Chapter 1: A Shock For The Mayor

‘Thank you, May,’ Lewis said as the three other ladies stared at him looking concerned. He smiled at them and began. ‘Despite my age, I am a successful counsellor,’ he told them. ‘That’s a counsellor spelt with a se, not a ci,’ he added with a grin. ‘May came to me because she was recommended by friends who realised she was upset about something and knew of me.’

‘The people I have counselled, over a hundred so far, have suffered all sorts of things. The majority of them have included sex as a small or large part of their problem. Now, I’m sure that like most people who come to see me, you are thinking to yourself, what happened to me is far too embarrassing to tell anyone, let alone a young schoolboy.’

It amused him to see from the look on their faces that all three had been thinking exactly that. ‘But fortunately,’ Lewis continued, ‘After a while they have felt able to tell me their problem and I have been able to sort it out for them.’

‘As many of those problems have involved serious sexual assaults, I have been able to have a number of rapists locked up. In doing so I have acquired a good working relationship with the police. However, I am not a policeman. So, nothing that is said to me will ever be passed to the police or anyone else without your complete agreement.’

‘Sometimes victims prefer that a less public punishment is meted out to the attacker. I can arrange something like that, whereas the police can’t. But the decision is not mine, it will be yours and yours alone.’

‘I’m going to tell you why you are all here and what I want you to do in a moment, but first please listen to May.’ He smiled at her, and she said what she had agreed with Lewis.

‘Three weeks ago,’ May announced, ‘The mayor raped me.’ There was a gasp from the other ladies. ‘I didn’t feel able to report him, but I was upset as you can imagine. Friends directed me to go and see Lewis. That is why we are here today. I’ll explain more shortly.’ she stopped and smiled at Lewis.

‘Thank you May, that was very brave of you.’ Lewis said. ‘When you share a problem with people you trust,’ Lewis told them, ‘It immediately becomes easier because you are no longer dealing with it alone. After May had been to see me,’ Lewis continued, ‘I asked May to help me bring the mayor to account.’

‘I was able to use my experience to collect some evidence. I can tell you that I now have evidence that would stand up in court. I can have the mayor arrested at any time. I cannot tell you what that evidence is, or how I obtained it, you’ll have to trust me on that. However, I can assure you that on all previous occasions, the magistrates have accepted my evidence without question.’

‘So why haven’t I done so? you might well ask. The answer is simple, the decision is not mine to make, it is yours. When I have finished explaining everything, the four of you will decide whether you want me to carry out any of my recommendations or not. And if so, which one.’

‘Now I’m sure you’ve realised by now why you are here. Please remember it doesn’t matter how drunk you were or how you got drunk, sex without consent is rape. That makes you a victim of an assault. No blame can be attached to you. I can also reassure you that no matter what the mayor may have told you, you did not ask him to have sex with you.’

‘But how could you possibly know that?’ the lady who they believed to be the first known victim asked. ‘There are a number of reasons,’ Lewis told her, ‘Some I can tell you, some I can’t reveal. Please just bear with me a little longer.’

‘May, over to you,’ he said. ‘As you know I am the mayor’s secretary,’ May told them. ‘Several weeks ago, out of the blue, he invited me to attend one of the evening receptions that I organise for him. I didn’t realise at the time, but during the evening he encouraged me to drink more wine than I would normally do.’

‘At the end of the evening, I was very lightheaded, so he took me to his office to make me a coffee. In all the time I have worked for him, it was the first time he had ever been nice to me. I thought I had misjudged him. I hadn’t.’ she added, looking at the other three ladies.

Lewis looked at the faces of the three other ladies. They were looking at May in total concentration, hanging onto every word. ‘He made me a coffee which I thought tasted funny. He was having one as well, so when he encouraged me to drink it to clear my head, I decided the odd taste was because I’d had too much wine.’

‘The next thing I remember was coming round to a terribly sharp pain. I was lying on the settee and my bottom half was naked. The mayor was part way through having sex with me. He was totally naked. I tried to scream but my voice didn’t seem to work. I had much less energy than normal and in any case, he is a big heavy and strong man.’

‘I was forced to lie there until he had finished. When he eventually stood up, I was relieved to see he had worn a condom. He thanked me for letting him be my first. ‘I’m so glad you asked me,’ he said. ‘The first time is always something special.’ I felt sure I had done no such thing, but I couldn’t be absolutely certain. Anyway, how could I prove it.’

‘I couldn’t even stand up. He lifted me to my feet and dressed me. Then arranged for his car to take me home. The next day I didn’t wake up until lunchtime. I felt fine and after thinking about it, I still felt sure I hadn’t asked him. But there being no way I could prove anything and against the mayor too, I decided to leave it.’

‘It bothered me though and tore at my insides. Relatives realised

that something was up, but how can you tell your family about something like that. So, I bottled it up. Then someone suggested that I should go to see Lewis.’

‘When I met him and saw his age I nearly walked out there and then. I’m so glad I didn’t.’ she said giving him a lovely smile.

As she finished speaking, the first lady said, ‘That is identical to what happened to me except he didn’t mention being my first time.’ ‘Was it?’ Lewis asked. ‘No.’ she told them. ‘Thank you.’ Lewis said smiling at her.

‘Then the second lady said, ‘It was the same for me,’ she said, ‘Except for not mentioning the first time. No, it wasn’t.’ she added looking at Lewis.

Everyone looked at Janet, the most recent victim who went very red. ‘It’s ok,’ Lewis said, ‘We already know all about it, so don’t worry if you can’t tell us.’ She looked at them and saw only concerned friendly faces. ‘I was the same,’ she told them at last, ‘Except that he did say about the first time, and it was. I didn’t see how he could have known that unless I had actually asked him for sex and had told him.’

‘Did you come round because of a sharp pain?’ Lewis asked. ‘Yes.’ she said sounding surprised. Lewis explained about her membrane and how it wouldn’t happen again. ‘But the mayor would have felt it too,’ he told her, ‘And realised you were previously a virgin. He just used that knowledge to help make you think that you must have asked him but couldn’t remember it.’

‘Thank you all for telling me what you have done,’ Lewis said. ‘Now the good news is that if you have enjoyable sex in the near future, that is likely to wipe what happened with the mayor out of your mind.’

‘However, if you have not experienced sex before and don’t know how enjoyable it is, the episode with the mayor might put you off having any sort of close relationship in the future.’ He handed the three ladies his card.

‘If you find you are having any problems,’ he said, ‘Please come and see me. Now,’ he continued, ‘Thanks to Mays help I was able to inspect the mayor’s office whilst he was away. I checked the spot where he made the coffees. In the cupboard underneath the counter, I found a half bottle of vodka.’

‘I have checked with a doctor from the police forensic team, and he assures me that if anyone had more wine than they were used to, then had a large vodka, they would almost certainly pass out. Although some would be out for longer than others.’

‘Now we all know where we stand,’ Lewis said. ‘And most importantly, you all know you were in no way to blame. You were the victim of an evil predator.’