A Fluffy Tale 2: Warm & Fuzzy (15 page)

“Perhaps we could leave it until tomorrow?”
Zachary said.

“If necessary. Noble will get bail if we
do. He won’t on a sexual assault charge, not without conditions. We can make
sure he stays away from you and your family.”

Daniel chewed his lip. He’d wanted to avoid
all this, but maybe his objections didn’t amount to much now. “I’ll do it,” he
said. “But for the record, I really hate you for doing this,” he said to Spen.

“I’m sorry.” Spen stood. Myko gave Daniel a
strangely disappointed look, his tail drooping. Kani squeaked at his friend,
but Myko’s human didn’t look at him. “Mr Stern will want a quick word, and then
I’ll head off. Thank you, Zachary.”

“You’re welcome. You’ve done good work.”
Daniel gave his ‘informal advisor’ a glare for that, but Zachary didn’t blink.

Spen sent one last look of appeal Daniel’s
way, but Daniel didn’t soften, so he left, and shortly after, Mr Stern came in.
“Daniel, I’m very sorry to hear what’s happened. You and I will have to talk
about your future here, but for now, I want you to take tomorrow and the next
week off on paid leave. I believe the police have to confiscate computers and
so on, so you’ll need to stay out of the way. If Noble attempts to contact
you—”

“You tell us,” Inspector Shah said. “I have
a car downstairs. Thank you, Mr Stern.”

Daniel felt too numb, too betrayed, to even
look at his boss as the officer led them out to the lifts. “Who knows?” he
asked Zachary. Inspector Shah was talking on his phone, paying them no
attention.

“Myself, Julian, Leo, Spencer, his
assistant, Jyoti, and Mr Stern. Mr Stern is very anxious to keep this quiet for
now. If and when Noble is charged, there will likely be media coverage. A
regrettable amount of gossip will inevitably follow, if my own office is any
indication.”

“Wonderful. I guess this job is toast
anyway.”

“Why would you want to continue working for
a man like that?” Zachary asked.

“I don’t. But I need a job.” He didn’t feel
like explaining all the issues involved in that need. He didn’t want to be here
at all.

“You need friends more,” Zachary said,
still with the stiff formality that coloured everything he’d said so far. “I
learned this from Julian.”

“The only friend I’ve got just stabbed me
in the back.”

The inspector turned. Apparently he had
been listening after all. “That friend just saved you from sexual assault,
maybe even death, if Noble had got his dose wrong.”

“He has a point,” Zachary said. “I believe
Spencer acted from the finest motives.”

Daniel didn’t know what to say to that.
Spen had lied to him. Spen had saved his bacon, maybe his life. Spen had just
lost him a job he needed to prove he could look after Dee and Alex. Spen had
just saved him from a job that was ruining his life. “I don’t want to talk
about it,” he muttered.

The process of making the statement was
easier than he expected. He thought he’d have to sit in one of those horrible
interview rooms like they used on TV cop shows, but instead Inspector Shah took
them all to a room with ordinary sofas, offered him tea, and took him carefully
but not unsympathetically through the events of that evening, and his
relationship with Tony. Zachary asked his kem to come out, and Kani’s
respectful playing with the lovely creature offered some welcome distraction at
points of stress. The inspector was considerate about breaks too, and everyone
was remarkably patient. Still, Daniel had a headache and a stomach that still
wanted to turn inside out by the time he was asked to sign the statement the inspector
had typed up for him.

“Is it enough to convict him of rape?”

The inspector grimaced. “It’s always
difficult to prosecute that, Daniel, and with you being the only witness and
having no memory of the event, that’s not going to help. However, we do have a
good deal of solid circumstantial evidence supporting your version of events
and directly contradicting his, so I’ll push hard for it. The drugs and the
pictures are definitely going to get him into trouble. The final decision on
the exact charges isn’t up to me. You haven’t wasted your time here, I promise
you.”

Daniel shrugged. “Can I go now?”

“Yes, of course.” The inspector turned and
fetched something from the table behind him. “Ah, you might want to look at
this too. I’ll have Victim Support contact you, and they can give you more
information about counselling and so on. Medical tests as well.”

