Entrapment The Verdict

My day had gone exactly how I expected, everybody nodding and giving assurances that things would be different knowing full well as soon as I walked out the door everything will go back to the way it`s always been. My only constellation was my task was complete; the company had their food licence reinstated.

Vicky and the events of the previous night was still on my mind as I left the parking lot just after 7:00pm. I still couldn`t get my head around what Vicky was really about, was she really on the run from her ex or were they both working some sort of scam.

The urge to dial her number grew stronger and stronger as the boredom of drive set in. I pulled into the BP service centre that Vicky and I had stopped at for Vicky to have a rest stop. Walking past the store room door where Vicky and I had first kissed after the kitchen attendant caught us, brought a smile to my face.

A couple of large tour buses had previously pulled up, the canteen was busy. I ordered a meal and found a seat on the far side of the dining area.

Looking at my phone, I thought to myself, what the hell, I dialled Vicky`s number, to my surprise a phone rang at a table in front of me.

A woman with her back to me answered. "Hi Vicky speaking."

"Hi Vicky it`s Dan, just thought I would give you a call to see if you're ok."

"You're a doll, thanks... I`m fine, I`m with my brother."

"That's great, I just wanted to make sure you're ok. Are you staying with him?"

"Yes."

"Great, I was just wondering, my meeting went really late so I`m staying in town another night if you want to catch up?"

"Sorry I can`t, my brother`s throwing a dinner party tonight and has invited some of my old friends over."

"No problem, maybe next time."

"I'll look forward to that, look I have to go, people are arriving. Ring me for next time, ok."

"Ok, see you next time."

I thought about tapping her on the shoulder but then thought better of it. I walked out the side door and sat in my car.

After that little charade I was convinced that she was up to some sort of scam. I logged onto my bank details with my iPad. I couldn`t see any suspect transactions, in caution I put a hold on my cards for 48 hours, also raised a flag, for any account activities across the banking systems using my name and address.

Though the windscreen I could see Vicky following a guy out of the canteen. She walked up beside him before having a conversation and driving off with him in his car. Minutes later an old red Honda followed them down the highway. They were heading in the same direction I was going, so I decided might as well follow as well.

Both cars pulled into the service centre where Vicky had first approached me. I drove on but then decided to go back. The Honda was parked off to one side under a large tree, I approached on foot from behind. I couldn`t see anybody. I had taken a large screwdriver from my car`s tool kit and used the screwdriver to spike a hole in the Honda`s rear tyre. I thought about walking in to the service centre to warn Vicky`s new guy but then chickened out at the last minute, I headed off down the highway.

At home the next afternoon the TV news had a missing persons alert out for a woman matching Vicky`s description. After a sleepless night I found enough courage to go to the local Police station.

I made a statement to the Police of what had happened over the last couple of days including putting a hole in the tyre of the Honda. I also recall the last 3 letters of the number plate of the car Vicky hitched a ride in. Xray-Alpha-Tango, I explained to the officer that remembering the letters in number plates stuck with me from a game I use to play with my kids on long road trips.

The Police showed me a photo of the missing woman. I imminently recognised the woman as Vicky. Apparently, the woman in the photo name was not Vicky however I assured them that it was the same woman I knew as Vicky.

Three days later a news reader on the TV announced a woman's body had been found by a farmer on a dirt track not far from the service centre where I had last seen Vicky.

Later that day the Police call to ask me to come to the station for further questing. Arriving at the station I was informed the body that had been found was identified as the person in the photo. The police went over my statement again. They didn`t actually say but I got the feeling I was being considered a suspect. When I was leaving the police station the detective warned me that at some stage I would be required for further questioning.

On my way home, I was preparing myself to tell my wife everything that had happened. I found the house empty, I call Suzie`s phone. Suzie answered "Hi, what`s happing?"

"I`m at home, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Can we talk tonight? I`m having lunch with a friend and we were going to a movie."

"No problem, I`ll see you tonight."

