by Lou Allin
Her attacker was at least six feet four, Ellen said with a decisive tone. “A bit taller than my boyfriend. A lot younger. Rudy is thirty.” As for other distinguishing features, he had a goatee, one of those special ones made by a razor. Holly had seen that style in a hundred People magazines. Ellen couldn’t pinpoint the colour of his eyes, just that they were dark, either black or brown. His hair was dark brown, medium cut, kind of smushed up in the middle. His neck trimmed. A slight citrus aftershave masking body odor. “That smell made me sick. He pushed something over my face, a ball cap maybe, but I saw anyway. He wasn’t very muscular, more wirey. Not fat at all. His skin looked pockmarked. Like he’d had acne.” She paused for a moment. “Do you think that being ugly made him do this? I mean we’re not supposed to talk like that, but …”
“Did your clothes get torn?” She couldn’t see much of what the girl was wearing.
“My board shorts. They had an elastic waist. He pulled them off. Ripped my panties.” She gave an ironic laugh. “I guess they’re still there. On the beach.”
Or perhaps taken as a grim souvenir like the necklace, though collecting clothing was not part of the original M.O. How could you secure a scene with one or two people, attend to the victim, and comb the area for clues with no staff and no communications? Evidence “gone with the wind.”
“We’ll be sending someone back to collect whatever they can find on the beach. How far were you from where the path meets the ocean?”
“Real close. I wasn’t there to beachcomb. Just to the right as you come down.”
“Do you recall what he was …”
“Wearing? I sure do. Cut-off jean shorts and a T-shirt. Both were dark green, maybe so he could hide. I got a good look from the back when he ran off. His eyebrows were bushy, and he wore a big metal watch. Are they called Rolexes? Probably a knock-off.” Words were spilling from her in anger.
Holly was writing as fast as she could. The girl was a gold mine of information. How could she be so thorough after being brutally violated? Perhaps it was just a thrust or two before it aborted. But knowing that you might die in minutes? This kind of coolness under fire was to her credit. “Anything written on the shirt?” Hardly any T-shirt was without its own cause: a rock event, place, political statement.
Ellen scratched the end of her sunburned nose. “No. Sorry. I guess that would really help, wouldn’t it? But I told you lots of things, right? Now can you find him?”
The man might as well be standing here. “You’ve given us a super description. Good for you to be able to concentrate. I don’t think I could, that is, if …” She shut up while the going was good. Something else was different here. The other attacks had happened at night. This was during the day. Maybe that’s why he used the hat to blind her. Getting bolder? An opportunist? It was as if the man wanted to be caught. The old cliché of a cry for help.
The girl shrugged. “I’m pretty good with details. I like to draw, see. I might go into fashion design and take some night courses once I save up. Hey, maybe I could work with the police. Do they have computer programs for that now? I know they used to use real artists. In the movies or on TV, anyway. My mom likes those psychic shows where they solve those cold cases.”
Holly swept a hand over her own short hair, buying time to think for a second. “Back up a bit, if you can. You say that he ran off. How did that happen? I mean, why do you think he left you? Did he say anything?” Before what, before he killed you? She kept quiet, half wanting the girl to say that nothing happened. But if there had been an ejaculation….
Ellen gripped the sides of the couch. Her legs curled in a defence against pain. Stone bruises and a few small cuts from debris were all Holly could see. Beneath the blanket, the neck on her T-shirt was torn. A few fir needles fell from her hair as she brushed at her small, shell ear. “I don’t want to think about this, but he had a stutter.”
“Really? He said something?”
“Nothing that made much sense. Sort of like ‘sssssshut up.’ And he called me the B word. That’s all.”
Another thought occurred to Holly. “Was he wearing a condom?” In some ways, criminals were getting smarter. It took planning and timing, but television and movies had taught lessons. But a man couldn’t put on a condom unless he was aroused. That made the logistics tricky.
