Chapter 2: Pauline Triumphs

On Monday lunchtime, Lewis had cycled over to Pauline’s firm. He found Pauline in her office and set up the radio alarm with the best view of the cabinet where Pauline said it all happened. When she gave him the firms internet password, he told her it was a voice recorder, thinking it better not to mention it was a video with an internet link.

After running through her instructions once more, he returned to school, just managing to get back in time.

As soon as Lewis left school on Tuesday, he cycled over to the police station nearest to Pauline’s works. He had been pleased to discover it was also the one that had dealt with Valerie.

Going in, he asked to speak to a detective. When the desk sergeant asked what it was about, he said, ‘It involves a female friend of mine who is being raped.’

After a short delay he was taken through to a room where he met a detective constable. After being asked his age, he told him that they would need a parent or guardian with him to interview him. ‘But you don’t need to interview me,’ Lewis said. ‘All we need is a quiet chat so you can be ready to rescue my friend on Thursday afternoon at ten past one. Can’t we go somewhere unofficial and have a chat. Then you can decide if you need to make it official.’

‘Incidentally,’ Lewis asked, ‘Do you remember the case a few months back where a lady had been rented out unconscious for sex by her boyfriend?’ ‘Yes, I do,’ he said. ‘Well, I fitted the camera to her flat that provided the evidence,’ Lewis told him. ‘I’ve just put the same camera in my friend’s office.’

The DC remembered the case well it had been the talk of the station. ‘Ok,’ he said, ‘Come and have a cuppa in the staff canteen and tell me your story.’ They went upstairs and after collecting a drink Detective Constable Walters lead him over to the deserted section of the canteen.

Lewis explained about his counselling and what Pauline had told him had happened so far. ‘This Thursday will be the third occasion,’ Lewis said, ‘So we have every expectation that he will do the same. I advised my friend that as there was no evidence at present it would be her word against his so it could be messy if she reported it.’

‘As he has already threatened to say she begged him to take her, she is willing to go through with it one more time, not just to get him off her, but to stop him moving on to someone else. The idea of keeping it informal at this stage is that I would call you as soon as he arrives. If you could head for her office then, you should arrive in time to nab him as he leaves. I’ve told her to scream the moment he fires so if you are there soon enough, you’ll catch him at it.’

‘The camera should then give you all the evidence you need to prove it was rape.’

DC Walters had taken a liking to Lewis, he seemed confident in what he was doing and apart from being happy to catch a rapist, it wouldn’t look bad on his record either, especially when he applied to sit his sergeant’s exam later in the year.

‘Ok, Lewis,’ he said, ‘I’m on duty here on Thursday so at quarter to one I’ll take my lunch break and go and sit in my own car in the car park of your friend’s firm. If you call me as soon as he enters the room, I’ll go inside and wait outside the office door. Then I’ll burst in the moment she screams or if you call me beforehand.’

‘Now, I’m happy to do it your way, but my superiors wouldn’t like it. Is it ok with you if we keep our arrangement to ourselves?’ ‘That would suit me fine,’ Lewis said, ‘How about if the question arises, we say I am a friend of yours and on Thursday morning I rang you to say I believed my friend was being raped. You thought you’d better check it out before reporting it officially, so you went to check it out and caught him in the act.’

‘That’s perfect,’ DC Walters said, ‘But I think it’s only fair to tell you that if we do it that way, there’ll be no public acknowledgment of your part in it, and I’ll get all the credit. In police circles anyway.’ he said with a grin thinking of his record.

‘I’m happy to stay out of the limelight and if it gives your career a boost, you deserve it for cooperating with me,’ Lewis said with a smile. ‘I’m Aiden,’ he said offering his hand, ‘You better know that now we are friends.’ They shook hands then Aiden showed him out.

Thursday morning Lewis spoke to his form teacher. I’ve got an urgent dentist appointment he told him. I’ve managed to get it for lunch time, but just in case I’m delayed getting back I thought I should let you know.’

‘Thank you, Lewis,’ his form teacher told him. ‘I don’t think it’ll do you any harm to miss the rest of the day so don’t worry about getting back, I’ll mark you present.’ ‘Thank you, sir,’ Lewis said delighted.

At twelve o’clock Lewis cycled away from school and headed over to Pauline. Stopping a road away, he checked his phone and caught a glimpse of Pauline as she moved over to the printer. He had brought some butties with him, so he ate whilst he waited.

