“Really? I’d like to hear about it, we need to do something like that at Bencom, get some new blood and not the same old stuffy Ivy leaguers Carlisle seems to hire!”
Riley couldn’t help but smirk. “That’s exactly what I said. We need some fresh ideas, a little more urban and edgy. Jo and Helen want to offer it up to their school; I’d like to open it up to a few less affluent schools!”
“I like your thought process, Riley; can you do both?”
“We let Riley have the seventy-five thousand she got the firm from the accident to fund her project but that will only fund it so far,” Joanna stated.
“Hmm… what if I matched Riley’s seventy-five thousand? Riley could have her pick and you get your alma mater pick. We could even have a little healthy competition. What do you say, ladies? Bencom could sure use the write-off and I’m assuming these candidates will be working at least some of the time on my campaign?”
“Well, since we planned to replenish the scholarship fund with some of the revenue anyway, I think we can make this a win-win for all parties,” Helen replied. “I can have Kate and Isaac work out the details.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea, especially since Kate just accepted my job offer as attorney at Bencom. Sorry, I’m sure Kate wanted to tell you herself, but I think the circumstances warrant a little levity on my part since her first assignment will be to put together the ‘Carrington Lannister’ scholarship fund!”
“That’s wonderful, David, Kate was definitely excited about the opportunity,” Helen replied with a smile.
“Then, I will leave you ladies to it. Oh, I almost forgot the two reasons I stopped by. First, I want to revisit that last ad idea Riley had. I think I was a little quick to dismiss it. You think I would know better by now, with all the success we’ve had with Riley’s ideas. Which brings me to the second reason. I’d like to invite you ladies over for dinner and meet my friend Miguel, who by the way, loved that latest design idea and said I was crazy for turning it down, Riley. If you ladies are available Friday night, and Kate of course, we would love to have you over and celebrate our successes.”
“That sounds lovely, David, and yes, Kate and I are free. Joanna?”
“Yes, we’re open, right, Riley?”
Riley couldn’t help the wide smile on her face. “Yep, free!”
“Alright then, it’s a date, we’ll send the car for you at, shall we say six?”
“We’re fine with a cab really, David,” Helen replied.
“Nonsense, my driver will pick you up. Now if you excuse me, I will let you ladies continue with your day.”
After David left the conference room, Riley was still smirking.
“You, young lady, are very close to getting your behind blistered, so I suggest you wipe that smirk off your face and count yourself lucky,” Joanna admonished her smug girlfriend.
Riley rolled her eyes, then checked herself, seeing the stern look Helen was giving her.
“Well, at least David gets my vision!”
“Yes, I think he does, but who is Miguel?”
“No idea, but he must be smart if he convinced David that my last design was a winner!” Riley replied with a contented grin.
Chapter Six
Riley felt at peace, as she ran on the trail in Manhattan’s great park. She had taken to running in the evenings, since the New York days had begun to get warm and muggy. The evening was perfect, and a slight breeze seemed to sweep the stickiness away.
The mess with her doctor’s appointment and speeding on her motorcycle was behind her and Riley’s backside had just about recovered from the paddling she had received from Joanna the week before. After her last infraction on her motorcycle several months before, Joanna had made Riley procure her a paddle. Begrudgingly, Riley had shopped on the internet and ordered one made of ‘Purpleheart’ wood because it was Joanna’s favorite color. What she didn’t realize was the wood from the exotic tree of the Brazilian Rainforest was one of the hardest! This revelation had come to her after enduring traffic school from her latest ninety-two mile an hour stunt, sitting on a hard plastic chair for six hours, after Joanna had given her a paddling with it the same morning. Riley had smiled to herself; her girlfriend sure knew how to drive a lesson home but then, Riley didn’t want it any other way.
Riley felt strong, in a state of exhilaration as she ran. She felt like she could run forever. Oh, my god, was this it? Was this the infamous runner’s high? Riley decided to do the full loop around the reservoir even though the sunlight was beginning to fade. At this rate she’d easily be back to the apartment before dark and she wanted to capitalize on her newfound euphoria.
