Music Man Pt. 03

Chapter Sixteen

As the train carrying Marie pulled out of the station on its way south, Cassie was arriving home. She had a headache and had left early since she had no appointments that afternoon.

Zak was out at his new job. It was badly paid, but he had explained to her that he had been made redundant from his well paid job with a music agency, and that this was all he could find for the time being. Still, she thought, he can keep his self-respect.

She picked up the post and sorted it. Most of it was bills, but there was one large brown envelope addressed to her which looked official. She opened it and began to read. Then she sat down. It was from Pilkington and Sudbury Solicitors.

The letter said that Pilkington and Sudbury had been retained by Mr Gerald Smith in connection with an unauthorised use of one of Mr Smith's bank accounts. The account in question was one in his name alone and out of which were paid all the outgoings in respect of the flat he had shared with her. In June the previous year an alteration had been made to this account without Mr Smith's knowledge or consent.

A Standing Order was placed with the bank which removed the exact amount Mr Smith paid in each month. It was removed the day after the payment arrived, and was to the value of three thousand pounds. As a result of this unauthorised withdrawal, none of the Direct Debit Payments were made from June onwards.

The consequence was that when Mr Smith returned from his world tour, he found that his furniture had been repossessed, and the apartment about to be sold off to pay the balance on the mortgage. Mr Smith had thus been deprived of a place to live.

The Standing Order which dispossessed Mr Smith of his property and his possessions was paid into Mrs Copthorne's own bank, and into an account in her name, the details of which were given.

Mr Smith had instructed Messrs Pilkington and Sudbury to recover the moneys which Mrs Copthorne had taken from Mr Smith's account, amounting to eighteen thousand pounds.

In addition, Mr Smith intended if necessary to sue Mrs Copthorne for the distress she had caused him, and for the extra expenses incurred by the loss of his property, and he had been advised by them to claim a further twenty thousand pounds for his distress and inconvenience, if paid out of court, or double that amount with costs if taken through the legal process.

Messrs Pilkington and Sudbury were waiting upon Mrs Copthorne for the amount of thirty eight thousand pounds, to be paid immediately. Should Mrs Copthorne dispute Mr Smith's right to recompense, the matter would be taken to court, where the damages claimed would be much higher, as instanced above.

Cassie sat dumbfounded. She had never touched Ged's account; she was grateful for his generosity in that he paid it all when she was unable to contribute and had continued even after she began work. She would never have done anything so spiteful and ungrateful. However, the account was in her name.

Ged must be behind this. He was trying to take revenge on her for marrying Zak. How had he managed to do it, though? He was a long way away in June. Then she realised he had access to the internet. He could have orchestrated this when he knew Zak and she were getting married. She was angry then and phoned Gus.

"Gus," she launched without any pleasantries. "What's Ged trying to pull? Suing me? This some sort of revenge for marrying Zak?"

"Hello, Cassie," said Gus with exaggerated politeness. "Surely you aren't trying to pin this on Ged? Listen, I was with him just after he arrived at the flat. He was totally at a loss. They stripped the place bare, Cassie. There was one filing cabinet and the computer without a keyboard or monitor.

He was angry; you should have heard him talking to the bank. Then he learned you had Zak there in his bed and his own flat; that was pretty low of you, Cassie. After that he wanted nothing to do with the place, and it was sold off."

"He could have arranged it to get revenge for me marrying Zak."

"Cassie, if he did that, you can find out what happened to the money. It should all be there in that account of yours. If it isn't, there'll be evidence of where the money has gone. It will show if Ged has taken it back somehow. All I can tell you is that he's mad at you. And why?

"First you promised him solemnly that you would talk with him before splitting up. You didn't. He was very upset that you wouldn't let him tell you what was really happening. You've made a big mistake there Cassie, and you devastated him beyond belief. And why? You wouldn't believe him or trust him enough to ask him what really happened.

"Secondly you married that lazy, shifty Zak. Well, you've burnt your boats now."

"Well, if he is so unhappy, why hasn't he come and told me the truth?"

"You don't really know him at all, do you?" Gus was getting testy. "After you saying you didn't want to hear his excuses? After refusing to answer any of his emails or phone calls? You expect him to come running to you after you've married someone else?

