‘Freya, do you think you have had any memory loss? Could you have been drugged?’
She turns pale. ‘No, no definitely not. I remember everything. Clearly.’
Maybe she had too much hanging on her hunch about what Freya witnessed, maybe this was all a waste of time. She tries a different tack.
‘What about your boss, Julian? Besides the IT support team, he is the only person who would have access to your work computer and your phone number,’ she suggests.
Freya stops eating, and looks her dead in the eye. ‘Do you know something?’
Isla looks down at Freya’s hands. They’re shaking. ‘No . . . but tell me what you mean?’
‘It’s not my fault!’ she says, her voice rising enough that the patrons look over curiously. ‘And I swear, I am not imagining things. Julian has touched me a few times, in a way that was definitely intended to be sexual. I can’t stop thinking about it.’
‘Freya, this is big. If he did that to you in the workplace, surely he could take it a step further, hiding behind an anonymous number?’
‘So you believe me? It’s so hard to say this about Julian, because everybody thinks he is perfect.’ Her voice quivers, on the verge of tears.
‘Of course I believe you!’
‘Mathilda, the head of HR, says I’ve just gone through a hard time and I’m imagining things. I started to wonder this myself. Julian is really affectionate, and such a placid person. He does yoga, and he’s a card-carrying Buddhist.’ She starts laughing. ‘He literally has a card with his Buddhist membership number on it in his wallet.’
Isla thinks back to the enthusiastic article she read in the very paper she works for. It crowned Julian as the kind-hearted savior the tech-industry needs. There are no gods in this town, only mortals. Julian and Kenneth are up to something, that meeting they had in the restaurant confirms it. And a sexual predator doesn’t strike only once. Could there be more sexual harassment cases that they are trying to squash? Could Nicole have been one of them, one that took a deadly turn? And what of Jess, the young woman who shared her story three years ago and has now seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth? This is more than a random incident, it is a pathology.
‘This may be an insensitive question to ask after all you have been through, but are you friends with anyone who was close with Nicole?’
Freya smiles weakly. ‘I couldn’t have answered that a few weeks ago, but I have actually started talking to Melanie, one of Nicole’s best friends. She’s much nicer than I imagined! I wouldn’t call us friends, but we have begun to chat every now and then.’
‘Next time you see her, could you ask her if Nicole ever mentioned Julian making any sexual advances on her?’
Freya shifts in her seat. ‘I don’t think I like where you’re going with this. He didn’t try to rape to me, or anything. It was just a moment, a few seconds where I felt he went too far. It was probably nothing. I can’t afford to be making any false accusations right now . . .’
It’s heartbreakingly typical. After an initial moment of boldness, Freya has talked herself out of her predicament and is denying her instincts. Isla wishes she could grip her by the shoulders and say, hold on! Stop beating yourself up for no reason. One day, you will get past all of this, and it will be better than you ever imagined. Instead, she asks for the check and watches her walk away.
Isla steels herself for a long afternoon ahead in the office under the watchful eye of her boss. Then, she has an idea . . .
Chapter 77
Freya
Twenty-four days after the murder
Friday afternoon, 3 p.m. Freya can’t focus.
Another picture from an unknown number. It is of an empty, four-poster bed, covered in plastic sheeting with a set of handcuffs attached to each corner. Along with it, a message saying, I’ve got some surprises in store for you. I’m going to do all the things you told me about.
Freya sends the screenshots to Detective Cohen, along with the message, Please find him.
She can’t get comfortable in her office chair. It is as if someone is twisting a knife at the base of her spine. Old muscle cramps from the days of sleeping in her car are aching back to life. She refuses to research anything about pregnancy and body changes – it would make the situation more real – but she’s pretty sure the baby is the reason.
Melanie catches her eye through the glass partition of her office and they share a ‘can this day end’ smile. This budding friendship still feels alien to Freya, she keeps looking over her shoulder expecting to meet Nicole’s angry gaze.
‘Hey, Melanie?’
‘Call me Mel,’ she says, buffing her nails with a polka dot nail file.
‘Would you like to go for a drink after work? There’s a new cocktail bar that’s opened in Valencia Street. It’s got a mid-century glam feel about it, apparently.’
Freya can see that, with her retro-styled shift dress and pinup hairdo, this is music to Mel’s ears.
‘Give me a second and I’ll pack my things. Nobody’s gonna notice if we slip out early.’
At the bar, Mel orders a Beehive, an aromatic cocktail of botanist gin, honey, lemon and salt.
‘God, this is sublime. Do you want a taste?’
Freya tries to calm herself and keep a poker face. Would Mel judge her if she knew that she was pregnant? Would she be shocked to know that Freya is contemplating keeping the baby?
‘No, you enjoy it. I’m going to stick with my vodka, soda, lime here,’ she says, swirling her glass of lemonade.
The menu has a selection of fondues on offer, and they order the one with aged cheddar cheese and bites of sourdough bread. The food is comforting, and the act of sharing it makes it easier to open up.
