Chapter 5

There was no way around it; I had fucked up, big time. First things first; I did what every rape victim is supposed to do. Detective Dottie Henson of the police department's Sex Crimes Unit took my report. She escorted me to the hospital to process a rape kit (neither of us expected anything usable to turn up after the shower I had taken), plus tox and STD screens (that thought was chilling).

"Ron" and "Terry" had struck before — several times. They usually dosed the girl's drink at the bar during the initial pick-up, then took her somewhere more private, presumably a motel room. I was the second victim they had 'played' over time. They were slick and methodical. They were not employed at the health club as they claimed, and none of their previous 'dates' had been given an address or phone number. At that point, the police could not even be certain what their real names were or if they even lived locally.

The digital slide show had been a break; Danni's appearance in it more so. I managed to convince Dottie to keep Danni out of the investigation, at least for now. She had been ready to put out an 'all-points' for my mate.

"Your husband saw you being raped, did nothing to stop it, then disappeared immediately after? And you aren't at least a little suspicious?"

I reasoned with her. Given my unfaithful past, Danni would have no reason to suspect what she saw was anything but more of the same — taken to the most humiliating (for her) extreme yet. That would easily explain her sudden

departure. If I didn't appear in complete control of my senses, well, I was being fucked stupid and it wouldn't be unusual for me to have a drink or two — or three — beforehand.

She still wasn't buying it — until I showed her a picture of Danni. It was one of a series of photos I had had taken of her at one of those walk-in glamour photography studios in the mall. Danni had been wearing a little cropped tank top that showed off her cleavage and hand span waist, a sinfully-short little flare skirt and platform ankle-strap sandals. Her navel piercing had healed by then and I wanted a portrait that showed off that cute little jeweled ring. I practically had to catch Dottie's jaw in my hand and close it manually.

"This is your... husband?" she asked incredulously.

"Noooo," I responded with a little grin, "this is my wife - now."

Dottie had just shaken her head and smiled bemusedly.

"Okay," she sighed, "I see your point."

She admonished she would still have to interview Danni at the earliest possible time. He — she, Dottie had corrected herself — was still a material witness to a felony sexual assault. More to the point, she was in danger. If we had noticed her in those digital images, the perps would, too. I hadn't thought of that.

"I'm going to have a unit watch your house for a while," she instructed.

"They wouldn't come back again, would they?" I gasped. "I mean, I can't testify to anything other than they had been there and I had woken up the next morning with a headache and sore pussy."

"No, but Danni can," Dottie responded, "and they won't know she's gone. All they will know is she caught them in the act and would be able to testify against them. They might be tempted to come back to silence her — and you, too, if you were there at the time."

I hadn't thought of that, either. It was a chilling concept. So was my next thought.

"You are going to use us as bait, aren't you?"

Dottie smiled, but not convincingly.

"It might not come to that," she responded, "but we will be watching the house for now. Kristen, this is the biggest break we have had since this case was opened. I don't mean to leave you or Danni twisting in the wind, but if there is any chance we can draw these creeps out into the open, we need to take it."

The best way to put all this behind me was to immerse myself in my normal day-to-day routine. Harry, my boss, and the whole agency were solidly behind me. Harry couldn't understand how my husband could walk out on me after so traumatic an event. We hadn't told him about 'Danni', so I reiterated a sanitized version of the same explanation I had given the police. Beth, Jackie and Gwen were present — at my request — and backed me up. Harry understood, but still thought of Danny as "unmanly" for allowing it to happen in our marital bed in the first place. At the time, there was no way I could argue the point and win, so I let it drop.

It was hard at first; really hard. The initial blood work and all follow-up testing came back negative for all infectious agents. I was thankful for at least that much. It didn't bother me to go home again, either; at least, as far as the rape was concerned. It was still Home and I would continue to live there. I had plenty of reason to blame myself for

my victimization, but I didn't want to dwell on that, either. What's done is done.

My trauma was Danni. This deplorable incident had cost me the one treasure I valued above all others. I had not heard from her since and had no idea where she was or what she was doing. Our home seemed empty, sterile,

bereft of warmth without her. Sometimes at night, I just wandered aimlessly from room to room, trying to recapture some faint essence of her to fill the void in my heart. The thought of seeking out casual lovers to fill that void revulsed me.

