Next of Kin

by Jae

  "We're not that alike." Aiden protested.

  Dawn sobered. So that's what's troubling her so much! She doesn't want to be anything like Evan, whom she suspects of raping someone. She's afraid Evan could have inherited her father's violent tendencies, because that might mean she has inherited them too, she realized. "I thought I was just imagining similarities and seeing you in everyone I met because I was head over heels in love with you," she admitted with a touch of embarrassment.

  "Was?" Aiden repeated.

  "I still am," Dawn reassured her. "I told you: nothing you tell me will change the fact that I love you."

  Aiden leaned closer until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. She was silent for a while. "Did Evan tell you anything about her parents... her father?" she asked.

  Dawn bit her lip. "You're putting me in an ethical dilemma. I'm not allowed to talk about Evan with you."

  "Great!" Aiden jumped out of bed and began to pace. "I'm not allowed to talk about the most shocking, troubling thing that happened to me in years with the person I love and trust most! I know your job has its rules, just like mine, but where does that leave me?"

  Dawn stood and stopped Aiden's pacing by wrapping her arms around her. "You're allowed to talk to me about anything you want. You're not a psychologist, so there's no confidentiality clause for you. I can listen; I can hold your hand, and I can even give you advice about coming to terms with this shocking revelation. But what I can't do is tell you what Evan might or might not have told me in one of our sessions."

  "This is so awkward," Aiden mumbled, her body tense in Dawn's arms. "My girlfriend is counseling my half sister."

  "Not any more," Dawn promised.

  Aiden lifted her face from where it had been buried in Dawn's hair. "I thought you were so determined to be the one to help her?"

  "That was before you told me she's your sister. Now that I know, I can't continue as her therapist. Multiple relationships with a client are a big no-no in my job," Dawn said.

  "Multiple relationships?" Aiden asked, finally having calmed down a little.

  Dawn nodded. "That means you can only ever be a therapist to your client. You're not his or her friend, love interest, or relative. Now that I'm practically her sister-in-law, I can't be her therapist any longer."

  Aiden blinked, startled, and then rubbed her temples.

  Shit. I guess calling her my sister-in-law was a bit too much to take in. Going from being an only child to having a sixteen-year-old sister in just one day is hard enough, but she also has to deal with that whole "violence gene" thing. Dawn soothingly stroked Aiden's back. "How do you feel now?" she asked quietly.

  "At a loss," Aiden said. She stood passively in Dawn's embrace, without even lifting her arms to hug back. "I don't know what to do or say or even think."

  "You don't have to figure it all out tonight." She rubbed Aiden's back, trying to warm up the cool skin. "Let's get back under the covers and maybe try to sleep a little. We'll try to get to the bottom of this tomorrow."

  Aiden made no move to get into the bed. "Do you think he raped her mother too?" she asked instead.

  "I don't know," Dawn answered simply. But given what Evan told me about her mother and her plans to abort Evan, I think it's a distinct possibility. It wasn't something she was allowed to tell Aiden, and even if she were, this was something Aiden and her half sister had to discuss between them.

  Finally, Aiden moved back to her side of the bed and lay down, every one of her movements as if in slow motion. She crawled under the covers and pulled them up to her chin.

  Dawn slid down and got settled next to Aiden, close enough to see her face and feel the heat of her body but not to touch her. She knew Aiden might prefer some physical distance right now. She waited a few seconds, but when Aiden didn't say anything, she turned off the light. She tried to get comfortable enough to sleep but couldn't. Dawn was a cuddler by nature, and though they mostly stayed over only on weekends, she had gotten used to Aiden's close proximity while she fell asleep.

  She sighed with relief when Aiden moved closer and gently pulled her into her arms.

  "How many more are out there?" Aiden whispered against Dawn's skin.

  Oh, sweetie, don't torture yourself with thoughts like that. "I don't know," she answered, pulling Aiden even closer. "Chances are, you and Evan are the only ones. But even if there are more half siblings out there, I bet they're all decent human beings."

  "You don't know that," Aiden objected, a resigned bitterness making her voice rough.

  "I know you," Dawn emphasized. "You're a decent person, a wonderful partner, and a good cop. The circumstances of your conception can't change that."

  "He's my father," Aiden said, very matter-of-fact. "You can't escape genetics. Whether I want it or not, I have inherited a few things from him – and so has Evan. If we resemble each other at all, it's because we have the same father. We resemble him."

  Dawn reached behind herself and flicked the light back on. She knew Aiden was right. She had seen pictures of her mother, and Aiden didn't look like her at all. "I think about it sometimes too," she admitted.

  She felt Aiden stiffen against her. "And? What do you think exactly?" she asked with bated breath.

  "After I was raped, I saw Garett Ballard everywhere. Not him as a person, but little parts of him – a voice that sounded like his or a man with his build or his hair color. But then, after a few months, I realized that a voice or a hair color doesn't make someone a violent person. I see your hair," Dawn gently combed her fingers through a few black strands, "or your hands," she kissed Aiden's palm, "or your eyes, and I know there's a good chance you inherited them from the man who raped your mother. But in the end, it doesn't matter. They're your eyes, your hands, and your hair – and I love them. I love you, exactly the way you are."

