Mending Fences (8 page)

Josh shook his head. “I don’t
know
anything.”

“She never went out with Evan,” Emily protested. “I’d know if she had.”

“But she hung around over there plenty,” Josh said.

Just then Derek appeared in the doorway. The color had washed from his face. “Are you saying you think that boy might have hurt Dani?” he demanded. “If he laid a hand on her, I’ll kill him myself.”

Emily reached for her ex-husband’s arm, felt the muscle clench. “No,” she said. “Dani’s fine.” She simply refused to believe anything else. She would know if Evan had ever hurt Dani. She would
know.

“If she isn’t, Dad’s not the only one who’ll be in line to make Evan pay,” Josh added in a tone that sent a chill down Emily’s spine.

Dani was looking out her bedroom window when she saw Caitlyn slip through the hedge and make a run for their back door. Caitlyn was the last person Dani wanted
to see right now. Her mom had been wrong earlier. She hadn’t wanted Caitlyn to come upstairs with her. She’d been relieved when she’d gone home instead.

Caitlyn knew too much, things Dani had never told another human being, things about which she was totally ashamed, things involving Evan and what had happened between the two of them. Most of the time she worked hard to forget, but today had brought it all rushing back. Spending time with Caitlyn earlier had been awful. She hadn’t even wanted to look her in the eye for fear one of them would give something away.

Still, there was nothing she could do to hide. Her mom would never lie and tell Caitlyn she’d gone out and it was too late to sneak out the front door before Caitlyn could catch her. She steeled herself as she heard the soft knock on her door.

“Come in,” she called out reluctantly.

Caitlyn came into the room and went straight to the chintz-covered chair she always claimed. After a silence that seemed to stretch out forever, she cast an accusing glance at Dani. “I’ve been calling your cell phone ever since I left here this afternoon and you haven’t taken any of my calls. I know you’re avoiding me on purpose and I know why,” she said, her tone filled with hurt.

“Don’t,” Dani said. “I won’t talk about Evan with you. Not now.”

“Why not? It’s not as if we don’t know what’s going on. Everybody’s talking about it. You’re supposed to be my friend. If I can’t talk to you about this, who can I talk to?”

“I
am
your friend,” Dani said. “I got my mom to get you out of school, didn’t I? That doesn’t mean I want to talk about this with you. We’ll just get in a fight, the same
way we did when I tried to tell you what had happened last year.”

Caitlyn stared at her in dismay. “You think he’s guilty, don’t you?”

“Don’t you?” Dani retorted.

Caitlyn looked down. “My dad says it’s just a bunch of bullshit, that they’ll never make the charges stick,” she said. “He says girls like to make up things about athletes so they can feel important. He says this will never go to trial.” She faced Dani with a stubborn set to her chin. “I think he’s right. It’s all bogus.”

Dani stared at her in shock. How could Caitlyn be so blind, especially with everything she already knew about her brother? “You can’t be serious. You actually think that’s what happened, that this girl made up the whole thing? Come on, Cat, you can’t possibly be defending Evan.”

“I can, too,” Caitlyn said. “He’s my brother.”

“That’s not what matters now. Just because he’s family doesn’t mean he can’t do something awful. Think about that poor girl. Do you honestly want him to get away with this? I know you love him, but what he did is wrong.”

Caitlyn flushed. “He didn’t do it,” she said fiercely.

Dani held her gaze. Eventually Caitlyn blinked and her eyes filled with tears.

“It might not be true,” she whispered.

“You know it is,” Dani said fiercely. “You have to know.”

“Not for sure,” Caitlyn insisted.

“You
know,
” Dani repeated. “You know because he did the same thing to me. I know you didn’t want to believe me then, but now you have to see that I was telling the truth, because it’s happened again.”

And if she’d spoken up, if she hadn’t been so ashamed, so sure it was all her fault, maybe it would never have happened to another girl.

She knew her mom thought she was upset because she’d discovered that her perfect Evan might have a pretty major flaw, but that wasn’t it at all. She’d known just how badly flawed he was for a while now and she’d kept her mouth shut. Now she’d have to live not only with her dirty little secret about what he’d done to her, but with the guilt over what her silence had cost someone else.