Riley looped around the reservoir and started her way back on the east path. The evening joggers had started to thin out and Riley found herself with the path to herself on some stretches. She was in a zone as her music blared through her earpieces. She focused on her pace and breathing; this had to be a personal best for her.
The fading light grew dimmer, as Riley entered an area that was shaded by the limbs of ancient oaks. She saw someone out of her peripheral vision on her left side, but before she had time to react, the runner careened into her. She started to fall, but an arm grabbed her roughly around her waist, pulling her backward, while another slammed over her face, yanking her head back. Terror gripped her, as she was dragged backwards. She couldn’t even hear her own muffled scream through the padded hand across her face, as she struggled to free herself. A chemical smell overwhelmed her, and she felt herself falling backwards into nothingness.
* * *
Riley tried to shake the grogginess away as she came to. Panic engulfed her when she realized she was sitting on the ground, against a tree, her hands tied behind it. She tried to scream but a gag tied around her mouth and head prevented anything coming out other than a muffled grunt. She choked as she tried to move, but something was around her throat, some kind of strap securing her tightly to the tree trunk. It was practically dark under the thick canopy of trees, the only light coming from the moonlight, raining down through the gaps in the foliage. Riley’s eyes went wide with terror as she saw the figure of a man crouched in front of her, caressing what looked like some kind of surgical instrument. She couldn’t see much of his face under the dark gray hoodie.
She pulled frantically on her bonds behind her, as the man acknowledged her.
“There you are, such a pretty thing,” he said as he approached her.
Riley tried to scream again, as she dug her heels into the dirt in a frantic attempt to get away from him. She saw the flash of the blade reflecting in the moonlight as he ran it down the side of her cheek. He leaned in toward her.
“It’s almost going to be a shame to kill you.”
Her instincts kicked in and Riley did the only thing she could do. She brought her knee back, delivering an adrenaline-fueled kick to the man’s torso, sending him reeling backwards. Riley frantically twisted and pulled on the bindings behind her. She used every ounce of her strength in her panicked state, and was able to slide one hand out before her attacker came at her again.
She tried to move again, but the strap around her throat held her securely to the tree. The man lunged at her but Riley’s fist met his face with a punch to his jaw, and with more flailing kicks, she managed to dislodge the knife from his hand.
“I won’t make that mistake again!” he said through clenched teeth as he stood up slowly, away from Riley’s flailing feet, and rubbed his jaw.
The hood had fallen from his head, and Riley saw his face for the first time. In the moonlight, his features contorted with rage and deadly intent. Riley turned her head to avoid his stare, as a sudden breeze sent leaves spiraling. Riley froze, as she fixated on the ground beside her. A woman’s pale face and arm were uncovered in the moonlight, her body motionless, as her lifeless eyes stared out toward the sky.
A new wave of terror rocked Riley. She grasped behind her, attempting to free the strap that held her firmly to the tree.
The man stopped and looked down at the woman’s face that had emerged from under the blown leaves.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” he said, almost mesmerized, staring at the lifeless woman. “Like you… I fucked her, then I killed her. Like you,” he said, bringing his attention back to Riley.
Riley frantically fumbled with the buckle behind her neck and the tree as the man started back toward her. He made a wide circle around her, avoiding Riley’s legs, coming at her from the side and grabbing her hair roughly, just as the strap fell from around her neck. Riley grabbed for the arm that had her hair and swung her leg around, kicking the man from his feet. She leapt up and headed for the opening through the trees. She got a few steps before she felt a hand grasp her ankle, sending her spiraling forward, her head and cheek slamming down on the root of a tree. Before she could react, the man was on top of her, delivering blows with his fist to Riley’s head and face. Riley could feel warm liquid trickling from her head and her hands were bloody but the image of the lifeless woman made Riley’s adrenaline surge as she frantically struggled to fight off her attacker. She brought her knee up sharply between his legs, immobilizing him just long enough to once again jump to her feet and head for the clearing through the dense trees.