  Aiden tightened her embrace. "Thank you," she whispered.

  "No thanks necessary, just promise me you won't beat yourself up over things that are out of your control," Dawn said seriously. "No matter what Evan Whitfield or your father did or didn't do, it has no bearing on you... on the kind of person you are. Okay?"

  "I'll try." Aiden laughed shakily. "Old habits die hard, you know?"

  Dawn rested her head on Aiden's shoulder in her favorite sleeping position. "That's why you have me. I'll remind you a few times along the way. You won't have to go through this alone."

  Aiden reached over Dawn and turned off the light again. "That's the only good thing about this whole mess."

  CHAPTER 15

  "SHE'S STILL TOO distraught to talk about it," Eleanor Matheson said, dabbing at her eyes.

  Kade shook her head at her sister-in-law. "We can't wait any longer. I already gave her over twenty-four hours." She was neither able nor willing to give Laurie more time just because she was a member of the Matheson family. "Laurie has to give a statement now." She indicated a clearly uncomfortable Del, who had insisted on accompanying her today. Kade had a sneaking suspicion that Del had spent the night in front of her house and hadn't let her out of sight since Friday night.

  Her brother rose from his place on the couch. "What if we don't want to press charges?"

  Kade stared at him. "What?" Victims and family members not wanting to testify out of fear or embarrassment was what she had to deal with every day in her job. She hadn't expected to encounter it within her own family too. "Ignoring it won't make it go away. I won't make it go away." She fixed her sharpest prosecutor gaze on her brother, making it very clear that the influence of their family would not help him in this situation. "If Laurie was raped, I want to –"

  "Rehash the gory little details in open court, for all our friends, neighbors, and my patients to hear," Doug interrupted. "Think about the consequences."

  "So you decided to let your daughter's rapist walk because it might be detrimental to your practice to make it common knowledge what happened to Laurie?" Kade couldn't believe it. "Could you be any more selfish?"

  Doug stop
ped his pacing and placed himself directly in front of her. He had their father's athletic build even though he had never done manual labor for even a single day in his life, and he used his height and weight advantage to try and intimidate her.

  Kade smiled coolly. Scarier men than you have tried and failed, big brother!

  "Selfish?" Doug repeated, managing to keep his voice calm and cultured but to still sound angry. "I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing it for Laurel. I have a family to think of – not that you would know anything about that!"

  It was a low blow, but Kade schooled her features and didn't even blink. "Laurie is part of my family too."

  "Coming over with a trunk full of gifts on birthdays and on Christmas is not what I'm talking about," Doug lashed out at her again.

  Kade folded her arms and stared at him. "I thought this was about helping Laurie through this situation. Why are you making this about you and me?" She didn't want to have this discussion in front of Del. When her brother didn't answer, she drove the urgency of the situation home again. "I have to talk to her. She has to tell us what happened. We don't even know how Evan Whitfield got into the house."

  "I don't know what she was thinking!" Doug paced through his living room again. "To take a strange girl up to her room without us knowing about it! Where does she even know her from? That girl sure as hell doesn't move in the same circles Laurel does!"

  "Doug." Kade lifted her hand to stop her brother's tirade, but he didn't listen. "Douglas!" she interrupted him with more force. "Calm down and stop shouting, or I'll have Lieutenant Vasquez escort you from the room!"

  Del dutifully took a step toward him even though Kade knew her well enough by now to see that she was hesitant to get involved into a family argument.

  "You wouldn't!" Doug sputtered indignantly, but Kade didn't let him continue.

  "I would," she told him calmly. "We're here to help Laurie, and your anger isn't helping at all. You're scaring her." Kade had a feeling that was one of the reasons why her niece still refused to talk.

  Doug folded his arms across his chest. "What do you suggest we do?" he asked, a hint of defiance in his voice.

  "I'll try to talk to her again, but this time, you're going to take a walk while I do it," Kade demanded, jerking her thumb in the direction of the front door. "I don't want her to feel pressured because she knows you're lurking right behind her door."

  Doug opened his mouth, no doubt to object. He had inherited the traditional Matheson stubbornness. His wife, Eleanor, quickly laid a hand on his arm. "It can't hurt for her to try, Douglas. Please." She softly stroked his forearm until Doug relented.

  "You don't resemble him at all," Del said when they had left the room. "Well, apart from your pigheadedness, of course," she added with a small grin.

  Kade shot her a quick glance, but there was no real heat behind her glare. She knew Del was right and appreciated her honesty. "Doug is the spitting image of our father while I look more like my mother's side of the family." She moved to the door Laurie was still hiding behind. She listened to the sounds behind the door for a moment, then turned back to Del. "This could take a while. It's okay for you to go. This is not an official police interview."

