by Ellie Rose
“Did Joshua…” I can’t get the words out to ask her. I can’t bring myself to ask her if Joshua got rid of Wendy so she wouldn’t tell anyone? Would he really go that far?
The inside of my mouth suddenly feels dry, like cotton. “Beth… Why do you continue to stay with a monster?”
The answer she gives next takes the breath right out of my body. “Because I love him.”
“How can you love someone like that? After everything he has done?”
There is no answer from Beth, only her sniffling. I wait a few more minutes waiting, but when she says nothing, I turn to leave again needing to get out of this locker room, and as far from her as possible. Needing to get air because I feel like I am suffocating.
“Paige.” I pause, my hand hovering over the door handle. “I’m sorry.”
I take a deep breath and turn the door handle. “I can’t forgive someone who helps a monster and doesn’t stop him.”
I walk out, leaving her behind.
I can’t change what happened to me, but I can make sure it never happens to anyone else.
Anna is waiting outside the locker room for me.
She falls into step with me. “What happened? What did you guys talk about? Are you okay? You look really pale.”
I don’t answer her. I can’t think straight. My mind is racing with everything I just learned from Beth.
He has been doing this for so long. Who knows how many girls he has done this to?
“Paige? Can you stop?” Anna asks, trying to keep up with me.
I keep walking until I see Seth pacing in front of his Jeep. He sees us and walks towards us. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. She won’t tell me.” Anna shrugs.
I stop in front of Seth and look up at him. “Police station. Now.”
Seth’s eyes grow wide. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m serious. I’m tired of fearing him. I’m tired of hiding.” Anger surges through me. “He will pay for what he did to me, and I’m going to make damn sure he never does it anyone else ever again.”
Chapter 23: Present
Sitting on the couch between Seth and Anna in one of the interrogation rooms, I feel my courage slip. My heart is racing in my ears, and the familiar feeling of nausea takes over.
The whole ride over to the police station, I didn’t say anything to Seth or Anna. I knew they were wondering what happened in the locker room.
The conversation keeps playing over and over in my mind. “At first, it was like a game.”
A game? What Joshua was doing to his victims was toying with them until he had an opportunity to strike. In the beginning, when the GHB made the girls forget, he knew he could continue to do it with no one ever finding out.
And to think, after all this time, I lived in fear he might come back to do it again. At the party last year, he thought the GHB didn’t work on me, but he took the chance anyway. He thought he would have so much power over me that I would be too scared to go forward.
And he was right. I was.
He made sure of that.
The door opens, but I don’t look up to see who walks in. It was like Joshua was suddenly in the room with me. His hands around my throat to where I can’t breathe. The floor seems to waver in front of me.
“Paige?” I hear Anna say above me, but I can’t look up. My whole body is shaking. “Paige, are you okay?”
I try to shake my head, but a force of some kind keeps my head from moving.
“Put your head between your knees.” A hand touches the back of my head, forcing it between my legs. “Take slow, deep breaths.”
I do as I’m told and feel my heart slow down to its normal pace.
“When you’re ready, you can look up.”
I took a few more deep breaths before looking up to see a woman with a kind face and brown eyes. Standing behind her is a man with a grim expression.
“Hello, Paige,” the woman says. “We were told you wanted to report a rape. I’m Officer Grace Cunnings, and this–” she points to the man behind her, “–is Officer Brian Combs.”
Officer Combs nods his head but doesn’t move forward from his spot.
Officer Cunnings looks on either side of me at Seth and Anna, who have been sitting silently. Seth is staring at me, his face pale, and I notice then that his hand is clenching mine tightly.
“Who are you?” Officer Cunnings asks, looking down at our joined hands.
“We are friends of Paige’s. I’m Anna Frazier, and this is my brother, Seth,” Anna says.
“Would you mind leaving the room so we can talk to Paige alone?”
“No,” Seth and I reply at the same time.
I glance over at Seth before looking back at Officer Cunnings. “They know most of what happened.”
“Was Seth the first one you told?” Officer Cunnings asks.
“How did you know?”
“Whenever a victim tells a person, they tend to seek comfort with them.”
Officer Cunnings gives me a weak smile before sitting down on the other couch across from us. “So, when did this rape happen?”
Swallowing hard, I look down at the floor. “On the fourth of July—”
“That was several months ago. Do you have any proof?” Officer Combs asks, finally speaking up.
I feel my body tense at his question. My head snaps up to glare at him. “My memories.”
“Memories won’t hold up in court,” Officer Combs states.
Seth lets go of my hand to stand up. “If you don’t believe her, you shouldn’t be here. You took a vow to serve and protect, did you not?”
Officer Combs takes a threatening step towards Seth, but Officer Cunnings stops him. “Mr. Frazier, please sit down.”
Seth glares at Officer Combs for several more seconds before sitting back down next to me, taking my hand in his again. My heart swells at his sudden need to protect me.
“Now, Paige. In the report you made when you first arrived, it says that you snuck out of your house that night, correct?”
When I first arrived at the police station, they gave me a piece of paper to fill out about the rape. It took me a while to get the words onto the paper. I’m not sure I could tell the story out loud.
