Women Who Talk Pt. 06

"I can do a snap audit whenever I bloody well please," she stared straight through her.

"I pay you money every month for that office space and it's my right to inspect the room and make sure it's up to standard, so why don't you get back behind that desk while I speak to Charlott and Margaret."

Helen opened her mouth to protest but then thought better of it and shut it again. Penny kept her eyes locked on her for a few seconds longer and then she turned on her heel and stalked into the office to speak to the other two. By the time she'd returned the key was on the counter and she took it and with a curt nod walked out of the office leaving a very worried Helen staring after her. If she was doing an audit then there was every chance she'd open the desk drawers and find the letter to Robyn that had been switched.

Helen stared at her phone as she mentally replayed the messages Robyn had sent. Was that why she had sounded so casual and yet so distant? Had Penny been at her place last night?

For the first time in years, Helen felt as if her life was spinning out of control.

***

Had Helen been aware of Penny's true intentions she might very well have just resigned on the spot and walked out. The story about doing an audit was technically true but the audit wouldn't be done here, it would be done back at the main office in Kilsyth and that required the services of a removal company. She'd paid extra for a priority pickup, which meant the driver had to sit and wait while she, Anne and Lisa carted folders, a filing cabinet, the computer and printer downstairs.

The reason she'd been late was because she'd insisted on dropping Robyn off as close to Anita Street as possible but that involved navigating the veritable rabbit warren of streets between Mount Dandenong Road and Durham Road. Dropping her off via Collins Place would alert Helen to the true state of affairs and the last thing she needed was Helen faking a headache and coming back to interfere or cause trouble.

It seemed like an inordinate amount of subterfuge for something that was perfectly within her rights to demand but now that she'd put everything in place she was grateful for the extra effort. She now had plenty of time to go through the office with a fine tooth comb and in an empty box folder marked with the letter M she found few dozen gram bags of marijuana. Penny took a photograph of the drugs on her new digital camera. In the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet they found a half empty bottle of Southern Comfort and a half bottle of Bundaberg rum, as well as several DVDs labelled Porn. On a more worrying note however was a rather thick file with no label that was full of client addresses, phone numbers and other details including bank account numbers.

"What the fuck does she want with bank account numbers?" Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"There's only one reason I can think of," she replied, "we don't even keep them, any bank details are supposed to be shredded."

"That explains why she was the first to volunteer for shredding duties," Anne grimaced.

The piece de resistance however was the brag book and in it they found three other women who'd been former clients and it was here that Anne's phenomenal memory recall came into sharp focus when she confirmed that these other women were clients when they'd been with Helen.

"That's good enough for me," Penny inclined her head, "we'll take this folder as well," she took out her phone and found the number for the office. Charlott answered on the first ring.

"Charlott," she straightened up, "we're almost done here, can you do me a favour and access the folder on my computer for Employee Notices? There's a dismissal letter in there, put Helen's name at the top and make the date of dismissal today but don't give it to her and don't print it just yet, I'll be there in just under an hour to print it out and sign it."

"It's that bad is it?"

"Yeah, you could say she's failed disastrously, she's lucky I don't call the drug squad but for now just smile and pretend that everything's hunky dory."

"I can do that, boss."

Her next call was to Robyn and there was a bit of background traffic noise when she answered.

"Hiya, I'm just on Main Street now. How's it going?"

"She's sacked but not for the next hour or so," Penny looked around the office, "what time are you having lunch with Alana?"

"About half an hour, I just had to grab a few bits and pieces from the supermarket."

"Whatever, see if she can drop by the office on the way home for a preliminary interview, tell her it's an informal chat so she doesn't have to rush home and grab a resume, but I want to sound her out first and see if she's likely to be a good fit."

"Sure, I can do that and I'll keep my mouth shut about Helen."

"Thank you," Penny smiled crookedly, "and thanks for the hot tip, let's hope she's up for it."

After she'd farewelled her Robyn stared down the street at the pedestrian crossing, she still hadn't called Alana yet but she was a little nervous about the lunch date.

