“I hid all my bait clothing so you wouldn’t have more to worry about.
“When I left the flat, I would leave a special jar of coffee out, knowing when you had your normal three or four cups over the evening, you’d feel tired and go to bed. It was drugged so you slept for ages. There was a monitor in our room to watch your vital signs in case anything happened to keep you safe. You were always sleeping soundly when I came in so didn’t know the time.
“I did give you a blowjob when I came home. It was all the contact I could have. I enjoyed your moans of pleasure and savoured your taste. I’m desperate to make love to you. A vibrator is no substitute for having you in my arms, making love.”
I was stunned. Kat didn’t do blowjobs and didn’t own a vibrator! Both things I had suggested and almost lost my balls for doing so.
“Andy, I know all this is a shock. I’m involved and many times I have asked myself if this is real. If I complete the final mission to bait the last one, it will all be over for me. They won’t need me again. If I don’t do it, he will probably get away with it unless some of the others turn on those who aren’t protecting them.
“I won’t do it if you say No!”
I took a few deep breaths. As I worked through what they had said, it struck me. I spoke angrily, “This isn’t about trying to save my marriage it’s about getting the green light to do it again! How much is fantastical fiction? The No Sex We’re British! Bullshit!”
“Andy,” shouted Stella, “DCI Brown and the Area Fiscal know that entrapment by actual sexual misconduct would see the case thrown out. This level is pushing the boundaries. The Kat you and I know would never betray you. I believe them.”
She continued softly, “Andy, you need to lose the anger and think. The anger is driving your thoughts.”
Kat was sobbing, the tears flowing down her cheeks. Brown looked at her, very concerned for her.
Brown spoke sadly, “You probably are almost correct in your assumption as far as I am concerned. I want to lock those thieving bastards up. Unlikely as it may sound, I do wish to help Kat save your marriage. You are her world. It is me and others like me who have put that at risk. Her work has been extraordinary and we wouldn’t have achieved what we have without her talents. Kat only wants to save her marriage. Her worst fears have been realised. She loves you deeply, all this is destroying her. What we said is the truth.
“We’ll leave and let you think about it. I will ask a psychologist to speak with you both. You will need help to recover.
“Whatever your decision, I will abide by it. I’m so sorry the need for secrecy meant this has happened.”
I watched as Brown placed a comforting arm around Kat’s shoulders. They left. Kat looked back at me very sadly. She was still crying.
Stella and I hadn’t spoken before James arrived home. We were both trying to understand everything. It was so unreal. From our looks of utter amazement, he concluded something weird had been said. He only said he was going for a long walk. To call him when it was clear for him to return.
After a while, Stella spoke, “I don’t know him but he’s been popping into Alison’s office for months now. She heads off with him on occasion. She wouldn’t allow anything untoward to occur. If he and Kat say nothing sexual happened, nothing sexual happened. Alison would have reviewed each encounter. If Alison saw or heard of any sexual misconduct, she would have him in front of the court. No case could proceed if Kat had allowed those men to access any part of her body, let alone have sexual intercourse or more.
“He said they had already recovered almost £500 million. Those men wouldn’t have given that up if they had any way of fighting the case. That tells me everything was done as he said. I suspect the men were shown the photos and a suggestion that their wives would receive those if they didn’t co-operate. That could be the leverage he mentioned though I suspect these men have more to hide as well. They certainly couldn’t use them in a criminal court.
“It’s not what I think is important, it’s what you think. If you accept what they said was the truth, what do you wish to do? You’ve several decisions to make, about your marriage, whether to allow or not the final sting.
“If you don’t believe them, what do you do?
“No easy choices. Take your time to work out what you want. Put yourself first for once. Whatever decision, use that psychologist. Both Kat and you will need help. I have seen that in so many cases after the explosion, how can those involved recover? The truth is you will need help after such a traumatic experience.”
I looked at Stella, “Thank you for being here for me. I want to believe Kat and Brown but part of me is saying that’s only because I love her, I want to see the best in her. That love kept me blind to what was going on.
“If I accept their story, I’ll need to see the evidence as doubt will always be with me until I do. Is the time delay to allow them to doctor the videos to show what they said? Is the next one just a set up to allay my fears?
“If it’s the truth, if I allow her to finish the baiting as they called it, what if anything happened to her? I would be responsible. If I didn’t, he would get away with it. I just don’t know.
“The only thing I’m sure of is that Brown is not having an affair with Kat. He was like a protective father. I do believe he is sorry to see us like this.”
Stella made us a cup of coffee. She surprised me by asking, “If Kat had been able to come to you and tell you about her role, at the very beginning, what would you have said?”
I looked at her. I had to think hard. “I think I wouldn’t have dismissed it out of hand. I probably would have wanted to speak to Brown or Alison to make sure everything was on the level. Mainly I would have wanted to know Kat’s thoughts, how she processed it, how much did she want to do it, how it could affect her and us. It certainly meant I would have known about the clothing and lingerie and what they were for so Friday wouldn’t have happened.
“If I’d known, we could have kept our sex life maybe just been more careful. When she said she blew me when she came back, I realised why I felt better when I woke up those days. I just thought I’d had such a long sleep, my body needed to refresh itself as I was working too hard.
“We always said no secrets. This is a major one. I’m torn. Is it the truth or just more lies?”
We talked through all that had been said until my head was frazzled. Stella called James to come home. She texted someone as well. I helped her make the evening meal.
It was during the meal when James of all people asked the question that helped give me my answer.
“Andy, when I saw you on Friday night, I couldn’t believe what you said about Kat. I would have sworn that she would never do anything like that to you. For some reason she loved you with a devotion and passion I’ve seldom seen in someone.
“If you hadn’t been so distraught, so broken, I would have said you were winding me up. I’d have been looking for the hidden cameras.