“Paige,” Office Cunnings leans forward, and our eyes connect. “The more you talk about it, the quicker you will heal and become stronger. You felt stronger after talking to Seth, right?”
Now that I think about it, she is right. I felt more like myself after telling Seth then I have since that night. “Yes, I snuck out that night.”
“Why?”
“I thought I was seeing my best friend.”
“Who is your best friend?”
This time I look over at Anna, who is staring straight ahead as she listens to the conversation. “Elisabeth Jones.”
“Elisabeth Jones.” Officer Cunnings repeats, taking out a pad from the front pocket of her uniform and opens it to write down Beth’s name.
“And she wasn’t there?”
I shake my head.
“The report didn’t tell us who. Can you provide his name so we can bring him in for questioning?”
My voice seems to catch in my throat at the question. I try to open my mouth to tell them, but nothing comes out.
“Joshua. Joshua Henley,” Anna tells them.
I hear both Officer Cunnings and Officer Combs suck in a sharp breath and look at them in time to see them exchange a look.
“Chief Henley’s son?” Officer Cunnings asks sharply as Officer Combs asks, “Are you sure?”
I feel my eyes pop open wide as the shock of hearing that Joshua’s father is the chief of police. I shut my eyes as understanding washes over me. No one will believe you.
I hear Officer Combs snort. “I’m leaving,” he says as he heads for the door.
“Officer Combs.” Something in Officer Cunnings’ tone stops him. Turning back to me, she says, “Listen, Paige. Is there any proof at all from that night?”
Officer Combs twists around to face Officer Cunnings. “You have got to be joking? You believe her?”
Officer Cunnings turns her head to glare at Officer Combs. “Can I see you outside for a minute?” Officer Cunnings got up from her chair. “We will be right back.” Officer Combs leaves the room closely followed by Officer Cunnings. Officer Cunnings shuts the door, but not enough to close it all the way. “What is your problem?”
“There was a girl who came forward two years ago claiming the same thing but had no proof. No case gets very far in court when there is nothing tying said ‘rapist’ to the crime,” Officer Combs declares.
Anna and I exchange a look, knowing who exactly they are talking about. “And I’m guessing you turned her away. You didn’t even look into it because he was the Chief’s son. Correct?”
I sit there, frozen to my seat, listening to Officer Cunnings and Officer Combs in a stand-off outside the door.
“You weren’t even here two years ago,” Officer Combs barks out.
“If I was, I can promise you I wouldn’t have turned her away.”
We hear a stretch of silence before the door opens again to admit Officer Cunnings without Officer Combs.
Officer Cunnings takes a deep breath before coming to sit in front of us again. “Paige, as much as I hate to agree with him, he is right. You do need proof.”
“Here’s a text message from Beth asking me to come to Joshua’s house.” I pull out my phone and unlock it, scrolling to Beth’s text message before handing it over.
Officer Cunnings looks at the phone before handing it back to me. “I will pull Joshua and Beth in for questioning, but I can’t promise anything.”
She heads for the door, but I stop her.
“Officer Cunnings?”
“Yes?”
“If I find someone… Someone he raped before me. Would that help my case?”
“Yes. It might.” She smiles before leaving the room.
Chapter 24: Present
The next morning, I get up before my mom does and sit at the table in the kitchen, watching the clock tick on the stove. I didn’t sleep well last night. I still haven’t figured out how I will tell my parents but know I need to before word leaks out about me visiting the police station.
I know this will break my mom’s heart. She let me go to public school, even though she was against it. She will blame herself for it.
When my mom comes into the kitchen, she doesn’t notice me at first. She sets the coffee maker heads for the refrigerator.
Watching my mom pull things out of the refrigerator, the feeling still lingers. She turns away from the fridge and notices me. Shocked, she drops everything in her hands.
“Paige. Why are you up so early?”
My vision blurs as tears form.
“Paige? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” she pulls up a chair to sit in front of me and sits down, putting her hands on my shoulders. “You know you can tell me anything.” Tears fall hard and fast, and she pulls me into a hug. “Shh, it’s okay. Tell me.”
I shake my head, trying to control the sudden turmoil of uncontrollable sobs. “I’m sorry.”
My mom pulls back from me, and brings her hands up to my face, her eyebrows crinkle in concern. “Baby, what are you sorry for?”
“I’ve- I’ve been keeping something from you. I lied to you.”
“Paige, you are starting to scare me. Are you doing drugs?” When I don’t answer her, she sighs in relief. “It’s okay, we can get through-”
“I was raped.” My mom’s eyes grow wide, and all the color drains from her face. She brings her hand up to her mouth in shock.
“What… What did you just say?”
“Last July,” I begin slowly. “I snuck out in the middle of the night to meet up with…” I swallow hard, “Beth. And I was raped.” The last words come out in a whisper. “Reynold!” my mom screams, suddenly wrapping me into a tight hug as a sob erupts from her.
I hear a scramble of feet as my dad races downstairs. “What?! What’s wrong?” he exclaims, entering the kitchen.
