Life Less Lived Ch. 09

"Thank you, Marina. Can you describe to me what incident actually happened to you while you were at the hotel? Firstly, I know it was a long time ago but do you remember what the date was?"

"Not exactly, I think it was the second Saturday night of October 1988, the summer season was over and the temp staff like Daniel were saying a final farewell at a party everybody chipped in towards."

"And what happened to you that night?"

"I was a little upset, as I had developed a ... a little crush on Daniel over the previous few weeks and I wanted a little alone time, just to calm myself down as I was feeling a little upset. It was a private crush, I was to shy to act on it, and my ... well, I always felt a frump. So I walked down to a far corridor, well away from the function room where the party was being held. But Daniel followed me down..." She paused for a moment.

"Go on," Kath encouraged.

"Sorry. We chatted for a bit, saying a long goodbye to each other. He handed me a drink, then said he wanted to say a proper goodbye to me as he was leaving the party early. He said I was the best friend he'd made during his time there. Then we hugged, kissed very briefly on the lips, he handed me a glass of juice and then he walked away. Yes, I remember now clearly that he walked away and out of the door."

"And what was the next thing that you remember?"

"I woke up in one of the hotel rooms. It was Sunday morning, light, and at first I wasn't sure where I was or what had happened to me. I never drink, never. My father was an alcoholic and I regarded it as poison, even more so then than now. The sun was up already so I knew it was quite late and I needed to rush home to get the children's breakfast and get Derrick off to his football match."

"How did you feel when you got up?"

"Light-headed but heavy-limbed, sore all over and a raging headache. I couldn't even remember walking to the room, getting undressed or anything at all. Nothing except seeing Daniel walk away the previous evening."

"When you woke, were you completely naked?"

"Yes... I just assumed some of the girls had undressed me. I was more embarrassed than anything, because I couldn't afford nice underwear and mine were cheap and old, darned over and over again."

"Did you lose anything, those old panties or any jewellery?"

"Yes, I lost one stud earring, a gold star. I didn't notice until I had been at home for a while. I searched that room high and low when I cleaned them on the Monday morning but no luck finding it."

"Do you still have the other earring?"

"Yes, it belonged to my mother, I couldn't throw it away. I got dressed and I rushed home to a household in uproar because I was so late getting in. The twins were only four and a half, had wanted their breakfast and they woke my Dad up."

"Do you have any idea what happened to you, during the night while you were asleep, Marina?"

"Yes ... " she looked at Daniel, he nodded to her to continue, still holding onto both her hands, "Yes, I do, but I didn't then, not straight away. I missed my next period, but with all the hours I was working and looking after my Dad and the kids, my body was all over the place anyway, and not very regular. Then I started feeling ill, being sick. I was suffering from morning sickness and silly innocent me didn't have a clue. If I still had my Mum, she would have known what it was. I just felt really rundown. I thought perhaps I had a virus. I missed my period again, and thought I might have some internal problem, like cancer or something. So I saw the doctor and you could have knocked me down with a feather when he told me full of smiles that I was pregnant."

"And had you had any relations with anyone else, another boyfriend say, during this time?"

"No Kath, as far as I was concerned I was still a virgin. When the doctor told me I was about two months pregnant, I counted back and worked out that the only time I could have had sex without my knowledge must've happened that night. I was sore all over rather than noticeably sore ... down there ... and generally out of sorts after waking up, but I put that all down to the alcohol. I had only drunk fruit punch. And then, thinking back, the last person I saw before I woke up the next morning was Daniel here."

"Can I assure you Marina, that this sounds very much like Johnson's modus operandi? Daniel, are you still there?"

"Yes, Kath."

"This drink that you gave to Marina, do you know what was in it?"

"Not exactly, it looked like a fruit juice, pineapple or tropical fruit, a soft drink. It was quite small, no more than half a wine glassful and I hardly gave it a second glance. If I could just point out Kath, that Marina and I were only friends back then. We worked together every lunchtime but we were not lovers. I did feel something for her but at that time I wasn't sure if I was in love with her or not. I certainly wasn't aware she had a crush on me at the time or I might have pressed my suite, honourably of course. Anyway, I saw her leave the party, naturally, as I had been pretty much watching her for a while, trying to work out how I was going to say goodbye, and how much to say to her about my feelings for her. Someone, it might have been Johnson, but really I only had eyes on the door Marina disappeared through. Whoever he was, he met me at the doorway that she had just passed through, and asked me if I was going after Marina. When I said I was, he told me that the drink was hers, one that she'd asked for, and would I kindly pass it to her. Stupid me, I never gave it a second thought and have only connected the dots tonight."

