Week Three

FRIDAY MARCH-18

I woke up on my back, Lucy was on her right side with her arm across my chest and her head resting in the crook of my neck, and she was still asleep. I lifted my left hand up carefully and gently stroked the areola of her left breast around a nipple that began to immediately stiffen as her sexy little body began to react to the attention. One eye opened, followed quickly by the other as a smile spread across her face when she realised what I was doing.

"Hmm," she sighed, "you have a nice way of waking a girl up."

I smiled. "I'd like to do a little more," I lifted my head up and made as if I was sniffing the air, "but I think I can smell breakfast."

"Come to think of it," said Lucy as she sniffed the air in like fashion, "so can I." She jumped out of bed, moved to her case and bent over giving me a delicious view of her succulent arse and the split peach of her pussy, she was still naked, and pulled out a little zip up bag, "but first I need to freshen up."

"So how should I dress?" asked a still naked Lucy after we'd both completed our ablutions in the bathroom and made our back to my room.

Under normal circumstances, and knowing my family, I would have said go as you are. However these weren't normal circumstances and I had a feeling that a little conservative dress would probably be the order of the morning, and that's what I told Lucy.

In short order she dressed in lacy underwear, a knee-length tan skirt and a burnt-orange cotton blouse that she buttoned almost to her neck leaving just one undone while I wore black pants and a burgundy coloured short-sleeved shirt.

We were barely in the kitchen acknowledging mum and dad, Maria, and Maddy and Ross when dad said, "We have company outside." He looked us up and down. "But then from the way you're dressed--" and he was looking at Lucy as he said this "--I'm thinking you were expecting them."

I laughed and took Lucy's hand as we sat down. "Well you didn't need to be Einstein to work that out. That's why I've asked for some police presence at Marion's school."

After breakfast Lucy and I walked out to face the crowd as dad backed his car out of the garage. The barrage of question started immediately. Questions like, why was Lucy in Australia? What was she doing staying with us? Why did she visit the hospital with me? And finally the killer question, why did she visit Marion Jackson?

I looked at my father's car which was reversing slowly out of the garage before I turned back to face the media which were spread across our driveway. "If you'll allow my father to leave for work I'll tell you what I can."

They freed the driveway and after my father said his goodbyes I turned to the collective media. "I cannot tell you much, except to say that Lucy James is in Australia because she is one of the nicest, one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet. As to why she is staying with my family, she is staying with us because..."

" ... Because Justin is a friend of mine," said Lucy interrupting, "and--" it was at this point that Lucy threw me for a loop "--because he asked me to sing before tonight's session of bowling in the league he's bowling in."

She looked around. "As for that business at the hospital I ... we..." she turned to me.

"I'm thinking that you will have done your homework," I said taking over from Lucy, "and if you have then you will know that there's nothing we can say about our visit to the hospital. You will also know to wait for the appropriate bulletins from the relevant authorities and that the matter is sub judice."

Then Lucy took over again. Smiling she said, "I'll tell you what I will do, guys." She had their interest now and the noise that had begun to build quietened. "If you're at the airport on Wednesday afternoon when Justin and I fly out of Tullamarine I might just give a little press-conference and maybe sing a couple of songs before our flight," and she took my hand. The questions began again until she held up her other hand. "That's it guys, I promise that if you wait until Wednesday afternoon you won't regret it."

That seemed to do the trick and within five minutes our driveway and the street was clear and we were on our way into the house. "So you're going to sing at the bowl tonight are you Lucy." I said, purely for the benefit of Maria who was still sitting at the table drinking a glass of orange juice.

"If they'll let me," she said with a grin.

"Are you kidding!" I responded.

"Hey that reminds me," said Maria to Lucy, "didn't you promise to sing me a song this morning if I went straight to bed?"

