“Alice,” she said. “Nothing that night was your fault. Nothing. Those two guys were responsible for everything. Never forget that.”
Alice looked over to the corner. Lucas had engaged the guy who looked like Jesper in conversation. They laughed. Alice swung her eyes back to Connie. “What’s going on?”
“I asked Lucas to find out if it is Jesper Gronning.”
“What? Why?”
“Because it’s time for both of us to stop hiding from it.”
Alice picked up her wine glass and took a long sip. “For pokker.” She shook her head. “I went to Prinsessegade today. But I couldn't go to Ved Volden. I stood on the corner and shivered.” She held Connie’s gaze for a beat. “I’m still hiding from it.”
Connie nodded. Her lips moved as if she was about to speak. But she appeared to struggle to find the words.
Alice looked down at the table. “I heard you laughing. You know, that night. You in the other room. Safe. Me in the bedroom. Not so safe...”
Connie’s left eyelid twitched, and she looked away. “I didn’t know what was happening.” She rubbed her eye and turned back to Alice. “And I’ve tried to convince myself there was nothing I could have done.” She shook her head. “I mean, how could I know? I thought you were into it.”
“So did those bastards.”
“We were 19, drunk, naive. Knew nothing about men. Didn't realise some were predators.”
Alice leaned forward. “Most of them are.”
Connie shrugged. “Perhaps. But I never thought they'd do that. And you never spoke about it. It was like we kinda knew. But never said.” Tears ran down Connie’s face. “I’m so, so sorry, Alice. I feel I didn't do enough. And I let you down. Worse, I told you to have fun.”
“It’s not your fault either, Connie. You couldn't have known what they would do.”
Connie shook her head. “I wish I could have done something. Sorry...”
Alice crossed her legs in the chair. “I had no control over the situation. I couldn't stop it. Didn't know how. Stupid me. The shame. The feeling of helplessness. I was weak. Feeble. Fragile. Afterwards, all these negative words filled my head. They began to take over. To define me. I couldn't let that happen.” Alice looked down at her wrists and rubbed the scars. “I could see no way out. But somehow I found the strength to bury it all. The passing of time helped too. And moving to London. Then all this lort happens. And I was stupid again. I thought I could face Ved Volden. You know, get over the self-blame for what happened. I guess I was wrong.”
Connie wiped her eyes with her napkin. “No, Alice. No. It’s not down to you. It’s down to those two skiderikker. Let’s not play with nice words. This is what it is. They raped you.”
The words jolted Alice, and she shifted in her seat. Before she could reply, Lucas returned. He sat down and shook his head. “Not even Danish.” He looked from Alice to Connie. “Want to tell me about this? Perhaps I can help?”
44
Cole grabbed a beer from his fridge and cracked it on the way to his computer. Froth overflowed and dripped onto the rug. He wiped it with his foot, but it made little difference, so he kept going. No-one would notice the new stain among all the old ones. He lit a cigarette and took several heavy drags while he downloaded his phone video footage of the viewing with Flanagan.
Half an hour later, he finished cutting and slicing it into meaningful clips. Out of focus problems and blurry camera shake rendered most of the footage useless. Then he set about viewing the edited video. He watched Flanagan key in the alarm code several times, until he was certain of the digits, 8294, which he recorded in a file on his phone.
He examined the tin of plasticine and grinned in anticipation of what he’d do with a key to the house. Meanwhile, he would call on his experience with wireless security systems. He never expected his job would come in so handy. First, he needed images of the motion detectors installed in the house. He zoomed in on the video he’d taken in the hall and took a screen shot of the detector in the top corner. Within minutes, he’d found what he was looking for in a nearby electrical store. Wireless cameras that looked like part of the alarm system. Exactly what he needed for her bedroom.
Cole knew that sooner or later, someone would discover camera, but he only needed a week or two of recording Alice in her bedroom. That should give him enough to work with. His grin widened as he thought of where he could post those videos. Twitter? FaceBook? YouTube? All of them? What wouldn't he give to see the look on Alice Madsen’s face when she realised her most intimate moments were on public display, and the watching world subjected her to the derision and humiliation she deserved?
45
The following morning, Cole stood outside a door next to a shop on Bethnal Green Road. There were several buzzers to the flats above, and Cole pressed the one marked ‘C’. Nothing happened and Cole pressed it again. Longer this time. Cole wondered whether the buzzer worked, and he kept his finger on it. After a minute, a window above opened and a shaved head peered out. “Huh?”
Cole squinted up in the sunshine. The guy looked to have a smudge on his forehead. “Looking for Scully.”
“Huh?”
“Tell him it’s Coley. He’s expecting me.”
A few minutes later the door buzzed open and Cole climbed the stairs. Scully opened the door before he knocked. Scully wore briefs and a sleeveless T-shirt. Tattoos covered his arms and legs. He stared at Cole. “You gonna
