by Linda Coles
Two locations, the results informed her. She clicked on the first link and saw the same video that she already knew to be Griffin’s friend. A quick note of the address, a few knowledgeable keystrokes with the other search result and she was about done. She could go no further. The whole idea of the TOR browser was anonymity, and that meant for those on both sides of the screen – the user and the poster. Unless she had elaborate hacking skills or worked in one of the top cybercrime intelligence agencies around the world, she could only look to a point; and she had neither.
The good news was there were only two records of the video – on the dark web, anyway. Next, she did the same search on the ordinary surface web. That threw up a different result altogether, but at least she could do a little more tracking of its origin. Finally, she had twelve results listed in total across the dark and the regular. She knew she could eliminate ten of them reasonably easily without attracting too much attention. The sites that dealt in revenge porn, whether they knew it was such or not, wouldn’t notice one video clip going missing; there were plenty more for their visitors to look at and get excited about. She had done what she could and that would have to do. Being a ‘grey hat’ online, her morals were solid, though she couldn’t say the same about her law-breaking antics. Still, who’d be looking and ready to report her?
What had started as a local community online group to help solve petty crimes, watch out for missing cats and the like, had piqued her interest in going deeper. Literally. Now it was long past an interesting pastime. Having used the community site to discover a dog-fighting ring as well as a local sex offender, Ruth knew what the web in general and her little bulletin board in particular had done for the safety of the local community. Since then she’d invested time in learning the ins and outs of the deep and the dark web; she already understood coding with her day job building apps and websites. Hacking, she reasoned, was a natural progression, and doing it all in the name of good was now one of her prime interests. After running, of course.
Reaching for her phone, she tapped out a quick message to Griffin to update him.
“Links to video on reg web all gone. Two on dark I can’t get to. Hope that helps a little. Ruth.”
She clicked send and it whooshed along the airwaves to Griffin’s phone. Hopefully this late it wouldn’t wake him up; hopefully he’d see it first thing in the morning. Draining her mug of chocolate, she checked the time on her screen and even though it was past midnight, she knew she still wasn’t ready for sleep yet even if she tried. The TOR browser icon glared at her.
“What the hell. Ten more minutes,” she said under her breath. “Let’s browse a while. Then I’ll go.”
Then maybe sleep and sweet dreams would take her too.
On the other side of town, Griffin was far from sleep. When his phone pinged with the incoming text and he saw it was from Ruth, he quickly scanned its contents. Relief for Vee filled his veins. Even though the other two links existed, the chances were minimal of anyone on the surface web seeing the video and Vee being embarrassed any further. He tapped a message back.
“Thanks heaps, Ruth. I owe you.”
Then he went back to his own search. Finding just what he needed at the right price had proved difficult, but after researching as meticulously as he had, and for as long as he had, he was almost ready to proceed. Soon, his problem would be sorted and he could get some of his lost confidence back again. His next problem was getting the time away to get it done, both from work and from his new friendship. He didn’t want Vee thinking the worst of him. The man had said he should allow a couple of weeks, so he’d have to come up with something plausible, and soon.
Griffin certainly couldn’t confide in her yet; he couldn’t risk the ridicule.
Chapter Sixty-Three
Ellen’s heart sank when the caller identified himself.
“What can I do for you, Dr. Badell?” She was used to his calls by now, knowing he never rang her with any good news. The last time she’d spoken to him had been a week ago, when he’d informed her of the cannabis that had been found in Danny’s room. Since then he’d been punished by the loss of extracurricular activities, and he’d suffered for it. She supposed today’s message would be no different.
“Actually, Mrs. Millar, I have some news for you I’d like to pass along.”
“Oh?” Ellen said wearily. “What’s Danny got himself involved in now? What do you need to tell me this time? To come and collect him and his bags?” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice.
“Actually, Mrs. Millar, like I said, I have news, good news for a change. Danny has been cleared of any wrongdoing in regards to the cannabis. Three other young men have admitted they set Danny up, and have also been setting him up with many of the pranks he’s been in trouble for over the past months. All three boys have been expelled.”
Ellen couldn’t believe her ears. Surely she was dreaming? Danny had been set up all along?
“I don’t understand, Dr. Badell. You’re saying my son is not responsible for all the trouble he’s been in, that the incidents were all a set-up to point to him?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying Mrs. Millar, precisely.”
Ellen fell silent, thinking. She hadn’t been prepared for such news. Part of her brain sang out in elation that her son wasn’t a trouble causer after all; he’d simply been a victim of pranks. She was also a little bit suspicious.
“What made the boys decide to fess up and come clean? It seems a little unusual to me that, after all they’ve put Danny through, they suddenly find their consciences and own up. What happened, exactly?”
The air on the line was deathly quiet. Dr. Badell chose his next words wisely. “I really can’t tell you that, I’m afraid. Let’s just say the young men involved are no longer at the school, and Danny’s record has been updated to show he wasn’t involved in any of the incidents. I’ll have to leave it at that, Mrs. Millar, except to say I’m deeply sorry for the stress it’s undoubtedly caused you and Danny during this time. Please, I hope you can accept my apologies.”