Lucy didn't even answer, she raced upstairs to get her guitar. Seconds later she was back down and singing a couple of songs from her album to a spellbound Maria. Twenty minutes later Lucy and I were standing at the doorway waiting for Lucy's limo to take us to Marion's school. Standing there with us were Maria and mum, Ross and Maddy having left for work not long after my father.

"You do know what you're doing Justin?" asked my mother. "I mean shouldn't you be leaving this to the police."

"Most of the time mum, yes. But the police only know what Lucy and I were able to find out after we got Marion talking, and Detective Brewer has agreed to let me run with an idea I have."

"What idea is that?"

I grinned. "I'm not going to tell you mum, just in case it doesn't work. What I will say is that it's all about something girls don't do but boys do and that it was enough to convince Detective Brewer to arrange a court order for a police medical team to be at the school."

"Oh well good luck Justin, Lucy." Mum suddenly looked at Lucy. "Oh what are you going to do when Justin goes back to school?"

"Oh I don't know," she smiled. "After I walk Justin into his school and give his friends a bit of a thrill I might come back here and then we can do a bit of shopping and have some lunch if you'd like."

Mum grinned. "Sounds like a perfect way to spend a day." She turned to me. "By the way it's Madeleine's birthday on Monday. Your father and I have arranged for something special for her, she's 20 by the way, but if you want to buy something for her we'll give you some money."

"Mum," I said with a little smile, "I think I'm earning enough to buy Maddy a present don't you?"

"Of course sweetheart," she said.

"Do you think Maddy would mind if I bought her a present?" asked Lucy.

Mum laughed. "Are you kidding. How do you think she would feel getting a birthday present from the famous Lucy James?"

And then the limo turned up and Lucy and I left for Heatherton Hills Private School."

As we approached the school a police presence was doing its best to hold back the media who sensed a story.

As we pulled up, and while six big strong police constables kept the media at bay an attractive looking female constable stuck her head in after I wound down the window. Recognising us she waved the taxi through saying, "Detective Brewer and Constable Parker are waiting for you."

We stepped out of the cab and up to the waiting Detective Brewer and constable Janine Parker who were with a middle-aged man wearing a severe black suit and a very unhappy expression. Around us dozens of students who had been milling around curiously suddenly became extremely excitable at the sight of Lucy James, although I was sure I heard a couple of young girls ask 'isn't he that guy from the bowling, you know the one with the big... '

I didn't get to hear the young girl finish because the man with the black suit and the unhappy expression chose that time to stand so close to me that he was almost treading on my toes. "My name is Myron Fitzgibbon and I am the headmaster, I presume that you are Justin Robertson?" When I nodded he continued, choosing, very rudely I thought, to ignore Lucy James. "Well I hope you are pleased with yourself because you have succeeded in completely disrupting my day, the day of this school, its faculty and our three hundred and twenty students."

I rested my left hand Lucy James's shoulder as I stared at the headmaster who I had taken an instant dislike to. "Mr. Fitzgibbon, I'd like you to meet Lucy James."

I waited for him to acknowledge her, which he did grudgingly before I looked him in the eye. "You are a heartless man headmaster. Marion Jackson was raped and beaten senseless last Friday afternoon by, I suspect, two of your students and yet to you it is nothing more than an inconvenience."

"Yes well ... I mean of course I feel sorry for Marion but..." He didn't get a chance to finish because a lot of the students milling around us began to make a lot of noise as they let headmaster Myron Fitzgibbon know exactly what they thought of him.

Detective Brewer and Constable Parker chose that moment to lead us to the rear of the auditorium where Marion Jackson and her parents Eric and Rosemary were waiting. They each had an arm around her and they all appeared to be getting along well.

Lucy and I walked up and we each took one of her hands. "Are you still all right with this Marion?" I asked.

She smiled bravely. "I think so."

"Good." And Lucy and I and the Jacksons followed Detective Brewer and Constable Parker to the side of the stage where we waited while they moved onto the stage and behind Myron Fitzgibbon who was already standing at the microphone.