I decided I would give an old friend a call who is a solicitor, I just wanted to get his option on where I stood and what may happen with the police. I was correct to be concerned, Mark meet for lunch and he explained that I might be in the shit, even if the police do find who did it, everything I have told him about my time with Vicky will come out. I told him I was going to tell Suzie anyway. He confirmed that the police would consider me a suspect. He suggested I see Lance a colleague of his who is a defiance lawyer. Before we had finished our lunch Mark had arranged an appointment for me with Lance.

Lance was very reassuring, he told me not to worry and that we can`t do much until the Police actually charge me, if they ever do charge me. After that he can request a full brief of the evidence so we will know what we are up against.

He also explained that I should try to find as much evidence that I can of my time lines, like when I got home that night. I explained we had CCTV at home which should show me getting home. He advised me, we should to talk to the police and ask them to place the CCTV recording into evidence. In fact, he called the detective in charge of the case and made arrangements for him to meet me at my house to collect the recording.

Two policemen were waiting in their car as I arrived home, I was surprised to see one of them was the detective from the station. When inside he downloaded a copy of my home CCTV footage to a memory stick. They also asked me to go with them to the station to view the footage and make further inquiries.

At the station a technician started the footage one hour before I claimed to had arrived home, I was surprised to see a strange car parked in my parking spot.

I tried not to make it obvious but the detective picked up on my reaction, asking "Do you know who`s cars these are?"

"The white Swift is my wife`s, the other one I don`t recognise, might be a friend of hers."

The operator fast forward to a where my wife and a man came into view, it was obvious by the footage they were more than just friends. The guy drove off not more than 20 minutes before the footage showed me pulling into the drive way.

The detective asked. "Was that your wife with that guy?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the guy?"

"No."

"Did you know about this guy and your wife?"

"I had my suspicions, but no I didn`t!"

Another officer in the room spoke. "Hell of a way to find out. At least we have a time line of when you got home. That thing with your wife and that guy, don`t do anything stupid. Ok."

When we were finished the second officer drove me home. On the way, he was being very friendly, asking more questions, then he asked if I wanted him to find out who the guy was. He explained just as a favour, under the table like. I replied, "Yes, if you could, that would be helpful."

He told me he would as long as I didn`t do anything stupid. I agreed.

About an hour after the officer dropped me off, I received a text. (The guy's name is Nigel Onslow)

I opened Facebook, in the back of my mind the name Onslow was familiar, I can remember Suzie talking about a friend called Rebecca, I was sure her married name was Onslow. Sure enough, heaps of happy snaps of the loving couple, Nigel and Rebecca Onslow. Rebecca the same woman who tried to pick me up in a bar a few months. The one that Suzie had that stupid bet with.

It was late before Suzie arrived home, some excuse about her and her friend meeting up with another old friend at the theatre and going for drinks.

I promised the police I would play it cool, so that is what I did. While Suzie was getting dinner ready, I downloaded another copy of the home CCTV, editing out all but the scene where my loving wife was saying good night to Nigel in our driveway, I then set the edited footage on a replay loop on our dining room TV.

During dinner I asked Suzie. "How was your afternoon."

"Great, I hadn`t seen Maggie for years."

"What movie did you see?"

"The French Exit, it was ok... I`m sorry I hadn`t asked, how was your trip?"

"My trip, that`s what I needed to talk to you about."

I spent the next few minutes explaining everything from when the woman approached me at the service centre for a lift, to my conversations with the police.

Suzie was quiet. I was expecting her to react badly, she just sat there. Eventually she broke her silence. "If I have this right, you picked up some slag off the side of the road, fucked her and then she was murdered?"

"If you put it like that... Yes."

"Did you at least use protection?"

"Yes." I lied, "Look I know you`re pissed off, but after your little bet with Rebecca, things haven't been the same between us, besides I`m not sure that you're in any position to judge what I did."

"What the fuck do you mean by that, I`m suppose to be your wife, aren't I?"

I pushed play on the TV remote control. "Let's put some perspective on the situation."

Suzie sat mouth open as the footage rolled thought the first few minutes, just as she started to say something the front door bell rang. Two police officers had turned up to escort me to the police station where I would be formally charged for murder.

