Authors: Teodora Kostova
“
Shhh
,” Jared whispered. “I won't watch it, I promise.”
A
knock on the door interrupted them and Cathleen walked in with a handsome man
in tow. He was tall and muscled and wore a stern expression on his face. His
dark eyes scanned the room automatically before he sat down next to Cathleen.
“This
is detective Trey Griffin with NYPD. We’re very close friends and I trust him
implicitly,” Cathleen said meeting Fenix’s worried eyes. Fenix relaxed after
that statement – if his agent trusted that man, then so would he. Cathleen
didn’t use the term lightly. “I think we should hear his opinion on this,
Fenix. I told him the gist of the story already.”
Trey
Griffin shook hands with both Fenix and Jared as Cathleen spoke.
“There
are a few ways to handle this, but I’d like to see the video before I advise
you any further,” Griffin said.
“See
the video? You actually have it?” Fenix’s voice rose in horror.
“They
sent me part of it, yes.”
“Have
you seen it?”
Cathleen
nodded. Fenix hid his face in his hands, too ashamed to even look her in the
eyes.
“They’ll
contact me by the end of today for an answer, Fenix. We don't have any time to
waste.
Trey
should see the video and we should decide
what to do as soon as possible.”
Fenix
nodded and stood. He took Jared’s hand and tugged him towards the door.
“Watch
it. We’ll be outside.”
They
sat on the sofa in the foyer, glad that Andy, Cathleen’s assistant, was busy
typing on her computer and didn't pay them any attention. Fenix could feel
Jared’s tense body next to him. He felt awful that his moronic behaviour was
coming back to haunt him.
To haunt
them
, because Jared was in this with him.
As much as Fenix
appreciated that, he couldn't help but feel guilty.
“Hey,”
Fenix said quietly, touching Jared’s upper arm. “You OK?”
Jared
looked at him and frowned.
“I’m
not OK,” he said through clenched teeth. “I want to find those bastards and
kill them with my own two hands. How could they do this to you?”
Jared
trembled with silent rage. Fenix’s eyes softened as he spoke:
“It’s
my mistake, Jared. As much as I’d like to blame it on someone else, it’s my
responsibility.”
“We
all make mistakes, Fen! That doesn’t mean that someone should take advantage of
you, ply you with alcohol all night, film you without you realising, and then
try to sell the footage to the highest bidder! Fucking useless, greedy
motherfuckers! If I could get my hands on them for just a minute...” Jared
visibly shook with fury and his eyes blazed in a dark blue storm.
“Hey,
baby, calm down, please. I... I feel shaken enough because of all this, I need
you to be calm for me or I’ll completely fall apart.”
Jared
exhaled loudly and his shoulders sagged. He nodded and wrapped Fenix in his
arms.
Fifteen
minutes later Cathleen invited them back in her office. Detective Griffin was
frowning. He didn't waste any time and started speaking as soon as Fenix and
Jared took their seats opposite him.
“Did
you drink that night, Fenix?” Griffin asked. Fenix nodded.
“How
about drugs?”
“No.”
“Are
you sure?”
“Yes!”
“How
well did you know those men?”
“I’ve
just met them an hour before...” Fenix trailed off. The detective nodded, as if
his reply was what he’d expected.
“Is
it possible that one of them slipped something in your drink?”
Fenix
thought about it for a second. Was it? He’d been so out of it already that it
would have been easy to drop a pill in his glass.
“I
guess.”
“Do
you remember exactly what happened that night?” Griffin continued asking
questions like a true professional.
“I
don’t remember anything between drinking with them in the bar and then waking
up in a hotel room, puking my guts out.”
The
detective nodded thoughtfully before he spoke again.
“Without
a toxicology report we can’t be certain that’s what happened, but I’m pretty
sure they drugged you. Your pupils are abnormally dilated, your body is slack,
and you kept mumbling incoherently. Also,” Griffin glanced nervously around, “you
were not aroused at all during the footage I saw.”
Fenix
turned red in an instant. God, was this ever going to end?
“What
are you trying to say, detective?” Jared asked. Fenix wished the ground would
open up and swallow him whole.
“I
think Fenix has enough cause to press charges.”
Fenix
looked sharply at the man as if he’d gone mad.
“Charges?
For
what?”
“Rape.”
Fenix
shook his head vehemently.
“I
remember when they asked me if I wanted to go with them. I said yes!”
“But
you don't remember anything after that? If you were just drunk, you may have
come to your senses and left before things got out of hand. Or at least noticed
they were recording you. But I think that choice was taken away from you,
Fenix. I think those people drugged you and then raped you and filmed it. Why
would they film it otherwise? Why would they come after you if it was just
about the sex for them? In my personal opinion, I think you were targeted.”
Fenix
pondered that for a few silent moments – was it really possible? He’d fucked so
many people during those two years, word may have gotten around that he was an
easy lay. And the fact that he had no recollection of that night worried him –
he’d been drunk before and he’d always remembered at least parts of what had
happened. Total blank was very strange indeed.
“What
are the options if that was the case?” he asked the detective.
“You
could press charges. I don’t suppose you have the names of those men?” Fenix
shook his head. “That would make things a bit more complicated. Their faces are
not clearly visible in the video, and it might take time to identify them. But
still, if you press charges based on that video, we can start an investigation
and try to find those men. If we don’t, it’ll get filed under ‘unsolved’ and
all evidence will be stored in a box in the basement.”
Fenix
blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what the detective was saying.
Sensing his confusion, Trey Griffin continued.