"Marina, when Johnson was eventually apprehended," Kath said, "it was more by pure luck than anything and he was convicted mostly on forensic evidence and because of hundreds of trophies he had taken and annotated in a small notepad over a period of the previous year. It was 1996 and, when he was finally convicted and sentenced the following year, he asked for over a hundred other cases to be taken into account. He supplied a list of them, compiled from memory and those notes, starting in 1990, although he didn't always have names of his victims or exact dates. He had worked in hotels and resorts and particularly preyed on vulnerable young guests, some of them much younger that you were at 16."

"No!"

"Yes, he is an evil fiend. We followed up that short list he prepared from memory and identified about 30 percent of them. There were few pregnancies reported, we have only two on record, and few cases of sexually transmitted diseases, most of his victims were virgins and it appeared he had no qualms about how young they were. Typically, he drugged his victims, he had his way with them and often the victims reacted like you did, having absolutely no recollection at all of what had happened to them. I have just checked my database and although we know he worked at your hotel for six months, he has never admitted any crime there, nor were any rapes reported at around that time in that locality. It could be that you were among his first victims. Would you be able to ask your son or daughter if we could have a sample of their DNA?"

"Kath," Daniel quickly interposed here, "the baby was stillborn and Marina was seriously ill with blood poisoning at the time, she almost died. She has no idea even where his body was buried."

"My sister knows," Marina said quietly.

Daniel gently stroked her hair, "is this your sister Alex, my love?"

"Yes."

"Do you think we could find out from her where the baby is, if we ask her tonight?" he asked gently.

"Yes, we could."

"Kath, I will send you a text later on with the details, we are seeing Marina's sister later this evening. Maybe this can be brought up at his next parole review and we'll see that fiend Johnson never gets released."

"Daniel, you've been out of things these last couple of years. Unfortunately, Jimmy Johnson was released on parole, under the terms of the paedophile register, about six months ago."

"Really?"

"Mind you, we should have tabs on where he is, the local law will have him registered somewhere. So if we can get the evidence from ... the baby, we can charge him and get him locked up again. There's no statute of limitations on serious sexual crimes like rape."

"Don't worry, Kath," Marina said, "we'll find out tonight where baby Daniel is buried. I'd like to visit his grave anyway, once I find out where he is. If you need permission to ... gather the evidence you need, I will gladly give it. No-one can harm poor Daniel now."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Marina, and thanks Daniel too, for bringing this to my attention."

"You're welcome, Kath, that's a thank you from both of us. I will speak to you later, bye."

"My congratulations to the two of you, bye now and have a happy Christmas. Bye."

"Bye," they both called out simultaneously.

Daniel got up off his knee and sat down, picked up the phone and put it in his pocket.

Marina reached across the table and took his hand in hers.

"So, at the hotel party, the drink that was intended for me was most likely from Johnson, and you just hugged, kissed me and left?"

"Yes, I did. I had to get away early because I was driving to Bristol to stay with my Mother on Saturday night and didn't want to disturb her by getting home too late in the night. I really only went to the party to see you, not anyone else. I didn't actually know that many people there. Very few hotel staff come into the bar area. At the time Marina, I was attracted to you, I enjoyed your company but I was also mixed up about what I was actually feeling and had no idea at all what you felt about me. I wanted to see you again, perhaps keep in contact by letter or something, but I chickened out. I had wanted to ask you if you also felt something, but daren't."

"I did, Daniel, I really did, although at the time things were coming to a head at home, so I am not sure what would have happened, even if we had confessed our feelings. I was so shy then. I'm a little tougher now though. You know you asked me a question during our little impromptu tea break?"

Daniel looked in her eyes, she was looking at him directly and smiling.