What do I say to her?

***

Alana looked pensive when Robyn stepped into the shop at lunchtime and when she glanced over at Erin, her housemate looked just as tense, and when Alana looked at Robyn she felt the tension in the air but it wasn't until she stepped outside with her that Alana finally let it out.

"Just a heads up, I had words with Erin this morning."

"Okay," she glanced at her as they walked to the pedestrian crossing, "what about?"

"She gave my home phone number to the person who vandalised my car," she replied, "I wasn't too hard on her because apparently she claimed to be a cop but even cops have to show a badge, but I've let her off because she's naïve."

"You mean it was a woman who did it?" Robyn stepped onto the zebra crossing.

"I've been told it was someone called Helen but only because they needed to know if I knew her but I don't know anyone called Helen," she glanced at her.

"What's the matter?" Alana went on as they reached the other side of the road.

"I know a Helen," she replied, "she's the woman I told you about a few days ago."

"Her last name isn't McInnes, is it?" Alana came to a stop.

"It is," Robyn looked past her, "fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Three fucks in a row," Alana's eyes narrowed, "what's going on?"

It came out slowly at first as they made their way up Main Street but by the time they reached the arcade Robyn was letting it all out, the attempted seduction, the phone call from the police that saw Helen leaving so quickly and finally the arrival of Penny.

"She told me the truth about Helen but I didn't think she'd do that to your car, I'd never have told her I was meeting you for lunch if that was the case."

Alana said nothing to that as she turned and stared down the street and for a few seconds Robyn had the impression she was considering calling the lunch date off altogether.

"It's not your fault, there's bad and good in every part of society. Not all men are bastards and not all gay women are saints."

"There is something good that might come out of it," Robyn ventured.

"Something apart from your brutal honesty?" Alana looked at her.

"Helen does work for Penny but for reasons I can't go into, because it's not my business, Penny is going to sack her for breaking company regulations and that means she's going to need a new legal secretary. She wants to see you tonight for an informal chat about the position."

"Me?" Alana's eyes widened, "why me?"

"Because when she told me that she was going to sack Helen I thought of you and told her about you, it's a good way to break into the legal profession."

"Oh," Alana took a half step backwards and then swallowed, "you recommended me? Why?"

"Because you're a friend," she replied, "I admit my feelings were a mess recently, I didn't know whether you were just a friend or if there was a possibility of taking it further but I'm kind of with Penny now so I guess that's settled that. You're a friend now and this is what friends do."

"I know," she bit her lip, "wow, a legal secretary?"

"Yeah, I have every confidence that you'd convince her that you're the right fit for the job even if I did prepare the ground head of time but you're the one who can take it over the line."

For the second time in almost as many minutes Robyn thought that Alana was going to walk away and have lunch by herself but then she turned and taking a step forward, threw her arms around her and hugged her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispered and then slackened her grip but kept her arms around her.

"I was so worried that you might want to take it further and I didn't think I had the strength to say no, because I want to stay friends even though it was an appealing fantasy."

She let go and looked down the arcade.

"So, now that we've talked about the elephant in the room, let's grab some lunch and talk about Harry Potter."

A casual observer might have looked twice as Alana slipped her hand into the crook of Robyn's arm as she led her up the arcade to her favourite café.

***

Penny squinted at her phone as the last of the office equipment was loaded into a white van and she touched the answer button with a smile.

"Hey there, sweetpea, how'd you get on with Alana?"

"Good, but there's a slight hitch you might need to know about," Robyn replied.

"What's the hitch?"

"You remember I mentioned last night before we fell asleep that someone vandalised Alana's car?"

"Uh huh."

"Well there was a witness apparently and the rego number he gave the police this morning matches the one Helen has been driving for the last few days, her mother's car?"

"So they're saying that Helen damaged her car? To what end?"

"Probably because I just mentioned to her in passing the other day that we were gonna have lunch on Wednesday but Alana couldn't make it because someone vandalised her car the night before."

"And the police know it's Helen?"

