Stalker (12 page)

One female even admitted, ‘I’m an ex-Stalker. My initial is S. I used to follow my target for months. Stalkers need the skills of an espionage agent.’

‘Why did you stop?’ asked Dr Z. after giving lots of statistics that made Jamie look very interested, and make a thumbs up sign to Lily through the glass.

‘Well, I…’ and the line cut out.

‘Thank you Caller S. This is Lily on Radio 3BC, and tonight we’re talking to callers and our studio experts on the topic of Stalking. We have other calls waiting. You may just give your initial instead of your name on air if you prefer.’

‘My ex-boyfriend stalked me… for months.’

‘I had to move because I was being stalked.’

‘A girl stalked me, that was pretty scary for a guy. I’m a footy player and my real girlfriend wouldn’t believe that this girl who kept hanging around

had never been given any encouragement. It was all in her head.’

Lily glanced at the studio clock.

‘This is Radio 3BC and we’re finishing our segment on “Stalkers” in one minute. Last word to our legal eagle. Lawyer J., do you have any advice for our callers who still have problems with stalkers? Should they take legal action? Take out an intervention order or something? Over to you J.’

It was important to finish with real help. Hard to keep the balance between a chatty program and serious topics. The youth suicide program had been even harder.

‘And here is a Help Number for those who need to talk further about their problem. Thanks Jamie for all your research for this special program. And thanks to our experts Dr Z. and Lawyer J. who kindly donated their time this Saturday night.’

‘Well done Jamie. D’you think we got him? You did get all the real names, addresses and contact numbers? Of course, they might be fake.’

Lily felt a surge of energy, although none of the callers’ voices sounded familiar. Had he called?

‘Surely a real stalker wouldn’t give a real name.’

‘Usually they do. Or run close. Like with your on-air name. It’ll be close,’ said Dr Z. unexpectedly through the headphones. ‘Goodnight and thanks for the opportunity.’

‘Thank you,’ said Lily, closing down the connections.

In the studio, Jamie was playing back a tape. He listened intently. Genevieve’s voice filled the studio.

‘Hi. My name is Genny. My flat-mate is being stalked on the phone. What advice would you have for her? Her stalker is obsessed Can’t see why she might be…but there it is…’

‘Notice how Genny said, “she” and “her”.’ Distractedly Jamie ran his hand across his criss-crossed sprouting hair.

‘So? Oh, you mean she was talking as if my stalker were a woman.’

Lily thought about that. ‘Is that possible?”

‘That phone call you told me about,’ said Jamie quickly. ‘On your unlisted number.’

‘Which one?’

‘You mean there’s been more than one?’

Lily had to admit, Jamie was quick. His brain was computer-programmed. That’s why panel-operating was kindergarten stuff for him. Just a few switches and controls. Get the sequence right, he went onto automatic and then he was thinking of new challenges.

‘I meant the recording played into the phone.’ Jamie said .’I’ve been thinking about it. Using the clairvoyant’s recording meant you never heard your Stalker’s real voice.’ Lily knew Jamie didn’t believe in clairvoyants,

but the audio dub was a fact.

Bernie swept into the studio , tummy in front, like a banner. ‘That caller S on your program. The voice is the same as some of the Stalker’s messages on the 3BC comment line. Of course, some of the comments are in a disguised voice. And a caller to the comment line would obviously be a listener, but even so…. Have you got the caller’s details, Jamie?’

Jamie’s fact sheet was in his usual sloping writing.

‘Read it out,’ urged Lily. ‘ S was a woman’s voice.’

‘Sam Taylor. Sam? That’s a female name too isn’t it?’

‘Sounds like that Doctor’s assistant’s voice,’ Georgio, the retired go-fer interrupted. ‘The one I called you to the phone about, Lily. We were listening in Bernie’s office and I mentioned it to him then.’

‘But a Stalker who has been so careful is not going to give us a proper name and address as a gift!’ Lily was having trouble coming to terms with the Stalker being a woman. Why a woman? And why stalk her, Lily?