After a night in the cells, Lance my lawyer applied for bail, the hearing was set for two days' time.

Mark my solicitor friend came in to see me on the second day. "Sorry mate, how you going?"

"I`m ok, well as ok as I can be in here. You been talking to Lance?"

"No, not yet, I have a meeting with him this afternoon. Listen I know you probably don`t want to hear this, but Suzie called me this morning. She is moving out of the house and intends to file for divorce. I didn`t even know you guys were on rocky ground."

"Can`t say I'm surprised. I found out yesterday that she is having an affair with this Nigel Onslow. Remember the story I told you about when Suzie and one of her friends decided to bet weather or not their husbands would be faithful and how I turned Suzie`s friend down.?"

"Yes, I do remember you telling me." Mike said with a smile on his face.

'Well, it turns out the woman I turned down was Rebecca Onslow, this Nigel Onslow's wife."

"Do you just suspect something or do you have proof."

"I suspected something was going on for a while, but there is proof. When you talk to Lance ask him to get the home CCTV that the police took from my place, that`s all the proof you'll need."

"Ok, I'll start working on your divorce and let Lance take care of the police matter, shit your being bombarded from all directions, don`t worry Lance is very good, he will get it sorted."

"I hope so."

"Sorry I should have asked; do you want the get a divorce?"

"Yes."

The police detectives interviewed me with Lance later that day. The morning of the bail hearing Lance spent a few hours going over the brief of evidence from the prosecution. Lance explained the CCTV footage did show me arriving home when I said I did, but unfortunately didn`t totally exclude me from the investigation.

The woman`s real name was Madeline Robertson, the police forensic investigation of her phone reviled photos of both my credit cards and driver licence and her call log also showed the phone conversation we had at the BP service centre the evening she was killed.

The BP service centre CCTV showed me making the call and a woman with her back to me answering. The second service centres CCTV showed the woman didn`t leave with the same guy she had hitched a lift with from the BP.

Apparently the footage clearly showed him driving off alone. The woman disappeared off camera and must have exited the back of complex where there was no CCTV coverage. My car was shown driving off not long after.

The time of death was estimated to be within one hour of the woman disappearing off camera. Lance explained that the prosecution case against me was not strong, and that I would have a good chance of having the charges dropped when it came to court. Lance also explained he was expecting bail to be granted at the upcoming hearing.

A police van transported me from the remand centre to court on the morning of the bail hearing. As Lance expected bail was granted with conditions and I was released to appear again in 21 days. Lance was kind enough to drop me off home on his way back to his office.

The house was empty, Suzie had used the time I was on remand to clear out all of her belongings. I had already decided to put most of my possessions in storage and immediately put the house on the market.

Later that day Mark called, asking if I could call by his office tomorrow as there were divorce matters, we needed to settle.

As Mark and I finished our call the door bell rang, I opened the door. "Rebecca, what are you doing here?"

"I`m not sure really, I was going to call but figured you might not what to talk to me, I thought if I`m here, at least you can`t hang up on me."

"Why would you think I would hang up on you?"

"Guilty, I feel so guilty about what I did with that stupid bet with Suzan, if I hadn`t agreed, all this wouldn`t have happened."

"How do you know what happened?"

"Suzan taking off with my husband, of course I know about it."

"Sorry Rebecca, I wasn`t thinking about Suzie or Nigel when I asked how you knew, you had better come in and I will explain."

When I finished telling Rebecca about the events of the last few days, I could see dismay or alarm on her face, I wasn`t quite sure. I looked at her. "I didn`t murder her, you know!"

"No, no it`s not that, I would never pick you for a killer. It`s just, I feel so sorry for you, here I am worried about my marriage breaking down. Wow, you`ve been charged with murder."

I could see by the look on Rebecca`s face she really was upset for me; a slight hint of a tear was building up in the corner of her eye.

"You look like you need a drink, have you eaten?"

"No not today."

"How about you give me a minute to change and we can go and find somewhere to have a nice meal and maybe a drink?"