Riley ran as fast as she could, pulling the gag in her mouth that was restricting her breathing down around her neck. She could hear the man behind her getting closer. Riley didn’t look back. Her lungs were screaming as they struggled for air, and the blood from her head blinded one eye. She ran with everything she had. Riley didn’t stop even when she saw people in the park looking at her with concerned expressions.
“Miss, miss, stop, let us help you, you’re bleeding,” she heard faintly from behind her.
Riley had to reach Joanna. Ignoring her burning lungs, she ran frantically and didn’t stop until she reached the lobby of the apartment building.
“Rosa… can you get Jo, please,” she said shakily before collapsing to the floor.
When she opened her eyes, Riley was looking at the ceiling of the lobby. She could see flashing blue lights out of the corner of her eye and she heard voices in the background that seem to echo in the bubble-like state she was in. She couldn’t comprehend what was going on but when she saw Joanna’s face appear above her, she smiled.
* * *
“Oh, baby, I’m here,” Joanna said as she held Riley’s hand as the paramedics worked on her.
“She’s in shock, but she’s stable,” one of the paramedics informed Joanna as more police cars arrived at the building.
“We got a dozen or so calls from people in the park, in between here and there, reporting a woman bleeding and running frantically. Ms. Armstrong, it’s looking like your girlfriend may have been the victim of an attack. We’ll know more when we get her to the hospital,” one of the police officers somberly told Joanna.
“Ma’am, if you could not touch her, and I’m afraid you won’t be able to go with her in the ambulance, we need to process her with minimal contamination, if indeed this was an attack,” a young detective informed Joanna, as he took her by the arm and tried to steer her away from the gurney.
“You better back the fuck up, asshole!” Joanna spat fiercely, as she ripped her arm away from him. “Right now, she’s going to the hospital with me and I’ll tell you when, and if, you can touch her, you understand me?” Joanna growled as she got inches from the young detective’s face.
“Whoa, okay, Jo, it’s okay,” Helen said as she got in between Joanna and the detective.
“Connor, leave it!” an older detective ordered him as he was about to protest.
“Go ahead, Ms. Armstrong, I’m Detective Tanner, we’ll see you at the hospital.”
“Jo, Kate and I will meet you there,” Helen said, as Joanna got into the ambulance with Riley.
Joanna wrapped her trembling girlfriend tight in a blanket. The thought of what Riley might have just endured was agonizing to her.
“Jo, there was a woman… he was going to kill me…” Riley stammered.
“Shh, baby, it’s okay, you’re safe now. We’re going to get you to the hospital and you’re going to be okay.”
Joanna felt sick to her stomach; the obvious ligature marks around Riley’s throat and wrists indicated she had been tied, and the bruises and cuts revealed she had been in a struggle with her attacker. Joanna had seen enough during her two-year stint as an ER doctor to know the detectives would be swarming when they got her to the hospital.
“She’s tachy and her BP’s low,” Joanna informed the ER doctor before the paramedic could report his findings.
“Doctor Stark,” he said, shaking her hand before focusing his attention on Riley. “Riley, I’m Doctor Stark, do you know where you are?”
Riley looked at him, then back at Joanna with a confused look, not apparently comprehending what he was saying.
“Let’s get her started on some fluids and O2, and I’m ordering a CT scan for her head. We’ll need to get some sutures in that laceration,” he said as he examined her bleeding head.
“She sustained a brain injury from a motorcycle accident last year,” Joanna informed him. “Give me an e-mail and I’ll get her latest scans to you.”
“Wow, quite prepared, Ms.…?”
“Joanna Armstrong, I’m her partner.”
“Well, Ms. Armstrong, I’m sure you’re aware the police want to do some forensics before we can clean her up and I need to examine her but we may need a rape kit.”