"But hear this: you know what he said to me when I suggested it? You were married to someone else now, and he didn't want to mess it up for you. Still thinking of you, you stupid woman.

"If you want to know what a mess you've made of his life and probably yours, you'll have to go and ask him yourself. He won't come and tell you, and he's sworn those of us who do know to secrecy. Now I have work to do."

She sat holding the phone. The whole thing was unreal. What had he said? Go and look at the accounts. She resolved to do that the next day. Now she had to get their dinner ready. She wondered why everyone had it in for Zak. He was a good man. Look how he had supported her when she found out about Ged.

That night, Zak went out with his mates, and Cassie was asleep when he returned. She was up before he was awake and went off to work.

In the destruction of Cassie's universe, the next event was truly a coincidence. Annette had no inkling of what Ged was doing; she had not seen him for weeks. Nevertheless, what had happened nagged at her until she could bear it no longer. She knew she had promised him not to acquaint Cassie with what had really happened, but she was going to break that promise. Everything about Ged's behaviour showed he was still in love with Cassie.

Cassie was speed reading yet another trashy novel destined for the rejection bin that morning, when the receptionist called her. Would she see two ladies who had a story to tell. She sighed and thought she needed a break. She could see two aspiring writers; anything to relieve the monotony of that novel.

"Ms Annette Fenster and Ms Susan Fenster," announced the receptionist, ushering them into he office.

Cassie looked up smiling. "What can I do for you?" she asked, thinking how unlike each other they were for sisters. And didn't she know the taller woman from somewhere?

"You can listen to what I have to tell you. What you do after that I don't really care."

It was a strange beginning, but she was used to eccentric writers. Where did she know this woman from?

"Very well," she said primly. "I'm all ears."

"You haven't made the connection, have you?" the taller woman stated. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"You seem familiar-"

"Annette Fenster," she said aggressively. "Ring any bells?"

Suddenly, Cassie knew. "You're Ged's-"

"Friend," Annette asserted. "There are some things you need to know."

She took a file from her briefcase and laid it on Cassie's desk.

"He's sent you to lie for him? I know you two were lovers on the tour. I've got evidence."

"You don't," Annette snapped. "You know nothing but what you were meant to believe. You've been had, Miss Cassie Fenton."

"It's Copthorne," Cassie retorted angrily.

"Oh, yes," smiled Annette grimly. "You married the bastard."

"Now look here-"

"No, you look here," Annette leant forward. "I was Ged's friend all during the tour, I stood by him when you trashed his life; when you made the biggest mistake of your own stupid life."

"I know you were sleeping with him."

"You don't."

"Prove it."

"This," Annette said, "is my civil partner, Susan. When we entered our civil partnership, she took my name. D'you see it now? I am a lesbian. I have no interest in men, that way. Susan was in a rather delicate occupation and needed to avoid the press until I reached Australia, we couldn't let it be known we were civil partners.

"Ged was true to his word, as he always is, and kept our secret. I told you that I had a partner at home and that's why he felt safe with me. There was never anything sexual between us - he's not a woman. He and I are, though, very good friends and I can't go on letting him keep his innocence to himself. Why should you have your comfortable little life after you destroyed his?"

"Not exactly true is it Mz Fenster? You're not a lesbian, you're bi, aren't you?"

"You mean this photo?" said Annette, extracting it from the file.

"That's the one. Conclusive I think."

"The other woman is Jessica Cohen, the wife of the Tour Manager, and her husband arrived shortly after the photo was taken."

"How do I know that's true?"

"I can give you the Cohen's address, you can ask them. We often went for a drink after finishing work."

Cassie began to feel uneasy. "But Amos sent us emails," she said, dreading the repost.

"Zak's best mate? You were really taken in by those two weren't you? Amos and his photos! Let's look at them, shall we?" and she brought out a stack of emails and photos from the file.

Cassie felt the ground slipping beneath her feet. It felt almost unreal. This was not the reality she had lived with over the last months. The woman must be lying, mustn't she?