"They do," she leaned against her car, "they asked her if she knew a Helen McInnes, I um, I did tell her what I've just told you so I'm not sure if that's going to affect anything."

"It won't," Penny straightened up, "but thanks for the heads up, and she's coming over tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll meet her after work and she can follow me to your office. I um, I haven't told her that I was going to call you."

"Good, I'll handle it from here. How did she sound?"

"Moved," she replied a few moments later.

"Okay, well I'm just getting the last of my shit out of here and I'll be heading back to the office now so I'll see you tonight."

After she'd farewelled her Penny turned to her own car and stared past it at the cars on Swansea Road as she contemplated this new information.

This could complicate things, she glanced over her shoulder at the white van, unless, she looked at her phone and then opened up her phone book to find McIlroy's number.

"What's wrong?" Lisa looked at her.

"Just calling a friend. What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"Nothing special, just a bit of housework, why?"

"I need you back at the office this afternoon to go through the stuff on the computer, I'll pay you the overtime of course."

"Overtime is better than no time," she shrugged.

Penny nodded as she pressed the dial button and moved closer to her car. It took a few seconds for McIlroy to answer the phone.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Penny Jones, we spoke last night about Helen McInnes?"

"Oh right, of course. Sorry, it came through as an unknown number. How can I help you?"

"It's more a case of how I can help you," she leaned against her car, "our mutual friend has come to the attention of the police in the last few hours."

"Okay? In what way?"

Penny relayed the news she'd just received from Robyn and there was a delay of a few minutes whilst he made a phone call from a landline but eventually he came back to her.

"All right, how do you want to handle this?"

Penny outlined her suggestion and after agreeing on a time she thanked him and ended the call. Lisa was just locking the front door as Penny walked up the driveway.

"What's the plan, ma'am?"

"A brief council of war," she nodded at her, "then it's back to the office."

Some ten minutes later two cars and a van headed back to the office in Collins Place.

***

Helen got to her feet as two men came through the door. One had a hand truck laden with box files that she recognised straight away, the other was carrying the computer that had been sitting on her desk this morning. The office door opened just then and Charlott stepped out into reception.

"This way, guys. We'll put them in a conference room."

"What's going on?" Helen's eyes widened as Charlott moved past her.

"Speak to Penny," Charlott shrugged.

Helen opened her mouth once more and then shut it again and slumped down into her seat as the two men followed her into one of the conference rooms. She looked at her phone but just as she was about to pick it up Penny stepped into the reception area. The two women stared at each other and Helen felt as if her stomach had just given way as Penny drew closer, she had a very familiar folder in her hand. Helen stared at the label on the spine.

"Recognise this?" Penny held the folder up as Lisa and Anne stepped inside.

Helen licked her lips and swallowed.

"The office, now," she jerked her head in the direction of the office, "Anne will take over now."

Helen rose slowly as Penny spun on her heel and marched into the larger open plan office, Anne shot her a strange smile as she neared the counter.

Penny was sitting behind her desk as Helen entered and so she stood waiting, with one eye on the other seat and the other on the folder. Penny was taking some plastic envelopes out and it was only when Helen saw the one with Zara's picture inside it that it all hit home with a sickening finality. She now knew why Penny called last night to ask about Zara's file, she'd cited legal precedence, which had sounded quite plausible but she had still thought it a bit odd that Penny should call her after hours on such a mundane matter.

"Sit down already," Penny didn't even look up as she took out another envelope.

Helen sat down and stared at the plastic envelopes as the memories came flooding back, she knew what this was about now, the reason for the surprise audit along with the seizure of the computer. Penny seemed almost unaware of her presence as she opened a document on her computer and started tapping at the keyboard. Lisa was propped against the windowsill but when pages slid out of the printer she collected them. Helen eased back in her chair as she went through the possibilities in her head. Who had tipped her off? She took out her phone and scrolled through the messages but there hadn't been any from Robyn this morning. She looked up briefly as she heard the front door opening and a few moments later the muffled voice of a woman and then a man and as Lisa put the print outs on the desk Penny leaned forward and fanned the envelopes out in front of her.