"For some reason, I do vaguely remember waiting for an answer from you, my love. Have you had a chance to fully consider what I asked?"

"Yes I have and, Daniel, I've decided that ... yes I will marry you."

Daniel stood, walked around the little table and pulled Marina up into his arms and kissed her, more deeply than she had ever been kissed before.

In the background, the tea lady, who had been confused about what had been going on for quite a while, clapped her hands in pleasure.

When they had finished their kiss and Marina had buried her head in his chest, Daniel picked up the box with the ring in it from where it had been left abandoned on the table.

"May I put this ring on your finger, my dear?"

She lifted her head from his chest and nodded, "Yes, please Daniel. I believe I am ready to commit my life to you now."

She held out her left hand and Daniel put the ring on her finger.

"Sophie helped me get the size right, you know. She borrowed your mother's engagement ring that you wear on your other hand and compared it to a chart I got from the jewellers when the girls were younger and wanted to wear costume jewellery."

"So she knew that you were buying the ring?"

"Yes, she did. I swore her to secrecy, I hope you won't hold that against her."

"Of course not, sometimes it's best that some secrets are kept, and besides it's a lovely ring."

"I sneaked off and got it from a jeweller I know, while you and Sophie were off together shopping in Portsmouth."

They pulled on their coats and picked up their shopping bags of presents. In turn they embraced the crying with joy tea lady before taking their leave of her and emerging out into the cold night. Marina led the way towards her sister's house.

"Do you think, if I completely changed my mind about not coming back with you to Ginny and Giles' flat tonight, that there will be any problem? I just need enough time at Alex's to sort out this little matter of Tracey's and, of course, to be with you when I show off my engagement ring to the girls."

"Could you hold this for a minute, then, sweetheart?" Daniel held out one of the bags, "I'll call Ginny, but I honestly don't think there will be any problem. Sophie will have told her by now of my plan to ask you to marry me."

As he rang Ginny's number, he added, "Do you think your sister will be more surprised at Tracey's pregnancy or your engagement?"

Before Marina could answer, Ginny picked up at the other end.

"Hi Daddy, are you on your way back, yet? We were getting worried about you."

"No, not yet sweetheart, but I've got a pleasant surprise for you, well two surprises actually. Firstly, is that Marina has decided to come back and stay with us tonight and for our lunch tomorrow. Can you sort out the sleeping arrangements, please? And secondly, as perhaps Sophie has already told you, Marina has said 'yes'."

There were loud squeals that could be heard from both girls at the other end of the line.

"We're here," Marina said, stopping outside a semi-detached house.

"All right, Ginny, we've just arrived at Marina's sister's, we'll get back as soon as we can. Love you both. Bye."

They were stood in front of a Victorian semi-detached house with a clipped privet hedge in front and a gate leading up a short garden brick path to the front door, inset with stained glass panels.

"Are you ready for this, Daniel? The next hour or so is likely to be mayhem, my sister goes completely overboard when it comes to family."

"So long as I am with you, sweetheart, it won't be too onerous for me. Besides, your family's going to be my family and if Tracey needs help from you, well, then she gets help from us."

"Thank you, Daniel. Have I told you yet that you've lifted such a weight from my shoulders that's been there for half a lifetime and that I am now the happiest woman in the world?"

"Not yet," he laughed, "but it does mean that we are matching book ends in that regard."

As best he could, encumbered as he was by two bulky shopping bags, he put both his arms around his new fiancée's shoulders and pulled her close in. She wrapped her free arm around his neck and pulled herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him. They held that kiss for a long time, until the hall light in the house went on, flooding them with light. They broke off their kiss and looked towards the house, through the stained glass they could see a silhouette approaching the closed door.

"Meeting with you again has changed my life, Marina Shaw, and the thought of spending the rest of my time with you fills me with joy."

"I love you, too, Daniel Medcalf."

"Likewise, Marina Shaw, soon to be Marina Medcalf, I feel together we can take on the world."

The door opened.

"We can, Daniel. Come on, let's get this little ordeal over with."

***

Marina's niece, 12-year-old Jenny, opened the door. She started for a moment, she hadn't expected to see her aunt standing next to a tall, broadly smiling, distinguished looking and rather handsome gentleman, in fact it was the very last thing she expected. Her favourite aunt was lovely and looked even lovelier tonight than normal, with rosy cheeks from the cold and the brisk walk from the tube station, but everybody knew that she was a confirmed spinster.