It was the same damn pamphlet Spen had
offered him. Daniel shoved it into his pocket with a muttered “thanks”, and
looked at Zachary. “Thank you, inspector,” Zachary said, getting to his feet.
His kem positioned himself gracefully along Zachary’s shoulders again. “I’ll
advise you if Daniel decides to engage another legal advisor.”

“That’s fine. Thank you, Daniel. It took
courage to come here tonight.”

No, just a pushy ‘friend’, he thought.
Zachary called Julian, and then ordered a taxi. They stood outside the station
to wait. “How much will this cost me?”

“Nothing, for now. You’ll be told if you
need to incur any costs.”

“Why? You don’t know me.”

“As a favour to Julian, and because I don’t
need your money.” His features softened. “I realise the job situation makes it
awkward, but I believe you’ll look back in a few months and be grateful to
Spencer, and that you took this step.”

“Maybe. I guess they’ll have to fire me. I
mean, if Tony’s getting the boot. I haven’t even finished probation.”

“Very likely they will want to let you go
just to draw a line under this episode, and frankly, I think it’s the best for
you. However, there’s no reason at all we can’t make that departure as
favourable to you as possible. When Mr Stern contacts you, I would suggest you
have me attend the meeting with you, if you permit it. At the very least, I
strongly advise you not to accept anything he offers until you discuss it with
me or another solicitor, and make sure it’s all put in writing. Your company
put you at risk, and you suffered directly as a result. I don’t see why they
shouldn’t pay handsomely for that.”

“Sue?” Daniel’s voice came out in a squeak.
Kani copied him, which only made it more mortifying.

“I doubt that will be necessary. Mr Stern
is
very
embarrassed about this, and
what Julian discovered regarding the other staff members. At the very least, we
can obtain a cushion for you while you look elsewhere, and very likely the cost
of any counselling you wish to undertake. If you spend any money at all
regarding this, keep receipts.”

“Okay.” Daniel couldn’t think about this at
all. He barely cared. He just wanted to go home...oh but Dee and Alex wouldn’t
be there. He’d be in the house alone. Just great.

Zachary had the taxi drop him off at home
first. “Here’s my card, and on the back is Julian’s number. He asked me
specifically to tell you to call him if you want any help at all. He and Leo
have taken this very much to heart, on my account, and on Spencer’s.”

“No need,” Daniel mumbled.

“I’ve learned arguing with either of them
is a waste of time,” Zachary said with a slight smile. “Good night...and good
luck.”

“Thanks.”

The taxi drove off. Daniel walked up the
dimly lit path. The porch light came on as he took his key out.

“Daniel?”

He dropped the key in shock and whirled,
hand in his pocket on his mobile phone ready to call the police. “Who’s there?
Come out!”

“You should talk to him.”

“He’s furious with me, Jules. I went behind
his back.”

“Yeah but...talk to him, Beanie. The poor
sod needs a friend. Even Zachary noticed.”

“You dissing your husband?”

“Hey, I love him more than life but he
doesn’t exactly do nuance, you know? Beanie, go over there.
The worst thing that can happen is that he’ll yell at you again, and maybe he
needs to. You know you did what you had to do. So...be strong for him.”

“Why don’t you talk to him, Julian? He
likes you.”

Spen’s friend sighed. “He likes you more.
That’s why he’s upset.”

“He’s upset because I lied to him and lost
him his bloody job. And you know, I don’t blame him.”

“Then tell him.”

Spen’s turn to sigh. “Okay. I should check on him anyway.” He walked towards the stairs,
and down them, still holding the phone to his ear.

“You do that. And Leo wants you both to
come for supper. He wants to talk to Daniel about his future, and he wants you
to back him up.”

“Your boss is really making him a project,
isn’t he?”

“He feels a little guilty at tricking him.
But mostly he hates to see talent wasted, and Daniel is that in spades.”

“He is. Let me know when, but don’t be
surprised if he says no.”

“I won’t. Leo won’t let it go, though. He
doesn’t know the word.”

“Hah, makes two of you.”

“Taught me all I know. Talk soon, Spen.”

“Thanks, Julian. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Now go!”

“Going, going....” He snatched up the keys
to his mother’s car as he disconnected in the kitchen. “Heading over to
Daniel’s,” he told her as she looked at him. Dee and Alex were in the living
room, talking to Spen’s Dad. Both his parents had known well in advance what
was likely to happen this evening, and their support had helped Spen through
this. “Do you need your car in the morning?”