Ellen was stunned but grateful. “Of course. And thank you for letting me know. Does Danny know yet?”
“I’m just about to tell him. I wanted to share the news with you first. I’ll get him to call you later if you like?”
“Yes, I’d love to speak to him. And thanks again.” She hung up and stared at the disconnected phone for a few moments. Thoughts rushed through her head as the news sank in, and her face broke into a grin, something that she’d almost forgotten how to do for the last couple of weeks. Danny had been raised fairly, to be honest and respectful at all times, and she’d found it difficult to comprehend the troubles he’d ended up in at school. Now she knew the answer: it had been other boys all along.
Ellen stood in the lounge where she’d been sat reading when the call had come in. Sun streamed in through the front bay window, and she moved to where the reflection hit the carpet and looked outside. The sky was as blue as a cornflower, and wispy white clouds sauntered slowly across a windless sky. A couple of young children played with a ball on the street, their giggles just audible. So, Danny hadn’t been causing stress and havoc; it was some other boys, boys who had then placed the blame on her Danny. Why? For fun? For a bet? What? Her shoulders relaxed as she realized they didn’t need to be tense and up around her ears anymore. Danny was innocent of stashing drugs, and innocent of other wrongdoings he had been accused of. She hoped that now the pressure was off him, too, his grades would get back to where they should be, where they had been heading, before it was too late. They’d both suffered with the stress, but it looked like it was all over, thank god. Though in the back of her mind, she wondered why, and how it had all come to an end so rapidly.
Still, she had a foot job to get to. She headed upstairs to get ready.
Thirty minutes later, she checked her Uber app to see where the driver was and, with her prized possessions firmly encased in socks and protective boots, she gath
ered her bag and went to wait outside on the pavement. Her ride was just turning into her road. She always took a ride rather than her own car or public transport when it came to work. Being a foot model meant that on workdays, walking was almost forbidden. Having a driver pick her up at her door and drop her at the client’s door was the most convenient and safest way to arrive in perfect condition. The agency’s clients were paying for perfection, after all.
Slipping onto the back seat, Ellen relaxed a little as the driver gave her the quiet she needed. He didn’t speak until they arrived at the studio. Stepping out, he opened the rear door and held it wide for her. He smiled at her warmly.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll be a couple of hours or so, so I’ll maybe see you on the return journey home?” She smiled brightly, feeling much better than she had in a long time, the weight finally lifted from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized just how heavy it had been.
“Thank you, madam,” said the driver, “though there are quite a few of us now, so I might not be the one who drives you back home. Have a good day, now, won’t you?”
“I will, and you too. Goodbye,” she said over her shoulder as she turned towards her destination. And with a lighter step than she’d felt in weeks, she made her way to the huge metal doors and pressed the buzzer, looking into the security peephole. She wondered absentmindedly who might be looking at her right now. And from where.
As she waited, the driver tooted his horn in farewell as he drove past her, headed to his next pick-up.
He knew exactly who would be taking her home later. He would.
Chapter Sixty-Four
The operator saw the ‘confirmation of delivery’ light pulsing gently on his screen. This particular mission had been one of the easiest and quickest he’d ever had to organize because the client had been specific. He’d found what he wanted and didn’t want to wait a moment longer than he had to. And so they’d made it happen for him. ‘Baker’ had been using the firm’s services almost since its inception and was one of the more pleasant people he dealt with. With no unusual needs over and above what he called a ‘base desire,’ the operator didn’t need to monitor all of his transactions like he did other clientele. While ‘Baker’ was cloaked in anonymity like every other client, it hadn’t been hard to figure out just who he was and do the relevant checks. Safety was paramount and Baker was indeed a gentleman, it seemed. He wished all his clients behaved as well as Baker did.
He stared at the pulsing light. In a few minutes, it would begin move as she was transported to a fabulous hotel where his client could appreciate her gift to him in perfect surroundings. And, of course, she would be none the wiser about what had actually happened to her. He’d often wondered what went through the heads of those repaying their debts as they came to, wondering where the hell they were and how they’d arrived there, particularly those who had given their hair or other trophies his clients desired. With this particular client, the operator assumed the woman he had chosen would be a little shaken and perplexed but would otherwise forget the whole thing pretty quickly. He liked that better: nothing obvious would be taken apart from her time. It was the clients who desired more intrusive prizes, like a pint of blood, that he found the hardest to tolerate. He’d even had an enquiry from a man wanting to castrate other men, but he drew the line at causing harm to another and had refused the client. The service he provided was to balance a life problem with a life desire and do it safely, not indulge the whims of sociopaths and criminals.
