Is It A Dream?

Questions, Questions

"Do you remember anything at all about them?" Danny asked Linda, holding a file.
"No. They wore masks."
"Did they talk? Make any sort of noise?" Baez wondered, looking at the files littered on the living room floor and coffee table.
"Their voices were, um, distorted, y'know? Like they were speaking through... distorters. But I know I recognized the female's voice."
"Okay, so we've got a male and a female, who operated from an old, shut down cheese factory." Danny picked up the pad with the notes he had written. "You told me what happened. We've got a knife as a weapon, and a gun, right?"
"Mhmm." Linda started to feel a lump in her throat. This was such a painful subject.
"Drink some water, babe." He pointed to her thermos. "Just breathe, alright?"
She nodded and took a calming sip of the cool water.
"I know you didn't see them, but..." Baez paused for a moment, trying to think of the words. "Was there something about them? Like rough hands or smelly breath or anything. The tiniest detail is still crucial."
"The guy..." Linda looked down at her knees, "he was, um.... big?"
"Big? Big ho- oh... Oh!"
"How big?" Danny knee he didn't want to hear the answer to that.
"B-big like..." Linda made a weird gesture with her hand and may or may not have glanced in the direction of Danny's crossed legs.
"Big...?... oh. Oh, wow."
"Yeah..." she whispered, the lump growing bigger.
"Did you hear any names?" Baez wondered, not daring to ask about the perp's size in relation to anything.
"They called me names. Like bitch and whore and skank and ho." She fiddled with her wedding rings, a small tick she had developed over the years. "They made me feel so.... rotten."
Danny's heart broke, "you're not rotten, baby. They're rotten, and liars."
She nodded slightly and scooted closer to Danny, just in case. "I just... I know I recognized the girl's voice! And I can't- it's not- why-"
"Oh, okay. It's okay, baby. We're gonna find them, I promise." He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "They're not gonna hurt you again, I promise."
And once again, Baez was struck by the total and complete love and devotion in her partner's voice. "Linda," she handed her the thermos, "what was the man like? I know you didn't see him, but you felt him. Was he heavy or light or medium?"
"Heavy and rough. His hands and..." she made the same unidentifiable hand gesture, "were big and rough and they- they hurt..... It still hurts." She picked at the fabric of Danny's jeans.
Danny closed his eyes briefly, "can I have a sip?" He pointed to the thermos in his wife's hand. She nodded and handed him the cup. He took a breath and a long, drawn out sip, and gave Linda's shoulders a squeeze.
She laid her head on his shoulder, putting her arm on the back of the couch. She subconsciously lightly scraped her nails on the back of her husband's neck.
"Anything else?" Baez wondered, her heart aching for her friend.
Linda looked at Danny shyly, "Does- does she know about- about the knife?" She whispered.
"Not yet."
"Does she have to know?"
"I'm afraid so, baby."
Linda closed her eyes and felt the tears starting to fall. "Why?"
"Baez?" Danny looked at his partner.
She nodded, understanding, "I'll give you two a moment." She walked half way up the stairs, overhearing the conversation.