Mel is giggly and warm, the kind of social drunk who hugs after every sentence. She tries to match her new friend’s exuberance, while not letting on that she is still completely sober.
‘Freya, you are so much fun! I wish we had become friends before.’
Me too, Freya thinks. Me too.
‘I know, right? Working at Atypical is crazy. I could have done with the moral support!’ She darts around the main reason she needed moral support in the first place. Nicole.
‘Moral support is definitely required in this office! From the socially awkward development guys who can’t look you in the eye, to Jay, it really is a minefield out there.’
‘Tell me about it.’ Freya pauses. ‘By the way, Mel, have you ever experienced any weird behavior from Julian? Like, has he ever felt a little close for comfort?’
She pushes her red lips into a grimace. ‘Hah, now you are officially part of the Atypical team. It’s shocking when it first happens, isn’t it?’
‘It’s happened to you?’
‘Of course, and Nicole, and many other women who work here. Nobody says anything because it’s hard for the mind to process, I guess. He is the perfect boss until . . . his eyes linger on you a bit longer than is comfortable, or his hand moves onto your waist, or your ass. But I can’t really speak for the other women, as I didn’t get the worst of it.’
‘What do you mean?’ she says, heart pounding.
‘Well, it was an open secret that Julian had a thing for Nicole. He would message her relentlessly, and then abruptly block her number. Once, on a funding trip, he followed her back to her hotel room. You know, standard pestering horny boss stuff.’
Freya suddenly feels dizzy.
‘I think that “standard pestering” should be renamed “sexual harassment”. Why didn’t she say anything?’
‘She tried, but HR just slotted her into this long reporting process which took ages to resolve. Nicole told me once that she believed that HR thought she was lying. She was going through some personal issues at the time of her complaint, and a bipolar diagnosis doesn’t exactly add to one’s credibility.’
Mel looks different now, her face is pale. An unspoken realization takes shape between them.
Freya gra
bs her hands. ‘He did something to me too. It wasn’t a coincidence. Neither of you were imagining things.’ A new understanding falls into place. She recalls those early conversations in Julian’s office, where he tilted his head suggestively toward Nicole, when he uttered the word ‘gossip-monger’. By pitting smart women against each other, they were unable to work together. Which was perfect for Julian, as they couldn’t compare notes.
‘HR told Julian, you know. He did not react well to the accusations at all – he called it a character attack,’ Mel adds. ‘After that, I couldn’t help but notice that he knew every little thing about Nicole, from her favorite food to which Soul Cycle classes she attended on the weekend. It was like he was spying on her.’
The information jolts Freya to attention. Julian has always known a little too much, from the moment he welcomed her to Atypical with her personalized gifts. Could he have been spying on her too? And could he have known the exact moment when she changed her phone number, and what she changed it to?
Will she share this new development with Isla? Or – dare she imagine it – with Detective Cohen? Will she become the woman who makes a scene, with all the risk that it involves? It could ruin Julian’s career, and his revolutionary technology may never make it to the women who need it most. Is she really prepared for the consequences that come with sharing her discomfort?
But then, beneath the flashing neon bar sign and the All-American retro décor, Mel leans forward and whispers, ‘I know at least five other women who have stories too, and I think they’ll finally be ready to talk.’
Chapter 78
Isla
Twenty-seven days after the murder
Isla pages through yesterday’s paper, only to find another article on Julian Cox, written by her colleague, Lauren Chambers.
‘So it’s OK for Lauren to visit Atypical, but not me?’ she mutters to herself. But then, she sees why.
Julian Cox – My private agony
by Lauren Chambers
In this interview, I go behind the scenes with Julian Cox, founder and CEO of Atypical. What I discovered was the unexpected fragility of one of San Francisco’s most respected businessmen.
How is Atypical going, Julian? Any news to share?
Yes! We are about to launch our ground-breaking technology across villages in Kenya and Tanzania. Soon, underprivileged women will have instant access to medical supplies and professional help.
The plight of women is a particular concern for you. Is there any reason for this?
Well, with so much inequality and violence towards women, it is the duty of men to use their skills and do all in their power to raise them up.
This violence has occurred quite close to home recently, hasn’t it?
Unfortunately, yes. One of our treasured staff members was sadly attacked in her own home, resulting in fatality. Obviously situations like these are out of my control, but it does make my mission all the more personal.
Had you experienced violence against women before in your own life?
(Wipes a tear from his cheek.) Yes, and it shaped my entire life path. My stepfather was extremely physically abusive to my mother, and sometimes to me as well. He once beat her so badly that she was hospitalized for a week to heal from her injuries. In that week, he did things to me that are . . . uh . . . very hard to discuss. Once you are violated in a certain way, it changes you. Either you shrink into yourself completely, or you get out there and try and help others where you can.
So the abuse in your past played a role in founding Atypical?
Absolutely. If I can ensure that one person gets well thanks to my technology, and that all mothers and future mothers get access to the appropriate care they need, then I will feel as if I have done something important with my life, however broken it may be. Deep down, I think I am trying to do right by my own mother.
