by H K Christie
“I’m good. Thanks. You?”
“Great. Martina wanted me to tell you she’s in a last-minute session and will have to push back your meeting by thirty minutes.”
“Got it. Thanks.” She waved as she strolled past the front desk and into the cubical farm that contained thirty cubicle desks and two break areas. It wasn’t unusual for Martina to have emergency meetings and have to push their one-on-ones. Martina was a full partner at the firm, which had come with longer hours and more responsibilities. Selena continued on to her cubicle and dropped her messenger bag on the desk before removing her coat and scarf and placing them on the back of her chair. She plopped down on her seat and powered up the computer.
She slumped over as she sifted through her emails before heading into the records room to retrieve today’s files for her to review. She unlocked the cabinet with her key and pulled open the drawer. She flipped through the files until she found the one she needed, grabbed it, and relocked the cabinet.
Back at her desk, she uncapped her yellow highlighter and began to review the phone records. Today’s task was to mark all incoming calls from a specific phone number. Martina had assured it was for a high-profile case that they were working, but that tidbit of information didn’t make the task any less tedious. After about ten minutes, Selena’s yawn practically overtook her whole body. She slid her chair back and hopped up to seek caffeine.
In the break room, she grabbed one of the graphite-colored mugs and filled it with drip coffee before adding a healthy pour of pumpkin spice creamer and a packet of sugar. Sugar and caffeine. If that didn’t do the trick, nothing would.
She took a sip of the liquid energy. It wasn’t as good as a Frappuccino, but it would have to do. She turned to head back to her cubicle when she heard Martina’s voice. Selena swiveled back around and spotted Martina walking toward her. She was dressed in head-to-toe black and wore her dark hair cropped short. Martina was the epitome of no-nonsense. “Hey, Martina.”
Martina approached and grabbed a mug for herself. “Hi Selena, sorry I had to push back our meeting. Are you okay? You look awful. Late night studying? “
The lipstick and mascara apparently weren’t doing the trick to conceal her lack of sleep. “No, not studying but there was something I wanted to talk to you about. That is, if you have a few minutes—it’s not work-related, but something happened last night.”
“Of course. I’m done with my other meetings for the day, I’m yours for the rest of the afternoon. What happened?”
“Can we go into one of the conference rooms, it’s kind of sensitive?”
Worry fell over Martina’s face. “Of course.”
Martina finished fixing her coffee and led Selena to a small conference room with a table and four chairs. Selena set her mug down on the table and explained to Martina what had happened to Dee in the early hours of that morning.
Martina put her hand to her chest. “How awful. I don’t know if you realize this or not, but more than half of all college sexual assaults happen between August and November. I wish the dangers, especially for incoming freshman, were more widely known. First time away from home and it’s easy to believe that your fellow classmates or dorm mates are your friends and are trustworthy. The sad truth is that, that isn’t always the case. How is she doing?”
“Not great. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m not sure how to help her. She’s been in bed all day and I know how much you helped me after what happened. What do you think I should do?”
Martina gave her a reassuring smile. “The best thing you can do for her is to be there for her and listen to her. Key word is listen. If she wants to talk about it—listen. But if she doesn’t want to talk about it, don’t force it. You can recommend she see a counselor or attend a support group. I will get you some names of a few good counselors specializing in sexual assault victims as well as a few recommendations for support groups on campus. But unfortunately, beyond that, Selena, there’s not really anything you can do. The most important thing, like I mentioned, is to just be there and be a good listener.”
Selena wished she could do more than just listen. She’d prefer to track down the jerk who did this to Dee and beat him with her baton. No, Selena. Too violent. Her therapist had explained that violent thoughts were normal but told her not to act on them because despite how it sounded, it wouldn’t make her feel any better.
“All right, I’ll do that. I’ll give her the information once you give it to me. Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do? What about the police investigation? Do you know anyone at the University Police Department? Maybe you can pull some strings and get Dee’s case made a priority?” Selena had seen firsthand the sway Martina had with law enforcement when they were familiar with her skills and reputation.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone over there. Dee gave a statement to the police, correct?”
“Yes. It took all of about five minutes. The officer gave Dee his card and said he’d be in touch.”
Martina folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. “What I would do—and I’m not saying I recommend you do this—but you could follow up on the investigation on her behalf. I hesitate to say this because technically they can’t tell you anything, but if you ask the right questions you should be able to get a sense for how the investigation is going and if they’re actively working it.”
“If they’re working it? Why wouldn’t they? She was raped!”
Martina let out a breath. “You’d be surprised. Despite the fact that one in five women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, most police officers I’ve encountered don’t believe the victim. It’s awful. What happens is they end up investigating the victim instead of the perpetrator. They ask questions of the victim like what were they doing when they were attacked, what were they wearing, and what is their sexual history. They don’t even bother to think about what was the behavior of the attacker. It’s unconscionable. Not to mention the number of rape kits that never actually get tested. California is the leading state for untested rape kits. It’s an atrocity.”
Selena’s mouth dropped open. “They might not even test her kit? It took over three hours to collect!”
“Unfortunately, it happens.”