Emily was thoroughly subdued when she got to school on Tuesday. Dani had told her she had a stomachache. Emily knew it wasn’t true, but she’d let her stay home just the same. She’d had a hurried conversation with Marcie, who was keeping Caitlyn home as well. She’d promised to keep an eye on both girls, though Dani had flatly refused to spend the day at Marcie’s house.

There were several teachers in the lounge having their morning coffee before classes started. They all fell silent the minute she entered, which told her that Evan’s arrest was the hot topic of the morning once again.

Paula was the first one to speak. “We’ve been talking about Evan,” she admitted. “None of us can picture him doing anything like this. You know him better than we do. Do you think the charges are true?”

“I really don’t think I ought to be speculating,” Emily said. “This is serious stuff and it’s not as if I actually know anything about the case.”

Paula regarded her curiously. “I thought you’d be the first to leap to his defense. He grew up next door. He and
Josh are like brothers. Do you have doubts about his innocence?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what to think,” Emily responded. “Evan has been in and out of our house since he was nine. I thought I knew everything there was to know about him. That said, I doubt the police would arrest him without solid evidence. All I really know is that I’m sick about what’s happening. I’m worried about Evan, but I’m worried about Marcie and Caitlyn and the toll this is taking on them, too. Even if the charges prove to be false or he’s acquitted down the road, right now they’re paying a really high price.”

“Then you do think he’s innocent?” Paula persisted.

“Okay, so maybe I do. Or at least, I want to believe that.” She faced her colleagues. “Come on, you guys. You know Evan, too. Was he ever anything but polite and respectful in class?”

“He was great in my class,” Paula said, her expression turning thoughtful. “And I never heard any gossip about him mistreating his dates, either. That kind of thing can come up in health class, maybe not in front of everyone, but girls will come to me privately and ask what they should do about guys who won’t take no for an answer. None of the girls who went out with Evan ever hinted at anything like that, not to me anyway.”

Elena Perez, a popular math teacher who’d only been at the school for a couple of years, had been quiet up till now, but she finally spoke up. “I think we can never know what goes on between a boy and a girl unless we are with them,” she said, her voice strained but passionate. “And I think when a girl makes a claim like this, it takes a lot of courage and she should be believed, rather than trying to find excuses for the boy.”

Emily was surprised by the vehemence in her voice. “We’re not saying anything against the girl, Elena. Not at all. But we’re talking about a boy we all know, a boy who’s never been in any sort of trouble. Rape is a very serious accusation. His entire future’s at stake.”

“So is hers,” Elena retorted, her voice quivering with outrage. “She could spend the rest of her life feeling as if she were the one who did something wrong, as if she somehow encouraged this attack. A rape by someone she trusted could forever change the way she views relationships. It could destroy her faith in men.”

Suddenly getting it, Emily crossed the room to sit beside the younger woman. “You’re talking from experience, aren’t you?” she asked gently. “This happened to you?”

Elena’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded. “I was in college, as well. I had come from a very strict background and had done little dating in high school. I had been out with the boy only a few times, when he began to push for things I didn’t want. Nothing…” She swallowed hard. “Nothing I said or did could stop him.”

“I am so sorry,” Emily told her. “You’re right. The rest of us are fortunate not to have been through anything like this. None of us can imagine how devastating it must be for the woman. I would never try to excuse Evan’s behavior if he did this. If he’s guilty, he deserves to be punished, even though my heart aches for him and his family.”

“Save your compassion for the victim,” Elena said, then rushed from the lounge.

Paula, Emily and the two other teachers who’d remained exchanged glances.

“I had no idea, did you?” Emily said, heartsick.

“No, but it explains a lot,” Paula said. “Haven’t any of you noticed that she never stays in the lounge when she might be alone with one of the men? And even though she’s beautiful, she never talks about dating. She always comes to our parties alone, if she comes at all.”

“And an incident like this, involving a student she knows, must bring it all crashing back on her,” Emily said. “Something tells me this whole mess is going to have repercussions none of us have anticipated.”

“Have you seen Marcie?” Paula asked.

“Briefly, yesterday afternoon. We couldn’t talk too much because Caitlyn was there and she really needed some time with her mom. I’m going to stop by again later.”

“Tell her I’m thinking about her, okay? I’ll call in a few days when things settle down a bit. If she needs anything at all, though, tell her all she has to do is call me. I owe her big-time.”