I went to get my hair done, as I always did. That was part of the routine. Lexi could tell something was wrong with me. I told her everything. Priests, bartenders and hairdressers; they hear it all. She was really sympathetic. It had been such an unreal chain of events and had led to such a tragic end. She hated that I had been assaulted that way. She was heartened to learn I was coping with it as well as I was — other than the loss of Danni of course... Her reaction was not exactly what I had expected. Certainly, she commiserated with me, but it somehow seemed the

news had not taken her completely by surprise.

As I arose from Lexi's chair, I happened to catch sight of Celine at the same moment she spotted me. The stunning African-American recoiled as if stung, hastily turning away from me. That one, brief glance had spoken volumes. If she had been able to shoot daggers from her eyes, I would have been dead where I stood. I cautiously made my way to Celine's station, mentally steeling myself for the miserable, yet necessary, exchange to come.

"Don't even speak to me," she hissed, busying herself with some trivial task. "I sure as Hell don't want to speak to you!"

"I have to speak to you," I replied with resolve, "whether either of us wants to or not. I have to know Danni is all right."

Celine spun around to face me, cold fury in her eyes and voice.

"All right? You come to me after doing what you did, after everything Danielle did for you, and you ask me if she is all right? No, she is not 'all right'. She may never be 'all right' again. I think she still trusts me, but that is all the emotion she is willing to invest in anyone right now. It is only out of respect for Alexis I don't bust your punk ass right here and now!"

I repeated what I had told Lexi about my assault and why the police thought Danni was in danger. Whatever mistakes I had made, I didn't want anyone to hurt her. Celine regarded me warily for a moment. Her face

softened almost imperceptibly.

"You don't have to worry about that," she intoned. "I'll take care of it."

At least I knew someone was in contact with my lover. I had instinctively respected the Nubian beauty the moment I laid eyes on her. She was defending Danni as a she-wolf would her pup. As much as it pained me to not be able to see or talk to my love, I understood she was in good hands. I tried to string together the right words to say, wishing I had Danni's talent for it at that moment.

"I know you won't believe this right now," I began slowly, "but I do love her with all my heart. If the only way I can prove that is to stay away from her until she is ready to contact me, that is what I will do. I trust you to take care of her and I know you have her best interests at heart. I do, too, though I wasn't very good at showing it. Just be good to her, please — better than I was. She deserves that."

Celine opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it.

"You need to go," she stated without emotion, then turned away.

I did, without argument.

It was the tiniest of breakthroughs imaginable, but a breakthrough nonetheless. At least I knew Danni was alive. I didn't know where, but was certain Celine did. Perhaps Danni was living with the Black girl. That would make sense. She would have turned to the only other person with whom she felt safe. I said I had instinctively respected Celine from the first time I saw her. I would have to do so now, setting aside my petty jealousy of Danni being with another woman.

I did what I set out to do. I went to work and immersed myself in my normal routine. I sold properties, went to lunch or for after-work drinks with my friends, then went home. Once in a while, they convinced me to go out to a club. Of course I got hit on, as was their intention. I was cordial. It felt good to at least carry on a conversation that wasn't related to work. I danced some, too. It felt good to hold someone, feel their warmth. It just wasn't the same. Their petty preoccupations with sports, their jobs, a new car or boat, and how they had been searching for a girl like me just seemed so banal.

I actually did take one of them home — once. His name was Stan something-or-other. He was... a man. That is the only way I can put it. He was attractive enough and had a nice body. The 'package' was okay, too — just okay. He fucked me routinely. He came. I didn't. I didn't ever try to fake it. I was cordial enough afterwards and got rid of him as soon as I decently could. All the time he was in me, I was comparing him to Danni. There really was no comparison; Stan lost, hands down.

A couple of months later, a bizarre story was reported on the local news. Acting on an anonymous tip, police had raided a local motel room and apprehended two men wanted in connection with a series of sexual assaults on area women. Also confiscated in the raid were digital camera and video equipment, plus recorded digital disks allegedly containing evidence of previous assaults. Upon arrival at the scene, police found the room's door forcibly opened and the men handcuffed, beaten... and, allegedly, sexually assaulted. Arraignment was pending their release from an area hospital. At that time, police had no suspects in the apparent vigilante-style attack on the pair. Further details would be made available as they were released...

And then I saw her. Gwen told our little group about a new club, Gotham. The four of us decided to check it out on a Friday night. The décor was dark, brooding, and heavily goth-inspired. There were lots of dark little alcoves and passageways to explore — or get lost in. Danni was on the dance floor with another girl. Her partner's back was to me, but I couldn't mistake my estranged mate's gorgeous body and fiery copper tresses for anyone else.