1969 - Ch. 01

"A master stroke Sir if I may say so, the way you drew it out and broke Jimmy into jumping the gun, fantastic Sir."

I smile at my number two. When you want an ass licker, Tom is always there.

Bob Sibley has been in the witness box for couple minutes. A former resident of the Glory Care Home, for the rich, and it seems the unbelievably fucking stupid.

"So Bob, did Cinder," shit that is what happens when you get bored listening to a cretin, "Mrs Stone, offer you any sexual treats?"

He smiles up at her, with his fat greasy face and grey unkempt hair. 24 stone or there about of vile skin, fat, and bone.

He nods, "Yeah, and she got one alright. She came in my room in that little short uniform. I asked her to open my window. She stood up on the chair next to my bed. The chair was right next to my pillow. I was laying there looking up her dress. I could see everything. Those little knickers she wears," he licks his lips and can't take his grinning eyes off her.

I have to stop this and calm him down; he is reliving it with too much fondness, and is likely to say the wrong thing.

"I got my hand up her dress. I had to stretch right up to touch her panties. She loved it."

I look at Cinderella; she is slowly shaking her head. Jimmy is silent for some reason. Maybe I'll let it ride a little further.

She tried getting my hand down, but she couldn't."

"Your Worship, may I have a word before this goes any further?"

Jimmy is by my side, as I whisper to the judge.

"Your Worship, I think we need a little delicacy here, Mr Sibley seems to be confused."

"Confused Mr Harrington-Brown? I'd say so. Did you prep your witness Mr Harrington-Brown?"

"Not personally Your Worship, much to my dismay. I fear he is a little bemused by the proceedings. Perhaps we should discount his evidence?"

"Your Worship, if I may say, I am very interested in hearing what Mr Sibley has to say."

I look at Jimmy wondering what the hell he has on Bob Sibley, ordinarily Jimmy or someone more experienced than Jimmy, would certainly jump at the chance to get rid of a witness for the opposition.

"In the interest of justice Your Worship, I'm sure it would be prudent."

Very clever Jimmy, throwing that line always does the trick.

"Agreed, Mr Harrington-Brown, please continue, but I'm clearing the courtroom. I don't want this turning into a circus."

Bob Sibley is one useful witness, if only he can stop reliving his own pleasure in the courtroom, but I am fretting over what he is likely to say.

The judge bangs his gavel and the court is cleared of members of the public, and the one reporter from the local press. I know the judge wants to get all the dirty little details, and bending the rules to such an end, might have been noticed by the reporter.

On my way back to the witness I see how Bob Sibley just grins at Mrs Stone. I knew he was a slight risk, but the word, slight, now seems to have changed to huge!

"Bob before we go any further, did you mistake what Mrs Stone was trying to do, was she not in fact, directing your hand to a certain place on her panties?"

Jimmy objects to me leading the witness. So I rephrase the question.

Bob Sibley coughs, suddenly coming back to earth, and away from some fantasy place about him being all alone with Mrs Stone.

"Yeah that's what she did. I put my hand on her foot, and circled her ankles. Then I went higher up her leg and she pushed my hand on her...on her sex."

"You liar!"

"Mrs Stone, please don't interrupt."

I watch Jimmy's number two nod slightly at Mrs Stone.

"She tumbled to the bed and we had sex."

"Mr Sibley, please wait to be asked."

"Sorry Judge, but it is true."

"He raped me!"

"Mrs Stone, you'll have your chance later on, one more outburst and I'll have to ask you to leave the room. Continue please Mr Harrington-Brown."

I nod at the judge knowing I've got my work cut out with Bob fucking Sibley. I stand in the way blocking Bob's view of Mrs Stone.

"Bob please answer my questions and reframe from any comments. How did the sex come about?"

"She was hot, ready for it, she asked me to rip her tights and knickers off."

I hear her gasp behind me but there is no outburst.

