Marlise reached into her purse and pulled out a tissue, blotting at her nose and eyes as she sniffled and nodded, agreeing with Wendy.
“I think Myles might have something on Wicks,” Wendy said slowly, bringing her voice down a couple of octaves.
Krista leaned in over the table, bringing her own voice down. “What do you mean ‘have something?’ ”
Wendy shrugged. “Why else would the Wicks defend him? I threatened to take it to HR, and Wicks got all weird and snippety, saying he’d take care of it. Though nothing happened. He’s Myles’s senior officer; he shouldn’t be afraid of him, and yet he is. He’s defending the guy’s behavior. Why?”
Shit. She’d never thought of that before. Maybe Myles did have something onthe staff sergeant. It would make sense. She’d have to get Brock and the Harty Boys on it. Investigating a fellow officer, even a senior ranking one, was one thing, but investigating your staff sergeant, that was the equivalent of jumping into a shark tank with a gaping wound.
Wendy swallowed hard, taking a sip of her probably now cold coffee. “I’ve tried to not let it affect my job, and for the most part it hasn’t. He wasn’t my mentor, and I rarely see him, but when I do, that smirk, that arrogant, self-righteous smirk makes me want to vomit but also throat-punch the shit out of him. He loves that he has something over me, that he thinks he holds my career on his flash drive.”
Marlise, who’d been quiet for the most part, blotted her eyes again before speaking. “I know he raped me. And it wasn’t gentle. I ended up having to go to the doctor because I was having issues afterward. Lots of bleeding and pain. I confronted Myles about it and asked him what he did to me. He said it wasn’t his fault I can’t hold my liquor and couldn’t remember. That at the time I’d been all about the ‘kinkyshit,’ as he’d put it.” She looked like she was about to puke but instead took a sip of her tea, her hand rattling as she brought the mug to her lips. “I haven’t been into anykinky shitin my life.” She glanced back out toward the lighthouse and breakwater. “I never did find out what he violated me with.”
Krista’s insides roiled. “Are you okay now?”
Marlise nodded solemnly. “I think so. Tough to date, though.”
Wendy nodded solemnly. “I haven’t been on a date in months. Keep canceling at the last minute.”
Marlise’s jaw trembled. “Me too.”
It wasn’t just the hormones talking anymore. It was the rage, it was the fury, the sadness and the injustice for her fellow officers, her fellow females—her friends—that caused fresh, hot tears to well up in Krista’s eyes.
Marlise’s face turned serious when she noticed Krista blotting at her eyes with a napkin. “Did he do something to you too? God, please tell me the baby isn’this.”
Wendy looked up from her lap, her eyes pleading Krista to say no.
Krista’s lip trembled. “I didn’t let it get that far. He’s been trying for months to get me into bed, but I’ve refused. He cornered me in the staff room a few weeks ago. Tore open my shirt. Assaulted me.”
“No,” Wendy whispered, shaking her head.
Krista nodded.
“Did you report him?” Wendy asked.
“Yes, but Wicks pretty much dismissed it. Said now that I’m on light duty I don’t have to worry about Slade anymore.”
“Fucking useless prick,” Wendy gritted out.
“I think we need to take matters into our own hands now,” Krista said, fury tasting metallic in her mouth.
“It’s dangerous to try to go after him,” Marlise whispered. “Myles is smart. And I don’t want to lose my job.”
“Plus,” Wendy added, “it’s embarrassing. We’recops.” She brought her voice down. “We should have known better. Should have been stronger. Smarter.”
Krista’s heart ached for her friends. “You won’t lose your jobs.But he can’t keep getting away with this. He nearly did the same thing to Ingrid at the Christmas party and probably would have gotten away with it if Brock hadn’t stepped in. If we band together, find other women in the department who Myles has or has tried to take advantage of and ask them to join us, we’ll be a more powerful force. Wicks and HR can’t dismiss us if we all come forward.”
Wendy’s jaw tightened, and her high cheekbones burned a bright pink. “We can’t let him get away with it. I’m in.”
Marlise wiped her eyes again with her tissue, but despite the red eyes and blotchy skin, she tossed her shoulders back and held her head high. “Me too.”
Krista grinned and reached for each of her friends’ hands. “We’ll get him. I promise.”
Despite the mood at the café, Krista felt lighter, happier than she had in a long while when she parked her car in Brock’s driveway later that day. She’d finally told her parents about her pregnancy, and they were supportive and accepting. Now she was building a case, a strong case, with witnesses and testimonies, against Myles. He wasn’t going to get away with it. He wasn’t going to hurt anyone else. Not if she had anything to do with it.
Brock’s truck was in the driveway, too, which meant he was home. He’d been home a lot lately. Seemed to almost always be home when she was. Coincidence? Was he working at all anymore? Did it matter?
She wasn’t going to let him gloat too much, but he did deserve to know that he was right. That her parents didn’t view her as a screwup and in fact were proud of her. She was a big enough person to admit when she was wrong; she only hoped he played the “I told you so game” with a wicked gleam in his eye and perhaps a heavy hand rather than get all cocky and smug about it.