The girl blew out a breath, shuddering at the end. “Not unless he put one on just before he attacked me. If you mean did I feel him come, I didn’t. And afterwards, there wasn’t …” She stared in horror. “I don’t want to be pregnant by him. Rudy and I are … my god, do you think that could happen?” She gave a sharp intake of breath. A small blue vein was beating at the pulse of her throat. Panic entered her eyes.
Holly touched her forearm for assurance. “They’ll tell you more at the hospital. It’s not a concern with the morning-after preparations today. Just a simple pill can put your mind at rest.”
“It just hurt like hell. And that cap over my face. I had sand in my eye, too. I didn’t even realize until later.” She rubbed at her reddish cheek. “The way he was strangling me, I was close to passing out. Then I heard a boat. The motor stopped. People laughing. You know the way sounds carry. They were way out in the bay. He pushed me down real hard, and ran into the bush. My head hit the stones, but I wasn’t unconscious. My legs wouldn’t work. I was taking big breaths and coughing my guts out.”
“Then what happened?” So that was what stopped him. Made sense.
“There wasn’t any hope in trying to get help from the boat. It was too far away and too big to come in close. Then they went off again as fast as they came. I waited ten minutes hoping that someone else would show up. And another ten to make sure he was gone. No way I could go back another route because the tide was up. I made my way back to the road, staying off to the side of the path when I could, looking out for him. Then I flagged a car. It was that constable. I told her what happened. She tried to use her radio, but the static was bad. So she brought me here. She’s not as nice as you are.”
“Was that red or burgundy car still there?”
She shook her head. “For sure no. So do you think…?”
“Sounds possible. There really isn’t any other way to get to Sandcut without driving.”
“Guess I’m lucky.” Her voice turned to a hush. “That other tall officer said the same thing. Is she new on the job?”
“Actually …” Holly cleared her throat, hoping that Ellen would move on.
“She seemed kind of uneasy with me. Like she didn’t know what to do.”
“Everyone starts somewhere. When you began at the library, you had to learn the ropes, right?”
“I guess.” Ellen leaned her head back and closed her eyes as if to make it all go away. “Are we done now? I told you everything.”
“You bet. Just take it easy. I won’t say relax, but you know what I mean.”
Holly leafed back through her notebook, gratified at all the details. The inspectors would be pleased. A few minutes passed. Ellen’s breathing slowed. A discreet tap came at the door. Ann stuck her head in and whispered, “Sorry to interrupt.”
“I think we’re finished here, Ann.” She inclined her head towards Ellen, whose eyes were fluttering. At least she’d be home safe tonight, but how long would it take downtown?
“Rudy’s here. He’s fortunate that we’re short staffed on patrol because he drove about a hundred kph,” Ann said. “Guess I don’t blame him.”
Ellen’s eyes snapped open and she sat up with a groan. “Rudy. I need to talk to him. Alone, maybe?”
Holly closed her notebook. “It’s a formality, but we’d rather be here in the room. And I’m afraid I have to ask you not to touch him or make physical contact. Just for now.”
Ellen looked like she needed a hug in the worst way. Her Cupid’s mouth went down at the corners. Fragments of pale pink lipstick still stuck to her lips. “But … Okay. I understand. I just want to see him.”
Ann went back into the re
ception room. “Come on, Rudy,” she said.
In walked a tall blond man, bronzed like a Malibu surfer, his curly hair nestled around his strong neck. Either he’d recently been to a hot, dry climate, or like many people on the island, he frequented a tanning parlour. “El, I came as fast as I could. You poor kid. I’m …”
Ellen looked up at him and started to rise, but Holly cleared her throat. “Sorry, but please don’t touch Ellen right now.”
Rudy backed off, his hands in the air apologetically. “No problem, officer. They told me outside. We don’t want to do anything that might help this guy.” He looked at Holly for permission. “Okay if I sit?”
“Sure. Please.” Holly felt discomfort being a third party, but leaving them alone was out of the question.
Rudy seemed to be fighting the instinct to embrace his girlfriend. He bit his lip as his Adam’s apple bobbed with one swallow, then another. Strong, calloused hands gripped the edge of the sofa. “Hon, how are you doing? Damn it to hell, why did I let you talk me into leaving you there?” A bump in his long nose testified to an old injury, probably hockey like a huge percentage of Canadian youth.
