Was it an Affair?

I could hear the Police sirens as they approached the building. Soon there were four officers in the room.

A furious Brian told them, "This bastard was about to rape my daughter again. When she told him he gotten her pregnant he punched her several times in the stomach. When she was down he kicked her there. We came running in then to stop him. These are the drugs he's been using. We have this videoed. These two also raped her on Saturday night. She needs to be seen by a doctor and tested."

Sneddon fainted. Two Policewomen who were summoned took Harriet away with them. It was obvious she wasn't fully aware of her surroundings. The three bastards were detained and taken away. Brian and Charlie offered to come with them but the senior officer said, "We know where you are. Look after your daughter. She's been taken to the local hospital incident suite. Tell me how you knew what was happening?"

Brian gave him a quick run through. I called Brian, "Ask the Police Officer to check Bright's office for cameras. He's the type to record everything. It won't be obvious ones." He did better. He put me onto the officer and I explained how devious the cameras could be. With my help he found two. Within the desk there were a number of SD cards. The Police removed them as potential evidence.

Brian and Charlie went off to collect Harriet's mum and made their way to the hospital.

I continued to work through all the recordings but found nothing to add to what I already had. She had already removed her pubic hair before I started to record the bedroom. She did behave strangely but I couldn't fathom out what she was doing.

It was late in the evening when there was knocking on my back door. It was Brian and Charlie. I handed them a beer as we sat down together.

I congratulated Charlie on punching that bastard to sleep. Charlie smiled, "I'm proud of the punch which may have broken his pubic bone as I heard something break. If it is he won't be playing around for a while."

I laughed, "Their wives should get their envelopes tomorrow with the evidence from Saturday night. I posted them earlier. That will add some accelerant to the flames. What happened at the hospital? They took Harriet's necklace as evidence so I didn't see that."

Brian spoke sadly, "Her mum was with her to support her. They took samples and examined her. All indications are that he drugged her, just the levels in her bloodstream to confirm. They were about to release her when she began having stomach cramps. She had a miscarriage due to his assault. She's being kept overnight to ensure all is well. The Police Officers were very good. They took samples to confirm he's the father.

"The Police are coming tomorrow after she's released to get a statement from her if she is up to it. Charlie and I are to be interviewed under caution. My impression is that this is to allow our evidence to be used. If we are charged, so be it, as long as we hang that bastard out to dry."

Charlie laughed, "Maybe I'll meet him in prison again."

We all laughed.

I spoke quietly, "I think with what you found and the Police found in his drawers, he will be roasted. He must have recorded his rapes. Well, at least, I'm fairly convinced with the cameras he had and the SD cards, he recorded them. The Police will be watching them so we'll learn more soon."

Brian spoke, "Her mum wants to speak with you. Harriet was saying some things which you need to hear. She wouldn't tell me."

I think he was surprised when I said, "I'll speak with her."

They left and I settled down to a quiet evening, if only my brain would settle. I had a lot of anger bubbling below the surface.

The next morning the Police Officer in charge of the case called me to arrange to give a statement. I had intended heading to work as I had reviewed everything so we arranged a time in the afternoon. I would go to the Police Station. I took copies of the videos I had of the rape at the event, the assault on Harriet in the office. Bright would be appearing on petition at the Sheriff Court that day charged with several offences. They were looking to have him remanded in custody as they had many further enquiries to complete as the SD cards showed multiple rapes aided by the use of those drugs, not just Harriet.

In the morning, Alan, Max, Christine, and I went over what we would need if we took on the Fawkes account. It was only the thought of over a thousand losing their jobs which meant we were even considering it. Okay and access to burn Bright further! Mid-morning, we received a call from the acting COO of Fawkes asking if they could meet with us as they wished us to go ahead. She was aware of some of the circumstances which meant we were reluctant and would meet our terms should we decide to help them. Alan suggested a meeting tomorrow morning as both sides could set out their terms as well as what we saw as a potential solution which could change as Sneddon had given so little knowledgeable information of the problem.

