Josh fired off an email to Summer. She’d promised to dig into Ashley’s accident further to see if anything raised alarm bells. When his sister didn’t reply, he figured she was busy with the baby or at work. Instead, he started his search for online material relating to Charles Jamieson. Social media pages. Full of inspirational sayings—one for each day. He also posted photos relating to his campaign. Nothing contentious here. The guy had a gift for social media and kept things real but never stepped over the boundaries.
Next, Josh did a general search and checked each link as far back as ten pages of the search results. Nothing jumped out here either. Solid education. Trained as a lawyer, but he’d never practiced. Politics seemed to be his passion, and like Ashley, the man was a career politician. He lived and breathed politics. Hadn’t jumped into any scandals. Worked hard. If he played hard as well, he did it in private.
“Josh, we’re on the move,” Gerry interrupted his research.
“Thanks.” Josh put away his phone and notebook, waved goodbye to Sheryl and Carrie, and followed Ashley and the DPS officers from the electoral office.
Ashley worked and fielded phone calls during the drive into the central city. Josh knew she hadn’t slept much the previous evening because her bedroom light had remained on into the small hours of the morning. When most women might’ve cried themselves to sleep, Ashley had straightened her shoulders and marched into battle. He couldn’t have been prouder.
The hall where Ashley was to speak to students was standing room only. As Ashley entered with Gerry and Nelson, the chatter died before bursting into life again—a flurry of whispers. Since Josh was satisfied with Gerry’s and Nelson’s efficiency, he remained at the rear where he could scan the crowd and keep watch from the back.
Ashley strode the aisle to the podium at the front with her head up, her shoulders straight and a smile on her face. She wore a forest-green suit that clung to her curves and made the most of her figure, yet it never strayed into tacky. Her blonde hair shone under the lights, and the loose strands bounced as she walked.
Pride burst in Josh again. She was class, and although her stalker had rattled her, she hid her fear well.
When she reached the front, two men and a young woman greeted her and shook hands. Then, the young woman bounded up to the podium and raised her hands for silence.
“Thank you for coming today. The day before yesterday, we were excited to have a young and upcoming Member of Parliament coming to speak to us. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the leader of the opposition.” She paused to laugh. “I told my friends this woman was going places, but the dizzying rise of her star surprised me too. I knew she was ambitious and talented and popular with her constituents, but her fellow Labor party politicians value her too since yesterday, they chose her to lead them into this upcoming election. I am proud to welcome today, Ashley Townsend.”
Applause broke out in pockets around the hall, but Josh could see Ashley needed to work hard. She’d intimated she had a plan, but she hadn’t given him details. It was obvious most of these students had seen the social media posts. Neither he nor Ashley had bothered to listen to the news or check the online newspapers for public reaction, but he imagined the press and the response of other members of parliament. Give them a taste of blood, and they became ravenous sharks. Ashley swam in dangerous waters.
Ashley stood and approached the microphone. Once she reached the spot, she glanced around the hall and took in faces. She smiled—a genuine smile of happiness, and one Josh hadn’t seen since the posts had hit social media.
“Good morning. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to young New Zealanders. I’m going to take a safe wager. I bet you and your friends, your parents and university tutors too, are wondering what’s up with the nasty posts that appeared online last night. They’re calling me a criminal and accusing me of gross misconduct and other crimes. To be truthful, I stopped looking at my social media apps after reading the first couple.
“Firstly, none of what you might have read, or the press speculated about is true. I follow the law. The Labor party, and I presume the other political parties vying for seats, have a process in place to vet our candidates. No one gave me my position. I earned it because I am a decent human being who tries to do the right thing.
“During the last few months, I’ve received threatening letters. None of them bore a signature. Someone sent me a bouquet of dead flowers, also with an alarming note. My car refused to work after a mystery person forced open the fuel tank and added water. My home was broken into…” She paused and pulled a face. “The person who entered my home without my permission removed my lingerie from the drawers I keep it stored in and stacked it on top of my bed. They helped themselves to items of laundry and used these to dress a shop dummy. Yes,” she said. “For several hours last week, anyone who drove past my house would’ve seen a dummy dressed in my favorite pair of red undies and a matching lacy camisole.
“Then we come to the flurry of posts on every social media channel. The police have checked for the source of these posts, but unfortunately, most of the profiles where these posts originated are dummy accounts, opened for the purpose of harassing me.”
Ashley paused again to scan the faces. Admiration grew in Josh. This was a ballsy step and one that might backfire. On the plus side, these students were paying attention. They hadn’t expected her to come out with the truth. They’d expected spin.
“Yes, the truth is an insidious one. I’ve attracted a bully. These days, kids are taught about bullying. Our parents tell us what to do if we’re bullied. Report it to an adult, right? But not all those bullied are young children. Adults are just as likely to suffer from bullying. It might be in the workplace or in our social lives. Perhaps a family member.
“People of any age can attract bullies, and we must stamp it out and fight back if necessary.
“So how do we do that? We speak out. We tell people in authority or instigate a complaint. In my case, I’ve informed the police, and as the bullying has escalated, I now have two muscular men following me around during my workday.” She indicated her DPS officers, both of whom remained stony-faced and watchful.
“That is my bullying story. I’m not going to answer further questions regarding this situation but know this. I dislike bullies, and I refuse to let him or her run my life. Just know I won’t cower. I will fight back. I will not take this bullying or let it affect my reputation. Speaking out takes away the bully’s power. If you have any questions on how to deal with bullies, my team have collected several fantastic resources. If you or someone in your circle is facing the same problems as me, grab a handout on the way out of the hall.
“Now, I know you’re busy, and I’ve been speaking for a while now, but before I open the floor to questions, I thought I’d give you a quick down and dirty bullet-point speech of how the Labor party intends to help students. Which of our policies apply to you?”
The vibration of Josh’s phone distracted him, and he pulled it out of his pocket to glance at the screen. It was Frog. Josh briskly exited the hall before answering.
“Frog,” he said, while automatically making a time calculation. It was past midnight in Afghanistan.
“What’s going on over there, Josh?” Frog’s low voice held demand and frustration.
“Didn’t you get my email?”
“I did. Your verbal report?”
Josh described what was happening and mentioned Ashley’s bullying speech.
“Does Ash realize she’s rattling his cage?” Frog demanded.
“She knows what she’s doing.” Pride and admiration filled Josh. Like a military boss, she’d employed a strategy. “She’s counting on her situation swinging the vote to the Labor party.”
