello to Mara. Afina was a little jealous of what they had shared together but despite liking all three girls and now considering them good friends, she simply preferred to have her sex with men.
She turned towards Powell and their eyes met for a second. She broke into a smile and then looked away afraid he might be able to read her thoughts, which at that moment were making her blush.
Powell was suddenly by her side. “A penny for them,” he said.
“I don’t understand?”
“In England we say, a penny for your thoughts. It means what are you thinking?”
“But why is it a penny?”
Powell was stumped for an answer. “I’ve no idea.”
“My thoughts are worth much more than a penny.”
“I’m sure they are.”
“English is a strange language.”
There was a silence between them for a few seconds as they both sipped their drinks.
“Have you thought about when you wish to fly home?” Powell asked. He didn’t really want Afina to go home and knew if she did go, it was going to leave a vacuum in his life not easily filled by anyone else but he had to do what was best for Afina.
“Mama wants to go as soon as possible.”
“And you?”
“I was thinking of staying. There is nothing for me in Romania. If you still have a job for me I would like to stay and get to know England properly.”
“Of course you can have a job and you can stay in the flat if you want.”
“That would be brilliant but I want to pay you rent for your flat. You have done enough for me already.”
“Okay, we can discuss the amount later. Tomorrow we should talk to your mother and sister about going home.”
“I’ll talk to them, I need to tell them I’m planning to stay. I’m not sure my mother will be happy about the idea.”
As a parent, Powell understood how Afina’s mother might feel about the idea of again being separated from her daughter.
Mara walked towards them with a big grin on her face.
“Let me guess,” Afina said. “You are going home with Emma and Rebecca.”
“Unless you want me to stay with you two?” Mara asked with a naughty grin.
Powell answered first. “Mara, you are a bad influence!”
“Is that a no?”
“Yes it is a no,” Powell confirmed, smiling.
“It seems strange calling you
Powell,” Mara said. “I liked Danny.”
“Sorry I couldn’t tell you before tonight.”
“Don’t apologise. Afina has told me the whole story. Bella was a very lucky girl to have you as her father. I would be very proud to call you my friend, if you can forgive me for my part in everything?”
“There’s nothing to forgive. I already think of you as my friend.”
“Thank you, Powell. That name is definitely going to take some getting used to.”
Mara kissed both Powell and Afina on the cheeks.
Afina looked towards Emma and Rebecca and gave a small wave goodbye.
“I like Mara,” Powell said after she had left.
“Of course you do. She is beautiful and sexy and…” Afina teased. “Would you like another threesum with us both?”
“Afina, this is Powell you’re talking to not Danny.”
“Can I ask you a question, Powell?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you never remarry?”
“No one would have me,” Powell answered flippantly.
“I don’t believe that. I think many girls would love to be with you.”
“I guess the truth is I didn’t want to put anyone in harm’s way. After what happened to Vanessa, I couldn’t risk a repeat.”
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
Mara had only finally fallen asleep with the girls at about four in the morning. At nine thirty when her mobile rang, she couldn’t be bothered to answer at first but someone refused to be ignored and after the third call she knew she had to untangle the legs wrapped around her and put an end to the ringing. She moved slowly out of bed, as the sex had been mixed with a large amount of alcohol and she was feeling the effects. She found her phone on the floor beside her clothes just as the caller rang for the fourth time.
She was shocked to see Victor’s name as the caller and decided to ignore him, hoping he would go away. The phone rang again and she heard Emma telling her to answer the bloody thing.
“Hello Victor. Where have you been? Everyone has been looking for you.”
“Where’s Stefan? I need to speak with him urgently. Neither him or Dimitry are answering their phones.”
“The police have arrested them both.”
“What! How is that possible? Tell me what happened?”
Mara walked into the next room and sat on the sofa. She explained to Victor about Dimitry’s capture and the police raid to take Stefan. She said nothing about Powell.
“I bet it was that bastard Powell,” Victor swore.
“Why do you say that?”
There was a brief silence at the end of the phone before Victor replied. “It was him put me in a bloody hospital. Him and that Afina bitch.”
“We never saw Afina again after she left with you.”
“I’m not surprised. Are you at the house?”
“I’ve nowhere else to go,” Mara said resignedly. “Listen, the police were questioning me for hours, trying to convince me to testify against Stefan but obviously I said nothing. They were making threats about my being an accomplice but eventually they let me go. They’ve told me not to leave Brighton.”
“Make sure you don’t say anything,” Victor warned. “Stefan and Dimitry will keep quiet so the police won’t have anything on me.”
“What will you do, Victor?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll be in touch.”
As soon as the call was ended, she dialled a sleepy sounding Afina. “I just heard from Victor.”
“What do you mean, you heard from Victor?” Afina replied suddenly very awake.
“He telephoned me and I had to tell him about Stefan and Dimitry. I didn’t mention Powell but he knows where to find you both and I think he blames you both for everything.”
Afina was obviously shocked. “Did he say what he is going to do?”
“No. On the positive side, he trusts me so if I hear from him again I will warn you.”
