Contagion - Plans of Deception - Book One.
Chapter Four.

Peter sat relaxed, his body language showed he was no longer as tense and stressed as before. His solicitor had finally proved, that the information found on his computer hard disk, had been written and downloaded from a different system. This could only have been achieved by the removal of his hard disk and having installed it into another system. Had this of been known at the time of the arrest, and eventual conviction, then it is entirely probable, that the hidden negatives by themselves, would not have been enough to bring this case to court?

It was also discovered only three days previous, that the finger prints on the negatives had failed to match up to those of Peter’s, and further investigations, had also shown that the finger prints and DNA pattern found on the back of the rear frames cover, matched those on the negative. Also, there had been an entry made by someone on the computer’s hard disk, at a time when Peters passport, had shown that he was not in this country, and the software signature of this entry matched those of the pornographic files.

Peter’s solicitor, was sure that this new information was to be enough, to allow him to mount an appeal, the police had contacted Adams new employers wanting access to any personal computers, only to discover that he was now himself, in Thailand, on business.

It had been two days since Elaine was found; the incident had been kept from her father. The police had not left her bedside, and wanted to interview her, but as it was, she had blacked out, and gone into a coma through a blood clot on her brain. Doctors were amazed that the child had survived such an incredibly and violent ordeal.

Brien had been interviewed as a matter of routine, having to his knowledge, to have been the last person, to have seen the child, before the assault had taken place.

The clothing that he had worn on that day, were also routinely sent for forensic tests. It later transpired that his explanation of the events leading up to him having been in the area, had been partly confirmed by Christine. It was also discovered that he had been seen, as he had crossed the main road, by one of the police officers that had stopped and interviewed Adam.

It was a further four days, before Elaine had opened her eyes, the clot on her brain, had been removed by key-hole surgery; from there it had been down to her sheer will to survive. Her father had now been informed, due to the incident having become public knowledge, with appeals broadcasted on national TV channels and newspapers, asking for witnesses to come forward. Three people had confirmed that a man was seen in the area, another who had been walking her dog, had confirmed that she had stopped to talk with a man matching Brien’s description.

It was Elaine who sealed his fate, having re-gained her strength she confirmed that it had been Brien who had attacked her. When the forensic evidence from his clothing returned, it also had confirmed that there was blood and a DNA match on his jacket and that a small quantity of the child’s blood had also been found on his shoes. The arrest had happened at his place of employment, his protests of been innocent were noted, but not acted upon.

Adam made his way through the hotel foyer, unaware of the events that had been unfolding back in the United Kingdom, his action had been quietly observed for the last three days, with the full co-operation from the Thai authorities. His hotel offered its entire business clients a quality of luxury, far in access to that found by the local community. The area was also internationally known for the ease in which a customer could acquire satisfaction in almost all areas imaginable to the human mind, and possibly even more. His various phone conversations, along with client contacts, were also now under investigation.

The Thai authorities were serious in their efforts to clamp down on the abuse, which was subjected to its impoverished citizens, over 76% of its nation now suffered with HIV related illnesses. The effect of passing the contagious disease was heightened due to the promiscuous nature of the human race, that along with the incubation period, before a person became aware of having contracted the illness. By then countless thousands could have been infected, all in turn, passing the viruses further along the ever-growing chain.

The statistical implications alone were mind blowing, with the Western capitalist countries, pouring countless millions into educating its citizens. The East European countries had not escaped this silent invading army, only for them the knowledge had been acted upon to late. With countless millions of public employees going months without pay, the powers within some governments were not in a position to finance such vital information. They had instead decided to use the situation as a means of radically reducing the population, and the ever-growing demands that where been made on the state.

Back in the United Kingdom the police had searched Adams official place of residence, not at that time knowing, neither of his penthouse apartment in Windsor, nor of the one recently purchased in Bray, from the money that he had taken, from the deliberate collapse of Peters business.

It had been a chance discovery of a particular document found on the hard drive, of Peter’s computer. Adams secretary had written it, only the day before he had wrongly and falsely fired her, for gross incompetence. She had confirmed that, at the time the computer she had used was in Adams office, as hers had developed a fault and was waiting for the engineer to arrive. As Adam was out at the time, she had quietly used his, knowing there were strict instructions in place, and forbidding the use of his office, however she had always felt it was a silly rule, and as he was away, that he had no need to know of the incident.

It was this information, which had finally won Peter his appeal, all charges were dropped, and he was released the very next day. Sadly, the emotional strain had taken its price. The illness had failed to respond to the medication, that the prison hospital doctors had prescribed. Peter was dangerously ill, and in much need of support in his weakened state. Now that he was a free man, a national publishing house had agreed to front all medical bills and expenses, in return for the exclusive rights to publish his story. Peter had asked his solicitor to drive him to the hospital, so that he could see his daughter, As Elaine was herself still recovering from the ordeal, it was feared that Peter’s TB could present certain medical problems.

He was therefore only aloud to talk to her through a specially rigged internal phone system, with Peter looking and talking to his daughter, on the opposite side of the glass window, to that of her private room. It was felt by the doctors that Elaine’s love for her father, would assist her recovery, and that by been given the chance to see and speak with him, as well as seeing for herself that he was now a free man, it would give her the incentive to recover.

That night, Elaine had the best nights sleep, since her arrival to the hospital, and the doctors were pleased by her bright recovery the following morning. However, they were just a little confused, possibly even amused to a degree, as to whom her friend was, and had decided it was her way of emotionally dealing with the incident. They knew that in such cases in the past, those patients who had acquired invisible friends had somehow managed to aid their patients through their recovery.

Elaine was herself confused, as she could not understand why people could not see her friend Amander, at the time of the incident at Weymouth she knew the Welsh fisherman had seen her, as he had told her so. She decided that the next time that Amander called in to visit her, that she would ask her, it really had not even entered her mind that her new friend was an apparition, of a child who had died some five years earlier.