“I’ll tell her,” Emily promised.

Paula sighed heavily. “I can’t even imagine what she’s going through. This must be hell for her.”

Emily thought of the bleak expression she’d seen in Marcie’s eyes the day after. “Something tells me hell doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

G
rady wasn’t satisfied to have Lauren Brown’s testimony and the rape kit evidence. He wanted to nail down enough hard facts to ensure a conviction when Evan Carter went to trial. He and Naomi were already catching a lot of personal flack over the high-profile case. Once he’d appeared on the news and people were able to put a name and face to the arresting officer, he’d been deluged with calls. No one wanted to believe that a seemingly clean-cut, upper-middle-class kid like Carter with the whole world spread out under his nimble feet was capable of such a crime. They preferred believing that Lauren Brown was a consummate liar.

Ken Carter was doing his best to make it easy for them. The guy had put all of his public relations skills and contacts to good use, starting a subtle smear campaign against the girl that as near as Grady could tell was based solely on carefully worded innuendo. Unfortunately, nothing was so blatantly inaccurate that Lauren could have sued him or the media for libel. Not only did it sicken Grady, but Lauren’s friends were justifiably outraged. Her roommate had called not ten minutes ago and asked him what they should do.

“Paint a different picture of Lauren every chance you get,” he’d told her. “Tell the reporters about the studious, responsible young woman you know.”

Jenny had scoffed. “Like the media wants to hear anything good about her. As soon as I start saying what a great girl she is, the microphones shut down. What I don’t get is how they found out who she is. I thought victim names were supposed to be kept secret.”

“The media usually respects that,” Grady says. “But it doesn’t mean they won’t try to find out and make contact. And Ken Carter has made it easier for them. I’m sorry. Remind Lauren that it isn’t the court of public opinion that counts. It’s what happens when we go to trial.”

“I’ve tried telling her that, but she just wants all of this to go away,” Jenny told him. “She won’t even show her face on campus. She hasn’t been to class since it happened. If she winds up flunking anything, she’ll lose her scholarship. I’m worried about her, Detective Rodriguez. I’m afraid she’ll back down and let the son of a bitch go free.”

“Want me to send Detective Lansing over to talk with her? Or set up a session with a rape counselor?”

Jenny sighed. “No. For now, I’ll handle it. I just needed to vent, you know. She’s the victim, but people are treating her like she’s the criminal. And even though the media isn’t reporting her name, everyone on campus knows who she is because Evan Carter and his dad are putting it out there every chance they get. It would be hard on anybody, but it’s really hard for someone like Lauren who isn’t used to the spotlight. And she’s worried sick that her folks will find out. Her dad’s a minister and she’s convinced he’ll blame her, just the way everyone else is doing.”

“Believe me, I get that,” Grady said. “Hang tough, both of you. She’s lucky to have you on her side and if Detective Lansing can help, all you have to do is call.”

“Thanks, Detective.”

The conversation had strengthened Grady’s resolve to make sure the case was airtight by the time it went to court. He recalled what the doctor at the rape center had said, that Carter had most likely done something like this before and gotten away with it. Grady walked through the squad room in search of Naomi. He found her flirting outrageously with a new patrolman who was still wet behind the ears.

“Robbing cradles again, Lansing?” Grady inquired.

“Bite me,” she replied sweetly, then winked at the kid. “See you, Kevin.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, looking dazed.

As Grady and Naomi walked away, he struggled to hide a grin, especially when he noted her disgruntled expression.

“Did you hear that?” she demanded irritably. “He called me
ma’am.
How old does he think I am?”

“I’m sure he was just being polite to a superior officer, not making a statement about your age,” Grady consoled, then added, “Grandma.”

Naomi scowled at him. “It’s going to be one of those days, isn’t it? Who twisted your knickers into a knot?”

“Jenny Ryan.”

Naomi immediately sobered. “Oh?”

“She says Lauren’s wavering under the weight of all this attention.”

“I’ll go see her,” Naomi said at once.

“Jenny says she can handle it for now, but we need to find some backup. You heard Dr. Benitez say Carter’s probably done this kind of thing before. If he has, we need to find the women, establish the pattern.”

“Let’s do it,” she said at once.

“Where do you think we should start, the kid’s high school or his neighborhood?” he asked her.