“Is he coming to Brighton?”
“He didn’t say.”
“I need to tell Powell. Please call me if you hear from him again.”
“Of course I will and don’t worry. Powell dealt with Victor before and I’m sure he can again if necessary.”
Afina didn’t share Mara’s confidence but thanked her and went to find Powell.
Mara returned to the bedroom to find Emma awake. “Sorry,” she apologised.
“You woke me up,” Emma complained. “Now you’re going to have to help me get back to sleep.”
“And how exactly do I do that?”
“I’ll leave that up to you but if you need a clue, I can tell you I usually sleep very well after I’ve had at least two orgasms.”
“Greedy girl,” Mara said and jumped on the bed.
CHAPTER FORTY
Afina was surprised Powell already knew that Victor was free but had said nothing. She recounted the details of her phone call with Mara while he prepared a late breakfast of coffee and rolls.
“I doubt he will come to Brighton,” Powell said. “And if he does it’s likely he will contact Mara again, so we should get a warning he’s on his way. I don’t think we need to be too concerned.” He didn’t want Afina spending every waking minute terrified by the thought of the imminent arrival of Victor.
“But he knows who you are.”
“There are two police officers in a car outside but remember Victor doesn’t actually know where I live, he only knows the bar. There are also two officers on his tail since he left the hospital this morning. If he has any sense, he’ll be on the first flight out of here.”
“I thought you had dealt with him,” Afina said accusingly. Then realising she had been unfair added, “Sorry, without you he probably would have killed me.”
“That’s okay. It was only ever a temporary solution but I didn’t expect him to be free this soon.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We need to book some flights to get the other girls back home. What about your mother and sister?”
“Mama is still desperate to go home. She is worried about losing her job if she spends any more time away.”
“What about Adriana? Would she perhaps like to stay a bit longer?”
“She loves it here so I’m sure she’d be happy to stay.”
“Okay, so we let your mother go home and Adriana stays here. After a couple of weeks we can decide whether we feel it’s safe for Adriana to leave or not. Do you think your mother would be prepared to move apartment, preferably to a different city?
“I don’t know. Work is difficult to find and she has a job so I’m not sure she could move city but maybe apartment.”
“You speak with her and see what she says. I’ll book flights for the others.”
Victor came off the phone to Mara knowing he must visit Brighton. He would not be made a fool of by anyone. Neither was he the type of man to desert his friends and he had no intention of running scared back to Bucharest. He would make Powell and Afina pay for what they had done. He would be sure to have a lot of fun with Afina before he left her, not dead, but so broken she would never be the same again. Powell was dangerous and he would have to kill him.
Right now though he had a problem because he was sure he was being followed. He had taken a taxi from the hospital to Portsmouth and found a café serving breakfast. While calling Mara he had noticed two men enter and order coffee. They looked out of place in the café. They were wearing suits and ties, unlike the other customers who were far more working class. After he finished his breakfast he led them towards various shops and using the glass windows as mirrors, he was able to spot them again, lurking in the background.
Victor pretended to be interested in buying some clothes, visiting several shops until he found the right one. It was on the ground floor of the shopping centre and the third time he had tried on some trousers, only this time he didn’t bother actually putting them on. The layout of the changing rooms meant he was out of sight from anyone in the shop
and the door through which he’d seen an assistant enter would almost certainly lead to a rear exit. After a few minutes, he returned to the shop floor and took a further pair of the trousers from the shelf, explaining loudly to the assistant he had put on more weight than he realised and needed a bigger size.
He ambled back to the changing room just as a shop assistant punched in the number on the keypad, allowing her to exit. Victor had no trouble identifying the assistant had entered 0101. A few seconds later he punched in the numbers and he was thankful the door opened.
Once through the door he looked around and realised he was in a stock room. The young girl he had followed through the door was taking something down from a shelf. He walked swiftly towards her and she turned towards him with a look of surprise on her face as she saw it was someone unfamiliar. Victor threw a punch that caught her squarely on the chin and sent her flying backwards. He bent over her and put his large hand around her small throat. She was bleeding from a cut lip.
“Don’t make any noise,” he warned. “Do you have a car?”
“Yes,” the girl answered, obviously terrified. “It’s out back.”
“Give me the keys.”
“They’re in my jacket, hanging over there on the wall.”
Victor dragged her to her feet and hurried her towards where she’d pointed. He never loosened his grip as she took some keys from her coat pocket and handed them to him. He then dragged her towards the rear door and tried entering 0101 again on the keypad but nothing happened.
“What’s the number?” he demanded, squeezing the girl’s throat a little harder.
“Four, three, four, three.”
He punched in the number and emerged onto an access road with large dustbins and a few parked cars. There was nobody else around. “Which is yours?”
“The Mondeo,” she said, pointing at her car.
He pushed the electronic unlock button and the lights of the Mondeo briefly flashed. He half dragged her to the driver’s side of the car. “Get in,” he said, pushing her on to the back seat. “Lie there and keep quiet, and you won’t get hurt.”