Page 56 of Enemy Boss

Officer Reynolds nods her head and I go and knock on Cullen’s office door.

“Come in,” he calls.

I go in.

“Officer Reynolds and Officer Norman are here to talk to me about something,” I say. “Can we use your office please?”

“Of course,” Cullen says.

“Thanks,” I say.

I open the door and let the officers know we can use the room. They come in and greet Cullen who shakes both of their hands and grabs his cellphone.

“I’ll get out of your way,” he says. “I’ll be in conference room C if you can let me know when you’re done.”

“No, you don’t have to go,” I say. I look at Officer Reynolds. “Right?”

“He can stay if you want him to,” she confirms.

I nod my head at Cullen. I do want him to stay.

“Ok, I’ll stay,” he says. He nods towards the table with six chairs around it at one end of his office. “Why don’t we take a seat at the table? Can I offer either of you any refreshments?”

Both of the officers decline a drink, and we all go and sit down at the table. Cullen puts his hand on my knee beneath it and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“We wanted to let you know personally that Ross Baker has taken a plea agreement,” Officer Reynolds says,

“You mean he admitted hitting me?” I say.

“Yes, and not just that either,” Officer Reynolds says. “As you know from when we arrested Mr Baker, we planned on charging him with assault and attempted sexual assault. His lawyer took a plea offer to the DA’s office where Mr Baker pleaded guilty to the assault and one count of hacking …”

“Hacking?” I say interrupting without thinking.

“Yes. Mr Baker admitted to hacking your cellphone,” Officer Reynolds says. “He was able to access any text messages, direct messages sent through any social media network, emails, and voice mails. Pretty much the only things he couldn’t listen in to were your phone calls and video calls.”

I glance at Cullen and it’s clear from his expression that he has understood the same thing as I have. It was Ross who took the notes from the audio file and sent them to Bill Bryson. Ross who we now know had access to the file and who most definitely wanted Cullen and me to break up. It also explains something else for me – how he knew so quickly that Cullen and I had split up and that I had been fired. Maybe if I had thought more on that we would have worked out it was Ross sooner, but it wouldn’t have been much sooner so as it stands; it really wouldn’t have made any difference.

“The maximum custodial sentence for hacking is two years and with the assault, we might have gotten two and a half,” she says. “The attempted sexual assault was going to be the hardest bit to prove, but also the most damaging for Mr Baker going forward. So, his plea bargain basically said he would do two years in prison and in exchange, we drop the attempted sexual assault charges. He will still be listed as someone who has been violent to women, but he won’t go on the sex offenders register.”

I take a moment to process everything Officer Reynolds has told me. I’m more than happy with the outcome. If it had gone to court, it would have dragged on and on and I would have had to testify which I was dreading. And he likely would have gotten a similar sentence anyway, because there was always going to be reasonable doubt about the attempted sexual assault because with no witnesses, it was just a case of he said she said. And when I thought about it, Ross had been violent to me and abusive yes, but he had never done anything sexually and I don’t think for a second that he was getting off on hitting me.

While I didn’t like him trying to kiss me against my will and I do class it as sexual assault of a kind, I don’t think Ross is likely to be a danger to women in the sense of him being a sexual predator, so if justice being done means he isn’t going to be put on the sex offenders register, but will be officially someone who has been found guilty of domestic violence, then I can live with that.

“So, it’s over?” I say after a few minutes.

“For you, yes,” Officer Reynolds says.

“But for that bastard, it’s only just beginning,” adds Officer Norman with a smile.

“Thank you,” I say. “Both of you. For dealing with this so quickly and keeping Ross off the streets, and also for letting me know straight away. It’s certainly a weight lifted off my mind.”

We all say our goodbyes and shake hands and then the two officers leave, and Cullen and I are alone together.

“Are you ok?” Cullen says. “I know that was good news, but it’s still a lot to take in.”

“Yes, I’m ok. Just processing it all, I guess. I can’t believe I have two years where I don’t have to worry about Ross finding me,” I say.

Cullen comes over to me and wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head.

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