Anytime Girl

Not exactly the positive response I was hoping for, but time would tell, I asked about my wife and he said curtly, "She does not want to see you at the moment, but I'll tell her that you asked to see her!" I asked about my assault in the cell and he said, "It appears that the CCTV in the cell corridor was malfunctioning at the time and the Duty Sergeant swears your injuries occurred when you fell down the stairs on the way to the cells. I don't think you have any chance of getting redress on this unless he changes his tune!"

I knew right then that I was fucked! The Police had closed ranks. As far as they were concerned, they had the guy that raped a senior officer's daughter and had gotten what I deserved. I was remanded in custody for two weeks and a transferred to Strangeways immediately after my appearance in Court. Marti came to see me during my second week banged up. She walked into the room and I was so pleased to see her that I started to weep. She was dressed conservatively in a skirt and blouse and any hope I had of receiving her support vanished when she spat at me, "You Bastard! How could you rape a young girl? Do you know she's in your daughter's class at school?"

My attempts at explaining my side of events was wasted, she didn't want to know, she had only come here to vent her fury on me. Clearly, she had decided and had become Judge, Jury and Executioner of my fate! "I've filed for divorce, you should be served any day and also had a restraining order put on you. You will not be permitted to come within a hundred metres on me or the children until this trial is over and if I get my way, you'll never see them again! Oh, and one last thing, the Ice Maiden has suffered a distinct thaw and the name has now been officially dropped!" With that said, she turned and strode out of the room as I watched her pretty backside through my tear filled eyes.

She didn't have to spell out to me what her last comment meant. It's signified the end of her rejecting the attentions of other men! I was angry, frustrated and ready to kill somebody or something. The thought of her and other men caused an anguish that made me very bitter. This anger put me on my guard and when one of the other inmates tried it on, I just lost it and nearly killed him before the guards pulled me off him. I earned a week in solitary for that and when I emerged, I found that I had no further problems on that side of things. I also got served with my divorce papers and my solicitor told me that she must have had them already prepared to act on them so quickly. The prosecution evidence against me was substantial. The thing that was shoved into my jacket turned out to be the girl's knickers and my skin had been found under her fingernails. On the plus side, the DNA recovered from her vagina was not mine, in fact they had two different samples of DNA from as yet unidentified males. It would also appear that the girl was not a virgin at the time of the assault!

At my second appearance in court, I was granted bail and the trial set for six week's time. I returned home, to my home town, not my home, if you understand what I mean. I was prohibited from venturing near that! I tried calling my daughters, but Marti refuse to let me speak to them and also refuse to discuss the issue of my pending trial with me. Unable to go home, I went to my brother's. He met me at the doorstep, but didn't invite me in, but at least spoke to me but said, "Martin, I sorry but I can't let you stay with us. Helen won't hear of it. She says she doesn't want a rapist in her home, especially with the children and all. I believe you when you claim your innocence, but Helen is adamant about it. We've had many arguments about this believe me and it has almost cost me my marriage as well. I can't allow you to be the cause of my marriage to fail!" I said I understood and turned to walk away, he grabbed me by my arm and said, "Look, I'll meet you down the Lion for a pint and we'll have a chance to talk, there's something you need to know." We agreed to meet later that week and I went and checked into a Travel Lodge near to the town by-pass.

My next port of call was to the Airfield to see my boss. The employers had suspended me without pay while I was incarcerated and I wanted to know when I could start work again. I was ushered quickly into HR and told that they could not employ me until the outcome of the court case was decided! They must have been worried about an unfair dismissal case, because they not to subtlety offered to pay me 3 month's salary to quit! Oh, it wasn't couched in those terms, they were very careful in their choice of words, but the net effect was the same, they didn't want to employ a rapist! I took their money, in cash at my insistence and left the premises.