At ten minutes to one, he got a text from Aiden. Am in the car park. Lewis sent back, Thanks am in the next road, all clear so far. At one o’clock Lewis walked round to the yard wheeling his bike so he could keep watching his phone. He had seen Pauline go out briefly, so he assumed that was to put the oil in.

Almost on the stroke of ten past one, Lewis heard Pauline’s door burst open and a voice he presumed to be Andy ordering her to come out from behind the desk. He rang Aiden. ‘He’s in the room,’ he said and hung up. Moving faster now he pushed his bike into the yard just in time to see Aiden entering the main door.

He locked his bike to the fence and followed him. Andy had dragged Pauline roughly from behind the desk. ‘I’ve warned you what would happen if you don’t do as you’re told,’ he said, ‘Now bend over that cabinet.’ ‘Please don’t do it,’ Pauline was pleading, ‘It hurt me so much last time.’

Pauline was now on camera and Andy’s hands could be seen undoing her jeans and pulling everything down. As Andy dropped his trousers and shorts, Pauline stepped to one side, so he was caught fully on camera. ‘Get back in place woman,’ he snarled, ‘I don’t want to hit you, but I will if you don’t do as you’re told.’

He thrust into her hard, she cried out, ‘Ow, that’s hurting me, please stop.’ Andy ignored her as she called out again. ‘Ow, ow, stop, please stop.’ sounding as if she was in agony. Then Andy went faster, gave a mighty thrust in, then as he shot his load, Pauline let out the most blood curdling scream that Lewis had ever heard. Even Andy was clearly startled.

He was still standing there, his trousers around his ankles and his cock hanging limp as Aiden burst in and arrested him. When Lewis arrived a few moments later, Andy was in handcuffs, his trousers still around his ankles. Pauline was sitting behind her desk, dressed, and looking very happy.

As Lewis walked in, she got up and rushed over to him. Giving him a hug, and a kiss she said, ‘Thank you, you did it. I knew you would.’ Aiden had called for a car to take Andy away, so he told him he wasn’t going to undo his handcuffs to let him get dressed until they arrived.

A man suddenly appeared at the door having heard the scream from the warehouse. Seeing Andy half naked and in handcuffs he stopped at the door his mouth open. Lewis went over to him and told him, ‘Everything is ok now, Andy has been arrested for rape. This is a policeman,’ he said pointing at Aiden. ‘The boss will make an announcement when he returns.’ As the man turned away, he looked over at Pauline. ‘Are you ok?’ he asked. ‘Yes, thank you, William.’ she said, ‘Thanks for asking.’

A few minutes later two uniformed officers arrived. Aiden undid his handcuffs so he could finally get dressed. The uniformed officers put their own handcuffs on and took him away.

Aiden told Pauline, ‘I’ll need you to come to the station and make a statement,’ he said, ‘If it’s ok with you and if he wants to, Lewis is welcome to come too.’ Pauline looked at Lewis and asked. ‘Will you come with me.’ Lewis nodded, glad that his form teacher had more or less given him the afternoon off.

As they went down to the car, Lewis went over to one of the men who were gathered wondering what was going on. ‘Hi, I’m Lewis,’ he said shaking his hand. ‘That’s my bike. I’ll be back for it after we’ve made a statement at the police station. If the boss returns before I do, please tell him Pauline is ok and I’ll be back to explain.’

At the station, Aiden took them into an interview room telling them a cup of coffee would arrive in a moment. He was just going to book Andy in, then he’d return to get Pauline’s statement. As they sat and waited, Lewis told Pauline, ‘We were very fortunate that DC Walters cooperated with me, so if I correct you during your statement, please go along with what I tell you so we don’t get him into any trouble. If you like, tell them you want me to tell them what happened, and you’ll chip in if I get anything wrong.’ ‘Yes, please.’ Pauline said relieved, ‘Please do it that way.’

Their coffee duly arrived then ten minutes later Aiden returned. Aiden switched on a tape recorder then gave his name and rank, Pauline’s name as the person making the statement and Lewis’s name as her companion.

‘Will you tell me what happened from the beginning,’ Aiden asked her. ‘Can Lewis do it for me,’ she said, ‘I will get it all confused.’ ‘Do you realise that you will have to sign it as a true and correct record?’ Aiden asked her. ‘Yes, that’s fine.’ she said.