Rebecca smiled. "I`d like that."

"Just give me a minute, I need a shower, won`t be long."

Rebecca took me by the hand as we walked into the Touch of Spice restaurant, After the first meeting I wasn`t sure where this was going.

I didn`t care, it was nice to be with someone, talk to someone. By the end of the meal, we had both recited our live stories over a little too much wine to consider driving.

I approached the barman. "Hi, we`ve had a bit too much to drink, is it safe to leave the car parked overnight?"

"Yes, it`s normally pretty quiet around here but you can use a Dial a Driver if you want to get your car home tonight."

The barman handed me a card with the company's phone number and rates, it worked out not much different than booking a cab. Rebecca though it was a good idea and called the number. The driver turned up on one of those electric fold-up scooters. On the way home we sat in the back of Rebecca`s car, carrying on like teenagers on a first date.

As we pulled into my street Rebecca spoke to the driver. "You can park in the driveway if you like."

I looked at Rebecca with a little confusion.

Rebecca planted a big kiss on my lips. "I`m not driving tonight, and I only book the driver to your place."

As we walked in the front door Rebecca asked. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" I went into the kitchen and poured drinks, I could hear the shower running, the noise of the shower stopped. Our eyes locked as she walked out of the bathroom naked. Her long blond hair flowed over her shoulders; her hips swayed with the movement as she walked. She kissed me deeply on the lips.

A sense of déjà vu came over me. I looked into her eyes, "I need a shower!"

Rebecca smiled." No, don`t I like it just the way you are," we kissed again.

The look of pure lust in her eyes told the story, I was totally under her control. I was stripped naked and pushed to the floor. Rebecca straddled my body while lowering herself onto me. Her movement was strong but measured, a steady rocking motion. Our eyes never breaking contact, our hands clasped tightly together, her pace never changing. It was obvious she was enjoying the control; I watched as the fire slowly build in her body, her breathing grew faster. I propped the upper half of my body up on my arms, our lips meet, Rebecca bit down hard on my bottom lip as the rest of her body slightly shuttered.

Thank-you was whispered in my ear as she pushed me back to the floor. She spun around and while holding on to my feet with her hands forced herself backwards onto me, the slow steady pace was gone, the sight of her sexy bouncing butt was too much, my restraint was gone, I was totally at her mercy.

We both showered before settling into the lounge with our drinks, Rebecca sensed I was about to say something stupid and placed her finger on my lips as if to say don`t. We both knew what had just happened, there was no need to put it into words. We sat quietly in the moment.

The next morning, we woke to a shitty rainy day, eggs on toast for breakfast before a morning meeting with my boss to explain what was happing with the police charge and court. He was about sympathetic as I expected, more worried about how it would look for his business than worried about me. Of course, I got the, we are all behind you and have your back bullshit.

In the days leading up to the court date, Mike helped close the deal on the sale of the house, I had book into a hotel, to at least after the court hearing. Rebecca was out of town with her work but we had spent hours on the phone together.

Rebecca was considering taking up a work promotion where she would be moving interstate, she had asked me to move with her.

I didn`t see any reason why I shouldn`t.

The day before the scheduled court date, Lance asked me to meet with me and go over some new developments.

During the meeting Lance explained. "I have some news that will affect your case. A male body in a red Honda had been found not far from where the dead woman was found. The police are saying, possibly suicide, they are still waiting on results."

I looked at Lance. "Maybe this guy killed her, is it the same Honda as her boyfriend?"

"That`s a possibility, the police have asked for your court hearing to be adjourned 14 days to give them time to further investigate."

"What about my bail?"

"If the court grants the police request for adjournment, they will extend your bail until the new date."

That night I called Rebecca. "Hi Rebecca, how`s everything going?"

"Hi, I`m good, I`ve decided to take the new job offer."

"That`s great, when do you move?"

"I`ll be here to the end of the month, then I`m going to take 4 weeks leave before I start the new position, we should do something while I`m on leave, you know I would still like you to come with me when I move."

"I'd like nothing better that run away with you."

"Will you really move away with me?"