A Descent into Darkness

Bilal Mohammed

The detective investigating the stabbing enters the living room where Veronica and I are sitting on my living room couch. The officer who chased the suspect, Constable Marilyn Hearst, is standing next to us. She said the detective had some information for us.

"Nathan Rivers and Veronica Dunbar, meet Detective Bilal Mohammed from Sexual Assault Unit," she says, motioning towards the newcomer. "She's heading the investigation into the stabbing, along with Roger Murdoch, from Homicide."

"Sexual Assault?" Veronica looks up shocked. I also can't stop the confused look from appearing on my face. Veronica continues with, "I've heard nothing suggesting the case has anything to do with sexual assault."

"How much have you heard about this case?" Mohammed asks, shooting a sarcastic glance at Hearst. I note that her accent suggests she was born in another country and briefly try to place it. Somalia maybe? Oh, what the hell, that's neither here nor there.

Hearst raises her hands innocently. "Hey, don't look at me boss, if she had access to confidential information, it came from someone else."

"I must say, I find it deeply unsettling how funny the two of you seem to be finding this matter," Veronica snaps at the two cops.

"Relax, Veronica," Detective Mohammed takes a seat on the couch opposite the one we're on. "Do you mind if I call you Veronica? Doesn't matter, I'm going to no matter what. File a complaint with my boss if you don't like it. My only point is, your assumption was based on a lack of information. But it is true we think there's a possibility that the events of today may have been the setup of a planned sexual assault."

"How's that?" I ask as Veronica seethes at the Detective's tone toward her. Though I must admit I'm slightly entertained by it.

"Well, a few years ago, a detective in my unit arrested a man who used a similar MO to what we saw here today." Detective Mohammed explains. "Basically, the man made a call to 911 reporting a domestic incident inside a house where a young couple resided. A crime not serious enough to get crime scene called, but bad enough where we had to bring the husband down to the station for questioning. Once we left with the husband, he broke into the house and assaulted the wife."

"I'm sorry," Veronica sounds confused, her anger seemingly evaporating as quickly as it appeared. "You're saying his genius plan was to call the police before raping someone? Did he not think that was a terrible way to say under the radar?"

"I didn't say he was the world's smartest criminal," Mohammed replies. "We caught him less than an hour after the assault. He's serving fifteen years up in Beaver Creek."

Geez, can the prison name get more stereotypically Canadian? I think briefly before refocusing on the matter at hand.

"So, you don't think this was him, obviously, but just someone using the same method," I clarify.

"Correct," Detective Mohammed nods.

"But how do you know it wasn't just an attempted robbery?" Veronica asks. "Why does it have to be an attempted rape? On that note," she glances towards me, "which one of us was he even after?"

"Her," Detective Mohammed corrects. "The call was made by a woman. As for which one of you, we assume it was Nathan because it appears the call was naming Veronica as the one who should be taken to the station."

"Oh..." I practically hear Veronica's train of thought hit a bump. She's probably wondering how a woman can rape a man, even though I have repeatedly explained that what transpired in the movie Wedding Crashes between Vince Vaughan and Isla Fischer was insanely unacceptable.

"But still," she regains her voice, "what makes you think it wasn't just someone who wanted the TV?"

"The fact that a woman who was out walking her dog is in the hospital," Mohammed replies, ruefully. "Most people who just want your TV aren't so quick to resort to violence. Especially if they were going to go to the trouble to get the other person out of the house before going in. Additionally, we found no bag or container in the bushes outside which one could conceivably use for carrying stolen goods. And Constable Hearst swears the suspect wasn't holding one as she fled. So, it seems all she had was the mask, concealing her identity, and a weapon one might use to intimidate a potential victim."