Naomi looked at her notes. “I have one name here that could kill two birds with one stone. Emily Dobbs teaches at the high school and lives right behind the Carters. According to Evan’s mother, the families spend a lot of time together. She’s seen him under a lot of different circumstances over the years and could provide a character reference, according to Mrs. Carter.”

Grady nodded. “Which means she’s probably biased in his favor, but let’s start with Mrs. Dobbs and see where that gets us.”

Three emergency calls kept them from getting to the school. It was already four-thirty when they pulled up in front of the Dobbs’ Spanish-style home with its climbing bougainvillea, well-manicured lawn and brand new Lexus SUV in the driveway.

“Fancy car for a teacher,” he commented as they crossed the lawn.

“Her ex-husband is some corporate type who’s paying generous alimony and child support,” Naomi told him.

“And you know that how?”

“The Internet is a wondrous thing. I find out all sorts of fascinating facts while you’re getting snacks from the vending machines at the station.” She gave him a once-over. “You really do need to change your diet, Rodriguez. The chips and peanut butter crackers are starting to ruin those six-pack abs of yours.”

“Butt out, Lansing,” he commented as he rang the doorbell. “I gave up cigarettes, thanks to your pestering. Leave my diet alone.”

When the door was opened by a dark-haired woman
with a tentative smile and eyes as blue as the sky over Biscayne Bay, he actually suffered a momentary pang about that last bag of chips. If they’d had teachers this gorgeous when he was in school, he might have studied a little harder. At least he’d have been happier about being cooped up inside all day.

“Emily Dobbs?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Detectives Grady Rodriguez and Naomi Lansing. We’re investigating the allegations against Evan Carter. Could we have a few minutes of your time?”

Her expression hardened ever so slightly. “I really don’t think there’s anything I can tell you,” she said, not budging from the doorway and pretty much confirming Grady’s fear that she was staunchly in the boy’s corner.

“You have known him most of his life, haven’t you?” Naomi said. “And you work at the high school he attended, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you really could be helpful,” she said. “It won’t take long.”

“Okay, fine,” she said tersely, and stepped aside to let them in. “I hope you’ll make it quick, though. My daughter’s already upset about this and I’d prefer it if you were gone before she gets home.”

“How old is your daughter?” Grady asked as she led them into a living room that was decorated in bright, cheery colors. A scattering of open books and magazines suggested this room was lived in, though he didn’t notice a television anywhere. There was a family portrait in a frame on top of a baby grand piano. Obviously it had been taken before the divorce, since the husband was in it, along with two kids, a boy who was probably about
the same age as Evan Carter, and the daughter Emily Dobbs was worried about.

She apparently noticed the direction of his gaze. “My daughter’s only seventeen,” she said. “And before you get any ideas, I will not allow you to talk to her, not without a warrant or whatever it is you need to speak to a minor without the parent’s consent.”

Grady saw the mother-hen ferocity in her eyes and backed off. Still, it was an intriguing twist. If the two families were close, the daughter might have noticed something in the Carter kid’s behavior around girls that the adults wouldn’t have seen. He wouldn’t mind talking to the son, either. If the two boys hung out together, the Dobbs kid had probably seen how Carter treated the women in his life.

“What about your son?” he asked. “He’s around the same age as Evan Carter, right?”

“Yes. They’ve been in school together for about ten years now.”

“Nineteen, then?”

“Yes.”

“Best friends?” Grady asked.

There was an unmistakable hesitation before Mrs. Dobbs nodded. It had Grady wondering if the two boys had had a recent falling out and, if so, why.

“Is he around?”

“Actually he goes to UM, too. He’s at school now.”

Perfect, Grady thought. “Name?”

“Josh.”

“I’ll make arrangements to see him later,” Grady said. “I assume you won’t have any objections, since he’s old enough to speak to us without your permission.”

Emily Dobbs’s expression tightened, but she didn’t
argue. She just scowled at him as if she wanted to cut his heart out. Naomi wisely stepped in.

Unfortunately, though, it appeared that whatever Emily Dobbs might know herself, she didn’t intend to share with the police. Her loyalty to her friends ran deep, which kept her answers terse and to the point. It was an admirable trait in a friend, but Grady couldn’t help wondering if the pictures of Lauren Brown’s injuries would be enough to change that. No mother could look at those without envisioning the same thing happening to her child and being sickened by the thought.