"Fellow members of the faculty and students I'm sure you are well aware of the incident involving one of our female students last Friday afternoon, that is why the police are in attendance. However I'm sure that, like me, you are a little bemused as to what a young English pop star has to do with this whole sorry episode," he managed a smile, "though I'm quite sure Detective Brewer will explain," and he stepped back and allowed the detective to step to the microphone.

John Brewer adjusted the microphone, took a breath, looked over the whole student body and turned to the headmaster and the rest of the faculty before facing the students again. "'An incident' Mr. Fitzgibbon calls it. A 'sorry episode' he says. Last Friday afternoon one of your female students, Marion Jackson, was raped repeatedly before she was brutally assaulted until she was unconscious, at which point she was left for dead!" There was an audible gasp from nearly every student. "And--" continued Detective Brewer "--it seems almost certain that two students from this school are responsible. And that is why a police medical team will be at this school for as long as it takes to get DNA samples from every male in this school both student and teacher. Oh, and while we're doing that we will also be examining the same student and teacher's lower stomachs."

The gasp changed to deathly silence as the students began to struggle with the fact that two of their own could be capable of such an act. But then the murmur started and turned into a dull roar as the students began to voice their disbelief.

He held up his hands and the noise of the students gradually quietened down. "Firstly though I would like to take an unusual and somewhat controversial course of action and hand you over to a young man who has spent all of the last four evenings at the hospital with Marion Jackson."

I turned to Marion as Detective Brewer approached us. "Marion, that guy you referred to as 'The Scorpion', what is his name?"

"Tony Carrizo, his girlfriend's name is Melody Scott Smythe."

"Tell me Marion," asked Detective Brewer, "does this Tony Carrizo have a temper when things don't go his way?"

"Yes he does have a reputation for losing it. Why?"

He smiled enigmatically. "Just a thought that's all."

"One more thing Marion," I said, "at those pool parties did this Paul Miller actually swim or did he find other things to do? What I mean is did you ever see this tattoo before last Friday afternoon?"

"No I didn't." She looked thoughtful for a second. "And come to think of it I can't ever remember seeing him go into the pool, he was usually too busy eating and drinking and doing ... er ... other things." She managed a half-smile. "Especially when mum and dad weren't around."

"Thanks. Now what I want you to do Marion is to point out to Lucy here where the four of them are sitting and who is who. Can you do that?"

She nodded. "Of course."

I watched Marion make the first of several indications before I walked onto the stage to complete silence, to an auditorium full of students anxiously awaiting developments. I quickly glanced through the whole room, even to the back of the stage, before I stepped up to the microphone. "I think every single one of you by now knows that with me at this school today is English pop sensation Lucy James, one of the most special people it has been my privilege to meet." There was a chorus of yeses, a lot of clapping and a number of screams from the students before they quietened down. "Now, hands up how many of you would drop whatever it is you were doing to come and see Miss James in this auditorium should she decide to give a concert on any week night or at the weekend."

The result was as I expected, the room was filled with students hands raised high. And when I turned I saw that even the teaching staff had their hands up which, I had to admit, was something of a surprise. I looked over the students and the faculty again. "Of course you would, I would as well, and I'm equally certain that Miss James would expect nothing less. Now your headmaster, Mr. Fitzgibbon, tells me that there are three hundred and twenty students at this school." I stopped for a second to allow that to sink in. "Now when you add to that somewhere around twenty-five members of the faculty and the large maintenance staff and various other people required to keep this school running you have a number probably in excess of three hundred and seventy five people." I stopped and mentally counted slowly to five. "So why is it then that of the three hundred and twenty students and some twenty-five members of the faculty who would sacrifice everything to see Lucy James not one of you took the time out to visit Marion Jackson in hospital?"