So, now I was unemployed, homeless and halfway towards being one of the divorce statistics. Added to that, I was banned from even talking to my own kids! My life was in ruins and I felt everybody had it in for me. The next day, I started looking for another job and noted several vacancies for my line of work, but based at the East Midlands Airport. That was a bit further than I wanted to travel, because I wanted to be near my kids, even if couldn't talk to them at the moment, I could at least watch them from afar. I applied for the job on-line, failing to mention the pending trial. They got back to me immediately and conducted an interview over the phone and took up the references from my old company. My old boss had been very fair and his reference went a long way to securing the job for me. When they offered me the job, I told them about the upcoming court case and my claim of innocence. They offered to hold the job, pending the outcome of my trial. I felt they must be desperate to get qualified staff if they were prepared to do that! That was one bit of good news that day, the rest was hellish.

I met my brother, Tom in the Lion and after he bought a round, we found a quiet corner in which to speak undisturbed. I was recognised, of course and I was aware of the mutters and pointed remarks being made in my direction, just loud enough for me to hear, without the ability to hear clearly what was being said. At one point Tom went to jump up and confront the arseholes, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "I don't need any more trouble with the law. There's one ACC that is just waiting to have another chance at beating me up!" He calmed down at that and I could see he was trying to find a way to speak to me about what was bothering him. "Why don't you just come right out and say it?" I told him.

He nodded and said, "It's about Marti." I said, "Go on, there's nothing that can surprise me about her."

Boy, was I wrong about that! Tom proceeded to tell me that my soon to be ex-wife was a slut! He told me that she was no longer known as the Ice Maiden down at the Rugby Club, her new nickname was Martini, the Anytime girl! There was more to follow that, "Every Saturday, after a home match she is at the club and talk has it that, most of the single guys and a few of the married ones have had her! She is pretty free with her favours from all reports the anywhere, any place is applicable too! I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I have seen her there and noticed her slip into the changing rooms with a guy. They were gone for about thirty minutes and it looked as if the others knew exactly what was going on as they prevented anyone else interrupting them while they were at it! Helen pulled me out of the club and refuses to go back there and she's no longer on speaking terms with Marti as a result." I knew Helen would not have broken off with Marti lightly, they had been friends since before we got married. I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing and Tom, who had been watching for my reaction said, "You seem so calm about this, are you sure you're OK?"

"I was half expecting her to do something like this, but what about Jane, how are she and Sandra taking this? Do they know about their mother being an easy lay?"

"Helen sees the girls every day at school and has tried to talk to them privately, but they clam up and refuse to talk to her. I think you need to see them and soon! They are never out of trouble at school, mostly trying to defend you from their fellow pupil's derogatory comments, but according to Helen, their school work is also failing and their behaviour is going to get them expelled sooner or later!"

The term, when one door closes another slams in your face came to mind when I heard that. Clearly I needed to do something and restraining order or not, I was going to see my kids and set them straight! "Can Helen get me into school without anyone knowing? I want to spend thirty minutes with my kids and set the record straight." He promised me he would ask and set it up, if she was agreeable. He would let me know.

This was on the Wednesday evening, by Thursday afternoon things had changed! My Solicitor called me and told me there had been some developments that affected my case and could I go and see him the following morning, by which time he would have all the details. He refused to say any more and I was left puzzled, wondering what it was all about!

Friday morning, I went to see my solicitor and once the formalities had been completed he said, "You'll be please to know that the Crown Prosecution Service have confirmed this morning that they are formally dropping all charges against you! It appears that they caught the three youths involved. They caught them trying to rape another young woman and after they were presented with the evidence against them, they admitted to the attack on the ACC's daughter. They also confirmed that you were not involved in any way and if you hadn't disturbed them they would all have had another go at her. It would appear that she only started to scream rape, when she realised that they intended to gang up on her."

