Breath of Scandal (10 page)

Jade watched her friend's dark eyes move over her disarrayed hair, the scratches on her arms, her hospital scrubs. "Raped?" She mouthed the word, but didn't utter a

sound, either out of fear of the sheriff or profound disbelief. Emotion clogged Jade's throat. Forlornly, she nodded. "Donna Dee?" The sheriff waited until she had turned

her attention back to him. "Jade claims that the boys came along while y'all were stranded out there on the coastal highway. She said they talked her into Neal's car, then wouldn't let her out when it became obvious that they were going to leave you behind. Jade says she put up quite a fight to get out of the car. She said she was screaming and kicking against the rear window. Neal claims that it was all in fun. He says Jade was bound to know it was just a prank.

"Now, I know you can't testify to what took place after that, but I'd like to hear what you have to say about the mood everybody was in when the boys drove off with Jade in the car."

Ivan leaned across the table and placed his hand on Donna Dee's ann. "We're not denying that the boys had their fun with her, you understand." Donna Dee's gaze swung to Jade. She gave her a sharp, piercing look. "They all took a turn. Neal's admitted that. But now that Jade's had time to think about it, she's had a change of heart and is accusing these boys of taking her by force. Do you think that's fair?"

"Ivan," Fritz said sharply. "I'll take it from here."

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With growing anxiety, Jade watched Donna Dee's expresWhen she had first come into the sion gradually change.

room, she had been startled and puzzled - Then, upon hearing that Jade had been assaulted, Donna Dee had looked at her with compassion. Now, however, Donna Dee was regarding her with something akin to suspicion. Ivan Patchett had

fed that suspicion by giving what had happened deliberately

a sexual complexion and mitigating the violence. He, like everyone else, knew how Donna Dee felt about Hutch and had successfully kindled a fire of jealousy within her.

111:)onna Dee, it wasn't my fault," Jade said earnestly, her voice cracking. "I didn't do anything to provoke them. I didn't even want to leave with them. You were there. You know that. They forced me."

"Donna Dee?"

She kept her eyes fastened on Jade's imploring face even as she turned her head toward the sheriff- Finally she looked at him. "They'd been drinking, I think."       y being abusive? "Neal has admitted that, too- Were the

Hostile? Threatening in any wayT,

icked her lips. "No. They were Donna Dee nervously I

just being themselves. Acting smart-alecky. You know. Like always."

,,Tell them about after I got into the car," Jade prompted. -you saw me fighting them, Donna Dee.           11

She shot Jade an impatient look before saying, "She's right.

Jade slumped with relief. She closed her eyes and pulled in the first deep, calming breath she had drawn for hoursAt last, someone was taking her side and backing up her story -

"After Jade got into the car," Donna Dee said, "she started banging on the windows."                  9"

,,That's right. I told you that, remember.               9" the "Would you say she was struggling to get out sheriff asked, ignoring Jade.

"Uh-huh. Lamar was holding her in the back. She was trying to reach between the seats and grab the door handle

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or the gear shift. Neal was swatting at her hands. I think Hutch grabbed hold of her wrists."

"He did. Look. " Jade thrust out her wrists, each of which had a ring of dark bruises around it.

When he saw her wrists, Sheriff Jolly frowned. He stared at the floor tiles between his boots while mercilessly gnawer lip. He glanced up at Ivan. "Then they ing on his low

did take her by force. "Yes!" Jade cried. "I didn't say that."

Following Jade's exultant exclamation, Donna Dee's words echoed dully.

"What?" Jade focused on Donna Dee with dismay. "There' was a struggle inside the car," the other girl hastened to say, "but the boys were just jacking around, you know? They were teasing with Jade the same way they were teasing me by leaving me behind."

Jade came out of her chair. "What are you saying, Donna Dee?"

"Sit down, Jade."

"Give it up, will you?" Neal remarked with a bored inflection.

"Jade, you're not behaving rationally," said Velta. "She's not telling the truth and she knows it!" Jade, beside herself with distress, aimed an accusing finger at Donna Dee.

Since the physical evidence had been destroyed-and she was convinced that that was no accident-her only hope of getting a conviction was to have an eyewitness. Donna Dee hadn't witnessed the actual attack, but she could substantiate Jade's claim that she had been forced to remain in Neal's car. That, combined with the doctor's testimony, would provide any jury with reasonable doubt.

