‘Hello, you two,’ said Val as they reached the table. ‘I didn’t think you’d want to join the queue so I ordered your usual drinks.’
‘Thanks,’ Cheryl said as she took the proffered Cola from the tray, and passed sparkling orange to Paula.
‘Thanks, Val,’ Paula said as she sat down, immediately sucking on the straw.
It struck Cheryl that they looked an odd gathering. There was Paula, the youngest at twenty-two, her clothes as usual dowdy and dark. In complete contrast, Val was beautifully dressed in cream linen worn with amber beads. Beside her Betty looked old-fashioned in a plain navy skirt and prim white blouse, a cameo fastened at the neck, all topped by tight curly hair that was threaded with grey. Then there’s me, Cheryl thought, Miss Wholesome, in her flowery summer dress and skin she knew would be turning an unflattering pink in the heat. Val suddenly leaned forward, saying quietly, ‘Betty told me on the way here that she’d like to join us.’
‘Blimey, that’s great,’ Paula enthused.
‘I must admit it wasn’t an easy decision. I tossed and turned all night.’
Cheryl nodded. ‘I can understand that, and you do know the risks?’
‘Yes, but as Val said, they’re minimal.’
Val’s eyes flicked to the other tables, and when she was satisfied that they couldn’t be overheard, she said, ‘Betty, you’ve heard what happened to us, but Cheryl and Paula don’t know what you’ve been through.’
‘Oh, I … I thought you’d have told them.’
‘I wouldn’t do that without your permission. Do you think you could talk about it again?’
Cheryl saw how Betty paled, her voice hesitant at first but gaining in confidence. As she listened, it sickened Cheryl that Betty’s husband had been so cruel. All right, he might have fallen out of love with his wife and met someone else, but there was no excuse for moving his girlfriend into their home and forcing Betty out. Then, to make things worse, he had virtually robbed Betty, conniving to make sure that she came out of a marriage of over twenty years with hardly a penny.
When Betty stopped speaking, Paula was the first to respond. ‘Blimey, what a bastard. Oops, sorry.’
‘It’s all right, Paula,’ said Cheryl. ‘I think that hearing about Betty’s husband is enough to make a saint swear.’
Val smiled. ‘We’re glad you’ve agreed to join us, Betty, but there’s one proviso. Once we start, there’s no pulling out. As I said, we’ll take one case at a time, starting with Paula. Once we’ve pulled that one off, we’ll have a talk to see who’s next.’
Betty straightened her shoulders, her voice resolute. ‘I won’t pull out.’
‘Right, then there’s no reason why we shouldn’t get started. We’ll need to plan every last detail but, as we don’t want it known that there’s any connection between us, from now on we must make sure that we aren’t seen together.’
‘Val,’ protested Betty, ‘how are we supposed to do that when we live in the same block of flats?’
‘You’ve been living in Ascot Court for a while, but we’ve only met recently. Have you met any of the other tenants?’
‘No, I hardly see them.’
‘Well then, as long as they don’t see us going into each other’s flats, and we stay apart when outside, it won’t be a problem. Cheryl, until we’re ready to put the plan into action, we’ll talk mostly on the telephone.’
‘What about me?’ Paula asked.
‘You’ll have to stay away from all of us until it’s over.’
‘Oh, but—’
‘No “buts,” Paula. When we start on the next case, for instance, Cheryl’s, you’ll be involved, but she won’t. If this is to work, we must stick to the rules.’
‘Will … will I be able to talk to you all on the blower?’
‘Yes, I should think that’s safe, but make sure you don’t discuss our plans if you can be overheard.’
‘Val, I’m still not sure I can pull off my part,’ Cheryl said. ‘I mean, look at me. I hardly look the type that attracts men and I’m not sure that the police will believe me.’
‘Of course they will. You look so innocent, and as a nurse they’ll have no reason to doubt you, especially with Betty and me as witnesses.’
‘What … what if they want to examine me?’
‘You know what happened to Paula when she reported her rape. She was told that for an examination to be of any use it has to be done immediately, before any evidence is lost. The plan covers that and, as you’re willing to have a few bruises, that should suffice.’
Cheryl lowered her eyes, doubts still flooding her mind. When it had just been talk, the planning hadn’t really seemed real, but now the full force of what they intended to do made her stomach clench in fear. If the police found out she wasn’t telling the truth, they were sure to prosecute, and her career would be in ruins. ‘Oh, God, I don’t know if I can do it.’
‘Cheryl, there’s no way the police will suspect that we’ve set Ian Parker up; after all, why should they? We’ll appear three strangers, one a woman who has been raped, the other two witnesses who happened upon the scene.’
‘But other than your door numbers, you’ll both have the same address. Don’t you think that’ll look suspicious?’
Val frowned but, thinking on her feet, she said, ‘We can say that it happened in the park, that Betty and I saw it from our windows.’
‘Yes, good idea,’ Betty enthused. ‘We’ve both got a good view so it would be perfectly plausible. My goodness, I’m actually starting to enjoy this.’
‘I’m glad somebody is,’ Cheryl said. ‘I just wish I could say the same.’
‘You’ll be fine – we’ll all be fine and Ian Parker will be behind bars where he belongs.’
‘I bleedin’ well hope so,’ said Paula. ‘I don’t think I’ll rest until he is. Every time I leave my bedsit I’m terrified I’ll see him.’
Cheryl looked at Paula, saw the distress in her eyes, along with the way her hands shook as she lit yet another cigarette. In the short time they’d been there she had already smoked two and her racking cough was worrying. Paula was drinking heavily too, and though Cheryl had tried to talk to her about it, she insisted it helped her to sleep. The rape haunted her, had turned her into a recluse, and with a sigh Cheryl knew that she couldn’t back out now. For Paula to have any chance of recovery, Ian Parker had to be punished. ‘All right, I’m on, and I’m sorry for my last-minute nerves.’
‘It’s understandable,’ Betty said. ‘I know I said I’m excited, but I’m nervous too.’
Cheryl smiled gratefully, comforted to know that she wasn’t alone in her feelings. ‘What about you, Val? Are you nervous?’
‘Of course I am. I’d be mad not to be; so much so that we must ensure that not one tiny thing can go wrong. To start with, when we make our accusation, we have to make sure that Ian Parker can’t offer up an alibi.’
Cheryl felt reassured as she listened to Val. She was such a clever woman and, with input from all of them, the plan should be watertight. Cheryl just hoped that she’d be able to play her part convincingly. If she couldn’t persuade the police that she’d been raped, the plan would fall at the first hurdle.
Paula’s eyes darted from side to side, praying that Val and the others would succeed. Along with her fear of bumping into Ian Parker, there was hate too. She had seen