The afternoon at the Police Station went as well as expected. Detective Inspector Spark and Detective Sergeant McIntosh couldn't believe I had recorded what I did using the jewellery to hide the cameras. The Saturday rape had been caught by her necklace and bracelet. The earrings had picked up a lot of the chatter. The bracelet camera had shown her face the best. My shirt camera had a larger viewing area so caught Sneddon and Davidson waiting their turn. They sent for the necklace Harriet had been wearing when Brian and Charlie stopped Bright. I showed them the room and everything around us. The DI wasn't convinced until I took my phone out, tweaked a few buttons, and told him the last three calls he made. I offered my ability if they had any SD cards or computers they couldn't access.

I broke confidentiality to tell them I may be working at Fawkes and if I found any further evidence on Bright, I would make sure they were informed.

He laughed, "Bright's been remanded. The Procurator Fiscal told the Sheriff the charges were just the tip of the iceberg, there were many more to come. He was a danger to the public. His defence tried to get him bail, pillar of society, well known businessman but he was routed. We have seven days before he comes back to court so we need to add more quickly. After that we have a hundred days to start the trial procedure. We can add more offences as we learn of them.

"We have a team going through those SD cards. My staff and the victims will need counsellors to deal with what they are seeing and what happened to them. I hope some psychopath in prison has words with him. He's an evil bastard."

When we finished there wasn't any point in going back to work so I headed home. Brian called to update me. Charlie and he had given their statements under caution. The Procurator Fiscal would decide if any charges were to be made. He had the impression, that would be no. The Policewoman interviewing Harriet refused to take a statement as she felt she was still under the influence of the drugs. She's been sweaty, spaced out and not quite with it so she was probably right.

Moira (her mum) would like to see me tonight, if possible. She'd come around 7.30. I said, I'd see her then.

Moira came on time. It was obvious she was struggling with what had been happening. I got her coffee as we sat in the kitchen.

She began sadly, "Tom, how are you doing? All this must be so hard to take in. Brian and I are struggling. We never saw anything between Harriet and you which gave us any cause for concern things weren't right between you.

"It was bad enough when we were called to the Palace estate as she was so distressed. We asked where you were as you are always together. I thought I'd die when she admitted you'd left her as she had fucked someone. We almost left her there alone but she was so distressed we couldn't. It didn't help her what we said, we were so angry and disappointed in her. Since then, we learn, she's been drugged and raped repeatedly.

"I can't get my head around how she must feel inside. Harriet is aware of them I believe but she's so distant, it's like her mind is elsewhere. At times, I see her having a battle within herself. The Policewoman and the doctor said the drugs may take some time to leave her body so she may have an even worse reaction to come when the full awareness of what's happened hits her.

"But my first point, how are you?"

I took a deep breath, "I'm not sure. The last few months, we haven't been good. She was lying to me but wouldn't admit it. If she spoke to me it was nasty. I suspected she was having an affair as she was late home so many nights. We had a furious battle about three weeks ago and since I've been focussed on finding out what she was doing. I hoped I was wrong. Now I've confirmed it; I'm left with more questions. Why? Were her lies an attempt to cover up what was happening? How could she feel what she and Bright were doing wasn't an affair? Did she do this willingly or was it the effect of those drugs? Were the drugs a bonus high? What was she thinking about? Why fuck us up?

"I had a goal, find out. If she was having an affair, get rid of her. Now I don't have a goal. I don't know what I should do. Go ahead with the divorce or wait until she is less distraught and is able to tell everyone what happened, what she was aware off, how she feels. Mostly I don't feel there is even the tiniest of chances we can remain together yet at times I want to think we could. My emotions are everywhere, anger, disgust, loathing, fury at him, at her, sadness at what I've lost!"

