The Bikini Syndrome | WATTYS2019

» twenty-six: what happened that night (part three)

The police arrived later, around evening.

Oliver had left earlier, and her parents now hovered anxiously by her bed.

The sun casted pink and gold shadows throughout the room. They danced gently around the flowers that Oliver had given her.

"I'm Officer Warner," the tall one said. He was blonde, with a clearly carved out jaw line. His muscles made the room feel small.

"I'm Officer Brinkley, but you can go ahead and call me Rebecca," the shorter one said. Her dark hair was braided in one long plaid down her side, and her eyes danced around mischievously.

"We're here to ask you a few questions regarding the events of last night," Officer Warner said stiffly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Holly started slowly, tripping over words which suddenly felt foreign in her mouth. Every sentence was a mountain she had to climb, every word a cliff face she could fall off of.

"My friend. Sadie. She was raped. I wanted to find her rapist, to help her, so she could...feel safer. And I didn't want him to get away with what he'd done. I thought I could get conclusive evidence, if I just repeated the same things she did that night."

She relived the night all over again — what she could remember, at least. The drink. Being led away. The secluded corner of the beach. The marks, small, dark, bruise-like that she'd found all over neck and waist earlier that afternoon.

When she was done, Rebecca brought her a glass of water.

"You must have been so frightened, but we heard you put a good fight," she said warmly.

Holly only nodded. "So what happens now?"

Officer Warner closed his memo book, its pages ruffling shut with a soft finality.

"Rohan Wilkes was arrested last night and put in a holding facility for reckless and/or intentional assault. He was released this morning on bond, pending trial. If you wish to press charges, the trial will continue. However, because you were under the influence of alcohol at the time, and asked him to lead you away, there is a chance his case will be dismissed."

Holly's stomach dropped.

"What about...what about what happened to Sadie?"

"We have no evidence to prove that he was involved in the rape case of your friend, Sadie," Rebecca said. "At the moment, the investigation is still pending."

"So that's it? He just, gets away, scot-free?"

The two officers looked at each other, then back at Holly.

"So I either drop the charges, or I go to court and tell them it was my fault he almost raped me?"

"Holly, we're only telling you what could happen. California takes rape cases very seriously, but unfortunately, the majority of rape cases are very hard to prove. We didn't find any sign or evidence that you had been raped, or that it was forced. But assault is different."

Officer Warner handed her a slip of paper. "This is your copy of the incident report. When you know how you'd like to proceed, please come find me down at the police station."