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She sensed the sour note and lethal tone inflected in her voice did not escape him. Alex drew in
a deep breath.
Okay, Ms. O Connell, the detective said as he tapped his pen against the notebook again. Did
Mr. Meyers become violent, as you say, before or during intercourse?
Before.
He scribbled a few lines before asking the next question. Did you consentingly have
intercourse with Mr. Meyers?
No! Did it look like it? She had been raped, brutalized, and now this idiot with a badge
standing before her wanted to strip her dignity, too? What do you want, Mr. Southworth?
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I m sorry ma am. I just need to gather the facts. I don t mean to upset you. He spoke
hurriedly, apologetically, and then added in a softer tone, Could you tell me a little of more about what
happened after Mr. Meyers became violent?
He, he began hurting me. Forcing himself on me. At first I was too stunned to do anything, but
then I began to struggle. The more I resisted the angrier Scott got. She closed her eyes to the pain.
I& I can t do this.
Alexandria buried her head in her hands and broke down. The memories washed over
dispassionately.
The detective stood silent again for several minutes while she cried and handed her some more
Kleenex. When she snatched them from his hand, he cleared his throat and spoke to her in a semi-
whisper.
I understand your difficulty. Do you think maybe we should call in an advocate now? They are
trained to help you and you might find it more comforting?
She shook her head.
Okay. He drew out the a , communicating his confusion.
To hell if he was confused. Why should she be the only one in the dark?
Um, we need to finish a statement from you, can you continue?
She kept her head buried deep in the dark comfort of her hands and nodded her consent.
Ms. O Connell, what happened after you began to struggle?
She lifted her head and leveled her eyes at the detective. He adverted his gaze to his notebook as
she spoke. Scott began hitting me. And he forced himself& he hurt me. She spit the words out,
tripping over the syllables as she rushed to rid her mouth of the ugliness. I managed to get away once,
I think, and& and he& he came at me too fast. And then, he& . he began choking me, and I tried to
make him stop. Tried to stop it and I couldn t, and then nothing. I couldn t. I couldn t stop him.
Tears streamed down her face, hot rivers carving through her wounded flesh. The water worked
feverishly to cleanse her wounded soul, but tears could do little to repair the damage.
Do you happen to recall any other details?
No.
Was anyone else present in the apartment ma am?
No, just the two of us.
Alex paused to take a drink from the glass of water poured earlier. The icy fluid slowed down
some of her rushing emotions.
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Just a few more questions, Ms. O Connell. Are you still okay to proceed?
Alex lied and nodded her head affirmatively. Right now, she just wanted the whole ordeal to be
over with. Wanted the detective to leave her in peace along with the torturous visions.
Had you and Mr. Meyers been recently argumentative over any issues?
No, not at all.
Either of you have money problems?
No.
Loss of a job? Tragic event in the family?
No, well, my parents passed away, but that was months ago.
Did Mr. Meyers have any other acquaintances that you know of?
What do you mean?
Did Mr. Meyers have any other relationships that you were aware of?
No, I m pretty sure he didn t.
But she had not been so full of integrity. Did Scott somehow find out about the time in Chicago
with Vince? Was that the lesson he wanted to teach her?
Was that possible? How? No. He couldn t possible have known. Could he?
Ms. O Connell, do you have any other relationships that Mr. Meyers was aware of.
Alex clenched her teeth. No. Involuntarily she added a not really.
Not really?
No. I meant no.
Okay, then.
She knew he knew she was lying, but thankfully he chose not to probe further.
Unless you d like to add to your statement, Ms. O Connell, I think we can wrap up the
questioning for now.
What& what s going to happen to Scott?
Mr. Meyers is in custody currently with the Northfield Police Department, ma am. He will be
arraigned tomorrow morning.
Will he be okay?
He raised his eyebrows in response to her question as if questioning her sanity.
He is facing a charge of attempted murder and with your current statement, charges of rape as
well. The court system will decide his standing.
A sickening taste of acidic bile clawed upward to bite at her mouth. Alex had not considered the
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ramifications of Scott s actions. He really didn t deserve this. Did he? Had she? Conflicting emotions
tore through her.
How could he have hurt her so unjustly? A piece of her wanted to comfort and protect him.
Another, darker side, wanted to see him strung up to burn in the fiery pits of hell.
Do you have any further questions ma am?
No.
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