Moira nodded, "I'm not surprised your emotions are all over the place. The shock alone of seeing her and then finding there were other events. The doctor said Harriet would need counselling due to the rapes as he described them and the miscarriage. No doubt the damage to her marriage as well. I think you should consider it as well. We're all too close to it, the images too raw so someone outside who can help is probably best. Brian and Charlie wish they'd just fucked him totally as we learn more.

"From what you say, you're trying to understand everything first so you're not hell bent on an immediate divorce. I know you had her served but there is still time to consider all options however unlikely. I think that will help you both. What happens later happens.

"When Harriet has been able to talk, she says she loves you with all her heart, she doesn't know why she did what she did. Her clarity seems to come and go. Sometimes she's off somewhere else in her mind. She's said multiple times, "I made Tom go as I knew he would stop it one way or the other. I didn't know what else to do." Other times she says she didn't know what had been happening. She's so distraught, we're worried she'll do something even more stupid!

"I do believe she loves you. Her expression of it is the only constant.

"Don't fester, call Brian or I, your parents so you can discuss with us your thoughts if needed. I'm just glad that the media haven't got hold of it yet. The Policewoman told me what may happen with the press when he appears in open court, not in chambers. It will be a nightmare."

We spoke more but it was mostly about Harriet's love for me and how she was devastated by what she had done to me. I couldn't believe she loved me. Moira floored me when she said, "Harriet was right, she didn't have an affair!" She hugged me before she left.

As I sat thinking about our meeting, I called my parents. They were shocked. When I said, I didn't know why I hadn't contacted them, my mum said calmly, "You love Harriet. You want to find a reason to stay with her but an affair would have killed your love. She didn't have an affair. Your emotions are everywhere. Especially as you have no focus anymore on finding evidence.

"Take time, Moira was right, see a counsellor. The pain will ease but it is the scarring which will decide the future between the two of you. Harriet may not forgive herself for what happened. She knows you may never forgive her. Both of you are victims and need help.

"We'll be here for you both."

After I rang off, I questioned what did my mum and Moira mean? "She hadn't had an affair!" She was fucking arsehole almost daily!

I didn't sleep well that night. Not an unusual occurrence these days. I was still in the spare room.

The next morning Alan and I spoke prior to the meeting with the new COO and others from Fawkes. Max and Christine would join us. I wasn't looking forward to this. Alan said calmly, "Tom, at any time you think you can't do this just say No. I'll finish the meeting and we won't do it."

They arrived, she spoke, calmly, considered and focussed. "I'm Samantha Edgars. These are two senior IT colleagues whom I trust, Mark and Bill. I hope I can learn to trust others as we travel this path, hopefully together.

"I was hired to become the new COO when Sneddon was to join the board in two months' time. Davidson was the same. His replacement hasn't been appointed yet. I began working, shadowing him a month ago. I was learning how the company works and beginning to work out ways to improve the way the firm operates. In many ways it's still stuck in the 19^th century. One thing did stand out was how Bright was loathed by so many. No one I spoke with would say why. The few times I had dealings with him my skin crawled.

"Before I address our problem, I want to be totally upfront with you. I didn't know anything regarding Bright's behaviour in respect of Harriet until it blew up on Tuesday. Had I known, I would have called the Police myself.

"When I learned, Tom here was her husband, I was dismayed. I then understood why Sneddon had seemed so down on Monday returning from your meeting. The three of them were discussing your refusal to act for us. I thought that strange as all I had learned about you said, you love the big challenges. I didn't know what could have transpired and they never mentioned any reason either. Their discussions were mainly concerned with a problem regarding a confidentiality clause. Bright was the most vocal in wanting that clause to cover all records. I just watched trying to work out what they were so scared off. The fact that I was in the room, meant nothing to Bright, I was a woman. I now know slightly more and can see why they were worried if they couldn't stop you acting as you see fit.