"Bob we have to be clear on this, did Mrs Stone invite you to rip her underwear off, and have sexual intercourse with her?"

Jimmy is objecting, but luckily for me the judge is a right pervert, and wants to hear more for his own satisfaction.

"Yeah, it wasn't like she said at all. So that's what I did, ripped those flimsy knickers and tights off, and I gave it to her good and proper."

"Mr Sibley this is very important, Did Pauline Stone, at any time, ask you to stop?"

"No, she asked for it, and she got it, if she had of asked me to stop, well, women shouldn't change their minds halfway through. It's not fair on a guy, getting them excited and then..."

"...Bob, at any point did Mrs Stone scream for help?"

"No, she only started struggling when she noticed Ms Appleby in the room. But Ms Appleby had been in the room for two minutes. I had seen her come in. Ms Appleby was rigid with shock, and by that time I was getting to the point of no return."

I turn to the judge knowing what he is going to ask.

"Ms Appleby will be heard from later Your Worship. No further questions."

Bob Sibley goes to step down, but the judge tells him he has a few more questions to answer.

"Why did you leave the Glory Care Home, Mr Sibley?" Jimmy asks.

"Because I didn't have any money left to pay for it, and she only sucked up to the richer class."

I watch Jimmy shuffle through his papers before asking anything else.

"What's he got on Bob, Tom?"

"Damned if I know Sir?"

"At the start of your questioning Mr Sibley, you suggested Mrs Stone targeted the richer upper class in the Glory Care Home. You told the court how you saw, several times, her not reacting to a pat or pinch on the bottom. Also you say when you tried it, she objected."

"Well she didn't like me touching her. She didn't mind me looking though; she's like that, up and down the stairs, and flashing it all when she bends over, like a right trollop. But then she changed, she wanted it."

"Pray tell me Mr Sibley, how do you expect the jury to suddenly believe she changed her mind, and wanted sex with you? You said at first she was trying to get your hand down, and then after Mr Harrington-Brown suggested, in a rather amateurish way, she was pulling your hand up to her, on her, sex."

"I don't know why, but women are like that always changing their minds."

"Mr Sibley it was a warm night wasn't it?"

"Yes, very warm for the time of year."

"And that was why you wanted her to open the window?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"So it was nothing to do with looking up Mrs Stone's uniform?"

"What? You're confusing me."

"You have looked up Mr Stone's uniform on numerous occasions haven't you? In fact you would wait around at the bottom of the staircase for her to go up or come down."

"Your Worship, this is wasting the court's valuable time, where is Mr Spratt going with this?"

"Yes move it along Mr Spratt."

"You are fixated with Mrs Pauline Stone aren't you? She is a very attractive young woman, and I'm sure that's why you pushed your hand up her skirt, and forced yourself on her."

"Your Worship, I really must object, there is no evidence that Mr Sibley forced himself on Mrs Stone. It is his word against hers, and quite frankly Mrs Stone has a record of sexual favours with the residents. There is nothing to suggest that she was raped. No report to the police."

"Your Worship, Mr Harrington-Brown is quite right, there is no report to the police, but however, there was a report filed at the care home. Unfortunately the report has been destroyed, in a fire in the care home office some weeks ago."

I stand up, "Your Worship that is unfortunate, does anyone know how the fire started Mr Spratt?"

"A cigarette was left burning in the office. It would appear on that very report, Mr Harrington-Brown."

"Gentlemen, please. Mr Spratt, why are we talking about a report which does not exist? Please would you hurry along a little?"

I turn to my number two, "Do you smoke Tom?"

"No Sir, but Ms Appleby does."

I grin at Tom. He is getting better at telling me things which I shouldn't know.

"Your Worship, in the report it was suggested Mr Sibley move to another care home, because of the assault on Mrs Stone, and a week later that is what happened."

"Your Worship, if we don't have the report, how can Mr Spratt say for certain what it contained?"

"Yes, Mr Spratt, there is no report so we shouldn't assume what was in it."