Annette showed the photos Cassie had already seen of Annette and Ged. "Knowing I'm a lesbian, not bi, do these photos look any different?"

Cassie said nothing. It was obvious that if that were true, it showed they were just good friends. The kiss goodnight could just as easily be a peck between friends.

"We all kissed each other goodnight. Ged kissed Jessica. I kissed Jon Cohen."

Cassie began to panic and found her voice. "But the young girl? She was a groupie."

"Oh yes," smiled Annette bitterly, "Amos did a good stitch up there. Taken with a telephoto lens. The girl was a fan of Ged's, that's true, but she'd trapped her fingers in the lift door and was distressed. Ged took her to his room and ran her hand under cold water. Gave her a drink, put a plaster on the cut. I was there, though Amos made sure I didn't appear in the picture."

"But when she came out of the room she was carrying-"

"Her knickers as a trophy?" Annette put the two photos together. "Look carefully, very carefully - every detail - look at the doors in particular? See anything?"

For the first time Cassie looked very carefully at the doors. These photos were much clearer than the ones she had, and went pale.

"You've seen it haven't you?" said Annette. "Ged's room was 224, you can see the number as they go in. That girl is coming out of 324, a floor above - Amos's room. The reason she looks 'just fucked' is because she was, by Amos. God, if you look carefully, it's even a different girl! Both blondes, so no one looks further. It was a set up. You won't have seen these emails."

She gave the pile over to Cassie, who read them one after another, and looked and felt more and more unwell. A deep fear took hold of her.

Amos and Zak were crowing over how effective the deception was. Zak was telling Amos how Cassie had fallen for it, and now wanted him. His main aim seemed to be to take Cassie from Ged.

"You know that Amos did all this because Zak told him that Ged had taken you from him and he wanted you back. I don't think that was true was it?"

Cassie shook her head. "I finished with Zak for screwing another girl when he was with me. Ged came along months later.'

"Amos was conned and is not happy either. We got these off his laptop while on tour, and then told him." Annette gestured at the pile of paper.

Cassie's face was drained of colour, and she felt ready to faint.

"You mean," she stammered. "Zak's been lying? Ged was true to me all along?" She slumped in her chair.

"If you'd only carried out your promise to Ged, and asked him to explain fully. You're in this mess because you didn't keep your promise. I would have let Ged tell you - in fact he did tell you, but you can't have read his emails. He also told Cheryl."

"I just deleted his emails without reading them. We had the photos and the emails Amos sent to Denise, so Cheryl thought you were bi." Cassie stared ahead of her. "That's it then." That was the last thing she said.

"I think he still loves you," said Annette, patting her hand on the table. "Why don't you go and see him?"

"I can't," Cassie said beginning to weep quietly. "He thinks I stole his money and lost him the flat. I didn't - I don't understand."

She told Annette the story.

"Anyone else able to access his accounts?"

"No..." she paused. Then, "Wait. Zak was living with me at the flat. Surely not..."

"I'd have a good look at that account of yours if I were you."

Cassie left the office with Annette and Susan, after getting leave of absence.

Once home, Cassie accessed Zak's computer. She found Zak's notebook and his data for accessing a bank account in a different bank from the one she knew he used. She accessed the account and found it was in her name.

She saw the money from Ged's account arrive and then money leave it for their normal joint account. The 'good job' did not exist. Zak's 'salary' was taken from the bogus account month by month; he had even made it an odd number of pounds and pence to allay suspicion.

Now it was clear to her that Zak had gone into Ged's filing cabinet, found his bank account and set the Standing Order. She realised that he was not intelligent enough to understand it could be traced to him. She wondered what he did each day while she was at work since he had never been working since they married, but was never at home during the day.

She made a pot of tea and sat in the living room and gradually the enormity of Zak's deception and how much she had lost, began to become real. Suddenly she decided she could not stay another minute in that house. She could not understand how he could have said he loved her, and indeed been so loving to her, while cheating and deceiving her so deeply, but she knew she hated what he had done and now she hated him as well.

"Cheryl," she asked after identifying herself on the phone. "Something dreadful has happened. Can I come and stay with you a while?"

