remember…
it tasted like sweat… it was gross… unnecessary after he threatened
Jason…” I paused again and took another deep breath, showing her
the bruises on my wrists, “He pinned my hands above my head… I have
bruises on the inside of my thighs from his having to pry them
apart… and then he just… God it hurt… I blacked out for a minute
which was scarier than anything else….”
“What was he wearing? Did he completely
undress? Did he undress you?” she asked the questions without pause
and I had to think harder.
“He was wearing what he always wore… black
slacks and a white button-up shirt for work… the tie was all that
ever changed… it was…” I paused to focus harder, “The green one
with the blue-plaid design on it… He… usually wore that one on
Wednesdays… it’s kind of weird that he was even in his work outfit
on a Saturday….” My mind focused almost completely on that for a
long time until I made myself look back at Detective Gaines. “He
only unzipped his pants… he ripped off my nightgown completely….”
My gaze fell to the balled up Kleenex again. “There was blood and…
semen… all over my sheets… Jason had thrown them out… but he and
Dad went back to get them today….”
“I’m going to leave the room for a while… I
want you to write out and sign a deposition… think about what
you’re writing, put in as much detail as you can remember,” she
instructed before pushing a notepad and pen across the table to me,
“Take as much time as you need. I’ll be back to check on you soon.
I’m going to talk to Austin for a minute.”
I took the notepad, but my eyes darted up to
her curiously with that last comment.
“Why are you going to talk to Austin?”
She hesitated at the door and looked back at
me, “It would help if he’d confirm your information about his not
letting you have a boyfriend… any corroboration will be helpful… it
will make the situation easier, more believable if there are more
people involved… that’s all.”
It wasn’t all , but I wasn’t about to
argue with her and instead only nodded and started writing. Just as
I was finishing up, she came back with Austin beside her and I
scrambled to flip the notepad over and cover up the writing.
“I’m not going to look, Anna,” Austin
assured, sitting back in the chair beside me but spinning it to
face me, “I never thought my wanting you to myself would end up
being anything helpful… but I guess stranger things have happened
before….”
“I think it would be good to have Austin
follow us to the hospital and wait outside of the exam room so he
can take you straight home afterward,” Detective Gaines included,
but my focus remained on Austin and I lifted a single eyebrow at
him; I knew what he’d done, but still.
“Okay… but can you leave so I can finish
signing this?” I requested and Austin spun his chair away from me
to face the detective.
“I called Mom and got the number for
Arianna’s gynecologist. I’ll have to let Dad make the call to
request the paperwork, if we’re keeping this all quiet, that is,”
Austin recited while I flipped over the notepad, re-read my three
pages of scribble and signed and dated the bottom. I loudly slammed
the notepad back on the table facedown, making even myself jump
before I looked up at Austin and the detective wide-eyed.
“I’m ready,” I announced, sliding the
upside-down notepad across the table to the detective and she
discreetly flipped it over and read over the three pages quickly
and I spotted her chewing on her bottom lip.
“All right, I’ll meet you two out in the
parking lot,” Detective Gaines announced, standing up from her seat
and waiting for us to leave the room in front of her before she
stepped out and closed the door.
“I admit… I wonder how horrible it was… I
wonder how badly I should really want to hurt him…” Austin murmured
while we headed out the front doors, “But at the same
it tasted like sweat… it was gross… unnecessary after he threatened
Jason…” I paused again and took another deep breath, showing her
the bruises on my wrists, “He pinned my hands above my head… I have
bruises on the inside of my thighs from his having to pry them
apart… and then he just… God it hurt… I blacked out for a minute
which was scarier than anything else….”
“What was he wearing? Did he completely
undress? Did he undress you?” she asked the questions without pause
and I had to think harder.
“He was wearing what he always wore… black
slacks and a white button-up shirt for work… the tie was all that
ever changed… it was…” I paused to focus harder, “The green one
with the blue-plaid design on it… He… usually wore that one on
Wednesdays… it’s kind of weird that he was even in his work outfit
on a Saturday….” My mind focused almost completely on that for a
long time until I made myself look back at Detective Gaines. “He
only unzipped his pants… he ripped off my nightgown completely….”
My gaze fell to the balled up Kleenex again. “There was blood and…
semen… all over my sheets… Jason had thrown them out… but he and
Dad went back to get them today….”
“I’m going to leave the room for a while… I
want you to write out and sign a deposition… think about what
you’re writing, put in as much detail as you can remember,” she
instructed before pushing a notepad and pen across the table to me,
“Take as much time as you need. I’ll be back to check on you soon.
I’m going to talk to Austin for a minute.”
I took the notepad, but my eyes darted up to
her curiously with that last comment.
“Why are you going to talk to Austin?”
She hesitated at the door and looked back at
me, “It would help if he’d confirm your information about his not
letting you have a boyfriend… any corroboration will be helpful… it
will make the situation easier, more believable if there are more
people involved… that’s all.”
It wasn’t all , but I wasn’t about to
argue with her and instead only nodded and started writing. Just as
I was finishing up, she came back with Austin beside her and I
scrambled to flip the notepad over and cover up the writing.
“I’m not going to look, Anna,” Austin
assured, sitting back in the chair beside me but spinning it to
face me, “I never thought my wanting you to myself would end up
being anything helpful… but I guess stranger things have happened
before….”
“I think it would be good to have Austin
follow us to the hospital and wait outside of the exam room so he
can take you straight home afterward,” Detective Gaines included,
but my focus remained on Austin and I lifted a single eyebrow at
him; I knew what he’d done, but still.
“Okay… but can you leave so I can finish
signing this?” I requested and Austin spun his chair away from me
to face the detective.
“I called Mom and got the number for
Arianna’s gynecologist. I’ll have to let Dad make the call to
request the paperwork, if we’re keeping this all quiet, that is,”
Austin recited while I flipped over the notepad, re-read my three
pages of scribble and signed and dated the bottom. I loudly slammed
the notepad back on the table facedown, making even myself jump
before I looked up at Austin and the detective wide-eyed.
“I’m ready,” I announced, sliding the
upside-down notepad across the table to the detective and she
discreetly flipped it over and read over the three pages quickly
and I spotted her chewing on her bottom lip.
“All right, I’ll meet you two out in the
parking lot,” Detective Gaines announced, standing up from her seat
and waiting for us to leave the room in front of her before she
stepped out and closed the door.
“I admit… I wonder how horrible it was… I
wonder how badly I should really want to hurt him…” Austin murmured
while we headed out the front doors, “But at the same
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