“Merde, never thought of that.” Julian puffed his cheeks and blew out the breath. “I need to ask: these cases—the assaults—are James Richmond and the other men too close to home? I won’t give it a second thought if you want to step back from it.”
Troy ran his hand through his hair and dropped the glasses on his desk. He stood and walked to his windows. “The memories are hazy, but somewhere, maybe my hospital room, I remember hearing your voice. Your Cajun accent is hard to forget. Even in my confusion, for that brief moment, I felt safe. After that, everyone was there, even when I wasn’t. I received, and am still receiving, extraordinary care.”
He turned and faced Julian. “To be honest, I’m teetering on a fine ledge. If I could, I’d never think about what happened and the things they took from me ever again, but that’s not realistic. This man and woman, and the many men and women before and after, deserve the best chance of reclaiming their lives.” He sat again. “Ellie West told me to reclaim what those animals tried to take away from me. She said, deep down, I never lost them. Maybe solving these cases will help me do that?”
Julian swiped at his eyes. “Promise me, if you start to fall, you’ll grab on to someone.”
Troy’s lips turned up, and he nodded. “I promise.” He thought of the days he wasn’t able to reach out, clouded by thoughts of suicide. He wasn’t at that place anymore. “Did I ever tell you about the first sexual assault victim I helped?”
“I don’t think so. Before the service?”
“At Annapolis. I was a Firstie. Two minutes to ‘Taps,’ I’m heading into Mother B. And, yes, I cut my time close in those days too.” Mother B. was the largest dorm. A Firstie was a member of the graduating class.
Julian laughed. “Well, it’s good to see that hasn’t changed.”
“I see Company Commander Luka Valent flying past me, in civvies, with dirty knees and a fresh red scratch on his cheek. It was as if his dorm door couldn’t open fast enough. Next thing, I hear a whimper in the stairwell. I check the time and—screw it—I went to see what it was and found Kim Pesce, a second-class. She was badly beaten, her uniform torn. Her right arm, clutched to her chest, was broken.
“I yelled for help and tried to make her comfortable. I asked her what happened. Damn, I was naïve. I’d never miss the signs today. I was at the bottom of my learning curve. She told me she was mugged after parking her car off-campus. Another couple of Firsties, hearing my yell for help, showed up. One ran for help; another retrieved a blanket for her. She was having the shakes from shock.”
“Kim Pesce? Is it the same major I met with?” Julian asked.
“Yeah, we still keep in touch, though I don’t know if she’s aware I work here.”
“Your name is on that plaque in the lobby. You know, the one you rolled your eyes at.” Julian chuckled.
The plaque named Troy as a Chase Security Medal of Valor recipient. Troy ignored Julian and continued, “Next person to show up is Valent. He bends down to check on her—or so I thought. Kim starts to sob, and I feel her pulse skyrocket. Despite her injuries, she wraps herself around me. Finally, I realize something was off. I ask the SOB to check on the ambulance.
“When I was alone with Kim and another Firstie, she looks up at me with these big blue eyes. I tell her she’s safe, and I won’t let anyone hurt her. I just kept talking to her, asking about herself, her pets, anything to calm her. Even with my fuzzy head, I will never forget it. Her lower lip starts to wobble, and she blurts out that Luka Valent sexually assaulted her just inside the grounds of the academy.
“I knew nothing about being an outcry witness. I did know I felt terrible for her. I could never contemplate forcing any woman, and I wanted to make sure no one was ever hurt that way again.”
Silverton jail.Consent? Coerced.
“I was a Firstie in the other regiment. I remember the scandal. They kept the victim’s name confidential as well as two witnesses. I can’t imagine the stress on you,” Julian said.
“Think about the stress on her. Military court. That’s the only reason we were protected. The Navy didn’t want the disruption. The whole process sucked. His defense vilified her. I wasn’t allowed to talk to her until the trial was over. He was removed as the company commander, and she spent the rest of her second year, and part of her first, petrified. The bastard’s family had the means to hire a great civilian lawyer, who pushed the trial until after our graduation. He was finally sent to the brig at Miramar.” Troy frowned.
“How much time was he sentenced to?” Julian asked.
“Fifteen years’ hard time. Kim sends me a card every year on the anniversary of the attack. She’s a courageous woman. After that experience, I did my research on sexual assault, the psychological and criminal. It became my cause.” He flashed a knowing grin.
Julian chewed on his lip. “I need you to promise me you come first. You have nothing to prove. You are the best special victims’ investigator on the executive staff, and I venture to say companywide. You need me for anything, you say the word.”
Troy nodded. “I will do the best I can, Jule. This part of me is mine to keep.”
Julian nodded. “You told me the basics; now, what’re your plans for the next few days?
“Tonight, Tim Holland is picking me up, and, yes, I’ll take backup. I’m going to try to talk to James Richmond. They have short visiting hours. Then we come back to the health center, and I meet with Sommerfeld and my new PT, Jackson Parker. In addition to my regular PT, he’ll evaluate me and set protocols for the bowel and urinary incontinence physical therapy team. He shook his head. “Hmm…I’m saying the word. Do you want to switch places?” Troy gave Julian a wry smile.
“I won’t take your place, but if you need a workout partner, I’m there,” Julian said.
Both men stayed quiet.
When Troy’s cellphone rang, he looked at the incoming number.Unknown.“Bremen.”
“Things come full circle. Gwenny’s here again. This time the situation is murky for her. And this time,shewon’t survive,” the voice said.
“Who is this? I want to understand,” Troy said.