The tone of her voice told Cheryl that all was not well, and being a practical woman, she asked no questions, but told Cassie to stay as long as she wanted. She knew she'd get the story when Cassie arrived.

Cassie stood up and got some bin bags from the kitchen, loading all her clothes and toiletries into them as neatly as she could. Then she put them in her car. She went on line, printed off the false account, emptied it and closed it. She went to the other bank Zak had used, printed off the statement then closed the account there, collecting the balance which still showed just over two thousand pounds, and putting into her own personal account. Then she took her name off the joint account she and Zak held. Finally she visited the offices of Pilkington and Sudbury.

"I need to see Mr Pilkington urgently," she told the receptionist, who true to the nature of such, had to 'see if he was available'.

"Tell him it's Cassie Copthorne," she said. Graham emerged from his office immediately.

"Come in, Mrs Copthorne," he said with a smile. It flashed across her mind that he probably smiled at everyone who crossed his threshold. He offered her a seat and she sat across the desk from him.

"I've come about your letter," she began. "I've found out a lot of things since I received it and I hope you can help me."

"Do continue," he encouraged her.

"I've been badly misled, lied to and cheated," she went on, becoming distressed, "and I've been very stupid and lost the one man I always loved and needed. You probably know I lived with my husband in Ged's flat before we married?"

He nodded.

"My husband opened a false account in my name and set up the Standing order in Ged's account. He then transferred an amount to our joint account pretending it was a salary he was earning. I just trusted him.

"Here," she said, showing him the joint account and the false account. "See for yourself."

Graham studied the two documents. It seemed to be as the sad looking young woman said. He asked to copy the documents and she agreed readily.

"I'll need to consult Mr Smith over this," he said. "You realise your husband could go to prison over this?"

"I have no interest in what happens to him." asserted Cassie bitterly. "I never want to see him again. I've left him this morning, and I was hoping you could help me with a divorce."

"Well, Mrs Copthorne," he said with a frown, "since I represent Mr Smith, and he is in a dispute with you, there would be a conflict of interest at the moment, but I can recommend a very good lawyer for you. I also think that Mr Smith will drop the case against you once he knows what happened, in which case I could then represent you."

Cassie felt relieved. "Thank you," she said. "I have to find a way of apologising to Ged for what I have done. I feel so bad about it. He told me not to trust what I heard, and I promised not to break up with him without talking first. I broke my promise and now I've lost him. We were so good together," she finished wistfully, tears forming in her eyes. "I was taken in, but it's my own fault."

Having completed her business she went to Cheryl and Brian's house where she was welcomed, and told the story. Cheryl was amazed and upset, and wondered whether Denise was in on the lie. She assured Cassie she would find out.

Cassie settled into her bedroom and sat on the bed, wondering where to go from there. She felt defeated and lay down. She fell asleep almost immediately, even though it was mid-afternoon, and only awoke when Cheryl called her for dinner.

--

Chapter Seventeen

On the Monday afternoon of the same week that Cassie's life was once more turned upside down, Karin arrived at Ged's house as promised, and she turned out to have a real talent for organising parties. She phoned caterers, got a DJ, and with Ged organised the biggest through room in the house for dancing. They moved excess furniture into the garage and by the end of the day, everything was prepared.

That night she stayed. "I need reassurance," she said, "that last time wasn't an erotic dream."

Later that night, bent over the kitchen table, her little knickers round her knees, she learned that it was no dream. After he felt her come, her thong dropped to the floor and he pushed her to the stairs, where he took her from behind again, she leaning forward, braced on the stairs.

Then after a joint shower and wet sudsy love-making therein, leading to a third orgasm for her, there was a romp in his bed when at last he came in her and she smiled a repleted smile. Then they slept, for she needed to be gone early the next morning.

There was time for only a shower, this time on her own, and a cereal breakfast, before she was away to a client meeting.

Ged went back to bed, exhausted. He had just laid himself down when his mobile rang.

"Just wanted to say thanks," came the female voice of his recent lover, "and to assure you that you are my favourite lover. Looking forward to Friday - I'll be there from two pm."

He said he was looking forward to her coming as well, and there came back a dirty laugh over the phone.