'She didn't even like men,' Jenny thought, 'did she? Ah, that's better, she's carrying a bag of presents and the man's carrying two bags. Now that was expected! Aunt Marina was always the one close relative guaranteed to bring the best presents, the one who put so much thought into each one, but then she didn't have any children of her own to spoil or worry about, did she?'

"You're really late Aunt Marina, we had our dinner ages ago." Jenny had her arms crossed as soon as she had opened the door and she really looked cross. But it was only an act, and she soon melted into giggles, standing to one side to let them in.

Then Jenny thought better of it, stepped out and put her arms around her favourite aunt and kissed her in turn on both cheeks and the lips.

"That's all right Jenny, we're not really hungry."

"I think she's got a plate warming in the oven for you."

Jenny looked at the stranger, unsure what to do. "I think she only made up one plate."

"This is Daniel, he's with me. Daniel, this is my youngest Baker niece, Jenny."

Jenny grinned and put her arms around him as high as she could reach and squeezed him, burrowing her head in his chest as she couldn't reach his cheeks to kiss them.

"Pleasure to meet you Jenny," he said, grinning.

"Come on! Get in out of the cold," the girl said, "we're all waiting for you, 'cept And', o' course, he's watching the telly in his room, as usual."

Jenny led the way up the two steps to the door, while Marina, full of smiles, pushed Daniel ahead of her through the door. Jenny continued along the hallway to the second door on the right, while Marina closed the front door behind them and turned off the outside light.

Jenny shouted up the stairs as she passed them, "Andy, Aunt M's here!", followed by a feint echo, "Comin'."

When Daniel followed Jenny into the sitting room, everybody looked up sharply. Daniel smiled at a bald, rather overweight man sitting on the left in an armchair, a slim young blond girl sitting with her legs tucked under her in a second armchair to the man's right, and an older blonde and slightly overweight woman sitting at one end of a three-person settee on his right.

"Merry Christmas all," Daniel said, holding out his two bags of presents.

They all looked at him dumbfounded. Jenny didn't say anything at all, other than throw herself onto the other end of the settee next to her mum, prepared to be amused by her family's reaction to Aunt Marina's friend. Then Marina entered the room behind Daniel and peered around him.

"Hi everyone," she said, "this is -"

But Tracey Baker interrupted her with, "Holy fuck! It's Daniel Medcalf!"

"Well, Tracey," Marina laughed, "that was not quite the introduction that I had planned to deliver myself, but yes, you are correct. I would like you all to meet Daniel Medcalf, ... my fiancé."

Alex shot up to her feet, so quickly she spilt some of the wine in her glass on the carpet, her face in shock. Her partner rose rather more slowly, a broadening grin on his cheerful face. Tracey also leapt out of her seat and, being more agile than the rest, was the first one to reach her aunt. She hugged her enthusiastically and kissed her on both cheeks and on the lips.

"I'm Dave," the big fellow said to Daniel, "we don't have any champagne on ice to celebrate your engagement with, but you're more than welcome to a beer."

"A beer would be very welcome, Dave," he said as he put one of the bags down and held out his hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"We don't shake hands with family in this house, Daniel," Dave said, putting his beer down on a side table, "and you're as good as family now."

He put his arms around the newcomer and very deliberately kissed him on both cheeks, "Now you kiss me on both cheeks ... that's it. When you get around to the ladies they will, in addition, kiss you on the lips, no tongue obviously. It took me a bit of getting used in the beginning, but I think it's really friendly now. So, is it a beer or would you really prefer something stronger?"

"All right, Dave, now you've explained it, I feel quite comfortable with that greeting," grinned Daniel, just as Tracey put her arms around him and kissed him on the first cheek. "Perhaps I better have something stronger."

"Whisky as it comes?"

"Please, thank you."

"I'm Tracey," the girl said, as she kissed him on the other cheek, "I saw you on the telly, you know." Then she kissed him long and hard on the lips, before continuing, "and I knew straight away that Aunt M was completely mad about you, it was written all over her face."