I was flabbergasted and so shocked that I couldn't prevent the tears as they started to flow down my cheeks. The realisation started to dawn on me that I was free of the burden that had been weighing me down these last three months or so and with it the certainty that these charges had effectively cost me my marriage and my job. I pulled myself together and asked if I had a case against the Police or my employers only to be told no. I asked about the ACC and his assault on my person while in custody and this time I was told that I could bring a private prosecution against the ACC, but unless the custody sergeant changed his statement, I was screwed there as well. Frustrated, I asked, "I want you to make sure that they hold a press conference and make a full and clear apology to me and confirm my innocence of all charges!" This, he told me was already arranged and that the ACC himself would be making a statement the following day to that effect. I took stock, only one thing left to be sorted, "I want the restraining order against me lifted immediately, can you sort that please?"

His solicitor smiled and handed him a document wallet, "Already done! That wallet contains confirmation of your release without charge and exoneration, duly signed and sealed. The other document confirms the lifting of the restraining order, although, your wife will not receive her copy until Monday. I advise you to be careful how you approach her. Your divorce will be final next month and you will be a free man once more."

There was little more to say, just a few loose ends to tie up and I was finished. I checked the time as I left the solicitors office and was surprised that it was after one. I was hungry, so I entered a café and ordered some lunch. Once more, I was clearly recognised and shunned by people I had once thought of as friends, some of them I had known since my school days. I was tempted to drag out the document and show them, but I wanted a better revenge than that, so I sat there and ignored their hostile stares. I went back to the hotel and was surprised to see the ACC that had assaulted me waiting for me in Reception. I made to defend myself and lifted my arms, when the ACC stood up and moved towards me. Before I could say anything, the ACC said, "Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" I took him to my room and away from the eager eyes of the receptionist, who had clearly been expecting a confrontation between the two of us. She must have been well aware of the history between us.

Once in the privacy of my room the ACC said, "I came to apologise to you personally. I was out of order and totally wrong to assault you in the cell. In my defence, I had just found out my daughter, her name is Beth by the way, had been raped and gang banged and you were our prime suspect, you even had her knickers in your jacket! How would you have reacted if it had been Jane or Sandra that had been attacked, would you have behaved differently?"

I was surprised he knew the names of my children, but then again he is a cop and this is a small town so I said "It doesn't matter how I would or wouldn't have reacted does it? The fact of the matter is you abused your position and the trust in the police that a suspect has the right to expect. I could understand it more, if I'd been tried and convicted first. You broke that rule and with it any trust that our police are the best in the world! You should know, that I intend to instruct my lawyer to start proceedings against you for assault should my complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission is not upheld."

"Please don't do that, and I'm not asking for my own sake or for the sake of my position, but I ask not to, because the circumstances relating to the attack on my daughter will become common knowledge once more. Brenda, my daughter is a basket case as it is and I fear she will have a complete breakdown if this case continues to drag on. Please consider the effect that your charges will have on her!"

I pondered his request and said, "OK. One condition, you, your wife and daughter come to my home on Sunday at one PM. You and Brenda will explain to my soon to be ex-wife and my children why she lied and alleged that I was responsible for her rape! Then you will tell my soon to be ex that you beat the shit out of me and that I didn't fall down any stairs!"

He refused, so then I said, "You realise that between you and your daughter, I have lost my marriage, the love and respect of my children, not to mention my job and I have been incarcerated for the last three months unable to respond actively to what's been happening in my absence. I am shunned everywhere I go in my home town and lost the friendship and trust of the nearest and dearest to me. I think that what I ask is pretty magnanimous of me. Oh and while I remember, my exoneration better be the first item at tomorrow's Police Press Conference or this offer is off the table! If you do all this, I will withdraw any allegations and keep my mouth shut about what really happened between your daughter and those boys! She went into that toilet willingly and only screamed rape when things got out of hand."

