Page 163 of Random in Death

“No. Maybe, but I mean he didn’t have to. I know him from school. His hair’s different, but I know him from school.”

“You know him? Did you meet him here?”

“Not on purpose. He’s creepy. Even before this, he’s just creepy.”

Her gaze shifted to the open doors of the ambulance. “Oh!” And reached out a hand.

Roarke climbed in, sat, took it.

“You saved me. He saved me.” Her eyes filled as she leaned into Roarke. “I couldn’t stop him. Francis. He was going to rape me, and I couldn’t stop him. He tore my shirt and squeezed my boobs so hard. He made me put my hand on him, down there. You know. And say things. I couldn’t stop him. It was like watching myself and screaming inside, but doing whatever he said even though I didn’t want to.”

She dropped her head. “He said like come with me, and I did.”

“Del, none of this is your fault. None of it. He dosed you, used a date-rape drug on you. This is not your fault.”

She stared at Peabody. “You’re sure?”

“Abso-poso,” Peabody said, and got a smile.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Eve brought Del’s attention back to her. “As much as you remember.”

“I can remember it all because it’s like I said. Like I was standing and watching him and me. I was walking toward the Cyclone. That’s where my friends were waiting, and I felt this pinch or sting in my arm. Then Francis was right there, beside me, waving a hand. He said I’d had a bee on me.”

She went through it, with more detail than Eve could have hoped for. As she did, Del gripped Roarke’s hand with her left, clutched his shirt around her with her right.

“You caught him. I heard them say you caught him.”

“We caught him. We’ll need to talk with you again,” Eve told her.

“They said I needed to go to the hospital even though I feel mostly all right now. My parents are coming. But my friends…”

“The three girls outside? If you want, we can arrange transportation for them, to the hospital.”

“Really? That would be mag. He… he won’t come back to school, will he?”

“No.”

“You’ve got my card, Del, if you just need to talk. If your parents have any questions, they can contact me or Lieutenant Dallas. I’m going to go take care of getting that transpo.”

“Thanks, Detective Peabody. Thank you for catching him,” she said to Eve. “I knew he could be mean. I could see it in the way he looked at me, or other girls, sometimes. But I didn’t know he could do this.”

She leaned into Roarke. “Thank you for saving me.”

“It was my very great pleasure.” When Roarke kissed her hand, Del’s eyes went from a little glassy to very dreamy.

By the time she got back to Central, Eve didn’t expect to see Jenkinson and Reineke.

But there they were, playing cards at Jenkinson’s desk.

“You’re off duty,” she told them.

“Got that. It’s why I’m crushing Reineke at gin.”

“Had a lucky streak. Mine’s coming due.”

“Prisoner secured?”

“Oh yeah.” Jenkinson tipped back in his chair. “Took his one call on the way in. To his father. Cried like a man-baby.”