Ellen let out a long deep breath as if he was the best tranquilizer. She looked up at him and blinked. “You told me to wait until you could come. But just an hour. I mean I thought …”
Rudy folded his arms as if to keep them to himself. “I’m blaming myself. We knew about those other girls. But Sandcut’s farther down. And this was during the day. Nobody camps there. If only I’d thought twice….”
“Don’t talk like that, Rudy. I talked you into it. And I’m okay. Really.” She touched her neck with one finger, skirting the bruise. “I lost Jody’s necklace.”
“Never mind that now, sweetie. But she must have been watching over you like the angel she was,” he said. Rudy turned to Holly with a dark cloud passing over his features. “When are you going to catch this bastard? How many have to …” He struggled for control, clenching his fists. He wore crisp chinos and a light blue linen shirt, loafers without socks. It was hard to see his eyes behind the stylish sunglasses with metallic lenses. They reminded Holly of American movies with the highway patrol and their motorcycles. She never liked looking at mirrors instead of eyes.
“You know how quiet and peaceful the island is. This is a first-time experience for all of us.” Now she was an apologist for the force. Caught in the middle with no credit, only blame. A definite downside of policework. Stats meant nothing to people whose lives had been ripped apart. It mattered that their case was solved, not ninety-nine others. Who could blame them?
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to come on like an insensitive jerk. I’m just worried. When can Ellen go home?” Rudy asked. “I want to get some dinner into her, maybe a glass of wine, and tuck her into bed. It was our second-year anniversary this weekend.”
Holly’s eyes searched their hands. No rings. Rudy added, “Anniversary of our first date. We’re planning to get married next year once we save up for a down payment on a little place in Langford. Even has a mortgage-helper suite in the basement. Right, baby?” Ellen gave a small cry, her lip trembling, and he reached out for her hand, then drew back, his voice warm and confident. “Then we’ll grow old and grey together. Am I a romantic or not?” He turned to Holly. “So what do we do now? I take it that we’re waiting for the detectives or whatever you call them in the RCMP.”
“The EMTs will transport her to the General for a few tests. Maybe an x-ray of her shoulder, too. From our standpoint, anything we can do to make sure that this is the last attack is critical. We don’t want to make any mistakes. Ellen has given us a lot of helpful information. Now it’s up to us to put together the pieces.”
Rudy took off his sunglasses and nodded. “Damn straight. When you catch him, better not let me within a mile. There won’t be enough pieces to bury. And that’s a promise.”
Those mesmerizing ice-blue eyes. Did he have a Scandinavian background or was he wearing exotic contacts? She had a feeling that he made the most of them in his romancing. A wail of sirens came around the bend of the road. Holly looked toward the window. “There they are. Sorry for the delay. I can’t see why you won’t be home tonight.” She looked at Rudy. “You can follow the ambulance to the hospital.”
Ann spoke up. “An inspector from Major Crimes will meet you all there in the emergency room admitting. Ed Smith. He’s been in charge since the Sombrio Beach … incident. Ed’s one of our best. They’ve already posted a couple of officers to Sandcut to look around. They’re stopping here first. I’ll scan your report, Holly, and fill them in on any helpful details about where this happened.”
Ellen turned to Holly. “Thanks for everything. You made it better. I wish you were in charge.”
She looked as if she might have lost her best friend, and Holly felt a big-sisterly impulse in giving her hand a gentle shake. At least she’d kept the girl company and gotten a wingding of a preliminary interview. Out the back window, she could see Ashley leaning against a large cedar and smoking as she scowled. Why did the constable have to be such a downer? Couldn’t she understand that a major break had arrived?
