Page 30 of Savior
“I know it’s not easy to remember these things, but do you remember if you hit him? Scratched him, maybe?”
While she thinks, she digs her knuckles into her eyes. “I don’t, I don’t know. Maybe?”
“You’re doing just fine,” Sofie says next to her.
“Were you able to get a good look at him? Was there anything about him that was familiar?” Most victims know their attacker. In a high number of date rape and sexual assault cases, the offender is someone they knew. Like in Sofie’s case. The thought makes me gnash my teeth, but I focus on Ms. Gallagher’s response.
She shakes her head. “It was dark, but he didn’t have his face covered. I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize him, though. I just remember that he was attractive, like I said.”
“Would you be up for sitting with one of our sketch artists?
A shrug, then a sign. “Sure. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’ll try.”
I hand her my card. “If there’s anything else you remember, anything at all, or if you feel like you’re in danger, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
“Thank you, Detective Blackwell.” She stands and rounds the table, coming to a stop in front of me. “Thank you,” she says again. For a second it looks as if she wants to give me a hug, but then she turns and leaves.
“Doesn’t get any easier,” Sofie says, once the door closes behind her.
I glance back at my notes, the file with the crime scene information. If she hadn’t got away, I can’t even imagine what would have happened to her. Even though she got away, I know the man who did this to her is still out there.
“No, it doesn’t.”
* * *
Hours later, I stagger to my truck, my feet dragging and my brain a throbbing mass of images I can’t seem to forget. I toss the folder with the Gallagher case information onto the passenger seat and chug a can of soda I got from the vending machine. Then, without looking back at the station, I start my truck and back out of the parking lot.
I should go straight home, take a shower, eat some real food, and park myself in front of the television for a couple hours. I should get a good night’s sleep so I’ll be ready for a long day of interviewing the college students I managed to track down who where in the park around the same time Faith was.
I know if I go home to that empty house, the only thing I’ll think about is turning right back around and heading to the first open liquor store. For a while, I just drive aimlessly, but before long, I end up pulling into my driveway, my focus turning to my neighbor’s house.
Tonight, she has the front window open, which is different, but all the lights are on again. What is it with that woman and turning every light in the joint on?
I tell myself to just go inside my own damn house, but a sound from inside distracts me.
I slip from the cab of my truck and shut to door quietly. Making sure not to walk on the gravel, I make my way to her front porch.
“What am I going to do with you?” she’s saying. “Look at this mess! First you jump all over me and then you get me all wet. No, don’t kiss me anymore!”
My brows damn near into my hairline, I bang on the screen door. “Sienna?”
She doesn’t answer me, but I hear her say, “You stay right here or I’m not going to give you a surprise later.”
Anger, irritation, and plain male stupidity burns away every trace of exhaustion. Now I know I don’t have any claim to this woman, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t entertained the idea of seeing if she tastes as good as she looks. The thought of her with another man plain makes me want to hit something—or someone. When she appears in the hallway with her hair askew and clothes rumpled as if she just threw them on, I scowl at her.
The angry look stops her in her tracks a few steps away from the door. She frowns, those lips I’d been daydreaming about only make me even more irritated. “What did I do now?”
“Not a damn thing.”
Her brows furrow. “Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Uh—nothing. Sorry. Long day..”
“Are you okay?”
Before I can answer, a brown, furry mass darts down the hall and heads straight for Sienna. “What is—”
She shrieks, throwing up her hands to block the wet dog barreling at her. “Rocky! You were supposed to wait in the bathroom so I could dry you off, silly boy.”