Do you think your critics will be surprised at this information?
I’m not sure, but I hope they will be moved. No matter what anyone thinks of my actions or the recent tragedy that has befallen my company, I hope that they see that Atypical is essentially just the manifestation of a dream, and that dream sprang from my own pain and vulnerability.
For more on Atypical’s mission statement and their latest project, you can access their YouTube channel here.
The positive profile seems a little too convenient. It smacks of a pre-emptive defense strategy.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a corporate magnate was accused of sexual harassment. Looking back on her interactions with Julian, she can see the signs now. The overly familiar manner, the incessant flattery, the small, casual omission of information. Julian edited his life to inspire others and build himself into a brand. He made Isla – and every other woman he encountered – feel special, and chosen. This false sense of trust was the perfect opportunity to cross the line.
It’s been a few days since she saw Freya last. She wonders if she has managed to speak to her colleague yet. She doesn’t want to harass her, but she picks up the phone anyway.
No reply. Strange, she normally answers Isla immediately. After her last conversation about that stranger circling her house, she hopes Freya is safe.
She tries Simon.
‘Hey, Simon! Any news on Nicole’s case?’
‘No can do, I’ve been taken off it.’
Isla’s frustration arches and shifts into desperation. ‘What, why?’
‘My boss didn’t say. But it seems like an investigator from another district wanted to get involved. I’m focusing on Freya now. It turns out I was able to pull some prints from the gift she received at the office.’
‘And?’
‘They match a suspect who has been charged before with three separate incidents of stalking and harassment.’ It conflicts with Isla’s current theory, but it makes sense nonetheless.
‘Has he ever . . .’
‘Killed anyone? No. But he uses personal adverts to find his victims. Once he has made contact he ramps it up, sending gifts, calling at strange hours and sending threatening messages.’
Could he have used the same method to find Nicole as well? But who posed as Freya in the first place?
‘So he didn’t post the advert?’
‘No, it doesn’t look like it. Besides, our tech team has found the personal advert written in Freya’s name on TheSpark.com. They traced the posting to an IP address within the Atypical building.’
Within the building. So it could be someone who knew what Freya and Jay did, and someone who was perhaps a little angry at their blossoming relationship. It could be someone like Julian.
‘I can’t believe it!’ she says.
‘Crazy, right? We don’t know whose it is yet, though.’
‘Can I ask you one more favor? Do you have access to Nicole’s computer records from the night?’
‘I do, but you know that it has been marked as classified information in the case file. I’m not allowed to share it with the press.’
‘Why?’
‘We discovered some unusual activity, something that the team has reported on and is still looking into. I can’t share such a sensitive, active element of the investigation, especially now that I have been taken off the case.’
‘Please, Simon, it’s just a formality. What could she possibly have to hide? She was the victim! It’s not like the whole case will come crashing down.’
She hears Simon biting his thumbnail. ‘It’s illegal. Remember, I work in law enforcement, Isla.’
‘Only if you tell.’ She feels guilty exploiting Simon’s friendship and a small part of her feels a bit dirty for pushing his limits like this, but she’s too far into chasing this story now. She will do anything to get to the bottom of it.
‘Fine, pick up a flash drive from me this afternoon. I’ll be waiting outside.’
When she sputters past the station in her car, Isla ignores Simon’s loaded look and she takes the flash drive out of his hands. She doesn’t let the ache
in her heart spread as his hand lingers on hers.
She ignores the alarm bells ringing in her ears when she inserts it into her office laptop in the early evening, hours after Kenneth has packed up and gone home. The drive to find what she is searching for is too great.
She picks The Smashing Pumpkins as her soundtrack and starts trawling through the information. Isla is always amazed at how many websites a person touches in an average day. Minute by minute, we leave our grubby fingerprints all over the Internet, drawing a winding path for ourselves based on the slightest whims. On that day alone, Nicole had interrupted her workload to look up the lyrics to a song, and searched for ‘the perfect basil and tomato pasta sauce’.
Heartbreakingly, she had also Googled ‘what to do when you are still in love with your ex’. Jay really had sunk his claws into Freya and Nicole. Both deserved better.
Then, as Freya mentioned, she sees the URL for the dating site in the search history some time later. This must have been when Nicole had left her desk, and was enjoying herself at the office party. Next in the history, a page entitled ‘New Advert’. In black and white, it all looks so innocuous. It is hard to imagine Freya and Jay hopping behind her unmanned laptop, pretending to be a darker, dirtier version of Nicole.
Isla looks for a copy of the advert itself – she wants to confirm what it says. Maybe she takes the act of writing too seriously, but she’s hoping that she will find a clue in the wording that will lead her to the truth of what happened that night. Instead, she finds something more definitive.
She rereads the page several times to be sure she has understood it correctly. If this is really true, then everything changes. ‘Advert not published. Cellphone authorization not granted.’
This particular page is highlighted in the corresponding police report, with a reference back to Freya’s second statement and an action item to call her and inform her that the advert was never sent.
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