Part Twenty Nine
Yvonne had been to the pictures with Nikki and Victoria, and they were all ensconced in Victoria's sitting-room when Yvonne's mobile rang.
"Yvonne Atkins?" Greeted Karen's ears, and she could hear the hint of a laugh in Yvonne's voice which made her smile.
"Yvonne, it's Karen. Are you busy?"
"Not desperately," Said Yvonne turning serious at the heavily disguised plea in Karen's voice. "I'm having a drink with Nikki and Victoria. Why?"
"Do you think all three of you would mind coming over and giving me some company. Mike and I had a bit of a row, and I think that getting drunk and having a laugh would do me good."
"Yeah, sure. We'll be over in a bit." #Switching her phone off, Yvonne said, "That was Karen. She asked if we'd like to join her in getting a bit plastered. It sounds like her and Mike have had a bit of a tiff," Yvonne finished lamely, thinking that she could probably work out what they'd been arguing about.
They picked up some wine and cigarettes from the offlisence on the way to Karen's, all thinking that she clearly needed cheering up.
"Do you reckon this has got anything to do with whatever happened between her and Fenner this week?" Asked Nikki as they walked down the street where Karen lived. Yvonne stopped and put a hand on Nikki's arm to halt her in her stride.
"Whatever did or didn't happen between Karen and Fenner, is not, I repeat not to be talked about. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Mum, crystal clear," Said Nikki, with a slight hint of sarcasm. "You can't blame me for being interested though. Fenner's been heading for a fall for ages now, and it sounds like he's finally done something worth being sacked for."
"Jesus," Said Yvonne in disgust, "Forget being sacked, he deserves to be put behind bars for this." Then, realising she'd definitely said too much, she turned and continued walking down the road towards Karen's house. Nikki began thinking. She wasn't a journalist for nothing, and suspicion, especially where Fenner was concerned was second nature to her. when Karen opened the door, she looked relieved to see them.
"Thank god for some sane company," She said as they went in to the lounge.
"That's why I stick with women," Said Nikki, trying to put Karen at her ease. "They never manage to annoy the hell out of you quite like men. Mike's the best boss I've ever had, but at the end of the day, he's still a bloke."
They'd spent a good couple of hours, talking, drinking and listening to music. Karen felt far more relaxed than she had done since Wednesday night, but she didn't feel any happier with herself. She didn't even think it was anger at what Fenner had done to her. She felt slightly unhinged, ungrounded, as if everything she'd previously known about herself had been turned upside down. It was almost as if she didn't know who she really was any more. Even after the Rachel Hicks/Shell dockley business, and she'd discovered what Fenner had been doing with them and with her pictures, Karen still would never have thought Fenner actually, seriously capable of raping a woman. Sure, Fenner liked his women rough and ready, but what he'd done to her had been something else altogether. He'd really meant to hurt her, to punish her for humiliating him in front of the entire office. Karen had been listening with half an ear to a friendly argument between Yvonne and Nikki concerning some new singer Nikki was in to, but clearly not attentively enough, as she suddenly realised that Nikki had said something to her.
"I'm sorry," Karen said, "what did you say?"
"Are you all right?" Asked Victoria in gentle concern. This seemed to be Karen's undoing. Those four little words at first made her unable to speak.
"No, not really," She eventually replied, and they could all hear the threat of tears in her voice.
"Karen, what happened with Fenner?" Asked Nikki, equally as gently, receiving a glare from Victoria, accompanied by the words,
"Nikki, you promised you wouldn't." Karen, who was sitting on the other end of the sofa to Victoria, gave her a small, watery smile.
"It's all right," She said. Then, turning to look over at Nikki who was sitting in an armchair opposite Yvonne, she said, "Fenner raped me."
"No!" Said Victoria, in a quiet though nevertheless aghast tone.
"Yes," Said Karen dryly, "I believe that's what I kept saying, but to no avail." She realised that she must be on the verge of being seriously drunk to come out with such a comment.
"Jesus," Said Nikki, "Have you told Meyer? Fenner should at the very least be sacked."
"Fenner should probably be a lot of things, Nikki," Replied Karen, "One of them being handed over to the police. But it isn't going to happen. You're a crime reporter, which means you know just how these things happen. there are too many people in that office who would love to get their hands on a story like this."
"Yeah, probably because most of us hate Fenner's guts and would like nothing better than to hound him for the rest of his life. Karen, there isn't anyone there who wouldn't support you in this."
