“Olivia, you are quite close to the top of their list. They are likely to come calling in the next few days.”
“Shit!” I cry and can already feel tears breaching my eyes, rolling down my face at the realisation that this whole thing is still invading my chances of a normal life and future.
“Hey.” Mase circles the breakfast bar and engulfs me in his embrace. “My dad’s coming over later, to discuss some security issues so I’ll check if he knows anything else, okay? And we’ll get you a solicitor who can advise you.”
“A solicitor?” I almost squeal in horror at the reason behind a solicitor. “Why? Am I being incriminated? Oh God, Mason! I never did anything wrong, never—”
“Ssh, baby, of course you’re not in trouble. I meant a solicitor to advise, no more.”
“Thank you.” I continue to cry, beyond grateful to have Mase here, with me, supporting me, believing me, remaining on my side.
“Olivia,” Mason says when I am calmer. “They’re also going to question Raymond Daniels. I considered not telling you that, but I don’t want that to come as a shock to you.”
I nod, not really trusting myself to speak because tears and outbursts are barely contained beneath my calmer exterior and then I wonder what else there might be that I am unaware of.
After much protesting and debating about whether I should go to work or not, I am in Mason’s office a couple of hours after breakfast, his real office rather than the one he is currently using. I have taken delivery of the final items that will complete the new interior. Sean is milling around and although we cleared the air, he still seems a little awkward around me. I frown as I think he will be considerably more uncomfortable if my past comes out.
I have the radio playing and come up short when the news comes on with the lead story being the formal arrest of Dr Conrad Mathers. I was expecting it and yet it still comes as a huge shock. I’m shaking and breathing heavily, too fast I think as I find myself gasping—shit, I am having a panic attack, something I haven’t done for a while and now they’re back, because of him, my living nightmare.
Forcing myself to remember the techniques I used to find effective in dealing with them I am able to calm myself sufficiently. I have had episodes of panic attacks in the past. I had a short bout of them when my dad left, then again when Raymond first began to abuse me, the worst bout was when I’d run away, but not for the short time I slept rough, when I found myself settled, like my body and mind knew it was safe to do it at that point. They came back a couple of times when I was stressed, like end of year exams and dissertation time, but not for a while and certainly not since meeting Mase.
I grab my tablet and search for the details of Conrad Mather’s arrest and immediately see that he has now been formally charged with a variety of charges including: sexual assault, sex with a minor and abuse of position of trust but none go so far as to claim rape. I feel sick just hearing and then reading the details of his name, his professional address and then the charges.
How the hell am I going to cope with this when the police ask me about him, when I have to tell them exactly who he was to me, how I know him and what he did to me? That’s without factoring in them asking questions about how I came to see a private doctor, meaning I will need to tell them about Raymond, but then my mother will follow through with her threats against Scott, I know she will, if only as payback for me.
I manage to work for the next few hours, unpacking some items, organising them, trying them out in different places and without a lunch date with Mason I work straight through until the office is complete and I can’t wait for Mase to see it.
Despite my earlier anxiety I feel happier again, knowing that the office my boyfriend will be spending his days in will constantly make him think of me even when I’m working somewhere else and right now his happiness is the only distraction I need.
Chapter 49
Mason
I am listening to the words my dad is saying, but with each one my heart is sinking like a stone. It all sounds like such a can of worms. The press will have a field day and will cause serious distress to my girl which is the last thing I want, but the more my dad reveals, the more powerless I feel.
“I don’t know how she’ll cope,” I tell him honestly and he gives me a small, sympathetic smile.
“I wish I could do something more, but unless the evidence forces the stepfather to confess or at least plead guilty…”
I nod. I understand and am now praying to everything I hold dear that they’ll find cold hard evidence but then hate myself as I try to imagine what that evidence might look like.
“Do you think that’s a possibility?” I hope my dad is going to offer me some reassuring words. “The evidence?”
“Damned if I know, son.” He sighs and runs his hand through his hair, something I know I do too. “The doctor is likely to have been more careful than Raymond might have been. He is under more scrutiny from more people on a daily basis, but the stepdad is arrogant enough to want some kind of trophy, if only for himself or maybe to keep the girls, women in check. Or he might have kept nothing, not even a diary. Son, you can’t even begin to imagine what will or won’t be found, you’ll just have to wait.”
I nod again, understanding again. My dad checks what I’ve told Olivia and agrees that she doesn’t need to know more at this stage, especially not if it’s going to spook her. She deserves to feel safe and happy for as long as she possibly can.
By the time my dad leaves it’s almost the end of the day and I have done everything I had planned on doing so decide I might as well go home, to see Olivia. I’ve text her a couple of times and she seemed okay, busy okay. She hasn’t mentioned Mathers, but she must know about it because it has been on the news since late morning. Under normal circumstances I would have had lunch with her, but I couldn’t, I was getting the lowdown on my dad’s investigation and discussing the best way to proceed with keeping Olivia safe.
As I take my lift that has now had this floor added to it, I receive a text.
I smile at her cryptic message and imagine all kinds of surprise scenarios, all of them involving my girl naked or at least scantily clad. My dick is already rising to the occasion and I adjust slightly before replying.
I imagine her blushing and gasping at my words, at the promise of dirty things and those two words make me laugh out loud.