"With what little I know to date, it's obvious he feared being exposed. Those present outside his office said Harriet looked as though she'd been drugged, others said someone was shouting about rape. Bright had been assaulted and the other two were arrested along with him. There was a lot of probably ill-informed speculation but the Police wouldn't have taken them away without any justification. I will not overlook any wrongdoings by Bright or others. Hopefully, we shall learn more but in the meantime they are all suspended and banned from the offices.

"I know it is now a long shot but should you decide to act for us, within our agreement, I propose that any criminal activity by Bright is exempted from the confidentiality agreement. Sneddon and Davidson as well. Any other criminal behaviour is brought to my attention, not for the purpose of being erased, but to allow me to act within the business. These acts would be given to the Police. I will never condone rape or any form of sexual harassment.

"I don't have any knowledge of how badly hurt both Tom and Harriet have been. I can't imagine how severely this has impacted your marriage, your personal lives, and your futures. Just the thought appals me and I'm not directly impacted. If it helps in any way, whether or not you accept our business, I'll have you granted access to our systems to find any evidence of Bright's or others criminal activity. It's the very least we can do."

Alan looked at me. They were offering an olive branch. Samantha's body language was such, I saw her anger and resolve to do the right thing. I explained all which had happened. When I mentioned how his assault had caused a miscarriage she paled considerably. The fact there appeared to be multiple victims shocked her even further. Even if they were suspended they may have access to their computer system or have others do it for them. We had a programme which she could install which would appear to allow records to be deleted but as well as appearing in the recycle bin, a copy went to a hidden, secure folder.

Mark called their IT and between us we downloaded that programme and removed all their access. If others deleted them, we'd still have them and their cohort.

She went over the problem she had found. The IT system was ancient as they never saw the need to update when it worked but the security for it had lapsed long ago. IT had had over forty proposals for upgrades refused. On reviewing the firm, she saw they had failed in a number of offers which, in her opinion, they should have won. She had some previous knowledge of a firm she worked at being hacked so was suspicious. She had taken a laptop home and ran a modern standard security programme which highlighted numerous potential breaches. She researched what she would need to both expose and eradicate any such problems. She asked around and found us through former colleagues who had had us work for them. Everyone heaped praise on us. She told Sneddon on the Sunday morning as what she had found couldn't wait, again, in her opinion. Sneddon took on board what she said and arranged the urgent meeting on Monday.

She'd no knowledge Harriet was my wife or even worked at their office until Tuesday. Had she, she would have spoken with her to learn more about us, about using our expertise.

We broke for lunch in a local restaurant. Samantha sat next to me. She asked if Harriet was at our home as she wished to speak with her. I explained she was at her parents. She looked even sadder. Could I give her their contact number or call them and ask if she could see Harriet? She wanted to offer any support she needed including counselling. I called Moira and they spoke. She noted the address.

During the afternoon we discussed various options based on what she was saying she had found. She and her IT team had a handle on what we could expect. The job was far bigger than the three arseholes had suggested. Such were the breaches, even what they said could be just the very tip of the problems. They were aware of this.

Christine had spent some time amending our standard contract to include what Samantha had said at the beginning. She gave her a copy. "You can have your legal people look it over. Confidentiality is key in our business and this covers that but specifically only covers business activities. If any criminal activity, sexual harassment or similar is found the appropriate action can be taken.

"The level of outside penetration to your old system you've described, is such, you'll need to act fast. As we establish the causes, we'll need to discuss how we proceed, how to secure your system. If we can use that penetration to your benefit before we close the door would you like to consider it."

Samantha said firmly, "If we can pay them back in any way, certainly."

We discussed several potential scenarios and how we would act on each. We all agreed that the plans could change dependant on what was found.

As we were breaking up, I had a disturbing thought, "Samantha, you've mentioned on numerous occasions this company is still in the 19^th century as far as office dynamics are. You said Sneddon and Davidson were to join the board. Could what have happened on Saturday been their initiation for the board? If it were, you could be at risk as well. Give me a moment."

I came back and asked for her necklace. "Wear this around the office and at any board meetings. It will record what happens." I showed her how it worked on my phone.