Monica. Ch19.

Anne and Dave fall out.

Chapter 19

When I saw the car behind my taxi I panicked a little. Maybe it was my stalker or maybe not, but I couldn’t take the chance. I told the taxi driver that a car was following us and asked if he could lose it. I was quite surprised at how quickly he managed to lose him. When I got home and paid the driver I offered him a pound reward for losing the Cortina. I thought he would refuse it, but he didn’t. Oh, well.

         Anne called round and said she had some news. We went up to my bedroom and I wondered what she was going to say.

         “It all went off tonight,” she said. “Apparently, Dave has been having it off with his mate Jeff’s girlfriend, Sue. You remember, Sue? She was at the little pre-engagement party at my house?”

         “Oh yes, I remember her all right.”

         “Anyway, I was having a bit of a kiss and cuddle in their passage with Jeff while Sue was taking a bath and we were caught by Sue’s mother. She called out to Sue and she went crazy, flew out from the bathroom in her gown and started bashing him about. Jeff got out into the street just as Dave turned up and they started arguing with Dave accusing Jeff of going out with me, bloody cheek.”

         “Yes, isn’t it," I said. "Even though we both know that it's true."

         "It's still a bloody cheek splurting it out in the street."

         "I still don't understand why you got involved with Jeff. You have never been one to mess around."

         "My outlook on life changed when Eddie did the dirty on me. Anyway Dave and Jeff started fighting in the street. Knocking eight bells out of each other they were. I wanted to stop and watch but thought it best just to slip away back to my Mum and Dad’s house until it all calmed down.”

         “So are you and Dave finished?”

         “No, I am pregnant aren’t I? We had a blazing row but I denied going out with Jeff and I think he believes he believes me.”

         “It’s almost the same with me,” I said.

         “What, are you pregnant?”

         “Goodness, no. I mean me and Alan have had a row. He has been paying much too much attention to that new girl student at the karate club.”

         “Well, why don’t you start flirting with one of the lads there? Give him some of his own medicine?”

         My mother ended the conversation by calling up the stairs. “Anne, there is a man called Dave here. He’s come to take you home to save you walking in the dark.”

         “Right, I’m off then. I’ll catch up with you in the week and let you know what happens.”

******

         Although I was trying to behave as normal, my friends and family could tell I was upset and depressed over the break up with Alan. I felt devastated feeling that Alan had not supported me in the bar and I wondered if I could ever forgive him. I was also unhappy about hastily ending my karate training and was giving some thought to finding another club. Even my work at The Burger Bar gave me no relief and I felt put-upon now Anne had quit. But worst of all I knew that the stalker was out there and it was starting to get to me: starting to wear me down. I seemed to be nervous a lot of the time and checking all around me when I was in the street. A car pulling up, someone walking behind me and other little things would make me go into a panic. I lay in bed sometimes crying. Why was he doing this to me? It seems neither my family, my friends, or the police could do anything to stop him.

         I was sitting in the living room with my parents watching a news program on the television. It was a strange and uncomfortable atmosphere for them because I would usually be at the karate club on Tuesdays with Alan. A report came on the news about the shooting in Scarborough.

         "That's terrible," my mother said. "A young couple out on a date, shot and wounded for no reason."

         "Yeah, that was last week. Anne told me about it. They haven't caught him yet then?"

         "He'll get caught soon," my father said. "They said some people saw him driving away. A middle-aged man driving a dark blue Cortina. Look they've put on a picture of a similar car."

         "That's like the car that..." A shiver of fear ran through my body. "Surely, surely it can't be the same man that's been pestering me, can it?"

         "I shouldn't think so. Scarborough's miles away." The telephone began ringing. We all looked at each other without speaking. It was only a moment, but our thoughts were the same for that instant.

         "I'll get it," my father said and he began to rise from his chair.

         "It's all right, it'll be for me," I said and I rushed across to answer the call.

         "Monica, Monica, don't hang up."

         I looked at my parents. "It's Alan." My parents smiled, a smile of relief and happiness; relief that it was not the heavy breather and happiness because they were probably hoping I would patch up my differences with Alan. Both my parents liked Alan and I had not told them why we had broken up.

         "Monica, please come training on Thursday. If you don't want to go out with me then fine, but everyone misses you. I'll make it up to you I promise I will. I know now how stupid and thoughtless I was, but I've been really down in the dumps since you walked away from me. Please, Monica, please try to forgive me."

         "Have you thrown her out of the club?"

         "You don't have to worry about her at all, but you gave her a severe black eye. It might cause complications if I ban her from the club before it clears up."

         I put the receiver down and walked back to my chair aware of the disappointed looks from my parents. As I sat down the telephone began to ring again and I rushed across the room and snatched up the receiver. "Look, Alan, if you don't stop ringing me, I'll report you to the police." But then I went quiet as the fire drained from my face and I knew by the laughter, it was not Alan.