Joanna physically shivered when she heard the words. Riley hadn’t said very much that had made sense, in her shocked state, but Joanna hoped to god she had gotten away from this monster before he had assaulted her.
“I want to be here, through all of it, no one touches her unless I’m here. I have her Advance Directive for her medical decisions if she is unable to make them.”
“I understand, Ms. Armstrong. I’m going to take a look at her now; the detectives want her clothes in these bags.”
Joanna watched as he, with the help of a nurse, carefully removed Riley’s clothing, covering her back up with blankets. He looked back at Joanna.
“Are you sure you want to stay?” he asked Joanna.
Joanna nodded and stroked Riley’s cheek with the back of her fingers. “It’s okay, Riley, the doctor needs to see if he hurt you.”
Tears welled in Joanna’s eyes as the doctor examined Riley. She turned away and tried to stifle her sob with the back of her hand before turning back to Riley.
“Was she… I mean… did he…?”
“No, I don’t think so, I see no bruising or any signs of sexual assault. Looks like Riley here fought him off.” He smiled.
“Oh, thank god!” Joanna breathed in relief.
“She’s going to be fine, her BP’s already coming back up. How about we let the forensics team do their thing then we can get her cleaned up. The detective outside wants to have a quick word with you.”
“Yes, of course,” Joanna said as he motioned for the middle-aged man standing outside to come in. He was the same man Joanna had seen back at the apartment building.
“Hello again, Ms. Armstrong, Detective Tanner, how’s she doing, Doctor?”
“She needs a CT scan but other than some bruises and lacerations, she’s going to be okay, I don’t see any obvious signs of sexual assault,” Doctor Stark informed him quietly.
“That’s good, ready for my team? We need to get some photos and collect some samples for evidence but we’ll walk you through what we’re doing. When Riley’s lucid, we’ll need to get her statement too.”
“That’s fine, Detective,” Joanna said, digging through her purse. “Do you happen to know if, ah, here it is, yes, Alex Denton, is she working this case?”
“Alex, sure, she’s one of our best. She is questioning some of the eyewitnesses in the park who saw Riley running. Why, you know her?”
“No, not really, but she’s an acquaintance of Riley’s and I thought she could take Riley’s s
tatement when she’s able to. It might be easier to talk to a female.”
“Yeah, sure, no problem. I’ll let her know.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
Joanna watched as the forensics team went to work taking pictures of Riley’s injuries and collecting evidence. A female technician took samples from Riley’s nails and skin, meticulously depositing each sample in small glass vials and labeling each one.
“Jo?” Riley said weakly.
“Hey, baby, how you feeling? You’re in the hospital,” Joanna said gently.
“I know, my head is pounding.” She winced.
“You have a pretty big contusion; Doctor Stark is going to stitch it up but he had to let the police get the evidence they needed first. Riley, do you remember what happened?”
Riley gave a little shiver and her eyes went cold. “Yes.”
Doctor Stark returned with a suture tray and a nurse who began to clean up Riley’s bloody hands and arms, and treat her cuts. Doctor Stark injected a numbing agent into Riley’s head before suturing the laceration on her head.
“Okay, all done. Seven stitches did the trick, Riley. Now let’s get you your CT. Joanna, it will be thirty minutes or so, then we’ll get her into a room.”
“Wait, room? No, I wanna go home!” Riley protested.
“Oh, honey, probably just for tonight and I won’t leave you, okay?” Joanna told Riley, trying to reassure her.
Riley scowled but didn’t protest, as the orderly came in to take her to get her scan.
“She’s going to be in room three twenty-nine; you can wait for her there if you like. We’ll take her there after the scan and I’ll be in to give you the results, sound good?”
“Yes, thank you, Doctor Stark. I’ll be waiting for you, Riley,” Joanna said, bending down and kissing Riley on the cheek.
“Okay, I love you, Jo.”
“I love you too, Riley.”
Chapter Seven
Riley's Reckoning Page 5