"Forget it, Nikki. Yes, what he did to me was the most horrific thing I've ever gone through, I don't know where I am any more and it's highly possible that I'm going slowly insane. But I'm not going through the process of reporting it only to have my every action since I lost my virginity called in to question."
"Okay, calm down," Said Nikki gently. "I'm not trying to pressure you in to anything. It's your decision. But if you ever change your mind, here's three of us who would back you all the way."
"Was that what you and Mike were rowing about?" Asked Yvonne, thoroughly relieved that it was now in the open and that she didn't have to go on keeping Karen's secret under Nikki's unerring determination to get at the truth.
"Yes," Said Karen, lighting a much needed cigarette. "He thinks I should go to the police too. I think he feels guilty that he wasn't there and couldn't stop it happening." Vowing that she would have a little talk to Mike at the earliest opportunity, Nikki refilled all their glasses.
A while later when the three of them left to walk home, Nikki turned to Yvonne as they were walking across the market square and said,
"Are you up for teaching Fenner a lesson he won't forget?"
"Nikki, don't be so stupid," Put in Victoria.
"Actually, Victoria's right," Replied Yvonne. "Nikki, this isn't your fight. If it's anyone's, it's Karen's, or at the outside it's Mike's, but it isn't yours."
"Oh, come on, Yvonne," Nikki insisted. "Mike isn't the fighting kind. Sure, he'd defend himself if he had too, but he won't do anything to Fenner without more provocation than this."
"Nikki, you're a journalist for god's sake. Giving Fenner a kicking is the quickest way to getting this in if not our paper then someone else's, which would be doing exactly what Karen doesn't want."
"Not if it's done properly," Said Nikki, not willing to leave it alone, like a dog with its nose down a rabbit hole.
"By properly I assume you mean quietly," Said Victoria in disgust.
"Absolutely right," Replied Nikki. "He can't be allowed to get away with this." Nikki didn't say any more as they walked the rest of the way home, but her thoughts were buzzing around in her head like rats on a treadmill. This one wasn't just going to be left to blow over, no way! But she had to go about this carefully. It would take four, possibly five of them to really give Fenner the kind of kicking he wouldn't forget in a hurry, and Nikki would have to choose her accomplices with absolute precision. Pick on the wrong person, and this would go tits up before it even got started.
Yvonne had been to the pictures with Nikki and Victoria, and they were all ensconced in Victoria's sitting-room when Yvonne's mobile rang.
"Yvonne Atkins?" Greeted Karen's ears, and she could hear the hint of a laugh in Yvonne's voice which made her smile.
"Yvonne, it's Karen. Are you busy?"
"Not desperately," Said Yvonne turning serious at the heavily disguised plea in Karen's voice. "I'm having a drink with Nikki and Victoria. Why?"
"Do you think all three of you would mind coming over and giving me some company. Mike and I had a bit of a row, and I think that getting drunk and having a laugh would do me good."
"Yeah, sure. We'll be over in a bit." #Switching her phone off, Yvonne said, "That was Karen. She asked if we'd like to join her in getting a bit plastered. It sounds like her and Mike have had a bit of a tiff," Yvonne finished lamely, thinking that she could probably work out what they'd been arguing about.
They picked up some wine and cigarettes from the offlisence on the way to Karen's, all thinking that she clearly needed cheering up.
"Do you reckon this has got anything to do with whatever happened between her and Fenner this week?" Asked Nikki as they walked down the street where Karen lived. Yvonne stopped and put a hand on Nikki's arm to halt her in her stride.
"Whatever did or didn't happen between Karen and Fenner, is not, I repeat not to be talked about. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Mum, crystal clear," Said Nikki, with a slight hint of sarcasm. "You can't blame me for being interested though. Fenner's been heading for a fall for ages now, and it sounds like he's finally done something worth being sacked for."
"Jesus," Said Yvonne in disgust, "Forget being sacked, he deserves to be put behind bars for this." Then, realising she'd definitely said too much, she turned and continued walking down the road towards Karen's house. Nikki began thinking. She wasn't a journalist for nothing, and suspicion, especially where Fenner was concerned was second nature to her. when Karen opened the door, she looked relieved to see them.
"Thank god for some sane company," She said as they went in to the lounge.
"That's why I stick with women," Said Nikki, trying to put Karen at her ease. "They never manage to annoy the hell out of you quite like men. Mike's the best boss I've ever had, but at the end of the day, he's still a bloke."