The tracking device told him she was on the move to the hotel suite where ‘Baker’ would receive her shortly afterwards. Knowing everything was in hand, the operator relaxed back in his chair to let his team do their thing while he contemplated what to fill his rumbling stomach with for lunch.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Baker’s phone pinged with confirmation that his gift was en route. He’d watched her as she’d arrived at his studio-cum-workshop, peeped at her through the keyhole as she’d waited in the reception area sipping green tea. Of course, he already knew she liked green tea but this tea was different than what she would be used to. It was laced with a mild sedative, which would have the desired effect in only a few minutes. While it wasn’t considered the norm to have his reward brought to his premises, for obvious reasons, he’d wanted to savour her being in his territory as long as he could – sitting on his sofa, sipping from his cup and gently falling asleep where she sat. He’d then be able to smell her presence and enjoy her right there in his office.
She’d remember arriving at the studio, of course, but that wouldn’t matter because nobody had seen her, and her story, should there be one, would be denied. There would be no evidence of her ever being there; everyone involved would corroborate that. Even the cameras in the street were out of order – temporarily: that was what he paid so handsomely for. She’d be assured that her memory would be playing tricks on her due to recent stress, and when she saw the card later with its very specific instructions not to tell, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to ignore them. No one ever was.
Some minutes later, he’d watched her leave through the rear exit, gently taken out to the waiting ambulance, laid out like Sleeping Beauty on a gurney. If anyone had seen anything, it could be explained easily: a model had been taken ill and was being transported to hospital. The plan they created always worked without a hitch, every time; this was also what he paid so handsomely for. All he had to do now was arrive at the appointed time at the designated hotel suite and take his pleasure. The few things he needed to complete his experience were by his side in a small leather bag by his feet, and as he glanced down at it, he felt himself harden in anticipation.
It was time to go. As the ambulance pulled away from the rear exit, Hadley Spinks left by the front door and got into the waiting car. Once he was settled in the back seat, he took out the small bottle of brandy and a glass from his bag and poured himself a drink. It was part of his ritual, part of the pleasure that was about to come, of savouring the moments until she was his. He closed his eyes as the warmth made its way to his stomach. Taking several deep breaths, he tried to relax himself from the inside, working to quiet his now-racing heart. If he didn’t slow things down, his experience would be over too soon and that would be disappointing. No, he didn’t want that. He wanted long and slow.
It had been some months since he’d last ‘treated’ himself in this way. In between, and in the privacy of his room, he’d had to be content with watching previous experiences that he’d recorded, the other women he had pleasured in the past. Over and over again he’d watched them, trying to relive the experience and satisfy his craving. But having seen what this young woman had to offer him, he’d known he had to have them. No matter what.
In a few more minutes, he’d have the objects of his desire all to himself.
Chapter Sixty-Six
Through an unspoken assumption, they’d taken to travelling into London together each day. Griffin had changed his departure time as they’d become closer friends, and he’d kept it that way. Vee was easy to be around and he liked her. A lot. He liked her permanent smile, he liked her easy way and, well, he liked everything about her. Not many people, never mind women, found Griffin easy to be around, but Vee didn’t seem to care about his idiosyncrasies, his weird ways. He knew he was different from others but since he couldn’t control how he was, he’d given up trying to be someone else and lived his life as he was. It appeared Vee was okay with that.
After Ruth had texted him to say the video file had been removed, he’d pondered how to tell her – and indeed, whether to tell her at all. He wanted her to know she didn’t need to worry about it any longer, but if he told her what he’d organized, she might see him as meddling and be pissed at him. And he didn’t want that either. So he’d mulled it over and over in is head until he feared there was nothing else in there but the one quandary bouncing off the insides of his skull. But Vee was sensitive and she had known something was bothering him. Being t
he kind person she was, she had asked him.
“What’s bugging you, Griffin? You’re too quiet this morning.”
He turned to her as they walked to the station and all he could see was her perfect smile, even now as she asked the hardest question, one he knew he had to answer. He wondered how either of his possible responses would change what they had together.
She pushed again. “Come on, you can tell me.”
Taking a deep breath, he started to speak, but his mouth had other ideas and he blew empty air out through his wordless lips instead. He waited a beat and tried again. “I’ve done something for you. But I’m now wondering if I’ve overstepped the mark. You could be mad at me.” The rest of his breath drifted away as he waited, not daring to look at her.
“Then why don’t you try me? Unless you’ve murdered someone on my behalf, I doubt I’d be mad.”
He chanced a look her way at the mention of murder and saw that her smile had spread to her eyes. He wished he could feel as confident as she did.
“I haven’t murdered anyone on your behalf, no.”
“Then I won’t be mad. Spit it out, would you?”
There was no going back now; she wanted to know. In a rush, the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could change his mind.
“I’ve had the video footage of you taken down off the internet. It was on twelve sites but it’s gone now. There are still two sites on the dark net that it can’t be removed from.” Griffin gulped in air, not daring to look at her and waited for her anger. Or a slap. But neither came. He was also aware she was no longer walking by his side. He stopped and turned. She was ten steps behind him, motionless and staring at him. Oh shit… Which way would she go? He had no idea. He took a couple of steps towards her, testing the water.