Jimmy looks at the judge, I watch his jaw tighten, trying to keep calm. He turns over two pages set in front of him, which I suggest contains more questions about the report which he cannot now use.

"Mr Sibley you're what 24, 26 stone, you forced yourself on Mrs Stone, pinned her to the bed, ripped her tights and panties off and forced yourself on her."

I'm on my feet, but I can see that look in Bob's eye as he stares at the blushing Cinderella.

"Look, I just wanted what Frank Taylor was getting off her. She drives men like us crazy in there."

"Mr Sibley, are you saying, you forced her to have sexual intercourse with you? "

Bob is getting agitated, and Jimmy has asked the question in such a way that I can't object. I dig Tom in the ribs and whisper to him. He starts his coughing fit, which we have done once in the past. It stops the court for a few minutes, as was our intention. In that time I manage eye contact with Bob Sibley, and give him a little, calm down gesture. The judge is annoyed that my number two has stopped proceedings. Jimmy is shaking his head with a knowing grin on his face.

Finally we are ready to resume.

"Mr Sibley, won't you just admit the real reason you left the Glory Care Home was to do with the sexual harassment of others, as well as Mrs Stone, and not just for financial reasons?"

"That's not true. Anyway I said I was sorry to her in the end, but only because they told me to."

Jimmy looks at me with a little look of satisfaction on his face.

"Oh that was nice of you Mr Sibley. Of course if you hadn't of raped her you wouldn't need to say sorry. "

"I didn't rape her, I was saying sorry because she changed her mind half way through, well when she noticed Ms Appleby. It wasn't that bad and she's okay. I didn't want to leave that place."

"And what you say lasted 20 minutes in reality lasted barely 10 minutes, probably nearer 5 than 10?"

"Oh no, she had it for longer than that."

"And Ms Appleby was in the room for just a matter of seconds, before she took action. Isn't that so Mr Sibley?"

"Are you saying I can't keep it up? I tell you she got what she wanted, and before you suggest anything, I put my hand over her mouth to stop her shouting about how she was enjoying it. She did, she loved it."

The judge is banging his gavel.

Thinking of that lump of lard, raping poor Cinderella has me feeling quite disgusted.

"Sir, Sibley's lost it. I told you he was too big a risk."

"All she objected to was me kissing that pretty little mouth of hers. I couldn't stand it listening to her and Frank Taylor in the next room giggling every night."

They are trying to get him out of the witness stand, as he leers at Mrs Stone, and then curls his tongue at her. I nudge Tom and tip my head in the direction of the stunned Mrs Stone.

"Tom, if you were Mrs Stone right now, wouldn't you have a few more tears? She's upset, but I think young Jimmy over there told her what to expect. He knew Sibley would lose it.

"My god Sir, I think you are right!"

"She deserved it, the fucking tart. Couldn't get me off could you bitch. Oh no, I was there for 20 minutes before they dragged me off you. 20 minutes and that's no lie, having that sweet pussy, and then coming over your belly as they pulled me off!"

I nudge Tom and he is off to the corridor to make a phone call.

The judge has adjourned for the rest of the day, while everyone cools off. I'm still sat here starting to rethink things. Jimmy knew what had happened, and obviously he was told by Cinderella. Is Jimmy not the hopeless kid I had him down as? Tom called him Spratt the Pratt, but I'm thinking otherwise. And her, Mrs Pauline Stone, if she can relive the details of taking a 20 minute, or nearer 5 minute fucking which seems the more likely, by elephant man, and sits there looking a little too calm and collected, with the odd outburst thrown in for the jury, what am I up against?

"Who fucked up Tom?"

"Catherine sir, should I tell her to get her coat?"

"No Tom, this will be my pleasure."

I blunder in to my offices still seething over what went down an hour ago.

She sits there with those fucking awful fake pearls round her scrawny little neck.

"I'm really sorry Sir. I don't know how it happened. Mr Sibley was really quite difficult he wasn't concentrating, he was, well leering at me a lot of the time."

