The Scarlet Web, Chapter two

CHAPTER TWO
Canning Town
Mike Eveson opened the window to its last notch. It might not be a decent day outside, but it was always so damned stuffy in the police station.
He took a packet of cigarettes from a pocket of the jacket he habitually hung over the back of his chair, selected one, then lit it. With a well practised motion he leaned towards the window, drawing on the fag then holding it out, letting it dangle over the ledge of the second storey office. He figured that by doing this he wasn't impinging the force's "no smoking regulation, even though the smoke drifted obstinately back in.
He took a swig of coffee from his cup, grimaced at its bitterness, then frowned as he glanced at the latest intelligence reports on his desk. Two more cases of rape to contend with. He looked across to his sergeant, 'These cases seem to be never-ending, Harry.'
'Yeah, there're on the increase, I'll say that,' Harry Stukeley bit deeply into his sandwich and Mike cast a disapproving eye. Harry's waistline seemed to be expanding by the day, he just hoped they didn't encounter a situation that required a chase.
'I'm meeting Carly Simpson at four,' Mike glanced at Harry who took a cursory look back before devouring the remains of his sandwich. 'You know, the crime reporter for the magazine "Standpoint,' Mike continued, irked by Harry's lack of response. 'I'm on a hiding to nothing here, Carly's a good sort but she's turning these issues into a one-woman campaign.' He tapped ash from his cigarette, watching it fall over the ledge, 'I dare say we'll get a grilling in her column.'
'Yeah, but it's nothing personal Mike, it doesn't reflect on us in any way,' Harry said, selecting a packet of crisps from his lunch box.
Mike turned away from the window, pushing the report aside as if it carried deadly germs. He studied Harry long and hard. Some officers had been in the job too
long, they viewed things like this as though they were impartial observers, they collected their salaries, drank and stuffed themselves silly, they went home to their families full of moans and groans about pressure of work, while all they were doing was backing away from it. Harry was in danger of becoming like that. He was in serious danger.
Not that Mike was immune from the spreading disease. Not that he even had a family anymore, but at least he could see how the ground lay.
'Of course it's personal,' he said, biting his lip, 'you've just said that incidents of rape are on the increase, and hereabout it's above the national trend. That reflects on us all, but if it means we have to work that bit harder, put in longer hours to catch these sick creeps then so be it. Oh it's personal alright.'
Harry gave him a look which suggested he thought the pressure might be getting to him. Well that was okay, because if he was going to up his efforts, then so was Harry.
Mike jumped to his feet, a wry smile on his face at the thought of that. 'I'll leave you to hold the fort, Harry. I've this appointment with Carly to keep.'
'Alright for some,' Harry murmured, thinking his superior was out of earshot.
Mike heard the remark, but let it lie.
* * *
The meeting which followed produced little of substance as far as Shelley was concerned, she resisted the urge to fidget, Mary didn't miss a thing, and she associated fidgeting with boredom. She focused her eyes on each speaker and managed to stifle a yawn or two. The trouble with these congregations was that they seemed to get bogged down in departmental matters, and she got fed up with people putting the same questions time and time again, not listening to anyone's point of view but their own. The net result was at the end of the day, nothing changed, not even the gripes, and you ended up wasting your precious time.
Ironically, it was Mary's notion of team spirit which encouraged these meetings,
but almost always when they concluded, morale was lower than before. There were no surprises on this occasion either, and she'd been relieved when the get-together had disbanded, whereupon she and Carly tracked across the road to the pub opposite.
They'd been in the main bar for about twenty minutes when Mike Eveson came in. A tallish man, Shelley noticed, he was casually dressed in denim shirt and stonewash
jeans, and wore a black suede jacket. She was surprised when Carly singled him out, he certainly didn't seem like a policeman to her.
She watched him stroll across the room towards them, Carly immediately jumping to her feet smiling, tossing back her long hair. 'This is Mike, the copper I've just been telling you about. Isn't he a dish? Mike, meet Shelley.'
'Flattery will get you everywhere,' Mike smiled, turning his attention quickly to Carly's friend, taking in her long golden hair and china blue eyes which looked so serious. He leaned across the table and offered his hand, which she seemed to take reluctantly.
