it."
"I would imagine, because of his job, there's some mandatory drug testing going on."
"There is. He's tested randomly. Al his tox screens have come back clean."
Ava refused to give up so easily. Kalyna's past exploits meant she'd have a very small chance of obtaining justice. If Trussell was actually guilty, she thought, but she didn't want to consider the possibility that she'd 58
been played. She hadn't believed Bella, either, and Bella had been telling the truth. She'd left Bella friendless and depressed enough to resort to the most desperate of measures..."There are other ways to get steroids."
"Trussell lifts to stay in shape, like he plays basketball," Jonathan said. "He's not a bodybuilder."
She drummed her fingers on the desk. "Why would such a smart, successful, clean-living guy suddenly flip out and rape a woman--especially so violently?"
"That's my point," Jonathan said. "I don't think he did."
But he could have. And if she hoped to help Kalyna--hoped to avoid another tragedy like Bella's--she needed to know for sure.
"Then there's Technical Sergeant O'Dell," Jonathan went on.
She set Trussell's picture aside. "Who's Technical Sergeant O'Dell?"
"According to the bartender, Trussell was hanging out with him at the Moby Dick."
"What about him?"
"He says our supposed victim is nothing but a two-bit whore out to hurt someone. He was furious when I told him she's accusing Trussell of rape."
"Whores can be raped, too. They have the right to say no if they want to," Ava said, clinging stubbornly to her belief in Kalyna's tears, to her own determination to protect the weak and powerless. Because Bella was a stripper, no one would believe she'd been raped. It wasn't until two months after she'd kil ed herself that the truth came out. That was when the man she'd accused struck again--and strangled his next victim.
Bella had deserved more than she'd been given, more than instant acceptance of brief character sketches.
"O'Dell didn't go home with them, did he?" Ava said. "He can't know for sure what really went on."
"No, but he's pretty familiar with the defendant. He'l testify if this case goes to court. And he'l say Kalyna sidled up to the captain wearing a skimpy dress cut low on top and high at the bottom. That she kept bending over to give him an eyeful. That she repeatedly insisted he dance with her.
That she wouldn't let him out of her sight. What does that sound like?"
"It sounds like she was more interested in him than he was her."
59
Kalyna's version had the captain acting decidedly more aggressive. But that could be a matter of perspective. It didn't prove she was lying.
"She was pursuing him, Ava," Jonathan said. "Maybe she was even setting him up."
"Why would she do that?"
"There could be a lot of reasons. Revenge is one of them."
Ava didn't answer.
"She's part of his flying squadron," he continued. "Maybe she's got some sort of grudge against him."
"But look how handsome he is! Isn't it possible that she was honestly interested in him and had no idea he was dangerous?" she asked. "The fact that she was pursuing him is no excuse for what he did to her."
"Only the two of them know what really happened in those early morning hours."
"Exactly." She straightened a few things on her desk. "I wish he'd talk to me."
"You've tried to reach him?" Jonathan asked in surprise.
"I left him a message. Why?"
"Because there's no way he'l call you back. His lawyer would never let him. Surely you know that."
Bristling at his skepticism, she stiffened. "He could. If he's innocent, he should. "
"Why? You think he owes it to us to relieve our curiosity?"
"I'm neutral. I just want the truth."
Jonathan got to his feet and crossed to the desk. "Ava, you're not neutral, and he knows it. You're working for the victim--the alleged victim.
But whether the captain returns your call or not has no bearing on his guilt or innocence."
She sat up. "Maybe he thought he could get away with it because she is
"I would imagine, because of his job, there's some mandatory drug testing going on."
"There is. He's tested randomly. Al his tox screens have come back clean."
Ava refused to give up so easily. Kalyna's past exploits meant she'd have a very small chance of obtaining justice. If Trussell was actually guilty, she thought, but she didn't want to consider the possibility that she'd 58
been played. She hadn't believed Bella, either, and Bella had been telling the truth. She'd left Bella friendless and depressed enough to resort to the most desperate of measures..."There are other ways to get steroids."
"Trussell lifts to stay in shape, like he plays basketball," Jonathan said. "He's not a bodybuilder."
She drummed her fingers on the desk. "Why would such a smart, successful, clean-living guy suddenly flip out and rape a woman--especially so violently?"
"That's my point," Jonathan said. "I don't think he did."
But he could have. And if she hoped to help Kalyna--hoped to avoid another tragedy like Bella's--she needed to know for sure.
"Then there's Technical Sergeant O'Dell," Jonathan went on.
She set Trussell's picture aside. "Who's Technical Sergeant O'Dell?"
"According to the bartender, Trussell was hanging out with him at the Moby Dick."
"What about him?"
"He says our supposed victim is nothing but a two-bit whore out to hurt someone. He was furious when I told him she's accusing Trussell of rape."
"Whores can be raped, too. They have the right to say no if they want to," Ava said, clinging stubbornly to her belief in Kalyna's tears, to her own determination to protect the weak and powerless. Because Bella was a stripper, no one would believe she'd been raped. It wasn't until two months after she'd kil ed herself that the truth came out. That was when the man she'd accused struck again--and strangled his next victim.
Bella had deserved more than she'd been given, more than instant acceptance of brief character sketches.
"O'Dell didn't go home with them, did he?" Ava said. "He can't know for sure what really went on."
"No, but he's pretty familiar with the defendant. He'l testify if this case goes to court. And he'l say Kalyna sidled up to the captain wearing a skimpy dress cut low on top and high at the bottom. That she kept bending over to give him an eyeful. That she repeatedly insisted he dance with her.
That she wouldn't let him out of her sight. What does that sound like?"
"It sounds like she was more interested in him than he was her."
59
Kalyna's version had the captain acting decidedly more aggressive. But that could be a matter of perspective. It didn't prove she was lying.
"She was pursuing him, Ava," Jonathan said. "Maybe she was even setting him up."
"Why would she do that?"
"There could be a lot of reasons. Revenge is one of them."
Ava didn't answer.
"She's part of his flying squadron," he continued. "Maybe she's got some sort of grudge against him."
"But look how handsome he is! Isn't it possible that she was honestly interested in him and had no idea he was dangerous?" she asked. "The fact that she was pursuing him is no excuse for what he did to her."
"Only the two of them know what really happened in those early morning hours."
"Exactly." She straightened a few things on her desk. "I wish he'd talk to me."
"You've tried to reach him?" Jonathan asked in surprise.
"I left him a message. Why?"
"Because there's no way he'l call you back. His lawyer would never let him. Surely you know that."
Bristling at his skepticism, she stiffened. "He could. If he's innocent, he should. "
"Why? You think he owes it to us to relieve our curiosity?"
"I'm neutral. I just want the truth."
Jonathan got to his feet and crossed to the desk. "Ava, you're not neutral, and he knows it. You're working for the victim--the alleged victim.
But whether the captain returns your call or not has no bearing on his guilt or innocence."
She sat up. "Maybe he thought he could get away with it because she is
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