         "Hello, Monica, have you missed me? I have some wonderful news for you, but I can't tell you until we're alone together again."

         My heart sank, I felt a sickness in my stomach and my hands began to tremble. "How the hell did you get this number?"

         "Hang up, hang up," my mother shouted.

         "Oh mummy wants you to hang up, maybe I should hang your mummy up."

         "I said, how did you get my number?"

         "It's on your dial you silly girl, look, right in front of you." He gave another laugh. "I see your parents have changed the locks now, but I can still get in. I can visit you any time I want. Next time, I'll wake you with a kiss. We'll both be naked and…"

         "How was your holiday by the way?" I interrupted.

         "Holiday!" he said, slightly startled that I had taken control of the conversation.

         "Yes, your holiday in Scarborough." There was silence then he hung up.

         My father grabbed the handset. "Let me speak to him."

         "No, Joe, you'll only make him worse."

         "It's all right, he's gone," I said. "He's put the phone down on me, he's actually put the phone down on me. As soon as I mentioned Scarborough he hung up."

         My father shook his head. "Surely it couldn't be him."

         "Where's that number," I said. "Where's that policewoman's number?"

         "In the top drawer," my mother said. I hurried across to the sideboard and took out the slip of paper. I tried to dial the number, but my hands were shaking, and my mother took hold of my arms. "Darling, calm down, here let me do it."

         "What if it is him, Mum? What if he's a murderer? He's got a gun, he's gonna kill me, Mum, I know he is." I began sobbing. "Why? Why, Mum? Why me?"

         My mother seemed almost as distressed as me because she was unable to stop the man from getting at me. She gave me a comforting cuddle while my father telephoned the number on the slip. "Hello, can I speak to WPC Oakes," he said. There was a bit of a delay before the conversation continued. "No, it must be her." Again there was a pause. "If she is not available right now, can you tell her that it's urgent. She knows my daughter and she knows the problem." He gave the officer the details and then put the receiver down and looked at me. "Tomorrow, but if you want to speak to someone else they can get someone here tonight if I ring them back."

         "No, I'll wait, I don't want to go through all the same questions again."

* * * * *

         WPC Oakes was there when I returned from work the next day. She had always shown the greatest desire to catch the man who was pestering me and was eager to hear any information that may help her to reach that goal. "Your mum tells me you think he may be the suspect from Scarborough."

         "Yes, but I suppose my imagination might have caused me to panic when I heard the news report. I suppose you think that I'm wasting your time again?"

         "I've never thought that, Monica. Whether it's the same man or not, I'll still do all I can to stop him from harassing you. So he has a blue Cortina the same as the suspect in Scarborough. When did you see him in the car?"

         "A couple of times. I've seen him a couple of times."

         The officer looked at me and shook her head. "You really should have told me, Monica. You should have called me straight away." The officer gave a deliberate sigh. "But never mind, I'm here now. So can you remember any of the number plate?"

         "No, but one of your policemen chased him for jumping the traffic lights. I think he might have given him a ticket."

         "I hope he did. Because if he did then we can find out for sure who owns the car and then we've got him." The officer gave a smile of satisfaction "Can you remember when it was?"

         "I'm not sure, three or four weeks ago."

         "Can you be a bit more specific, it's very important. The date or even what day of the week it was?"

         "It was in the week, Tuesday, or Wednesday. It was the day I finished at the restaurant. It was Wednesday, I started at The Burger Bar the next day and I remember it made me late for karate."

         The officer looked in her diary. "Was it the third of October, that's four weeks ago today?"

         "No, my friend Anne had her engagement party on the thirteenth. It was only a few days before."

         "The tenth, the tenth of October, that's three weeks ago today"

         "That's right, Monica," my mother said. "I remember you starting that new job, it was three weeks ago."

         "And the police car chased him after he ran through a red traffic light."

         "Yes, but it wasn't a car, it was a police motorcyclist."

         "Good, I'll get right on that as soon as I get back to the station. Like I said, if he got a ticket then we'll find him, and if he has something to do with the incident in Scarborough then that'll be a bonus."

         "So how is the young couple in Scarborough?" My mother asked.

         "They're recovering at home, but I haven't heard how they're coping with the mental damage. They went through a horrific experience to say the least."

         "And the man," I said. "Did they give a description of the man."

         "Not really, it was dark and they were being shot at. The girl saw him running off and just said he seemed to be big built. But the car, two people saw the car speeding away. It was definitely a dark blue Cortina with one occupant, a middle-aged man." She smiled at me. " I've got a good feeling about this, Monica, I really have."

Monica. Ch20.  (18+) Monica joins the karate club where Eddie trains. #1998234 by Bruce.