The Truth Prevails. Chapter 1
PC Kerry Young shuffled nervously into Inspector Gina Gold's office. Knowing only now how much she was about to change the police station she had innocently walked into 2 years previously. Since then her world had been turned into a string of disasters held together by a very fine thread; and to day was the day, the day that was inevitable - the truth.
Inspector Gold stood as Kerry entered; she was worried by two things. The first being the mysterious phone call she received saying "I'm coming into the station, Marm, there's some very interesting things I think you need to know." And the second was the way Kerry Young looked as she stood almost trembling in front of her.
"Kerry," Inspector Gold indicated at the chair that sat in front of her desk and returned to the comfort of her own chair.
Kerry sat uneasily and began to fiddle nervously with her hands. She hadn't told anyone what she was doing, not even Smithy who still thought she was sat beside her father's hospital bed. She started wondering what he would do when he found out what she was doing – surely he wouldn't be mad but the thought had crept into her mind. Trying to leave the thought behind she realised Gina was sat in front of her waiting.
They sat in silence for about 30 seconds, Inspector Gold not knowing whether to prompt Kerry or just to let her start in her own time. Eventually Kerry started even though it was in what seemed like a very unrelated place.
"It all started on a normal night out at the pub with Andrea, Yvonne, Honey, Cameron, Smithy and Gabriel. Cameron and I were getting ready to go on holiday for the weekend he had booked us an amazing 5 star weekend away but unfortunately it was the start of events that have lead to this day. Smithy and Cameron where talking at the bar and he let slip to Cameron that I had slept with nick and him. Cameron was furious and confronted me at once. We had a huge argument in the pub and it ended with Smithy and I sat drowning are sorrows. By the time we left the pub I was wasted and didn't know what I was doing. I remember kissing Smithy outside and then I only remember flashes of the evening and the bewildered feeling when I woke up not knowing where I was."
Gina couldn't understand why Kerry had chosen to start here and how on earth it related to the trouble she had caused in the last couple of weeks but listened carefully and without interrupting.
"The next day I had a hangover from hell and felt awful about cheating on Cameron, we were meant to be on holiday at 5 star hotel that Cameron had booked for us but after our bust up we didn't go so I came into work. Smithy questioned me about the night before but I told him that there was no us and nothing happened. He then gave me the Nina Omar rape case."
Confused Gina tried to listen but couldn't understand, had Kerry just admit to knowing she cheated on Cameron right from the start and that the rape allegation she made about Smithy was just to cover her own back.
Kerry continued, "over the next couple of day Gabriel offered me friendship, he had seen me and Smithy in the pub together then leaving the pub together and kissing before we got into the taxi and had even witnessed the conversation between us the next morning in the station and questioned me about it. He told me I could trust him. And over those days we became friends and I confided in him and we talked about it. He told me that he was there when we left he pub and that the state I was in any decent bloke would have put me in a cab to go home. He was very clever he just seemed like a good friend who was looking out for me and so when he asked me whether earlier in the evening would I have slept with Smithy I thought nothing of it and instead I thought about Smithy and I was so sure that I absolutely would not have said yes earlier in the evening and then he asked me why I changed my mind and I didn't remember. Then he put the torturing thought in my head what if hadn't."
Suddenly it made sense as to why she had started here she was explaining what went wrong and why she was so confused and why she had falsely accused Smithy of such a evil act.
"We were talking about Nina's rape case and he kept asking me if I was ok with being part of the case because she was drunk when she got rape as well. I didn't know what I was thinking; I couldn't think clearly everything was on a continuous loop that I couldn't make any sense of. I missed the drink I was meant to have with Cameron to talk and try and sort things out. I couldn't remember what happened so how was I going to explain it to him. I do remember telling Smithy I'm with Cameron now that's the end of anything between us then I kissed him but it was a goodbye kiss then that's it …I only have flashes of what happened which I can't make any sense of."
"Gabriel led me to believe that I hadn't changed my mind and even mentioned date rape to me. He wouldn't let it drop. We went out for a drink one night most of the relief was there as well but we sat separately and talked. He was comforting me and being what I thought was a true friend but I couldn't cope with the thought and slunk of to the toilet to cry but Yvonne caught me and I was in such a state that I just blurted out that he had raped me and well by that point I'm ashamed to say I believed it."
Kerry took a deep breath and whispered "it was Gabriel who encouraged me to cry rape on Smithy."
Gina couldn't believe what she was hearing nobody could be that evil to mess with someone like that and making them believe others of such evil acts. How did he mange to get so much control over her. Her thoughts quickly came back to the dishevelled PC sat in front of her. She was silent now shoulders and head slumped staring endlessly into her lap. She almost seemed removed from what she was saying like it was a far and distant memory but it had been replayed over and over in her head so that she could never forget it.