“If
anyone tries to sell and upload that video online, they’ll be messing with
evidence for a rape case. Those people are trying to make money. If they can’t
get anyone to pay for the footage, they’ll drop it. There’s no point in uploading
it online for free – the trouble they’ll get into will outweigh the gain.”
“I’ll
make sure nobody touches that video with a barge pole. Trust
me,
just hinting the word ‘rape’ and ‘investigation’ will scare everyone off.
If it doesn’t, the word ‘lawyers’ will,” Cathleen added.
“If
I press charges and you start the investigation, won’t that get public? Won’t
it get the media even more interested?” Fenix asked.
“I’ll
take on the case personally and do my best to keep it under the radar. My
superiors will have access to the files, but nobody else. I doubt it’ll get
blown up out of proportion,” the detective said.
Fenix
wasn’t convinced.
“Look,
our best bet is opening the case and filing the video under evidence. I don’t
have much hope we’re going to find those men since their faces are not clearly
seen. Let me talk to them when they call. I’ll explain what they’ll be getting
into if they sell the video or upload it online themselves. Hopefully that’ll
scare them off,” Griffin said.
Fenix
nodded in agreement. He caught the ‘there are no guarantees’ meaning of ‘hopefully’,
but there was nothing he could do, was there?
“How
long is the statute of limitations on sexual assault?” Jared asked.
“Five
years,” the detective replied shortly.
“So
in four years they could come back and we won’t be able to stop them?” Fenix
asked.
“Technically,
yes. If that happens, you can always hire good lawyers and sue. But let me be
honest here – the video is disturbing. It’s not erotic in any way. It clearly
shows four men taking advantage of you. Even without the rape charges, no
reputable media, or even the gossip rags, would want anything to do with it.”
Fenix
winced at the detective’s words and felt Jared’s arms sneak around him. If it
wasn’t for Jared, if he didn't have his support, he’d have been a wreck right
now. He’d have completely fallen apart.
“OK,
let’s do this,” Fenix said, trying to sound confident even though he was
anything but.
“You’ll
have to come down to the station and I’ll personally take your statement. I’ll
do everything I can to keep this confidential,” Trey Griffin assured him.
Just
then, the phone rang. Everybody froze for a second before the detective stood
up and strode purposely towards the phone.
“Hello?”
he said as he picked up. He listened for a couple of seconds,
then
said in an authoritative voice, “This is detective Trey
Griffin with NYPD. I’m here with Mr Bergman who has filed charges for rape.
That video you’re trying to get paid for is officially evidence in a rape case.
It’s being analyzed as we speak and I’m certain the facial recognition software
will do its job, and I’ll be knocking on your door shortly.” He paused and
listened for a few more seconds with a bored expression on his face. Jared got
up and took the few steps separating him from the detective quickly, silently
asking for the receiver. The detective passed it to him with a raised eyebrow.
“Listen
to me, you worthless piece of shit,” Jared snarled. “This is Jared Hartley,
Fenix Bergman’s partner. If you’re doing all this to hurt him,
which
I doubt because you’re probably a greedy bastard, let
me tell you that you won't succeed. His friends and family, and
I
, will stand beside him whatever
happens. He will not lose his job because he’s brilliant at what he does and
you can’t change that. Nobody will buy your fucking video because it’s obvious
you took advantage of a vulnerable person. But if someone does, the police and
our lawyers will be after you so fast you won’t have time to say ‘scumbag’,”
Jared barked and disconnected, throwing the receiver back on Cathleen’s desk.
“Did
you just hang up on the blackmailers?” Cathleen asked and raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.
I’m sick of this,” he said, his voice suddenly sounding tired. He walked back
to the sofa and sat down next to Fenix, taking his hand in his. “I don’t want
you to sit here and feel threatened by these useless assholes anymore, Fen. You
know as well as I do that in this business anyone could turn against you and
stab you in the back. We did what we could. Let’s go to the station, make the
statement, and catch a flight back home. Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll deal
with it.”
“OK,”
was all Fenix managed to say, feeling exhausted himself. He’d reached a point,
after the initial shock and embarrassment of the discovery had worn off, where
he didn't care anymore. Jared was right – they’d done everything they could. It
was out of their hands.
Cathleen
hugged him before they left and whispered: “Don’t worry, Fenix. Jared is right.
Whatever happens, we’ll face it head on and I’ll help you any way I can.” She
kissed his cheek and they walked out, following detective Griffin’s lead to the
station.
Chapter thirty six
Jared
Jared watched
Poison
’s final scene backstage, thinking
he’d never get tired of seeing Fenix on stage. As the water rained on his bare
chest and Fenix moved with such elegance and grace, Jared’s gut clenched as he
realised, yet again, how much he loved that man.
Six
months after their trip to New York, the video was still nowhere to be found.
No magazine, newspaper, blog, or TV show had covered the story. Cathleen had
been vague when Fenix had asked about it shortly after they returned to London,
and Jared suspected she might have had to do some damage control.
Detective
Griffin had been right – he hadn’t managed to identify the men in the video and
it was filed under unresolved cases, and stuck at the back of the queue. The
video was still evidence and would be for another three and a half years. After
that, it might come back to haunt them, but Jared couldn't bring himself to
worry about it right now.
Right
now Jared had been offered an extension to his contract that expired in two
months, and he was seriously considering declining. Adam had also mentioned the
other night that he might retire from the stage and take on producing. It had
always been his passion, ever since he singlehandedly produced
Of Kids and Monsters
almost ten years
ago.