"Do you recognise these women?"

"Should I?" Helen asked her as Lisa turned and exited the office.

"Don't get cute with me," Penny's eyes narrowed, "they were all clients of ours but they were more than that to you, weren't they?"

Helen didn't reply.

"I had an interesting conversation with a new client about her old friend," she pushed Zara's details across the desk, "I thought surely you wouldn't be so stupid," she clicked her mouse and held down the Control key as she selected two files.

"Can you give me an explanation as to why you got involved with five of our clients in violation of our company regulations?"

"I," she stopped, "what proof do you have?"

"I have proof that you supplied last night," she nodded at her In Tray, "Zara wasn't the first one but we compared the dates in her file with the dates I found in your brag book last night."

She clicked the mouse and then reached into her handbag and took out the envelope she'd given her the day before.

"You were supposed to give Robyn this envelope last night," she held it up, "imagine my surprise when I called Robyn to ask if she liked the cafetière and the money in the envelope and discovered that she hadn't received this letter, which had fifty dollars in it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I never stole no money," she held her hands up.

"Did I accuse her of stealing money?" Penny asked Lisa as Charlott stepped into the office again.

"No you didn't," Lisa replied.

"You did however forge my signature on a letter that was supposedly written by me, but the letter I wrote was handwritten," she put the envelope down and then nodded at Charlott.

"Would you be a dear?"

"Sure thing," Charlott took the printed sheets from the printer.

Penny leaned back in her seat and propped on her palm.

"Look if this is about Robyn I can explain," Helen held up her hand.

"It's got nothing to do with Robyn," Penny shot back, "this has to do with wilful disobedience, the reason I prohibit you and everyone else in this office, including myself from screwing clients is to prevent the opposition from screwing us in court. How the bloody hell can we be honest brokers when we're fucking them?" Penny took the printouts from Charlott.

"And you know the penalty for such a flagrant breach of regulations?"

Helen swallowed and looked away and then bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it anymore," she replied, "you've dragged my company down into the gutter and you seem to think that if you grovel and plead that I'll do what? Forgive you? Let you work your way back into my good graces? Goddamn you," she signed the top sheet.

"Goddamn you to hell and back," she pushed the top sheet across the desk along with the others, "your employment contract with us is terminated... with immediate effect," she took a cheque book out of her handbag.

"I'm going to give you a month's pay in lieu of notice but you won't get any references from me and if you dare use my name when speaking to any potential employer I'll make your life a living hell," she scribbled on the cheque.

"What can I do to fix this?" Helen's voice sounded strained.

"Go and find yourself a sex therapist, or an ordinary therapist. Hell, even go to A.A for all I care, you need help but I don't need you working here," she tore the cheque off and handed it over.

"And don't give me that look, sooner or later it was always going to come down to this. You've got a mother who doesn't know what day it is, the social welfare people are concerned she hasn't been eating properly. But none of that seems to bother you, as long as you can notch up another notch on your bedpost," she leaned back and folded her arms.

Helen's face flushed as she pushed herself back from the desk.

"You'll regret you ever did this to me."

"I'd watch your words if I was you," she rose and stepped away from the desk, "there are people who want to ask you a few questions," she walked around the desk and as Helen turned slowly to follow her progress she felt a sudden weakness in her legs. Penny opened the door and nodded at the other occupants in reception who were out of sight.

"She's all yours now."

Helen straightened up suddenly, her heart skipped a beat and a few seconds later a uniformed cop stepped into the office, he was trailed by a policewoman. Penny inclined her head at Helen.

"These two officers need to ask some questions back at the station. You can of course refuse but that would mean a walk to the divvy van in handcuffs, in full view of everyone."

"What the fuck is all this about?"

"Is your name Helen McInnes?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"We need to ask you questions about an incident in Linden Avenue on Tuesday night. I must inform you that you do not have to say or do anything but anything you say or do will be given in evidence, do you understand these rights?"