I grab her arm and yank her out of the chair.

"You're fired you incompetent little bitch!"

"But Sir, I tried my best, it won't happen again!"

"You're fucking right there," I hiss at her.

I march her to the door, open it, and shove her out, throwing her coat in a handy puddle.

"Sir she was..."

"...Fucking useless that's what she was. The next time I hire a pair of tits, slap me round the face Tom."

"Yes Sir, shall I search for a replacement?"

"If you can manage it Tom, and try to find someone who knows which side we're on. Not like her, and that fucking bra burning bitch before her!"

"Sir you should calm down, you'll have a heart attack."

I stop dead in my tracks, my eyes narrow and Tom takes a step back.

"Tom, get the rest of our witnesses in here, we are going to go over their statements again, and prep them ourselves, you and me."

"But Sir it's nearly 3 o'clock."

"Tom this case is getting bigger and bigger. It isn't about whether she did or didn't jerk him off causing a heart attack to get the money anymore, it is about me winning. Get that Appleby woman in here first, do you get the message?!"

He scuttles off leaving me. Once again I'm wondering just how far Mrs Pauline Stone will go to get her dirty little hands on all that money.

Pauline.

My husband has been sleeping on a bed in the dinning room since his accident, and I wait on him hand and foot, like any wife would. My younger half sister Gloria looks after him while I'm working.

As I walk down the path I hear her giggle. I stop and look through the window. Through the net curtains I can just make out my husband's hand on her hip. Gloria is bending over him. Her face seems to be inches from his. She giggles again.

I go in the house and into the room. She looks over her shoulder at me with a grin on her face. I swallow and look at my husband's hand still on her hip. She looks down to see what I'm staring at, but she doesn't move away.

"Hello big sister."

I watch my husband's hand pat her backside, and then she moves away. She straightens up and picks a bowl off the bed.

"I'm just giving Barry a shave," she says mischievously.

She takes the bowl into the kitchen.

"I said I'd do that tonight for you."

"Gloria offered," he says watching my face.

"Offered?"

He doesn't answer for a moment he just stares at me. I turn away and his words stop me in my tracks, "Yes Pauline, I asked her, and she offered."

I close my eyes for a second, and then go to the kitchen.

"What's this?" I say as my eyes spot a few empty beer bottles."

"Barry wanted a few beers to watch the moon landing with. I took the money out of the tin in the cupboard."

"That's the rent money. We can't afford to buy beer."

"God sis, I only took three quid."

He's on drugs it doesn't mix with alcohol," I hiss.

"Keep your knickers on," she says and then smiles.

"Why are you grinning?"

She walks up to me.

"My Dad always says that about you. He says, Pauline should have kept her knickers on, and she wouldn't be in the mess she is. Still you'll be rich soon, and you won't give a fuck about us."

"That's not true."

"So why the big melt down over a few quid for the beers?"

"It's the rent money."

"Get a life sis, I'm off, oh I've borrowed a few quid from the rent tin too, Bar said it was alright."

"How much?!" I shriek.

"Just a fiver, God chill out."

She goes out the door calling goodbye to my husband on the way.

"You shouldn't be drinking, and you used the rent money."

"Pauline, look I wanted to watch the moon landing with a couple of beers. It's a historic moment, the first man walking on the moon."

"I don't know why they spent all that money on that."

"They didn't want the Russians getting there first."

"What does it matter who gets there first? It's an expensive thing to do just to say they were first."

"Christ you're in fucking mood."

I slump to the chair next to my husband and cry, "I've had a tough day in court."

"Fuck what's up with you, we'll be rich soon."

"It's not guaranteed."

"It'll be fine, Pauline we'll be fine, as long as you get the money."

There it is again, forgiveness depends on me getting the money.

"Pauline, you had better get changed Cox will want the rent paying. He'll be here in half an hour, and put a fucking smile on your face for him."