"After Gabriel found out that I had told Yvonne he wanted to discredit her as a good and trust worthy friend to isolate me so I would have no one to turn to apart from him, and so spread the accusation around the relief. And this all came to ahead on the day of the bank robbery when Cameron found out. I was in the car park with James when Cameron came to confront me about it. He wanted to know what happened I tried to ignore him and carried on talking to James. He didn't know whether he believed me or not and I couldn't deal with it. He went to leave and I turned around just for a second to stop him but James started puling at the bomb so I ran towards him and it exploded."
Gina couldn't believe the honesty. Kerry had always been wrapped up in lies even if they were only little white lies and to hear her stripped down laying it all out was heart breaking and it would have been so much easier for Gina not to believe her but she could tell that Kerry Young was no longer herself and that the once happy-go-lucky PC was no more.
Kerry didn't stop for a second she carried on not even giving Gina chance to think of cutting in. "then Cameron asked me to lie about his where about at the time of the explosion I didn't know what to do. Gabriel drove me from the hospital back to the station and implied that he knew Cameron was there when the bomb went off. I went for the debriefing interview I was talking to DI Nixon I was angry and hurt and couldn't think about anything apart from Smithy and what happened that night so I accidently started talking about it with her but she thought that I was on about James and the bomb. Then you called me into your office I was so angry at Cameron Icouldn't believe he betrayed me without even talking to me first. Then later when I was on my way out the station when Gabriel stopped me he wanted a private word. He told me he was my guardian angel because I had been recorded on the CCTV cameras in the car park disserting my post and that he had got to the tape before anybody else and pulled it out of his jacket but he wouldn't give it to me. He told me it would be safe with him and that he would look after it.
The next morning the story was in the paper. I couldn't believe someone I knew would do that to me it felt like my whole world was falling apart. Then I went on leave. I didn't know who I could trust and who I couldn't. I didn't know who my friends where. My head was everywhere and I spend most of the time with a drink in my hand and when it came to the end of leave I was no where nearer reaching my decision. It was only when I was listening to Nina talk about her attacker I realised Smithy could never be capable of anything like that. So I came and told you. Cameron was so hurt by my decision he felt betrayed and lied to and who would blame him but eventually he came around and we decided to give our relationship another go. Gabriel continued to mention Smithy and the situation to me at every opportunity he got and he was still managing to confuse me and I still fully trusted him as a friend. I was out on patrol one day with Gabriel we attended a shout which at first seemed like a woman harassing a man but Gabriel drove deeper into the situation and found out that the man was blackmailing her with some naked picture of her. He wanted me to distract the man and go out for a drink with him so that he could break into the flat and retrieve the pictures for the woman. I told him that I didn't want to and that it was going too far but then he reminded me that he had the CCTV tape of me. So I went along with it, but the guy turned nasty so left I early. Gabriel got out of the flat just in time with the photos. I told him that I didn't care if I lost my job it was always going to be there just like the CCTV footage and I was going to report what we had done. Then he reassured me that nobody would ever find out and that he had wiped the CCTV tape. I was so relieved I couldn't believe it I didn't even see him lean in and kiss me until I felt his lips on my cheek I looked at him and he leant in.
I pulled away immediately in horror and told him to forget it, it was a mistake. When we arrived back at the station Cameron asked me to walk with him in the park and this is when he proposed. I was stunned when Cameron proposed to me and after my disastrous marriage to Luke I was very cautious about accepting his proposal and told him that I needed time to think Cameron wasn't very happy but I think he understood. I spoke to Gabriel about the kiss telling him that it didn't mean anything and that I didn't want him to get the wrong impression and that I didn't want Cameron to find out because it didn't mean anything. He asked me if I wanted it to happen again and I said no then I told him that Cameron had ask me to marry him and that I had said yes! Even though I hadn't given him an answer yet! I spent the rest of the day trying to catch Cameron before Gabriel but I didn't he got there first and well of course he was angry at first but then we talked and well, we were engaged. A day or so after that Gabriel offered me a lift home I didn't except straight away; maybe I knew it was a bad idea, but I accepted."
Gina wondered why Kerry had lingered so long on her rape allegation when it sounded like there was so much more and so much worse for her to tell. Was it to build up the courage to carry on or because it was the start for where everything went wrong for her. She couldn't tell maybe even it was the regret of being taken in and led along by Gabriel Kent. Whatever it was Kerry had stopped. She was shaking and tears ran freely down her face. She looked so vulnerable sat there, like the room was too big for her and she was lost. In an attempt to comfort the obviously distressed PC Gina stood up walked around her desk and perched on it in front of Kerry taking her hands in her own. They were still shaking but this prompted her to carry on but Gina was rather taken back - instead of sadness filling her voice anger spilled out - and she dropped Kerry's hands back into her lap.