Jade slapped her abraded palms on the tabletop and bent over Donna Dee. "I know you're trying to protect Hutch, but he's a rapist. He raped me," she said, enunciating each harsh word.

"Hutch wouldn't do that."

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"He did!"

Donna Dee recoiled from Jade and glanced warily at Sheriff Jolly. "That's all I know. Can I go now?" "Donna Dee, don't do this," Jade pleaded as the sheriff

moved her aside and assisted Donna Dee from her chair. She reached for the other girl's arm, but Donna Dee shook off her clutching hands. "Hutch doesn't deserve your protection, " Jade screamed. "He violated me. For God's sake, Donna Dee, please tell them the truth."

Donna Dee spun around, her eyes flashing. "The truth? Okay, I'll tell them the truth." She addressed the others. "A few weeks ago, Jade said that she was tired of waiting on marriage to have sex. She said she wished she could talk Gary Parker into doing it." She turned a vicious gaze onto Jade. "I guess you got your chance last night, didn't you? Three times! Once with Neal. Once with Lamar. And once with . . . with Hutch."

Jade opened her mouth to speak but was too overwrought to utter a sound. Donna Dee gave her one last, hateful glare before opening the door and stamping out.

After she slammed the door behind her, the silence was deafening. Neal was the first to speak. "I told you she was hot for it."

The sheriff shot him a dirty look, but Jade was too numb to notice. "Neal," Fritz said, "you're free to go. Ivan, wait for me outside. I want to talk to you before you leave. "

As he stood, Ivan laid a consoling hand on Velta's shoulder. "Damn shame what our young 'uns put us through, isn't it?" He walked out behind Neal.

"You still have the option to file formal charges, Jade." It took a moment for the sheriff's words to register. She was still numb from the blow of Donna Dee's betrayal. i"at?"

"Do you want to formally charge the boys with rape?" "Yes. I I

Fritz looked at Velta quickly, then back at Jade. "You'd better think about it long and hard before you sign the papers. "

"I don't have to think about it," she said. "They raped

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me. Theypre going to suffer for this as much as I have." She was almost as hurt by Donna Dee's vilification as by the rape itself. In her heart, she included Donna Dee when she said, "They're going to pay for what they've done."

He sighed wearily and moved toward the door. "All right then. Get on home. I'll have the Paperwork typed up and sent over later."

CHAPTER

Five

Sheriff Jolly wended his way through the squad room, which was busy now that the day shift had reported for work. Sensing the boss's ill temper, no one blocked his path. Indeed, everybody gave him wide berth and kept his eyes averted as he moved to his private office, where Ivan Patchett was waiting.

Fritz went in and closed the door. Ivan was devouring a doughnut. He dunked it into his coffee and bit off a third of it in one bite. "Damn good doughnuts, Fritz.-

"Is that all that's on your mind this morning, Ivan? Doughnuts?"

Fritz dropped into his chair. Propping his elbows on his desk, he ran all ten fingers through his thick, wavy hair. In junior high school some smart-aleck had taunted Fritz by calling out, "Hey, Red!" He'd barely lived to tell about it. Nobody had ever dared try out the nickname on Fritz again.

Ivan Patchett wasn't intimidated either by Fritz's brawn or by the position he held in the community. On nothing more than a whim, Ivan could have Fritz voted into or out of office. Both were well aware of that.

From a physical standpoint, Ivan was far less prepos-

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sessing. His gray hair was thinning,        but not drastically. He was of average height and weight.          He wasn't particularly muscular, but he didn't look soft. His wardrobe was neither conservative or flamboyant, merely comfortable.

Ivan's mediocrity ended with his eyes. They reflected the arrogance of his knowing that he was indisputably the wealthiest, most influential individual in the tricounty area and that he could rule it like a principality if he pleased. His eyes glittered like ice, shot through with fire. That fire was a manifestation of the rapacious greed that governed him.

Ivan Patchett liked who and what he was and would do anything to protect the tyrannical control he wielded over his kingdom. He loved being feared more than he loved sex and gambling and even money. He had groomed his son to be exactly like him.

He sucked the sugar glaze off his ringless fingers. In Ivan's opinion, only fairies wore jewelry. "I don't mind telling you, Fritz, that I don't like what I'm seeing." "What's that?"

