Chapter Fourteen
Aster strode through the bustling London streets, her trainers moving quietly against the pavement. The crisp spring air did little to cool the fever pitch of her thoughts as she walked towards the gleaming office building where Jessica Smith worked. Driving back from Birmingham, she knew she had to focus on the nightclubs, she had been avoiding it and that caused her greater shame. She had behaved like a coward and because of that, other girls had suffered. The past two days had been spent solely on drawing up a plan of action to destroy Marcus Barrie. Today was about honouring the women whose lives had been so violently disrupted by a predator still moving unchecked through the city.
The sleek glass and steel building loomed ahead, all sharp angles and cold modernity. Aster took a moment to square her shoulders and steady her breathing before crossing the polished lobby to the reception desk. The efficient-looking woman behind the counter raised a perfunctory eyebrow at Aster’s request.
‘Jessica Smith? Yes, she’s expecting you. Third floor, conference room B.’
Aster thanked her with a tight smile and made her way to the lifts, her reflection distorted in the mirrored walls as she ascended. She emerged into a hushed hallway, all muted greys and inoffensive abstract art. Conference room B was at the end, a small, utilitarian space with a laminate table and a smattering of generic office chairs.
Jessica was already there, a tall brunette in her mid-twenties, nervously twisting her hands in her lap. She looked up sharply as Aster entered, her large brown eyes wide and unblinking in a pale face. Aster could see the shadows of sleepless nights etched under those eyes, the telltale signs of concealer hastily applied in an attempt to mask the toll of trauma.
‘Jessica? My name’s Jane. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me.’
Aster kept her voice soft and even, her movements slow and telegraphed as she took a seat across from the visibly anxious young woman. Aster wanted to keep her details out of this and was determined that nothing would be traced back to her and in turn, the Hiverton Estate. She would prefer not to have everyone know about her incident, but she absolutely didn’t want anyone to know just how good she was at hacking into computers and the like. The Hiverton Estate didn’t need that sort of exposure.
‘Your e-mail said… you said you had information. About what happened to me that night at the club.’ Jessica’s words came out haltingly, her gaze skittering away to the window, the door, anywhere but Aster’s face.
Aster leant forward slightly, her expression grave. ‘I do. But before I show you, I want to warn you that this footage may be very upsetting to watch. If at any point you need me to stop, just say the word.’
Jessica nodded shakily, wrapping her arms around her middle in a self-comforting gesture. Aster flipped open her laptop and angled it so they could both see the screen. With a few deft keystrokes, she pulled up the relevant video file.
The scene that unfolded was chillingly familiar - the deep bass thrum of club music, the crush of bodies on the dancefloor, the clamour of overlapping conversations and clinking glasses at the crowded bar. Aster watched Jessica’s face closely as the camera zoomed in on her laughing with a group of friends, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling in the pulsing lights. Jessica’s breath caught as she watched her on-screen self detach from the group and make her way up to the bar to order a drink.
Aster saw the exact moment realisation hit, the colour draining from Jessica’s face as she watched the situation play out on screen. A man’s arm reached over her shoulder, depositing something into her glass whilst her back was turned. The movement was quick, almost imperceptible. If Aster hadn’t known to look for it, she might have missed it herself.
‘I don’t recognise him,’ Jessica whispered, her voice trembling. ‘There’s nothing…’ She trailed off, pressing a hand to her mouth as the scene continued to unfold.
On-screen, mere minutes had passed, but the change in Jessica was horrifyingly apparent. Her lively animation had given way to a slumped, glassy-eyed daze as the man wrapped a supporting arm around her waist and guided her stumbling form towards the exit. Bile rose in Aster’s throat as she watched, remembering with visceral clarity her own experience of confused, drugged helplessness.
Unable to watch any more, Aster reached out and gently closed the laptop. Jessica was shaking now, silent tears coursing down her ashen cheeks.
‘I’m so sorry, Jessica. The truth is, the same thing happened to me.’ Aster’s voice was rough with barely suppressed emotion as she reopened the computer to pull up the footage of her own drugging. She watched as Jessica’s eyes widened in horrified recognition.
‘That’s him! It’s the same man.’ Her voice shook with suppressed rage. ‘He’s done this to other women? But I don’t understand… I reported what happened to me. I went to the police the next day. They said… they said there was little they could do. I had a rape test and blood screen test and both were positive. But without any security footage, and without my memory-’ Jessica’s words were punctuated by hitching breaths as she struggled to compose herself. ‘But they did have the footage all along. Why would they lie?’
‘The usual reasons. Incompetency. Laziness. Back covering. I imagine being involved in a police investigation is bad for business.’ Aster leant forward, her gaze intent. ‘I’m gathering that evidence, Jessica. You’re not the only one. I’ve tracked down several other women I believe to be his victims. With your permission, I want to compile everything I have and take it to the media. I want to expose this predator for what he is and ensure he can never do this again. We can also target every venue that failed to provide the video evidence in an attempt to save their own skin.’