This was really turning up the heat on him, but he deserved it and agreed to my terms. It was getting on towards early evening when I turned up at my brother's door once more. Helen opened it and before she could close it again, I thrust the documents into her hands and ordered her to read them first. She sat at the foot of the stairs and read them quickly before starting to sob. My brother came home from work at that point and she handed them to him before she took the opportunity to run up the stairs sobbing her heart out. Ken invited me in and I sat down with his kids as they asked me if I was free for good. I told them I was and that they had to keep it a secret for another day. They had just promised that they would not mention it to anyone, when Ken called us in for tea in the kitchen. Helen had composed herself and apologised for rejecting me and though I was still smarting at her lack of faith in me, I accepted her apology and she came over and kissed me on the lips. Ken gave me a big bear hug and we were all in tears for the next few minutes. After the kids had disappeared upstairs, I outlined my plan for the next day and asked them to join me in its execution!

Late the next afternoon I made my way to the rugby club. Once more my arrival was greeted by a sudden hush in the normally loud and noisy bar. It was so quiet that I could hear the shouts of encouragement, followed by a low moaning noise coming from the changing rooms. One of the guys guarding the entrance to the area quickly opened the door and disappeared into the changing room and the noise quickly ceased. I wandered to the bar with Ken and Helen and ordered us drinks. They were starting to make noises about not serving me when I pointed to the News about to start on the large screen in the middle of the lounge stage. "Just watch!" I ordered and stepped back just as Marti emerged from the Changing Room followed by the guy that went to warn her and two other men. She looked at me and stared me out totally unrepentant about the fact that I had caught her fucking not one but two men at the same time! Someone behind the bar turned up the volume just as the newsreader focussed on the local news and a very apologetic ACC read out a prepared statement confirming that I was totally innocent of the charges laid against me and that I was fully exonerated.

There was a crash as Marti fainted and I walked over and looked down at her lying there, legs akimbo, displaying for anyone who cared to look, evidence that she was a slut. She had not bothered to put her panties back on and her vulva was leaking a copious volume of semen. I waited until someone had passed some smelling salts under her nose and she had started to recover before saying, "Well now you know the truth, a truth you never gave me a chance to explain before you passed judgement! I hope you can live with what you've become."

Handing her the release from the restraining order, I said, "I will be at your home tomorrow at twelve thirty! See to it that you and my daughters are there as well as I have something more to say and it can wait till then. Until tomorrow, enjoy your night!" I stomped out of the bar and could hear her screams as she tried to get to her feet and come after me. We were out the door and into Ken's car before she broke out and chase dup to us. I ignored her but could not ignore her pleading with me to wait and let her explain! Some chance, I thought as we drove away.

The following day, promptly at twelve thirty, I turned up at my old home and knocked on the door. Marti opened it straight away, she must have been watching out for my arrival and tried to kiss me, but recoiled when I held my hand in front of her face, so she said a bit testily, "This is still your home, you pay the mortgage so there's no need to knock, how are you?"

I was amazed that she could act so blasé about what had happened the previous night and replied, "How do you think I am? I have just seen how big a slut my wife has become and boy that made me sick to my stomach. But I'm not here to talk about us, I'm here to see my kids and tell them the true story about what happened. You are only here because I need you to know how much you're betrayal hurt me!"

My daughter's obviously had overheard most of this conversation in the front hall and could wait no longer and burs through the door and into my arms. I admit, I cried right then as I held them in my arms. I looked over their shoulders to see Marti also in tears and tried to get myself sorted out for the arrival of my guests.

They came right on time and I watched as all three stood on our drive, as if debating whether they wanted to come in or not. I opened the door and invited them in and they slowly and reluctantly entered. In the lounge I introduced Marti to the ACC, whose name was Andy and his wife, Jill. His daughter, Brenda, already knew both Jane and Sandra from school and they just nodded to each other. I waited to see if Andy would start the ball rolling, but when he didn't I said, "I invited Andy and his family here today so you could hear for yourselves what happened that day, the consequences of which are still on going. I guess the best thing will be for Brenda to start by telling us exactly what happened that day, over to you Brenda."