quality recording but proved sufficiently clear to make out the features of people in the audience. The opening scene was that of a packed, smoke filled noisy venue.
The video scanned around a room which appeared to be filled almost exclusively with men, eventually settling on a brightly lit centre stage. The sound of amplified music caused a sudden hush and everyone's attention focused onto a beautifully adorned young woman as she made her entrance. She slowly danced to the centre of the dais. Ken felt a shiver of concern as he wondered to himself what this was all about. Had some of his people been caught out, compromising the morality and family issues he had campaigned on?
His first reactions were to turn it off and dispose of the thing, but he knew that he had to know what it was all about and exactly how it concerned him. It may affect the party, the election and his future.
The woman danced as she slowly removed her clothing to the howls and hoots of the crowd, once totally naked she performed a series of poses that left nothing to the imagination. “What the hell,” Ken said softly to himself as she performed other acts to the loud cheering and egging on of the mob. Ken felt utter disgust and despite the urge to turn it off, he couldn’t. Somehow he knew this woman, her shape, the movements she made, her hair seemed all too familiar and he felt a quiver of concern run down the length of his spine. Surely he had never known anyone like this in his entire life?
Several men then joined the woman and each in turn carried out obscene acts to the obvious delight of the audience. It was during one of these that the woman turned to the camera and it zoomed in with a close up view of her face.
In that moment a shudder of desperation enveloped him, he felt himself shrink into an abyss so deep that all light and warmth left him. With time seeming to stand still, disbelief and desolation consumed his soul.
He uttered just three words “My God, Cathy!”
Chapter 7
- "We need to find this woman, whoever she is and we need to do it fast." -
With a feeling of devastation, Ken sat encased in the stony quiet of the darkness, knowing his whole world had fallen in on him. Watching the video over and over again in the hope that perhaps it was the poor quality? He earnestly prayed that it was someone who looked like Cathy, however, to his utter despair the more he watched the more certain he became. He could not deny his recognition of her.
Ken spent the rest of the night considering his options which resulted in a number of crucial decisions.
At 6.00am he ordered a room service breakfast, hardly consuming anything apart from the welcomed pot of hot coffee. Slowly setting down his empty cup he reached for the telephone, calling his key advisers and supporters. He requested they immediately make their way to his hotel to join him for an unscheduled meeting. It was obvious he was highly distressed and each in turn questioned what was wrong. Ken would only say that he would explain once the whole team arrived.
He showered and dressed. Making his way into the sitting area he elected to sit at the desk while waiting for the team. More to occupy his mind than anything else he read the morning newspapers which, ironically, were full of rave reviews of the previous night's event.
Once all of the team members had assembled he thanked them for attending, acknowledging the early hour. He requested that all be immediately seated. While facing the television he again took the video from its cover, ready to insert. He began by apologizing for calling a meeting at such short notice and thanked them for their patience, especially given the heavy schedule of the last few weeks. Already concern showed on the faces of those present, Ken appearing confused and disorientated, a characteristic usually foreign to him.
He then inserted the video into the player saying, “Before I push the play button I wish to announce that I am withdrawing from the election. Resigning from the party and I will in fact be leaving for places which at this stage even for me are unknown.”
There was a bewildered silence in the room. The chairman of his election committee stood to speak, Ken immediately asking him to remain silent until he had viewed the contents of the video and with that he pushed the play button.
At the conclusion there was shock and disbelief, no one spoke or moved. Appearing highly distressed Ken slowly removed the video from the player and turned the television off.
“I’ll need to be excused now. I have to show my wife this disgusting piece of trash and ask her why? I’d like to have some sort of explanation from her before I get myself totally drunk."
Just at that moment there was a small, almost whispered voice that emanated from the back of the room. “May I ask a question?” enquired Mary, a junior member of the office team with whom Ken had had no previous dealing. Her role was that of a simple office girl.
"I'm sorry who the hell are you? Are you supposed to be here?" Ken asked looking puzzled. "Who is she, how the hell did she get in here?" he directed his question to the chairman of the election committee. Before anyone could say anything Mary replied, "I'm sorry sir but I think I may be able to help you with this. That is if you will permit me." Ken while showing extreme annoyance stared at her for a few moments and with a resigned shrug of his shoulders replied, “Sure why not, go ahead. It will be all over the news shortly anyway.”
“Is your wife, I mean is Cathy right handed? I have only seen her a few times and I’m sure she is right handed.”
“That’s correct,” Ken replied somewhat aggressively “So what’s your point?”
Mary reddened slightly, “I’m no expert but I’m sure that the woman in that video is left-handed. Whenever she used her right hand or her right foot she looked very awkward and changed to her left. I only noticed because I used to assist dance classes as a teenager and she was or is so awkward on her right side.”
Every person in the room turned to look at Mary as she shifted uncomfortably with obvious embarrassment.
Ken played the clip again and was stunned. It seemed Mary was right; the woman was or appeared to be left handed but the question was how could she possibly look so much like Cathy without being her?
Ken, who suddenly re-energized looked around the crowded room and stated, “We need to find this woman, whoever she is and we need to do it fast. If this thing leaks we’ll have to have some sort of come-back.”
He then instructed all but his closest confidants to leave while stating. “I have entrusted all of you with this information, please do not speak of it to anyone until such time as we tell you otherwise. Once I find out who the person in the video is, I myself will make it public. Let’s all go back to working to win this election and Mary, I would like you to stay.”
With that Ken and his advisors settled down to discuss their next move.
Chapter 8
- There were times when she simply needed to be with a man who could offer something other than Chris could ever provide -
"Let’s not go out tonight,” muttered Maggie, who, neither in appearance nor attitude had ever progressed much beyond an era of a time passed. “Let’s just stay in and enjoy each other's company. It’s going to rain and the weather forecast is for strong winds. It could be dangerous driving on the roads.”
Chris still felt a strong attraction towards Maggie, his wife of over ten years. He was not a man of great intelligence but he had provided well for them. He was a good