‘Dr Z. doesn’t think so,’ reminded Jamie who had heard all the electronic exchanges.

‘Isn’t Taylors that big electronics company that invents robots and things?’ suggested Jamie. ‘And the caller said Ex-Stalker. Maybe she’s just stopped?’

‘ We’re
checking this out. If you wish, 3BC will help you
take out
an intervention order against your stalker,’ Bernie informed Lily. ‘To protect you.’

Ben overheard as he came into the studio. ‘I think that Lily has been doing a pretty good job of looking after herself. Anita and I were listening in the car.’

‘With a bit of help from my friends,’ added Lily. ‘Let’s check out this Taylor connection.’

I didn’t think Lily would make a formal complaint. I misjudged the stupid bitch. She thought she could get me to ring into her program, when she had those psychs on talking about stalkers. So I did, just to prove that I had specialised knowledge, was a practitioner. I knew things they only read about, secondhand.

‘Congratulations Lily,’ said an enthusiastic Bernie shaking her hand.

‘Why?’

‘We’ve had so many messages of support on the comments line. All your supporters. They’ve been so annoyed at the way you’ve been reported that there’s a backlash. ‘

‘It’s not my ex-Stalker doing different funny voices?’ said Lily cautiously.

‘No. The “Hot Goss.” about you, is suddenly attracting lots of interest. People are sticking up for you. They loved the way you handled the Stalker issue on air.’

‘Cool,’ said Lily.

‘And there have been a few expressions of interest from the commercials.

Guest spots. That sort of thing.’

‘PAID guest spots?’ asked Jamie quickly.

‘Doubtful. Mainly Lily interviews.’

‘With personal panel operator?’ asked Jamie quickly.

‘Not so far,’ laughed Bernie. ‘Don’t give up your day job.’

***********************************************************

I didn’t think you’d get an interim order served on me, Lily. Didn’t think you had enough proof, but maybe you had. I couldn’t risk it. Maybe you were bluffing, but… My parents would freak out if they knew I was going to court and being written up in the media as ‘daughter of millionaire entrepreneurs.’

That court person explained the options… the registrar. The magistrate wasn’t going to hear the case today, but I was warned that some contested cases are listed and attract media attention. Could be a full hearing in three or four weeks. With media coverage.’ I couldn’t risk that. The parents would be back by then.

Or I could consent to the order and promise to stay away from you. It was not an admission of guilt and it couldn’t be used for damages! But if I didn’t agree, we’d have to go to court.

So, I signed and I had to promise things. That made me mad.

That Magistrate was up himself. Glasses like coke- bottles. Who did he think he was, telling me to stay away from HER. It’s a free country isn’t it. Lily was lucky that I’d chosen her, but I could change her good luck into bad luck if I wished.

So I agreed, only because I wasn’t sure what evidence she had against me:

I would not stalk her. Assault, intimidate threaten, molest harass or otherwise interfere with her. Or go within 500 metres of Studio 3BC

I will not contact Lily Noelle by phone, letter or electronic means.

It was all her fault!

Lily thought she was God’s gift to media. She wanted to play the fame game. I just helped a little.

Finale

At the studio, Lily had been trying to catch up with her genuine supporters’ mail. She was sitting at her ‘hot-desk’ which is what they called the part-time desk, shared by ten volunteers weekly, keyboarding replies.

‘That Sammy Taylor is STILL hanging around,’ a track-suited Ben burst into the studio, waving an envelope with black edges. ‘She’s been at your house again, Lily, leaving a sympathy card this time. Luckily, Genevieve almost caught her at your letter box, but she took off in her car. Or maybe it was a good thing Genevieve didn’t touch her. She’s got a short fuse, Genny. Anita and I just dropped in to see if you were okay, and give you this. Maybe it’s time for the police to sort this out. She’s a nut case!’

‘Lily Noelle’ was hand-lettered in calligraphy on the envelope.

‘Sympathy for what? D’you reckon she’s trying to apologise or something?’ Lily took the sympathy card, opened the envelope as if it were a bomb, and read the message.

‘My thoughts go with you in this time of loss.’