Jessica recoiled as if slapped, fresh tears spilling over. ‘Go public? Have everyone know what happened to me, what he did? I can’t… my job, my family, everyone will…’ She shook her head vehemently, her breathing growing rapid and shallow.
Aster reached out slowly, giving Jessica time to pull away before gently resting a hand on her arm. ‘I completely understand. But this is not your shame. It’s his. Believe me, the last thing I want is to violate your privacy or cause you more pain. If we move forward with this, I promise you I can destroy your video. You don’t have to be involved. You have my word.’
Jessica sniffled, swiping at her tears with trembling fingers. ‘What about the other girls? Do they know you have these videos of them?’
Aster sighed heavily, feeling the weight of responsibility settle over her. ‘Not yet. You’re the first one I’ve approached. I’ve only been able to identify a few potential victims so far. My hope is that by going public with this, more women will find the courage to come forward to the police. There’s strength in numbers, even if their individual identities are protected.’
Jessica was quiet for a long moment, her gaze distant as she processed Aster’s words. Finally, she straightened her spine and met Aster’s eyes dead on, a flicker of steel beneath the surface.
‘I’ve been seeing a therapist. She says it will help me to talk about it. I want him stopped. What he did to me, what he did to you, what he’s probably still doing… it’s not right. It’s not fair. Use my footage. Use whatever you need to take him down. I’ll sign whatever you need me to sign. Just promise me one thing?’
‘Anything,’ Aster vowed.
‘Promise me you’ll nail the bastard to the wall.’
A fierce grin tugged at Aster’s lips, a match for the determined fire kindling in Jessica’s eyes. ‘That’s a promise.’
The tension in the room seemed to ease a fraction as the two women shared a moment of perfect understanding. Aster knew all too well the impotence of rage with no outlet, the haunting spectre of violated autonomy. She would not let Jessica’s bravery be in vain.
‘Are you seeing a therapist?’ asked Jessica hesitantly. ‘Talking to anyone?’
Aster shook her head. ‘My sisters know, but my situation is different to yours. Someone else noticed I was drugged and took me home and kept me safe.’
Jessica moaned when Aster said ‘safe’ and then broke down crying. Dirty ugly sobs wracking her frame. Jumping up, Aster went over to the side table, poured Jessica a glass of water and grabbed a napkin, handing both to the woman.
An idea occurred to her then, a small way to offer some modicum of solace. ‘Jessica, I know there’s nothing I can say or do to undo what happened to you. But if you’ll allow me, there is something I’d like to offer. My family, we run a sort of… retreat centre, in Cornwall. It’s a peaceful place, beautiful, right on the coast. We established it as a way to help people who have experienced trauma find some healing in a safe, supportive environment. I’d like to arrange a stay for you there, as my guest. All expenses paid. You could take some time away, rest and regroup.’
Jessica blinked rapidly, fresh tears welling. But this time, Aster saw a glimmer of something like hope underneath the sheen of pain. ‘You… you’d do that? For me? After everything you’re already doing. Why?’
Aster smiled softly. ‘It’s the very least I can do. You’re incredibly brave, Jessica. What you’re agreeing to, it’s no small thing. Let me help in this way. Please. Even if you say no to me sharing your video, the holiday is still yours.’
The taller woman seemed to crumple again. Aster rose and moved around the table, gathering Jessica into a careful embrace. She felt her own throat tighten with emotion as Jessica clung to her, but she took care not to pull away first. Whatever this woman needed, Aster would provide.
When she finally pulled away, Jessica’s face was splotchy and damp, but her eyes were clear. ‘Thank you, Jane. For everything. I don’t… I didn’t know how I was going to get through this, but now… I feel like maybe there’s a chance. A chance for justice, or at least something like it.’
Aster squeezed her hand. ‘We’ll get justice, Jessica. I swear it. He picked the wrong women to mess with. We’re going to take back every scrap of power he tried to steal from us. He has no idea what’s coming for him. This isn’t our shame, it’s his.’
With final words of encouragement and a promise to be in touch soon with details about the Cornwall retreat, Aster left Jessica to compose herself before returning to work. As she exited the building into the busy London street once more, Aster felt a renewed sense of determination settling over her like armour.
No more distractions, no more delays. She would see this through to the end, whatever it took. She merged into the thronging crowd, just another unremarkable figure going about her day. But inside, a reckoning was brewing. Jessica’s tear-stained face and hesitant spark of hope played on a loop in her mind.
‘Nail the bastard to the wall,’ Jessica had said.
And nail him Aster would. With relish.
By the end of the day, Aster had met three more women and had appointments to meet four more the following day. Two hadn’t replied and she would approach them directly. By the time she went public, it would be with the approval of the ten women or she would delete their footage. She couldn’t offer the same to the unknown women, all she could offer them was a possible way to step forwards and name their attacker. Marcus Barrie was not only about to face the full weight of the law, but also that of public opinion. By the time she was finished, there wouldn’t be a single person in the country that didn’t know who Barrie was and what he had done.