Shelley felt herself being weighed up, something she was used to but didn't like. It was mainly males who studied her this way, as though she was some kind of oil painting, not flesh and blood. She began to wish she'd never accepted Carly's invitation.
Mike smiled broadly, 'Can I get you ladies a drink?'
Shelley indicated a glass half full with tonic, 'No thanks I'm okay. I can't stay long, I have to get back to Norfolk.'
'Make mine a g&t Mike,' Carly said lightly enough, but as he made his way to the bar she turned to Shelley, her eyes darkening.
'You were a bit abrupt weren't you? If I'd have known you were going to play the iron maiden I wouldn't have invited you.'
'I didn't mean it to sound that way,' Shelley said, fearing she'd upset her friend, she took a sip from her tonic, 'all I meant was I've got a long drive back, if it sounded
a bit flat I'm sorry.'
'I don't suppose Mike would have noticed,' Carly said, sighing, 'but in any case it was your bright idea to live in the middle of nowhere.'
Shelley felt herself reddening, only she knew why she needed so much space, just as only she knew what it felt like to be regarded as some kind of exhibit.
'Are you sure I can't get you anything?' Mike said to Shelley, handing Carly her gin and tonic which she sipped eagerly.
'No, but thanks for the offer,' Shelley managed a smile as Mike hung his suede jacket over the back of his chair.
He took a gulp of his pint, regarding the two women thoughtfully in the brief silence that followed, they weren't dissimilar in appearance really, once you accounted for the contrast between Carly's dark looks and her friend's fair features. They both had full, attractive faces and athletic builds, he thought that the blonde was possibly the more powerfully built of the two, but there wasn't really much in it.
He saw Carly regarding him with eager eyes, and putting down his pint he said, 'You want to know if I can update you on the latest sexual assaults, yes?'
Carly nodded emphatically, 'You know me so well Mike.' Shelley noticed the way Carly's smile widened as she spoke and she felt just a stab of envy that Carly could be so amenable towards male attention, whereas she only froze in the face of it.
Mike's features bore no such smile, it had vanished in the face of the disappointing news he had to impart, 'I'm afraid the answer to your question is no, Carly, but we're doing all we can, believe me. I'll work night and day if I have to.'
For a few uncomfortable seconds it seemed Carly was throwing daggers at him. 'You can try all you want Mike, but the bottom line is we want the bastards caught, so don't expect any soft soaping in my column.'
The normally ready smile had gone from Carly's face, but Mike wasn't surprised at that, she wanted results, she expected them, and when she didn't get them there was always a mild show of reproof before the real Carly came through again.
The fingers of Shelley's left hand tapped furiously on her right wrist, 'It's coming to something when you can't walk the streets without some jerk jumping you because he's pissed out of his box and fancies a bit of a bash, I mean come on.'
Mike raised his eyebrows at Shelley's vehemence, then his eyes narrowed as her hands suddenly gripped her glass so tightly it shattered into small pieces, sending fragments and tonic across the table and on to the floor.
'Oh hell! I'll clean it up.' Shelley's face contorted into a grimace Mike found so much at odds with her features that it shook him. He clasped an arm around her shoulders, 'No you just sit there, I'll see to it, no harm done.'
Carly watched Mike walk briskly to the bar, 'What's got into you, sure you're okay?'
Shelley sighed, she fought the tide of adrenaline surging within her, her head spun, and her senses raged like the waters of a stormy sea. 'I'm okay, I just came over funny for a minute.' She took a deep breath and gave Carly what she thought was a reassuring glance.
Carly frowned, obviously unconvinced, 'I should see a doctor, you've seemed off all afternoon.'
Shelley carefully removed a piece of glass from her jeans, she didn't bother to reply, they would only be wasted words.
Mike returned and cleared the table, 'I'll get you another tonic.'
She shook her head, 'No, thanks all the same, I'm not that thirsty.' She locked her eyes on Mike, 'Where did these attacks take place?'
He met her stare for several seconds before speaking; those eyes, so clear, so intense, and she seemed to hold a surprising interest in these cases. He delved into his pocket, and drawing out his cigarettes, selected one. 'Leytonstone, it was the attack on the waitress that was the worst, some of the worst facial injuries I've seen.'