I waited for longer this time as the students turned to each other before finally turning to the teaching staff who were all seated behind me on the stage and in what seemed to be an equally bemused discussion. "Yes," I said finally, "a girl who was viciously raped, violently assaulted and, to all intents and purposes, left for dead received not one visitor in the six and a half days she was in hospital. Now, I guess you're all wondering why Lucy James--" and I waved her onto the stage "--is at this school, indeed is even in the country? Well I can tell you that she is not here for any concerts or to promote any new album. She is here for one reason and one reason only. Now while not one of you--" and I looked out over the students "--could take an hour out of your evening to visit one of your fellow students, Miss James here dropped everything.

"You see, As soon as Lucy James heard of Marion Jackson's plight from my girlfriend Vikki Thompson," I looked at Lucy and smiled, "she took the next available flight out of London. She flew more than twenty six hours, took a car straight to our house, took time out to freshen up and change and then visited with me at the hospital."

I looked around the students. "Okay, now that we've established priorities, or," I smiled grimly, "the lack of them, I'd like to change the subject completely. Now you may be surprised to know that not so many weeks ago I didn't have a girlfriend, indeed the friends I had you could probably count on two fingers. So when I did things like going to the cinema I usually went by myself." I grinned. "Which is fine as far as being able to concentrate on the film and the finer qualities of its production but is not so good when I, as I always do, want discuss the films merits or otherwise afterwards." I looked around the room. "You see us guys are like that. When we do something, when we enjoy something, when we experience something really pleasurable we want all of our friends to know it."

I purposely looked at most of the girls in the room. "Okay girls give me a show of hands, how many of you always hear about what these guys say when they talk about a date they may have had with a girl?" I smiled. "You know what I mean, how many times has it come back to you from another source exactly what happened, or maybe didn't even happen at all, on a date?"

I looked around the auditorium and saw almost a unanimous show of hands from the female students.

"Okay guys its your turn to put your hands up, or not," I said, "and be honest please. Now how many of you ever learn what all of these girls talk about when they get together, you know like during those times they go off to the bathroom and you just know that they're talking about you?" As I expected not one hand went up because it was indeed one of the world's anomalies. Girls could talk about their guys to any other girl and what she said would never get back to us. I glanced around the room again. "All right, I guess you're wondering what all of that has to do with what happened to Marion Jackson. Well I'm about to tell you."

I stepped to the back and indicated for Lucy to do the same. Into her ear I whispered, "Can you see the two guys?"

She took a look around the whole student body before she dragged me slowly from the back of the auditorium to the front. She looked at me and nodded as she softly said, "They both look as though butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. If they are disturbed by that threat of DNA tests and the stomach check they aren't showing it."

"Well we'll have to put a stop to that won't we?"

She laughed softly. "Go get 'em tiger."

Walking back to the microphone I cast a glance over the students. "Let me tell you one thing first. "No means NO! It doesn't matter how the girl is dressed, whether it is provocatively or conservatively. It also doesn't matter if the girl has been maybe flirting a little or not, at the end of the day the girl still has the right to say no."

I turned to my right and indicated for Marion to come out. When she did the sight of her brought the auditorium to silence until a ripple of applause turned into a standing ovation as Lucy came forward and put her right arm over her shoulder to stand her between the two of us. And then Lucy gave a tearful Marion a kiss on the cheek which started the applause that had almost died down going again.

I turned back to the students. "Two of the students in this school took the right to say NO away from Marion Jackson. However, they made one mistake for which they will pay!" I looked over the students again making a point not to look at any one student. "They didn't blindfold her! Oh they wore masks and thought that would be enough but, as I will prove to you, it wasn't." Once again I looked over the students before I said, "You remember I said that girls frequently discuss their boyfriends and that the boyfriend concerned will never know it. Well with that in mind I want to paint a picture for you from last Friday afternoon," I turned to Marion, "that is if it doesn't upset you?"

She tried to smile. "Whatever it takes Justin, if it helps catch them I can handle it."

Lucy looked at me and smiled. "Don't worry, Marion will be fine."

"Thanks Lucy now what row are the two guys in and where are they seated?"

