An Emblematic Woman ● S. Reid | ✓

18 - Offender

Russo

*SMACK*

The dart hit the 80 mark on the board that hung from my wall. I had changed out of my work attire, and replaced them with my tank top and pajama shorts. Vintage cartoons were playing on the TV, and I had a half-eaten bag of stale potato chips sitting next to me on the couch. On the floor was a pillow and an old knit quilt that my grandmother gave me for my birthday. I wasn't about ready to sleep in my bedroom just yet.

The small buzzer to my door rung, and I groaned. "Reid! You're not coming in this apartment! I don't care what you say, you're not allowed in!" I shouted.

"Kennedy? This sure as hell ain't Reid," that was Kate's voice. I put the TV on mute and answered the door. JJ and Kate stood at my stoop, giving me sympathetic smiles.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked as they came in.

"I've been better, that's for sure," I replied as I shut the door. "You guys want anything?" I asked.

"No thanks," Kate replied.

"We wanna talk about last night," JJ said.

"...Well, I don't. So there," I told them.

"Ken, we understand that this is stuff is hard; but it's important to talk about these things. You may be able to remember some vital details that may not have seemed important then," she replied.

"I know things about cognitive interviews, but I don't need one. I can remember everything, I don't need an interview," I said.

"Alright then. Let's sit, and you can tell us what happened," Kate said.

"Do I have to?" I asked.

"We won't leave unless you do," JJ said.

"Alright, let's sit," I plopped down on the couch and crossed my knees together.

"You were at the movies last night; how did you get home?" she asked.

"I took a cab," I replied.

"Did anything seem off about the driver? Did he make a pass at you?" Kate asked.

"No, he was like every cab driver in DC: crabby, silent, and greedy," I replied.

"Okay, so when we were walking to your door, did you sense something was wrong, maybe somebody following you?" JJ asked.

"No, everything was fine until..."

"Until what?" Kate asked. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"I opened my door, and I guess he was waiting in the supply closet down the hall. He stuck a needle in my arm with something, and I passed out. When I came to, he was on top of me...raping me...and I couldn't move," I said.

"That's normal; the usual response is fight or flight, but there's also a third response which is to completely freeze," JJ said.

"Are you kidding me? Absolutely not! I would've ripped his ball sack off. Whatever he stuck me with, it was mixed with a paralytic agent. He knew me, he knew I would fight back," I said.

"So he came prepared. Did you know him?" Kate asked. I started shaking my knee.

"No, he wore a ski mask. I couldn't see his face," I replied.

"Is it possible that he knew you?" she asked.

"Maybe? I dunno. I left a couple broken hearts down the road," I replied.

"We're gonna need those names," JJ said, "Everyone that you can remember,"

"I can do that," I replied.