  Del made herself comfortable in one of the easy chairs. "I'll stay."

  Kade nodded. She didn't want to admit it, but just knowing Del would be in the next room made her feel calmer. She knocked on the door and entered slowly. "Laurie?"

  Her niece sat at her desk, her back to Kade. She didn't turn around when she heard Kade enter.

  I wish Aiden was here to do this. She's so much better with victims than I am. But this was her niece, and Kade had never been one to shirk her responsibilities. "Hey." She carefully perched on the edge of Laurie's desk, wanting to be able to see her face while she talked to her. "How are you?"

  "I'm fine," Laurie murmured without looking up.

  Oh, yes, of course. The standard Matheson answer, taught at a very young age. Kade sighed. "I sent your parents away," she said.

  That finally made Laurie look up. She stared at Kade with wide eyes, clearly not used to someone ordering her father around.

  "I thought a little fresh air would maybe cool your father's temper," Kade said with a smile.

  Laurie giggled, then quickly pressed her hand over her mouth and stared down at her desk again.

  What's going on here? Kade wondered. She knew there were many different ways people reacted to a trauma like rape, but somehow, Laurie didn't seem like a distraught rape victim. Still, she couldn't be sure. While she had known her niece her entire life, she had to admit that she didn't really know her.

  Laurie was too shy and Kade too busy with her work to get to know each other.

  "Laurie, do you know Evan Whitfield?" Kade gently asked her first question.

  The girl's head jerked around. "You know her name?"

  "I'm a prosecutor, Laurie," Kade reminded. "My detectives told me." She waited, but when Laurie said nothing, she urged, "Tell me what happened, please."

  Laurie pressed her lips together and shook her head.

  "Laurie, this is important. If she forced you in any way, if she pressured you to do anything you didn't want to..." She took a deep breath, trying to control her anger at the thought of her niece being raped.

  "Nothing happened," Laurie finally whispered.

  "That's not true, and you know it. Your mother found you half-naked, with Evan Whitfield on top of you." Kade forced herself to be frank for a moment. She knew she couldn't spare the girl's feelings even if she was her niece.

  Laurie began to sob again. She covered her face with both hands, but big teardrops continued to leak from under her fingers.

  Kade sighed. She had never been good at giving comfort. Apparently, neither were Laurie's parents, and the girl needed someone to be there for her. Giving herself a mental kick, Kade moved forward and wrapped gentle arms around her niece.

  The sobbing became even louder as Laurie burrowed her face against Kade and wept.

  "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're safe." Kade smoothed her fingers over Laurie's hair. "She can't hurt you anymore."

  "She didn't," Laurie said, her voice muffled against the fabric of Kade's blouse.

  Kade gently moved her niece back a bit so she could look into her eyes. "Tell me what happened," she said again. When Laurie didn't answer, she decided to back up a bit and start with a question that wasn't as threatening. "You know her, right?"

  Laurie gave a reluctant nod.

  "Where did you first meet her?" Kade immediately asked the next question, not wanting to give Laurie an opportunity to retreat into her silence again.

  "When I went to see Dr. McNamara." Laurie's voice was barely audible because of her sniffling.

  Kade dried the girl's tears with her own handkerchief. "Dr. McNamara? Is he your family doctor?"

  "No. She's my therapist," Laurie answered, dabbing at her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt.

  Kade raised her brows. She'd had no idea her niece was seeing a psychologist. God, have I been so out of touch with my own family? "Why are you seeing a therapist?"

  Laurie shrugged.

  It was her parents' idea, Kade realized. "And you met Evan Whitfield at the psychologist's office?"

  "Yeah. She was nice. She showed me her tattoos," Laurie said, still sniffling.

  Kade held back a frown. Nice indeed. "Has she been to your house before?" she asked.

  Laurie wildly shook her head. "I didn't think Mom and Dad would approve of her."

  She's right, of course. Evan Whitfield isn't the kind of girl who is fit company for a Matheson heir, Kade thought sarcastically. Her parents had carefully picked her own friends until the day she had moved out. "But you did spend time together before?" Kade asked, trying to get closer and closer to the truth of what had happened.

  "She bought me ice cream last week." Laurie looked at Kade as if she expected her aunt to show her disapproval.

  Kade kept her expression carefu
lly neutral. "And Friday night?" she asked gently.

  "Evan climbed in through the window," Laurie said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  That still didn't tell Kade what had happened. Rapists came in through windows, but so did amorous teenagers. "Did you open the window for her?" she asked, watching her niece closely.

  Laurie didn't look at her. "I'm not allowed to have guests up here without Mom and Dad knowing," she answered evasively.

  "That doesn't answer my question, does it?" Kade asked softly. She didn't want to treat Laurie like a hostile witness and bully her into a confession. When Laurie didn't answer, she gently stroked her shoulder. "Laurie, I'm your aunt. I know we're not as close as we could be, and I'm sorry for that. But I hope you know you can trust me. I won't judge you, no matter what happened."