"Fourth row back, right hand side. Anna Rowell is occupying the aisle seat, Paul Miller is on her right, Tony Carrizo is next to him and Melody Scott-Smythe is on his right."

Again I faced the students. "By the time that what I am about to describe takes place Marion here had already been stripped naked and raped vaginally by both of her attackers. That was when one of them decided to sit on her chest and force himself into her mouth." I looked around the room. "And that was when Marion here got the shock of her life. She recognised the tattoo on the lower stomach of the young man who was raping her mouth. What she saw was something that had been described to her by the rapists cheerleader girlfriend. You see this young man thought that because he wore a blindfold and because Marion had never seen him naked that she wouldn't recognise him. He never even stripped down to his bathers at the pool parties he attended at the Jackson household. But what he reckoned without was his girlfriend's natural willingness to talk about her boyfriend to her friends." This time I looked directly at Paul Miller. "Oh Marion might have blocked it out at first Paul but she eventually remembered your girlfriend Anna Sewell telling her about that tattoo of yours, that picture of a serpent with a tongue that points down towards your genital area."

I was all set to continue when Anna Sewell stood up and with tears streaming down her face and slapped him viciously. "YOU TOLD ME THEY CALLED A SPECIAL FOOTY PRACTICE!" she screamed before she ran out of the auditorium while the rest of the students looked on in stunned silence.

At that point a man who I presumed was the coach came down and said that there hadn't been and never would be football practice on a Friday afternoon. Paul Miller then tried to run for it but didn't get very far, a girl occupying the seat behind Anna Sewell's tripped him as he ran past her and by the time he got back to his feet two burly constables were all over him. However they didn't making any attempt to stop three girls from walking up and spitting on him.

Detective Brewer moved to the stage with Constable Parker and took the microphone from me. "Somehow I think that that tattoo and some of your DNA will be enough don't you Mr. Miller?" he said before Miller was taken to the back of the stage near where the faculty were seated. "Janine," he said as the two constables led him away, "why don't read Miller his rights. But when you do make sure to look at the young man four rows back and three seats in, then come back to me and whisper that you've read Miller his rights while taking another look at Mr. Carrizo."

After she disappeared the detective walked across to Marion. "So how are you holding up Marion?"

She smiled, more out of relief than anything else I think. "Better now." Then she looked at him a question in her eyes. "But what about the other one, will they have to go through all that DNA stuff to catch him?"

He smiled. "Oh I don't think so Marion," and at that point Janine Parker returned and quietly told him that she had read Miller his rights as she looked at Tony Carrizo.

I listened as Detective Brewer spoke into walkie-talkie he was carrying and watched as two constables took up a position next to where Anna Rowell had been seated. Detective Brewer then looked straight at Tony Carrizo. "Mr. Carrizo, if you would allow my two constables there to escort you to the stage I would be most grateful. It seems that you will be of considerable help in our enquiries."

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD MILLER!" screamed Carrizo. "YOU BIG FAT FUCKING DOBBING BASTARD!!" He stood up and tried to force his way past the rest of the students in his row but was quickly grabbed by one of the constables. "And anyway, raping that fucking bitch was your idea." He laughed hard. "Yeah cunt! You were the one that wanted to get back at her parents, I was just helping out."

Brewer quickly silenced the students as they tried to come to terms with the fact that two of their own had been responsible before turning his attention to Carrizo. "Oh I think you're being a little unfair Mr. Carrizo," said Detective brewer, "all my constable did was read Mr. Miller his rights. Oh but thank you for your confession in front of over three hundred of your fellow students and the entire teaching body." He turned to the headmaster. "Mr. Fitzgibbon I don't think we'll need to disrupt your day any longer."

