Chapter 7

Wednesday 14 January 1976, 7pm

Gina and I were ready for an all night vigil, with just the two of us being present when Eric’s life support was turned off, but Eric slipped away in a matter of minutes. It was a relief to us and also to the hospital staff who had looked after him for so long and for so little reward for their efforts.

It had taken Gina about five days to recover from whatever Micky Finn had been given to her, with the hospital saying that chloral hydrate was the principle ingredient and barbiturates, probably from several different brands of ground up sleeping tablets. Apparently mixing it with ethanol makes it work faster, drowsy within minutes, comatose in twenty to forty minutes. Fortunately she was out completely when she was raped and had no recollection of what happened, not even any soreness, although she was weak as a kitten and more asleep than awake for the first couple of days and tired easily for up to a week after. I was concerned about pregnancy but Gina insisted that she was on the Pill and by the following Wednesday she heard the results of the tests that she was absolutely clear of any sexually transmitted diseases.

Somehow, I managed not to kill any of them but Bambridge had to have much painful reconstructive surgery on his face for months. Cooper was paralysed below the neck and would never walk again, his brain damage also meant that he had trouble talking and with his short-term memory. He was married with children, but was soon divorced and ostracised by his former family. William Collins was no longer an identical twin even after extensive surgery. His left hand was never the same so he would have had to give up playing golf even if he hadn’t gone to gaol. His twin David Collins actually had least life threatening wounds and made almost complete a recovery although his digestion was never quite the same.

The two Collins were convicted of conspiring and being accessories to rape and each got six years, serving three. Cooper pleaded not guilty, that he was coerced into it by the others but, as his name was on every piece of paperwork connected with the offence, was convicted for 12 years, but being a paraplegic, that was a life sentence in itself. He was never actually released, dying in hospital with complications following a collapsed lung. Bambridge was considered the instigator and ringleader and got 15 years for his part in the aggravated rape. All four were eventually prosecuted for fraud once Gina and her accountants got their hands on the company books.

Gina made a full recovery, with her only memories being of feeling woozy in the lounge and waking up about ten hours later in the hospital with me holding her hand.

When it came to Eric’s funeral about a week later, I wanted to stay away, but Gina insisted that she needed my support, so I went with her. The funeral was well attended by Eric’s relatives, and we went back with quite a crowd to Eric and her house for the wake, if only for the sandwiches. After everyone was gone, Fred and Pam, with Tom and Linda, chased us away from the clearing up and were encouraged to spend some time together.

As we drove home, well, to Fred and Pam’s home, Gina took my hand.

“I want you to make love to me tonight, Harry. Now that Eric’s truly gone, I feel a free woman at last to let myself go in every sense of the word, and the only man I want to let go with is you, Harry, you.”

For a moment I wasn’t sure what to say. At this time of night there was only ten minutes’ driving time between the two houses and we had already spent the first five minutes in reflective silence. When I didn’t immediately reply, she squeezed my hand and carried on talking.

“I know we’ve almost been living as ‘man and wife’ since, well, since within about 12 hours of us first meeting, but...” she giggled weakly, so I squeezed her hand back.

“Darling,” I started, but she cut me off.

“I don’t know if l believe in love at first sight, Harry, but I know I love you, that I trust you with my heart, my life, my son, my company and ... I hope ... our children, and our—”

“Gina, my darling,” I interrupted her, “I fell in love with you the moment you walked down those steps at King’s on that first day. I fell in love with your ankles, your calves, your knees — and I didn’t even see your knees until you sat in my car. Before we even shook hands I was captivated by your face, your eyes, the very way you hold yourself and your voice gives me a tingle up my spine every time I hear you. So I do believe in love at first sight, and every single sight of you, every sentence I hear you speak, every breath that you take, every scent of you that I breathe, I am becoming even more captivated by you. I know I’ve loved you for four months, I love you now and I will always love you.”