Shelley nodded, glancing out at the traffic on the rain swept high street, but her eyes weren't taking in the dismal scene outside, her mind was picturing another scene, containing atrocities which made her seethe. 'I know,' she turned to Carly, blotting out the images, 'I've seen the woman's photograph.'
Mike drew on his cigarette, 'We think it likely that her attacker was among the clientele at Clipper's night club where she worked. That he followed her out, waited until she was on the side street, tried to pull her into his car by all accounts, and then when she resisted, bingo.'
'Imposed his masculinity, you mean,' Shelley felt a tightening in her throat, wished she'd had that drink after all, 'haven't you anything at all to go on?'
'I'm supposed to be asking the questions here,' Carly gave her a jab. Mike looked across the table thoughtfully, the comment might have been made in jest, but Carly looked just a little agitated.
'She's doing my job for me,' Carly added, giving a quick smile.
'So I notice,' he said, his eyes lingering on the blonde until her own eyes widened and she looked away, 'as it happens we've a photo-kit picture of the alleged attacker on display in the foyers of local stations. Unfortunately the girl's suffered shock apart from her injuries, so how accurate it is we aren't certain.'
'Well I hope the thug who did it is caught soon,' Carly remarked with a toss of her long dark hair,'there's just so much of it going on.'
'So say all of us,' Shelley agreed, getting to her feet and gazing out the window, the rain seemed to be getting heavier, cars sprayed through the puddles, their windscreen wipers flashing like blades. 'Well I must be going, it's been nice meeting you.'
'Nice meeting you to,' Mike jumped to his feet, offering his hand, this time she took it without reluctance, and the strength of her grip shook him. 'Perhaps we might meet again in less pressing circumstances,' he joked, wringing his hand, but he
thought then, that might not be a bad idea at all. 'What do you say, Shelley?'
She lowered her gaze, 'I don't know, perhaps.' Despite her misgivings, this man seemed nice, but couldn't he be a sheep in wolves' clothing, what might she be letting herself in for? But then, she could take care of herself, what was she afraid of?
The male species. The hunter.
'Perhaps,' she repeated, looking back at him, then placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, 'see you tomorrow, Carly.'
'How will I know?' he called after her.
'You're the detective, find me.' She stopped and turned, 'I'll call, okay?'
'Okay.' Mike smiled as he watched the fair haired girl dig her hands deep into the pockets of her fashionable black leather coat and walk out. He doubted it very much, but you could only hope. He'd been on his own too long.
'I wouldn't count your chickens.'
'Eh?' Mike glanced at Carly and sat down, he'd almost forgotten about her, and that was rudeness itself.
'I wouldn't count your chickens,' Carly repeated, sipping her drink, 'Shelley's okay, she's a good sort, but the original bloody ice maiden. Ask anyone at the Combined News building.'
'It certainly looks like she works out a lot,' Mike said feeling his hand again, it was still sore, she might have even bruised a bone.
'Hit the nail on the head,' Carly drained her glass.
'I'd offer you another, but I have to be getting back,' Mike said finishing off his own pint.
'Not a problem, I need to be going too.' Carly pulled back her chair, then wrapped her coat around her shoulders before giving him a cool glance. 'Remember what I told you Mike, you'll be wasting your time on that one.'
* * *
She'd known she wouldn't contact him as soon as he'd uttered the words. It wasn't worth the risk. The thought of any man's lips on hers made her feel sick, it always had, ever since that evening all those years ago. The thought of anything more than that physically made her puke. Boots Taylor hadn't just taken her virginity, he'd taken her soul, and at times she feared, her sanity too.
Splish splash, splish splash, the wipers drove back and forth, creating rivulets of water down the front of her screen. It was a day to be home early, but she wasn't returning to Norfolk just yet. There was something else she needed to do.
It took only a few minutes to reach the doors of Canning Town police station. The information board in the foyer provided her with the details she'd sought since the brief meeting with Mike Eveson:
"On Tuesday 10th October a vicious and unprovoked attack took place in Davis Lane, Leytonstone, where a young female was beaten and sexually assaulted, sustaining severe injuries to face and body -
Shelley focused her eyes coolly on an artist's impression of the woman's assailant where they remained for some considerable time. A young constable regarded her curiously, 'Can I help you madam?'
She turned to him, 'No, thanks all the same.'
Then as she smiled, the officer swore he could feel its chill.