“What’s going on, Suzie?” my dad asks.
“Someone... raped… our baby girl.” Silence follows my mom’s words. The sun has come up now outside and is streaming in through the kitchen window. My mom is on her knees in front of me, and my dad stands behind her. Their faces filled with shock and pain.
Feeling her arms around me, holding me tight, as close as she can makes me wish more than anything that this never happened to me.
I wish for the thousandth time I never snuck out that night.
But even as I sit there, I begin to think this happened for a reason. All of this happened because I was the one that needed to stop Joshua. I brace my shoulders and push away from my mom.
“I’m okay.” I breathe in deeply before letting it out slowly. “I’m okay.” And I am. I know I will be okay.
“We have to go to the police,” my dad states in a tight tone.
“I went yesterday. They aren’t sure they have a case. I have no proof, but they’re looking into it.”
“Well, we are going back again. Get in the car now.” My dad turns and walks out of the kitchen. Leaving both my mom and me alone again.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Paige?” Hurt could be heard in her voice. My mom’s face has seemed to age in the last two minutes, and I felt a twinge of pain in my heart for having caused it.
“I didn’t know how to, Mom. It’s my fault that this happened. If I didn’t-”
My mom holds up a hand to stop me before rubbing it against my face, her eyes red and rimmed with fresh tears trace every angle of it. “Don’t. Please don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m sorry.” My mom shushes me gently before hugging me again.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Pulling back, she wipes the tears from her eyes and stands up. “We should go. Your dad will be waiting in the car.”
We arrive at the police station a little while later. Climbing out, my mom wraps an arm around my waist, and my dad walks stiffly a few feet ahead of us. He hasn’t said anything since he found out, and I didn’t know what to say to him.
When we get inside, I ask the receptionist for Officer Cunnings, who comes from the back of the station within seconds. Holding out her hand to my parents, she gives them a small smile. “Hello, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Clearwater.” They shake hands before she gestures for them to follow her. “Please, come with me to my office so we can talk alone.”
We began to walk farther into the police station when I begin to feel like it’s the first day back at school with all the stares and whispers. The police officers sitting at their desks stop everything they’re doing to watch us as we passed by. One glance back tells me that they are talking between one another as they watch us go. My mom pulls me closer to her and rubs my left arm as if to comfort me.
No sooner have we entered Officer Cunnings’ office when the door flies open to admit a burly man with graying blonde hair. His lips are drawn into a thin line, and his dark brown eyes that look familiar have sparks of fury. “Are you the one?”
My dad steps in between me and the man. His posture ready to spring into action if the man tries anything. “What do you want with my daughter?” He asks with a cold voice.
“Your daughter made a false accusation of my son. And she needs to correct her mistake.” The man spits out. I swallow the urge to gasp when I realize why those dark brown eyes look so familiar. Joshua’s father. “She’s a liar, a whore, and she needs to tell the truth. My son told me she is just seeking revenge because he turned her down flat.”
My dad takes a dangerous step forward. His fists balled at his waist. For a second, I thought he was going to punch him. But Officer Cunnings steps in between them, facing Joshua’s father. “Chief Henley, you need to leave my office immediately.” Officer Cunnings looks over the chief’s shoulder. “You are drawing a crowd, and I don’t think you want everyone
to know what’s going on.” I realize then that several people are standing outside Officer Cunnings’ office watching as the scene unfolds.
“So what? Everyone knows what’s going on because somebody couldn’t keep their mouth shut.” Chief Henley glares at Officer Cunnings before turning his attention back on me. “I’m not leaving until you retract your statement about my son and tell them you lied”
“I wasn’t lying.” I whisper, looking down at the floor in front of me. “Your son raped me.”
Chief Henley steps forward, but my dad moves his body closer to my mom and me in a stance of protectiveness.
“Chief Henley, I am demanding you to leave this office at once before I have you physically removed.”
Chief Henley throws his hands up in the air backing out of the office with a crazed look on his face “You’ll regret this.” He says before disappearing among the crowd gathered outside the office. “Nothing to see here. Go back to what you were doing.” Officer Cunnings says before shutting her door once again. Turning to us, she heaves a sigh of relief. “Well now that is over, shall we sit?”
“Officer Cunnings, won’t you lose your job talking to the chief like that?” my mom asks, sitting down in one of the armchairs. My dad remains standing, keeping one eye on the door, his body still tense.
Officer Cunnings shakes her head. “No. Technically, he’s not my boss. Changes are coming to this police station. I can’t say what it is or why I am here, but I will say this: Chief Henley is walking on eggshells.”
“So, you are doing undercover work?” I ask her.
“Yes and no. Chief Henley knows why I’m here. He just believes that I’m looking at his fellow officers, and not him.”
“Is that why you believed me when I said it was Joshua Henley who…” I don’t finish and feel my mom’s hand tighten around mine.
“Yes, Paige. You are not the only one to come forward about rape allegations against Joshua Henley. After you told me there might be another girl who was raped by Joshua. I asked around, and a good friend of mine who used to work here told me about Wendy.”