They'd spent a good couple of hours, talking, drinking and listening to music. Karen felt far more relaxed than she had done since Wednesday night, but she didn't feel any happier with herself. She didn't even think it was anger at what Fenner had done to her. She felt slightly unhinged, ungrounded, as if everything she'd previously known about herself had been turned upside down. It was almost as if she didn't know who she really was any more. Even after the Rachel Hicks/Shell dockley business, and she'd discovered what Fenner had been doing with them and with her pictures, Karen still would never have thought Fenner actually, seriously capable of raping a woman. Sure, Fenner liked his women rough and ready, but what he'd done to her had been something else altogether. He'd really meant to hurt her, to punish her for humiliating him in front of the entire office. Karen had been listening with half an ear to a friendly argument between Yvonne and Nikki concerning some new singer Nikki was in to, but clearly not attentively enough, as she suddenly realised that Nikki had said something to her.
"I'm sorry," Karen said, "what did you say?"
"Are you all right?" Asked Victoria in gentle concern. This seemed to be Karen's undoing. Those four little words at first made her unable to speak.
"No, not really," She eventually replied, and they could all hear the threat of tears in her voice.
"Karen, what happened with Fenner?" Asked Nikki, equally as gently, receiving a glare from Victoria, accompanied by the words,
"Nikki, you promised you wouldn't." Karen, who was sitting on the other end of the sofa to Victoria, gave her a small, watery smile.
"It's all right," She said. Then, turning to look over at Nikki who was sitting in an armchair opposite Yvonne, she said, "Fenner raped me."
"No!" Said Victoria, in a quiet though nevertheless aghast tone.
"Yes," Said Karen dryly, "I believe that's what I kept saying, but to no avail." She realised that she must be on the verge of being seriously drunk to come out with such a comment.
"Jesus," Said Nikki, "Have you told Meyer? Fenner should at the very least be sacked."
"Fenner should probably be a lot of things, Nikki," Replied Karen, "One of them being handed over to the police. But it isn't going to happen. You're a crime reporter, which means you know just how these things happen. there are too many people in that office who would love to get their hands on a story like this."
"Yeah, probably because most of us hate Fenner's guts and would like nothing better than to hound him for the rest of his life. Karen, there isn't anyone there who wouldn't support you in this."
"Forget it, Nikki. Yes, what he did to me was the most horrific thing I've ever gone through, I don't know where I am any more and it's highly possible that I'm going slowly insane. But I'm not going through the process of reporting it only to have my every action since I lost my virginity called in to question."
"Okay, calm down," Said Nikki gently. "I'm not trying to pressure you in to anything. It's your decision. But if you ever change your mind, here's three of us who would back you all the way."
"Was that what you and Mike were rowing about?" Asked Yvonne, thoroughly relieved that it was now in the open and that she didn't have to go on keeping Karen's secret under Nikki's unerring determination to get at the truth.
"Yes," Said Karen, lighting a much needed cigarette. "He thinks I should go to the police too. I think he feels guilty that he wasn't there and couldn't stop it happening." Vowing that she would have a little talk to Mike at the earliest opportunity, Nikki refilled all their glasses.
A while later when the three of them left to walk home, Nikki turned to Yvonne as they were walking across the market square and said,
"Are you up for teaching Fenner a lesson he won't forget?"
"Nikki, don't be so stupid," Put in Victoria.
"Actually, Victoria's right," Replied Yvonne. "Nikki, this isn't your fight. If it's anyone's, it's Karen's, or at the outside it's Mike's, but it isn't yours."
"Oh, come on, Yvonne," Nikki insisted. "Mike isn't the fighting kind. Sure, he'd defend himself if he had too, but he won't do anything to Fenner without more provocation than this."
"Nikki, you're a journalist for god's sake. Giving Fenner a kicking is the quickest way to getting this in if not our paper then someone else's, which would be doing exactly what Karen doesn't want."
"Not if it's done properly," Said Nikki, not willing to leave it alone, like a dog with its nose down a rabbit hole.
"By properly I assume you mean quietly," Said Victoria in disgust.
"Absolutely right," Replied Nikki. "He can't be allowed to get away with this." Nikki didn't say any more as they walked the rest of the way home, but her thoughts were buzzing around in her head like rats on a treadmill. This one wasn't just going to be left to blow over, no way! But she had to go about this carefully. It would take four, possibly five of them to really give Fenner the kind of kicking he wouldn't forget in a hurry, and Nikki would have to choose her accomplices with absolute precision. Pick on the wrong person, and this would go tits up before it even got started.