"Cameron was meant to come back to mine. He was supposed to be there, he was supposed to come but he didn't he had to work late."
Kerry paused once more and taking a deep but shaky breath she continued. This time it was very different there wasn't a hint of anger only a whisper "Gabriel, he got out the car when he dropped me of and lingered on the door step I didn't think; I mean he was a friend, so invited him in for a drink."
Gina hoped she was very wrong about where she thought this was going but something in her gut told her she was not. How had she not notices this evil? He was in front of her almost everyday and Kerry. She had had to see him almost everyday no wonder she went the way she did. Everything seemed to slip into place all her reckless behaviour it was because he broke her down little by little till she had no one and she just simply didn't care any more. Not wanting to listen but doing so out of compassion for this silent victim she got ready to hear the worst.
"He asked me about the picture of me and Cameron that was sitting on the coffee table in the lounge. I couldn't remember when it was taken but I told him he could ask Cameron when he got here. He then revealed that Cameron was working late and wouldn't be coming around that evening. He started saying that what I said and what I did were like two totally different things. I was saying what a good friend he had been to me and how much I valued his friendship. Then, then he said he thought we had something really special going on. I told him no way there was nothing more to our relationship than friendship I just needed comfort and reassurance. He said he had been getting more than friendship signals and he mentioned Smithy I tried to leave there and then but he stood in my way told me I'd been leading him on like I did with Smithy and that I wouldn't get away with doing that to him he grabbed my arm I told him he was hurting me but he wouldn't listen just kept telling me how much I wound him up then he pushed me back onto the kitchen table; I tried I really did but he was so strong I screamed but he just but his hand over my mouth and slammed my head against the table; I couldn't stop him and I froze with fear I couldn't believe this was happening to me I couldn't believe it was him I trusted him how could he." Only now did Kerry's voice rise above a whisper and Gina sat looking down at her with sympathy and angry stoking her arm trying to comfort in the best way she knew how.
She whispered soothingly, "it's ok now it's over he wont come near you ever again I'll make sure of that I promised, its ok." But these words did little to comfort her.
"He left with out saying anything I just sat paralyzed on the kitchen table. Hours passed and I didn't dare move I saw him leave but still I didn't dare. I had no idea what to do. It was half past two before I got the courage up to get up from my spot and the kitchen was in darkness I was stiff from sitting so long but fear of the dark got the better of me so I ran at the light switch swatting at it desperately but I missed the first time and broke down in tears. I sat on the kitchen floor reliving every moment until the sun rose. I could hear the world waking up around me, people on the street, cars, dogs. This was just like any other normal day to them but not to me.
I got angry it should have been like any other day to me who was he to take that away from me, he couldn't get away with it. I decided then that I was going to go down the refuge centre and get the exam but was still unsure about reporting it; I had cried rape before who was going to believe me. I went to the refuge centre and got the exam and then headed into work I wanted to talk to Cameron I was so angry with him for not coming round and leaving me and I desperately wanted him to believe me but I knew there was a chance he wouldn't not after what I had wrongly accused Smithy of.
Then without realising what was happening Kerry skipped forwards. This confused Gina for a couple of seconds but she soon caught up.
"After Smithy left me today, my dad picked up and they said that he was going to make it and with help and support he would make a full recovery. I was so relieved but I promised my self that if he pulled though that I would come in and tell u the whole truth. So I phoned you and as I was on my way out of the hospital I bumped into Yvonne. She was just coming to see how I was and I asked for a lift here. So we drove here almost in silent's only making a pit stop at my house so that I could pick up this. I didn't tell her why I was meeting you, or anyone else or what I went to get. She let me in the back door and I came straight up here to talk to you. I didn't stop and talk to anyone once I was though the door." As she finished her sentence she produced a diary.
Gina took the diary not really knowing what to do with it and ended up staring at the front cover unable to open it.
"I started it the day after Gabriel raped me, and so even if I forgot it would be there if I ever needed to remember. Please read it, don't make me. That why I went back for it. So I wouldn't have to."
Gina slowly opened the front cover to reveal pages and pages of Kerry's writing. Her writing started a couple of pages in written in black biro. Gina wasn't sure if she wanted to read the secrets hidden in these pages but Kerry had come to her for help so she was going to do the best she could to give her some.