“Thanks for your time,” Naomi said eventually, when it was evident that they weren’t going to get anything more, at least not on this visit.

Grady saw the relief in Emily’s blue eyes and decided to rattle her just a little. “We’ll be in touch,” he told her.

“I’ve told you everything I know that might be relevant,” she insisted.

He smiled at her. “Possibly, but it’s amazing what people sometimes remember during a second or third interrogation.”

Her chin shot up. “Wouldn’t that constitute harassment?”

He shrugged. “Matter of interpretation, I suppose.”

She frowned at that. “Do I need a lawyer?”

“Not unless you were in the victim’s apartment last Friday night,” he replied, his gaze steady. “Or unless you’re withholding something relevant to this investigation.”

“I don’t know anything about what happened that night,” she repeated, then added with a touch of defiance, “assuming anything did.”

Grady lost patience. “Oh, it happened, Mrs. Dobbs. We have photos of the damage that boy did to her, as well as
the testimony of the physician who examined her that night.”

She paled visibly. “Damage?”

“Bruises, bite marks. He was rough with her, Mrs. Dobbs.”

The remaining color drained out of her face, but Grady wouldn’t allow himself to feel sorry for her. Maybe she knew something more, maybe she didn’t, but she was defending a kid who didn’t deserve it.

“Like I said, we’ll be in touch.”

Outside, Naomi regarded him with amusement. “She got to you, didn’t she? Is it because she was holding something back or because she looked at you as if you were pond scum?”

Grady grinned. “Maybe both. You know me. I love a challenge.”

Dani cut her last three classes. She’d gotten tired of all the speculation about Evan, when nobody knew anything, not really. Heck, some of the kids who were talking the loudest and making the most outrageous comments hardly knew him at all. The worst part was knowing they expected her to defend him and not being able to do that without gagging on the words. Nor could she publicly turn on him without stirring up too many questions she definitely didn’t want to answer.

Once she was safely off the school property, she wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She’d never done anything like this before, partly because she knew her mom would kill her and partly because she honestly liked school. She was probably some kind of nerd or something, because she got excited about learning new stuff. If what had happened with Evan was her biggest
secret, then this was her second biggest. Nobody who wanted to hang out with the popular crowd wanted anyone to know that they actually liked classes and studying.

She had enough money with her to take a cab home. Or she could sneak off and go to a movie, but that didn’t hold any more appeal today than it had when her mom had been willing to take her and Caitlyn a couple of days ago.

She could call Josh to come and get her. He’d leave class if she asked him to, but then he’d probably ask way too many questions about why she’d decided to play hooky. He thought being older gave him the right to boss her around. He’d been even worse since their dad had moved out, like he’d been left in charge or something. Besides, ever since this mess had started, she’d seen the way Josh looked at her, as if he wanted to come right out and ask her if Evan had ever laid a finger on her. She didn’t think she’d be able to stand seeing the disgust in his eyes if she told him the truth.

Walking aimlessly as she debated where to go or what to do, she wound up at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. As she stood outside the entrance, she wondered if she’d subconsciously headed here. Her mom had brought her and Josh here about a zillion times. They’d walked the endless grounds, touching all sorts of rare and exotic tropical plants and learning their proper Latin names. Dani knew her mom had been hoping that they’d take an interest in all the incredible flowers, succulents and palm trees in the gardens that spread over several acres, but she’d also brought them because it was peaceful with its winding pathways and small lakes.

Dani paid for her ticket inside the visitor center and
walked outside, then began to wander, gravitating toward the orchids. One day she’d like to grow orchids, maybe even go all over the world in search of rare specimens. Sometimes she thought maybe she’d even study horticulture and own a nursery someday. Could anything be more wonderful than helping people to create serene or vibrant gardens around their homes? Her mom and dad had planted hedges of bougainvillea years ago, but that was almost the extent of the landscaping around their house aside from a few palm trees and this giant banyan tree. Dani was the one who’d insisted on going to the nursery every year. She always brought home way too many flowers to fill the giant containers on the back patio with color. She was the one who knew which flowers needed sun, which ones preferred shade and which ones would come back year after year. Her mom and dad were clueless, but her mom, at least, had encouraged her interest in gardening.