Selena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why would the police investigate the victim and not believe him or her? When somebody reports a robbery did the police ask, are you sure you were robbed? What were you wearing when you were robbed? Were you asking for it? No, those questions were reserved for the women and men who were sexually assaulted. It was horrible. As Martina continued to lecture her on all the injustices toward sexual assault victims, Selena decided right then and there she would most definitely be following up on Dee’s case.
5
Selena slipped her backpack on and hurried out of the lecture hall. She only had an hour between her last class and the next and she wanted to head over to the police station to enquire about Dee’s case. Selena was determined to make sure the case actually got investigated.
After Martina explained to her the previous day, what could happen, Selena knew Dee needed an advocate. Someone who would follow up with the detectives and make sure they didn’t toss her file into the pile of un-investigated sexual assaults that they believed were either made up or women who “had changed their mind after.” It made her physically ill to think about it. It was total bullshit. What woman would go through a three-hour invasive medical exam and then have to explain in gory detail a sexual act that was both violent and terrifying, if it weren’t true? The concept was ridiculous. She agreed with Martina that the victim blaming needed to stop—like yesterday.
She reached the campus police department and walked up to the community service officer behind the window. She gave her best friendly looking smile. “Hi, I’d like to speak with Detective Grayson, please.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
She batted her long lashes. “No, I just wanted to ch
eck up on a case.”
“And what’s your name?”
“Selena Bailey.”
The young man with the giant glasses, pushed the black frames up over the bridge of his nose. “Alright, let me check with him. Go ahead and take a seat over there. He’ll be out when he’s available to see you.”
“Thanks.”
Selena sat herself in the seat and glanced around the office. It was a much smaller than the police department in Grapton Hill, the station she had frequented while they were investigating her mother’s murder and then for a formal statement after Selena’s boyfriend tried to kill her, after kidnapping and torturing her. But the smell was the same. A mixture of cleaning fluid and stale cigarettes. It was an odd mix considering it was illegal to smoke in or anywhere near the building.
A few minutes later she watched as Detective Grayson approached. He had a large presence and an overall creepy vibe to him. If he hadn’t been in uniform, she’d have her hand on her baton ready for an attack. His eyes met hers. His casual and friendly demeanor soon dissipated, as if he recognized her from the previous day as the person who had come in with Dee. Selena stood up and extended her hand. “Detective Grayson, I’m Selena Bailey.”
He shook her hand and retreated back with fists on his hips. “What can I do for you today, Ms. Bailey?”
“I was hoping we could talk about my roommate, Dee Hankel’s case? I don’t know if you remember me, but I came in with her yesterday morning with her to give her statement. As you can imagine, she’s not up for classes or getting out yet. I’ve come down to see if there’s been any progress on the case. Have you gotten results from her rape kit back yet?”
The detective’s gaze shifted from left to right. “Why don’t you join me in the office and we can talk.”
Selena nodded and followed him into the office. She sat down in the chair and waited for Detective Grayson to get situated. Finally, after shuffling some papers and tapping on the keyboard, he said, “So what can I do for you? You said you were checking in on Dee’s case?”
“Yes, I want to ask if the rape kit has been tested and if you have any suspects.”
“I can’t give you details of an open investigation, Ms. Bailey. But, so that you understand, it usually takes at least a month before we get results back from the lab.”
Martina had warned her about this. She knew the university had the power to put in a forty-eight-hour rush on the DNA testing and fingerprinting. The fact that he was telling her that it would take over a month was indicative that they hadn’t made Dee’s case a high priority. It made her blood boil, but Selena was determined to remain calm—or at least appear to be calm. Getting excited wouldn’t help anyone. “Why didn’t you do a rush order on the testing? Are there a lot of other sexual assault cases that are a higher priority than Dee’s?”
The detective pressed his lips together, and he clenched his jaw. She realized her question may have come out a bit more hostile than she was intending. She tried to remain sweet and innocent in appearance, but she was having a difficult time managing her emotions.
The officer crossed his arms across his chest and sat up straight in the chair and stared her down. Uniform or not, she didn’t like this guy. He said, “I don’t know what you think you know, Ms. Bailey, but our standard protocol is that we send it off to the lab and it gets processed in the amount of time it requires to be processed. I can’t give out details about a suspect. And if your roommate is so interested in the investigation, why doesn’t she come down herself?”
Selena couldn’t believe the cold attitude of this officer, who was supposedly tasked with protecting the students. “Dee’s been through a traumatic event, Detective. She’s at home and she’s barely left her bed. I’m here on her behalf to ensure the investigation actually gets completed and that her case is taken seriously. I did a little digging into the crime stats on college campuses across the state and it appears that they are notorious for not taking sexual assault claims seriously or not punishing students when they’ve been identified. And just so you know, Detective, I’m not gonna just let this go. I will be here every day until you have an update or you’ve closed the case—whichever comes first.” Her blood boiled, but she maintained a steady breath determined to not lose her cool.