“No, love, I can take the bus in, if you
pick me up in the afternoon. Stay with him or bring him back, Spencer. The
child shouldn’t be alone.”

“No, he shouldn’t. Thanks, Mum.” He kissed
her cheek. “At some point, the kids will have to be told. He might need our
help for that.”

“Of course. He doesn’t have to do this on
his own. You make sure you tell him.”

“I will.”

Spen pulled up near the front of Daniel’s
house just a minute or so before a taxi stopped outside. He wasn’t completely
sure it was Daniel and Zachary’s, until Daniel climbed out and walked up the
path. His shoulders were hunched, and he looked defeated and tired as he
approached the front door. Spen climbed out of the car and walked quickly to
catch his friend up. “Daniel?”

He’d assumed Daniel would have heard his
footsteps, but mentally slapped himself for stupidity as Daniel turned in
fright, dropping his key ring. “Who’s there? Come out!”

“It’s only me. Calm down.”

Daniel collapsed against the front door.
Spen picked the fallen keys and handed them to him. Daniel snatched the keys
away. “What the hell are you doing here, Spen?”

“Checking on you. Why don’t you let
yourself in?”

“Why don’t you bugger off?” Daniel said,
but without any great force behind it.

When he opened the door, and Spen followed
him in, he didn’t actually protest. “I’m going to change. You’re not welcome,
you realise.”

“Yeah, I do. I’ll make something for you to
eat while you change.”

Daniel made a face and headed towards the
stairs. So far things weren’t as horrible as they could be, but there was
plenty of time for them to deteriorate. Spen didn’t really have a plan, or know
the first thing about how to handle someone in Daniel’s situation. Or how to
get past the fact that he’d been hiding and lying to the kid about some
important stuff, and now Daniel would know just how far those lies and
omissions went.

There were proper meals in the freezer, but
Spen decided scrambled eggs were as inoffensive and easy to digest as anything
else in the fridge. He was just serving up as Daniel came back, now dressed in
T-shirt and jeans. Kani ran over and jumped up onto the kitchen counter so he
could lick Myko, but Kani’s human was a lot less friendly. “I don’t need you to
cook for me. I’m not hungry.”

“Too bad.” Spen set the plate in front of
him. “Eat. If you want to be angry, at least do it with food in your stomach.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes at him, and
stabbed the eggs with a fork. “Why are you here?”

Spen sat down. “You eat, I’ll talk. Then
you can yell. Deal?” Daniel gave him a disgusted look. “There’s a lot to talk
about. Eat. Please, Daniel.”

Daniel rolled his eyes, but ate a forkful
of food. He winced a little, but a second forkful followed. Spen got up and
poured him some milk, which went down easily too. After a few more mouthfuls,
Daniel muttered, “Okay, talk.”

“First of all, I’m sorry. I knew you’d be
angry, and you’re right to be. I lied to you, we tricked you, and I screwed
things up so far as working there is concerned. I don’t blame you a bit. But,”
he added, folding his arms, “I wouldn’t change a damn thing. Noble’s a dangerous
criminal, and he needs to be stopped.”

“You already said all this,” Daniel said,
before drinking more milk. “I’m not stupid. But now I have to deal with the
mess you left me in.”

“Yes, but not alone. We all want to help.
Julian, Leo, Zachary, Mum, Dad....”

“You?” Daniel finally asked when Spen
didn’t continue.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Why? I’m nothing to you.”

“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“Yeah. You lied to me. You already had
Tony’s number. You were already investigating him. I was just...collateral
damage.”

“You think this is about him?” Daniel
shrugged. “Why would I give a damn about him if it wasn’t for you?”

“Why wouldn’t you trust me with the truth
if sticking it to him wasn’t the most important thing? You hurt me because I
might damage your lovely set up. Well, nice work. Now the world knows my
business, I have to dump a load of crap on my sister the week of her exams,
every man and his mutt wants to inspect my arse and counsel my poor victimised
mind, and...that’s all I am
to you. Poor little orphan rape victim Daniel.”

Spen sat there, stunned by the volume and
ferocity of Daniel’s complaint. Daniel’s cheeks had high spots of colour in
them, and his green eyes blazed with fury. “You’ve got it all wrong,” Spen
murmured.