"Your eyebrows are twitching. Whenever you get worfied about something, your eyebrows twitch."

"Well, I'm damned sorry about that, Ivan," Fritz said testily, "But I tend to worry when my boy has been accused of raping a girl. That worries me something terrible."

"That charge won't stick for a minute."

"It might. She's just about made a believer out of me. Jade isn't some white-trash girl trying to get the goods on three prominent boys. Why would she make up a tale like that? She's pretty and smart and on her way to making something of herself. What's she got to gain by raising a stink if there's no truth to it?"

"How the hell do I know?" Ivan said, giving off the first signs of anger. "Attention, maybe. Or maybe she was pissed off at her boyfriend and saw a way to get back at him."

"You don't believe that any more than I do, Ivan. You know damn well there's more to this than some playfulness that got a little out of hand. " Fritz eyed him closely. " Somebody over at the hospital owed you a favor, right? And this morning you called in the marker."

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Ivan didn't even blink. "You sure you want to ask that, Sheriff?. Are you sure you want to know?"

"I hate to think of police evidence being tampered with. It makes me want to puke."

Ivan leaned forward. His eyes shone. "Do you want Hutch's name linked to a rape charge?"

"Goddammit, of course not."

"Then relax," Ivan said. Putting his words into action, he leaned back in his chair and took another sip of his coffee. "It's taken care of. In a day or two it'll afl blow over."

Fritz glanced worriedly toward the door. "That girl intends to formally charge them."

"She'll cliange her mind." "What if she doesn't?" "She will."

"What if she doesn't?" Fritz repeated, nearly shouting. Ivan chuckled softly. "If she doesn't drop it, we'll make her out to be a whoring liar."

Nausea roiled in Fritz's stomach. "Who would believe that of Jade?"

"Before I get through with her," Ivan said with a dangerous leer, "men all over the county will be claiming she's sucked them off, and folks'll be itching to believe every sordid word of it."

Fritz felt ill. He had to get out in the fresh air. Standing, he said, "You'll have to excuse me, Ivan. I've been here since just after midnight. I'm going home to shower and eat something."

Ivan stood up, too. "You know what I find hardest to believe about all this? That that little shit Lamar could actually get it up. I'd've paid to see that." Laughing, he slapped Fritz on the back. It was all Fritz could do not to cringe and shake off his touch. "Neal said Hutch went at her like a rutting hog. What does your boy have to say for hisself?"

"I haven't talked to him yet. I called Dora and told her to keep him home from school. That's one reason I'm anxious to get home. I want Hutch to tell me that he didn't force that girl to do anything."

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Ivan grabbed his arm and pulled him around, even though Fritz outsized him considerably. "You listen to me, Sheriff," he hissed. "I don't give a fuck what Hutch tells you or doesn't tell you, there'll be no public confessions-not on the witness stand, not at the altar of the Baptist church, not anywhere. You hear me? You got that down real good?" "Ivan, if they're guilty-"

"Guilty my great-granny's ass. Guilty of what? Of getting laid? Since when is it a crime for horny young bucks to get laid? Afterwards, the girl got a little scared. " He shrugged. "That's understandable, I guess. Our boys probably didn't use much finesse. But she's not hurt. She'll get over this. If our boys go to prison, their lives'll be ruined."

He pushed his face up very close to Fritz's. "My boy ain't going to do one frigging day in prison over a piece of tail. I don't care how bad Hutch's conscience hurts him, or how ethical you've convinced yourself you are, you bury this incident now, Fritz. Now."

Ivan released him and stepped back. He smoothed his hand over his hair, which was slick with grooming cream. He rolled his shoulders, forcing them to relax. Then, pasting on a hale and hearty grin, he opened the door and sauntered into the squad room.

Fritz watched Ivan leave, hating him for his cocksureness, despising him for his lack of morals, and admiring him for his unflagging audacity. Fritz barked a name. Within seconds the clerk appeared in front of him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Once you've typed up the complaint, take it over to the Sperrys' house and leave it with them." Wearing his most fearsome scowl, Fritz looked directly into the clerk's eyes. "Then forget about it. If it ever gets back to me that you breathed a word of what's going to be on that complaint, you'll sorely regret it-and I'm talking about for the rest of your life."