The detective leaned back and licked his lips. The gesture made Selena want to hurl, but she managed to keep her eyes fixed on his. He needed to know that she was serious and that he’d be dealing with her on a daily basis until he made some progress on the case. She watched as he seemed to contemplate his next move with her. He smirked with a gleam in his eye. “You’re welcome to come down here every day, but that’s not going to make this happen any faster. I’m sorry that your friend is not doing well. Please give her my regards. Let her know she’s welcome to call me anytime. Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”
He stood up, towering over Selena. He wasn’t likely more than six feet tall, but in that moment, he appeared to be as large as a bear. A disgusting, slimy bear. Selena grasped the chair handles and pushed herself out of the chair and picked up her backpack by one strap. She glared up at him. “Thank you for your time, Detective. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She didn’t wait for a response. Instead she walked out of the office, head held high.
She stepped out of the station into the chilly air. Her body felt like it was on fire, so it was just the cool down she needed. She continued across campus to her next class, angry and frustrated. The meeting hadn’t gone as hoped. She wanted to make a friendly alliance with the police and hopefully forge a connection, but this guy wasn’t having it. What the hell?
6
Dee
Dee lay on her bed, staring up at her roommate, who was attempting to coax her out of her warm cocoon. She hadn’t left their dorm room in the last week. She didn’t even want to think about the mounting assignments she’d ignored and the chemistry and biology labs she probably wouldn’t be able to make up. She just couldn’t bring herself to leave the safety of the room and it was really cold outside. Not to mention, what if she ran into him, the guy who had attacked her? The guy who not only violated her body but also destroyed her sense of self. Dee had never thought of herself as weak or small, but this guy had changed all that. Now she was like a wilted flower afraid to leave the room for fear of being crushed or stomped on. She didn’t feel like doing anything. She didn’t want to talk and didn’t want to go for a walk. She didn’t want to do her homework or attend classes. She didn’t want to do anything but try to forget, but she couldn’t. She responded to Selena. “I don’t want to go to the cafeteria.”
“It will help you to get a little exercise—it’ll get the blood flowing. It’s supposed to help.”
Dee was skeptical that anything would help. Selena had been very understanding and had offered to be there for her and said she’d listen if Dee wanted to talk. She didn’t want to talk. If she talked about it, it would be too real. But maybe she should try to go to dinner. She was getting sick of eating kettle chips for every meal. Not that she had much of an appetite, but maybe some comfort food could, well, be comforting. “Fine. I’ll go, but I don’t want to go anywhere else, okay?”
Selena held up both of her hands. “I promise. Just dinner and I’ll be with you the whole time. Also, I got you something.”
Dee watched as Selena went over to her backpack, unzipped the front pouch, and pulled out something that look like a big, fat pen. Dee sat up on the bed and flattened her disheveled hair with her hand. She was sure she looked atrocious.
Selena returned to the edge of Dee’s bed and handed her the black shiny object. Selena said, “It looks like a pen, but really it’s pepper spray. Take off the cap and you’ll see.”
Dee did as she was instructed and saw the spray nozzle at the top. It was strange, how something so small and innocuous seeming could have maybe prevented her attacker from doing what he did. “What do I do—just spray it in an attacker’s eyes?”
“Actually, my step
mother, Martina, said that it’s better if you aim for the mouth because it will mess with their respiratory system, both their throat and their nose, which could incapacitate them more than just in their eyes.”
“Wow. Okay. Thank you. I like that it’s sort of inconspicuous.”
“Sure. You, uh, ready to go?”
It appeared that Selena was trying to suppress a frown. Dee knew she most likely looked like a cast member from The Walking Dead—one of the dead ones. “Let me get dressed first.” She went over to her dresser and pulled out a fresh pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and her SFU sweatshirt. As she tugged on the purple sweatshirt with a bright green dragon on the center she remembered getting her acceptance email and how excited she had been to be leaving Sacramento. She was determined to not only ace her chemistry classes and get accepted into medical school, but she’d also envisioned how cool and cosmopolitan it would be to live in the city of San Francisco. She’d been having the time of her life until seven nights ago. She tucked her new pepper spray pen into her pocket and slipped on her pointed flats. She gave her hair a final pat down and faced Selena. “I’m ready.”
Selena led the way out of their dorm. Selena stood in the hall waiting for Dee to join her. Dee hesitated before stepping over the threshold. Her heart rate quickened. She swallowed and glanced over at Selena. Selena gave her a look of understanding. You can do this. She shut and locked the door behind her.
“Are you okay?” Selena asked.
Dee nodded. “I’ll be okay.”
She stayed close to Selena as they headed down the hallway toward the elevators. Her back tightened. Dee’s legs froze as her eyes darted around looking for any possible sign of an attacker. But the only people around were Selena and herself. Dee couldn’t relax, but she moved one foot in front of the other. She wanted turn around and run back, knowing that as soon as they reached the cafeteria, at this time of night, it would be bustling with students. Students who may try to attack her. She was nearly certain her attacker was a member of the DKA house and a student at the university. He could be anywhere. He could be in one of her classes or waiting in the cafeteria. She put her hand on her pepper spray pen in her pocket as they entered the cafeteria and stood in line for the daily special. Tacos. Dee hadn’t eaten much in the last week, and the smell of the spicy ground beef and cheddar cheese was heavenly. Her stomach grumbled. She was getting all the fixings. And dessert.