Chapter 65
Chapter 65
‘Can I help you?’
The smartly-dressed professional looked Charlie up and down uncertainly. She was obviously annoyed to have been summoned to the door whilst preparing to leave for work and was concerned that she was now facing a lengthy conversation with a saleswoman, a political canvasser or, worse, a religious zealot. Charlie was quick to disabuse her, extracting her warrant card from her jacket.
‘DS Brooks, Hampshire CID. Sorry to disturb you so early.’
‘That’s no problem,’ the young woman responded, her scowl swiftly replaced by an awkward smile. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘It’s nothing to worry about, I just wanted to have a quick word. I am speaking to Leanne Gardner, correct?’
The homeowner nodded, intrigued and disconcerted in equal measure.
‘Excellent. Could we step inside?’
‘Look, to be honest it’s not a great time,’ the young professional replied, pulling a face as she checked her watch. ‘Is it possible you could talk to my fiancé? I’m already running late, so …’
‘No, I’m afraid it has to be you.’
‘OK then, but please make it quick. I really can’t hang about, not today …’
‘Fair enough, but I do think it would be better if we stepped inside …’
Leanne made no move to admit her, determined to keep their conversation as short as possible, so Charlie continued:
‘I wanted to talk to you about an allegation you made against a serving police officer back in June of 2016.’
Even as she spoke, Charlie saw the colour drain from the young woman’s face.
‘You alleged that PC David Reynolds detained you on suspicion of possession, then forced you to commit a sex act on him in the back of a police van. Is that correct?’
Leanne nodded slowly, dully, before darting an anxious look behind her.
‘You’re not in any trouble, Leanne, and I’m here to help and support you in any way I can. I’m just wondering why the case was dropped? Why you didn’t take it further?’
‘Why do you think?’ Leanne fired back angrily, finally finding her tongue. ‘I was a fifteen-year-old girl who was off my head that night, and he was a police officer. Who do you think the courts were going to believe?’
‘But you still reported it, Leanne, so you must have had some hope, initially at least, that you might be able to press charges …’
‘My mum made me do it, I didn’t want to. But it wasn’t her that had to sit in that police station whilst his mates, his colleagues, made comments about me – about how I dressed, about what I got up to when my folks weren’t looking. I knew what they thought of me and I didn’t want anyone saying those things about me in public, all right? It would have killed me.’
‘I understand. It must have been very hard for you. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.’
‘Well, if you’ve come to apologize, you’ve said your piece now, so you can go. Frankly, a letter would have done the job.’
‘I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that, Leanne. You see, David Reynolds is alleged to have assaulted other girls, both before and after he attacked you.’
The young woman said nothing, appearing shocked that her ordeal was not an isolated incident.
‘In fact,’ Charlie continued quickly, ‘we believe that he may still be committing offences against women and girls, but we need concrete evidence of his wrongdoing. Specifically, and I appreciate this is a huge ask, we need people who’ve suffered at his hands to speak up, to hold him to account, to make him pay for his crimes.’
‘No, no, no, no …’
The young professional was visibly retreating, as if keen to shut the door on Charlie and that part of her life. But Charlie took a step forward, keeping the conversation alive.
‘Believe me, Leanne, I wouldn’t ask unless it was vital. I have no desire to cause you any pain, or to dredge up the past, but if Reynolds is still a danger to women, to girls, we need to put him away. We need people to have the courage to come forward, to speak out.’
‘No, I’m not doing it. And you can’t make me.’
Leanne was defiant, but it was defiance laced with hurt, her eyes glistening.
‘That part of my life is dead and buried and I want nothing to do with it.’
‘On the contrary, Leanne, it’s very much alive. David Reynolds is still in post, still walking the streets, still an active threat to—’
‘Do you have any idea what you’re asking?’ Leanne demanded, her voice shaking. ‘I’m getting married this year. How do think that’s going to play out if I suddenly dig up all that … all that shit? I couldn’t tell my fiancé that. Couldn’t tell his family that.’
‘I’m sure they wouldn’t think any differently of you. I’m sure they’d understand and applaud your courage in seeking justice not only for yourself, but for others.’
‘Well, that’s bloody easy for you to say. Have you ever been attacked like that?’
‘No,’ Charlie conceded, suddenly feeling like a fraud.
‘Then you wouldn’t understand. You don’t know the mark it leaves, the shame and humiliation you feel.’
‘Leanne, I get that, I really do. And I fee—’
‘No, you don’t. You can’t. Not unless you’ve been through it. If you had, you wouldn’t pitch up here, asking me to turn my life upside down, you wouldn’t have the bloody nerve.’
‘Please, Leanne, hear me out. Nothing will be decided today, I just need you to listen …’
Charlie was fighting a desperate rearguard action here, hoping to, at the very least, keep Leanne in the conversation. But the young bride-to-be was not for turning.
‘No, I’m not doing it. It’s my past, my life. I won’t go back there, I just won’t .’
She was shaking with emotion, but her resolve was clear.
‘That’s my final decision, so now I’d like you to leave. You’re wasting your time.’
Charlie wanted to respond, to plead, but before she could do so, the door was shut firmly in her face. Frustrated, downcast, she breathed out heavily, before turning to walk back to the car. She had come here expecting little, but had got even less than she hoped for. She’d been firmly rebuffed, succeeding only in causing pain and distress in the process. How must Leanne Gardner be feeling now? Would she be able to conceal her distress from her fiancé? Or summon a good enough lie to explain away her tears? The whole thing made Charlie feel shabby and uneasy. She knew why Helen wanted them to track down Reynolds’ past accusers, why she felt they had to do so, but would it really yield any concrete results? Or would they simply cause untold pain and misery, forcing these poor women to relive horrendous events that they would prefer to bury for good? Weren’t they guilty of torturing Reynolds’ victims, humiliating and upsetting them all over again?
And yet what was the alternative? To collude in the suppression of evidence, to sanction criminality, to ensure that David Reynolds won ? Such a thing was unthinkable. So although she knew she was going to rip open many old wounds in the process, Charlie knew she had to persist, to try to persuade Reynolds’ victims to come forward. Too many women had been ignored, belittled or intimidated for too long. There could be no question of giving up now, however substantial the obstacles appeared to be. These women deserved justice and, come what may, Charlie was determined to see that they got it.