“Thanks for the confidence.” Holly pulled a card from her pocket. “If you have any questions, you can always call me.” Rudy hadn’t moved. “So Rudy, if you can …”
He checked his watch, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Um, about going to the hospital, I have my great aunt in the car. Beth Jacobs. When I heard about Ellen, I didn’t have time to make other arrangements. Can someone give her a lift back to Sooke and make sure she gets home? She lives on Eaglecrest Road. I need to stay with Ellen now.”
A noise of feet and doors came from the foyer, and they all looked up. From the snug atmosphere of the small cottage, now Ellen would pass to other professional hands.
“In there,” Ann’s voice directed.
The EMTs entered, an older woman and a younger man. Holly and Rudy stepped back into the foyer. It was getting crowded.
Holly checked the clock, thinking about Rudy’s request. Her stomach rumbled. She was due for the afternoon off and could just as easily write up her notes tomorrow. “Sure. Eaglecrest isn’t far from my house. I’d be glad to help. Ann, tell Ed that my report will be filed tomorrow.”
Ellen waved off the stretcher. She had the blanket wrapped around her like a small queen. Her colour was returning. Holly imagined that in her place, a hot, cleansing shower would be number one on her wish list. But it didn’t work like that. “No, I’d rather walk. I’m not sick or anything.”
“Right you are, Miss,” the veteran woman said, hands on her hips. “No sense in carrying you down those rickety steps and taking you in with a broken leg. But you’re lying down in the ambulance. We’ll make you comfortable. And I’ll take that handbag for you.” She motioned to her partner. “Let’s get on with it, Roger.”
“Watch your step now,” the young man advised, taking Ellen’s arm and supporting her down the stairs.
Ellen waved goodbye to Rudy as the EMTs helped her to a stretcher inside the vehicle. “See you soon, sweetie. I’m gonna be with you all the way,” he said as the team closed the door.
Rudy clenched his jaw and turned away. “She’s one amazing girl. I’m so damn proud of her. You’d never know that she’d been through something like this.”
His loyalty pleased Holly. Not every man acted like this in a case of rape. So many marriages and relationships fell apart after an assault like this, even when the couple did their best to move on.
Rudy took Holly out to his vintage Datsun Z two-seater, with an old lady in her late seventies as passenger. She seemed to be dozing, her wobbly chin touching her chest. Pink scalp peeked through a head of curly snowy hair. At the crunch of their steps, she nodded awake and looked over with a smile. A faint tinge of lavender cologne or dusting powder moved into the air. Holly was reminded of many elderly aunties. These princesses were treasured in the Coastal Salish world, and the heartstrings of the community with th
eir wisdom.
“Are we going now, dear? You know that Jeopardy’s on soon.” Her crepe throat played like fragile violin strings.
Rudy looked into the car and spoke in a very soft voice, his hand on her thin shoulder. She wore a shapeless cotton print dress, and her rheumy eyes peered out from Coke-bottle trifocals. A small brown device curled in one ear like a delicate shell.
“Aunt Beth, Officer Holly will take you home and get you settled.” He turned and looked at Holly, who nodded. “I have to go with Ellen for a little while. She’s had a bit of a shock. Your supper delivery will be there. We showed you how to put it into the microwave. I’ll give you a call as soon as I can. Don’t turn off your hearing aid until you go to bed.”
The aunt answered in a musical tone as she levered herself out of the car with his gentle help. Clearly they had their routines. “That’s fine, then, Rudy. I’ll see you next week.” One blocky black orthopaedic shoe caught on the sill, and he slowly moved it. She wore opaque support stockings over her swollen legs and carried a large-print book from the library.
Rudy leaned in confidence toward Holly. “She’s on a few meds, but she can handle herself at home. A care worker comes in every morning to set her up. We’ve talked about an assisted living centre like the one in Sooke, but she’s kind of stubborn. Runs in the family.” He gave Holly the address.
Holly introduced herself and took Beth Jacobs to her Prelude. Rudy was lighting up a cigarette as Ellen got settled in the ambulance. “That’s a beauty,” he said to Holly. “I’m a classic car fiend myself. Sometimes we tour parts of the island on Sundays. If you ever want to promenade with us, check the web at www.flivvers.com for our schedule.”
