Chapter seven
Karen and Jack sat in the back of the limo they had hired. Their chauffeur, called Les, was too nosey in Karen's eyes so she wound up the divider between the driver and the passengers, she also didn't want to be overheard.
"Thanks Jack, for getting me out of Lionel's reach. He was giving me the 'love and devotion' look and it was freaking me out."
"That's ok Kare," Jack replied, glad that Karen hadn't given him a good bollocking for going to England in the first place "But why did you have to escape-what happened?"
"Oh Jackie," Karen tips her head down in shame and shakes it as she say "you don't wanna know!"
"Oh my-Oh my God, you didn't?!" Jack gave Karen his disgusted look of surprise.
"I know! I can't believe it either, even though he's loaded." Karen replied, shamed of herself
"He's loaded?! Why didn't you say? Come on lets go!" jack said excitedly.
"Come one be serious, I don't know what to do here."
The car stopped, Les opened the door for them and helped Karen out in return for a tip.
"Which floor are you on honey?" Karen asked, they were at Jack's hotel.
"Seven" Jack replied as Karen pushed the button on the lift and the doors closed.
"You can always say your madly in love with someone else, you know, the excuse you gave Grace." Jack said
"I could, but I don't think that's gonna stop. I mean he didn't care when I was married, why would he then?!" Karen replied
"Yer I suppose. So he doesn't care about you being with anyone else, what would he care about?" asked Jack
The lift stopped at floor seven and Jack and Karen walked out still talking.
"Can't you do it for me Jack?" pleaded Karen
"No!" replied Jack while getting his door key "I hate to say this, but as much as I love you, this is your mess and it's up to you. God, why wont this stupid key work?!" barked Jack
"Oh give it here!" complained Karen. She snatched the key and opened the door. "See, easy!" Karen said with a look of triumph on her face, then strutted into the room with her head held high.
When in the room she looked to see what was in it and saw something that made her blood freeze. She stood there for a second blocking Jacks entrance, staring blankly at the corner. Then after that second she collapsed.
"Oh my God Karen!" Jack cried and fell to his knees
"Is she alright?" grumbled a voice from the corner
Jack whipped around and saw Bernie Stone sitting in the arm chair in the corner of the room.
"So it was you that made her do this?!" complained Jack
"I just wanted to see you again, I reacted a bit too fast at my place, I suppose it came as a shock."
"Yer, well so has your appearance to Karen, look at her." Jack cried getting Karen to a sitting position
He opened her bag, brought out a bottle of gin, unscrewed the lid and waved it under her nose. Her eyes flickered open.
"JACK! He's here! Get him away from me!" shouted Karen, shuffling backwards away from Bernie
"I think its best if you go!" Jack said to Bernie. He then turned to Karen putting an arm around her "It's ok, I'm here Kare."
Bernie got up, grabbed his coat and began to walk towards the door. Karen's eyes widened as he came closer. The nearer he got the more she tried to shuffle back, squashing Jacks arm in the process. Once he was gone Jack faced Karen.
"What was that all about?" jack asked
"Nothing, leave it!" twitched Karen
"Nothing?! You bloody fainted! I had to wake you up with gin! I've only ever done that 4 times before. So are you gonna tell me? Maybe I can help."
"There's nothing you can do. It's all in the past." Karen said struggling to get up
"But clearly it's still haunting you. What happened Karebear?"
It was the use of the word 'Karebear' that made Karen realise she could trust Jack, he wasn't just her gal pal but her best friend.
"When I was a child, about 9, Bernie and my mom were going out. And he was fine, brought me presents, that kind of stuff, almost too friendly, but I didn't think anything of it, but 4 years later things changed. He…he…he…"
She tried to say it but the words wouldn't come out.
"he…err…He abused my mom, ok?"