After the students and teachers had disappeared to whatever lessons they had today and after several students had crowded around Marion to wish her all the best and to say how sorry they were two very tearful young ladies walked up to her a little hesitantly. Marion didn't hesitate though, she took Anna Rowell and Melody Scott-Smythe into her arms and hugged them to let them know that she knew what happened to her had nothing to do with them. However it was once they were gone that Marion produced a major surprise. She called her parents and the headmaster over as she took mine and Lucy's hand. "Mum, dad, Mr. Fitzgibbon sir, after what happened to me and with all of the students knowing what those two ba ... After what those two did to me I don't think I can, I don't think I want to, go to this school again." She looked to me and gripped my hand tightly. "I think if it was possible I would like to go to the same school as Justin."

Three pairs of eyes looked at me in shock before they turned back to Marion. As for Lucy, she just smiled.

First to speak was her mother. "Are you sure Marion? Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?"

She smiled. "Yes mum, a new school means new friends and--" she looked at me "--it also means I'll be at the same school as Justin and just knowing that he and all of his friends will be there can only help."

"Honey, I don't know whether that'll be possible."

"From this end I will do everything I can Mrs. Jackson, but I of course I can't say for young Justin's school." The headmaster turned to me. "What do you think young man?"

I smiled. "I think that my headmaster is an extremely reasonable man and that he will bend over backwards to help a young lady as deserving as Marion. As a matter-of-fact I'm going to my school now, if you would free her from school today I think I would be able to introduce her and, of course, her parents to Mr. Robinson my headmaster."

The headmaster smiled. "I think under the circumstances that's the least I can do."

"Thank you Mr. Fitzgibbon," said her father before turning to me. "Justin, the police are going to escort us to our car, we'll meet you at the front entrance."

I watched them go and I was just about to find out from Lucy what she wanted to do when Detective Brewer came up to looking a little concerned. "Is anything wrong Detective Brewer?"

"Well maybe, maybe not. But I think I should warn you that Tony Carrizo's father is Frank Carrizo who I have just now found out is strongly suspected of being heavily involved with Melbourne's gangland, most notably a crime boss by the name of Manny Danicci! Justin, from what little I know of the Melbourne underworld, and I admit it's not my area, these are vicious men who care very much for their family, and they won't take kindly to the thought of one of their lieutenant's son's facing a jail term. In fact I'd go so far as to say that it won't be safe for anybody they consider to be responsible for such an outcome. I think Justin, that we will have to start thinking seriously about protection for you and your family and friends."

That was all I needed to hear. Somehow what Rick Mason and his followers had attempted to do faded into insignificance when compared to these potential threats. What had I let my family and friends in for! Then of course I had to ask myself if I would have done anything different, if my family and friends would have wanted me to do it any differently. The answer of course was that they wouldn't.

Once Detective Brewer and Constable Parker had gone on their way, and after Miller and Carrizo had been taken away, Lucy, who had been using her mobile, turned to me. "I've arranged for a limousine to pick up your mother and come here to pick me up." She grinned. "We're going to do some real shopping. Some place called Chapel Street in some suburb called South Yarra. Is the shopping any good there?"

"Best in Melbourne."

"That's good because I have that birthday present to buy." She moved closer gave me a kiss and hug, said she'd see me later and I was gone to join the Jacksons in their car as we made our way to my school.

"This is all highly irregular Justin, you know that. We are a month and a half into a new school year and students simply do not change schools, and yet here I am being asked to urgently consider the request by, not only you but also by Myron Fitzgibbon her headmaster at Heatherton Hills," said Brian Robinson, headmaster. He turned to Marion's parents, Marion and finally to me. "Justin, somebody needs to tell me exactly why it so urgent that Marion here changes schools."

I caught the briefest of nods before I took Marion's hand in mine. "Marion, before I ask for your permission to tell Mr. Robinson why you need to change schools let me tell you that you can absolutely trust Mr. Robinson." I looked at him briefly and saw the barest hint of a smile. "You can trust him both as principal and as a compassionate human being. And you can also trust that whatever is said will not leave this office." I looked to him for confirmation.