It wasn’t a commercially printed card. It was hand written.

‘What time of loss? Is she going to take something else? I’d better show this to Bernie.’ Lily felt the old tummy fizzing of fear rising. The stalking WASN’T finished!

In Bernie’s office, sitting at the screen, Jamie was scrolling through e-mails. He looked up. ‘49 e-mails for Lily from Follower, Stalker or Fan-a-tic.’

‘Abusive?’ asked Bernie, shuffling through papers on his desk.

‘Repetitive.’ Said Jamie. ‘But Sammy Taylor can spell.’

‘Delete them!’ said Lily, then changed her mind quickly. ‘No! Print them.

Evidence.’

‘That means she’s breached the intervention order,’ said Bernie. ‘She’s still attempting to communicate with you.’

‘And Ben brought in this card. So, it’s time I called the police,’ said Lily, showing him the card. ‘I know it means I’ll have to face her and even go to court, but… I can’t live like this. I thought that challenging her on air was enough. And now she knows, we know who she is, shouldn’t it have stopped? But this card about “loss” probably means she’s planning something else.’

‘Most stalkers don’t stop unless the target moves away, or they find another victim. I checked the data.’ Said Jamie, proud of his research.

He looked closely at the card.

‘Thanks,’ said Lily. ‘That makes me feel a lot better.’

‘Unless they’re imprisoned. Or counselled.’ added Jamie.

‘I’m ringing the police,’ decided Lily. ‘I’m going to face Sammy Taylor

in court.’

Butt- ends around the exit. Nervous guys scrubbed up, in suits they’d borrowed to impress the magistrate. He couldn’t be that much of a fool. Ill at ease. Moving from one foot to the other. Longing for a fag. Stained fingers the give-a-way. You could spot the lawyers, the Suits.

‘Ready Sammy?’ My lawyer was a woman. Short tight skirt, corporate jacket, shiny hair and no-nonsense manner.
I didn’t have Legal Aid. My parents had paid for the best legal advice, once they learnt I’d been charged. Of course, I could have argued my own case, wanted to, but they wouldn’t let me. So I had this Miss Scott, barrister, who wasn’t much older than me.

‘Okay. Let’s get it over with,’ I said. Chargeable minutes were how they worked out their bills, these lawyers. Animals couldn’t afford chargeable minutes. Who spoke up for them? I’d been thinking a lot about animals recently.

I’d looked after the cat really well while the parents were away. Food. Water. Talked to it. Animals don’t complain and they’re much easier to live with than people. They just listen when you talk; they don’t argue and tell you when and how often you’re wrong about things. Collected a couple of stray cats too, so I started putting out milk for them. I like cats, they’re clean, and tidy up after themselves.

The parents are back. Not so quiet in the house now, but Mum keeps going on about me inventing something she can talk about to her friends. My Tiger Lily stalker campaign could make a computer game, I guess, but I don’t want all my secrets public. Magistrates’ court is nuisance enough. Someone of my calibre shouldn’t have to stand around with the burglars, drink-drivers and druggies. One of them is a graffiti artist, how obvious can you get. Mine was an intelligence campaign, on a par with A.S.I.O. not just stupid theft.

First time in court for Lily. Jamie came too. ‘I’ll use it in my assignment,’ he said. He was as curious as Lily to see Sammy Taylor in person instead of as a voice, an e-mail or a hovering presence.

From the outside, the court was just another building, except for the signs, the number of police cars parked outside, and the bunches of people waiting for the main doors to open.

‘D’you reckon that’s her?’ Jamie pointed to the elderly female cleaner, mopping the hallway ‘In disguise?’

‘Buy new glasses Jamie.’

Curious and yet distanced, Lily felt as if this was now happening to someone else. The order had been broken and now Sammy had to answer the charges in court. Instead of a FEAR, Sammy Taylor was now a person.

The doors were open now. Getting ready for the 10 am start, the suburban court was busy, and noisy. Voices echoed against the high ceilings. ‘Suits’ had purposeful chats to their clients in the outside corridor.