098
I handed her my keys and watched her move it. She came back in and got a call on the radio from Detective Riley. He said he was on the way over and to stay with me until he got here.
"How come the other woman noticed you were being followed?"
"She was brutally raped several years ago and has had a lot of self defense training since. A deputy friend of ours helped train her and asked her to keep an eye on us while she's here. She takes her responsibility seriously. Her rape is why she's having trouble conceiving."
"I'm sorry to hear that. She seems like a nice young woman."
"She is, very nice."
She stayed with me while we waited for Detective Riley. We talked about a number of different things as we ran out of crime related things to speak of. As soon as the Detective got there, the officer gave him the report of what happened. Before she left, I asked if it would be possible for the officer to accompany us home. I supposed our shopping would have to wait, but Master probably didn't want us shopping while we were being followed around by person or persons unknown.
"My friend has several tests they're running, so it may be awhile," I said.
"I'll make arrangements for someone to escort you home," Detective Riley said. "This officer should get back on duty patrolling her sector."
"Thank you, Officer Trenton," I said, shaking her hand. "I appreciate you bailing us out."
"No problem, Julia. I hope it all works out for your friend."
"Me too."
Detective Riley sat down with me and he went over the same information as the officer did. "Too bad you didn't get a tag number. Jack doesn't have a Corolla registered in his name, white or otherwise. It might help to discover who's helping him."
"We hoped he was dead and we just didn't know it. I suppose it was an invalid assumption."
"Unlikely he's dead, unless he had a real good asshole friend, who wants to finish the job for him."
"The new wife doesn't have any idea where he's hiding at?" I asked.
"She says she doesn't. She was kind of pissed when we said he'd raped both of you, so I'm inclined to believe her, but you never know. She's pregnant and maybe she doesn't want to raise a child all by herself."
"If he's not home supporting her, he can't help raise a child anyway, whether he's locked up or not."
"She may not see it that way. He can always send her money. I have your statement from Friday's crime all typed up. You want to look it over and sign it. Just hand write any corrections and initial them."
I nodded and took my statement. It was relatively short. I'd been unconscious for much of my attack. There was only one correction I noted.
"I wasn't sure Lisa's nose was broken, I only thought it was. She was bleeding from it."
"Mark it down and initial it."
I changed it to believed broken and initialed it.
"When's Lisa going to be done with her tests here?"
"Lisa isn't here. She's at home. Scott may be home with her. He got my 911 call as well and called me right away. I told her to worry about her as she's home alone."
"Who are you here with?"
"Her name is Lucia. She's friends with Deputy Evans from LA. She's staying with us while she gets treatment here."
"Yeah, I think I met her on Friday night. She came with the lawyer and the other guy."
"That's right."
"I'll probably stop off at your house to have the other two sign their statements. Maybe I'll escort you home."
"My husband wanted us to stop and buy some special ammunition for his gun. Can we make a stop along the way?"
"He's not going looking for Jack, is he?" Riley said, his voice lowering and ominous.
"No, sir. Self defense only. In fact, my friend Lucia has got the weapon now. She has a Concealed Carry Permit. Scott doesn't have one. He thought we should be protected since we were leaving the house today."
"Does she know what she's doing with it?"
"I think so. Deputy Evans has been working with her for over a year on self defense."
"Why has she needed self defense?"
I told him the whole sorry story, her gang rape by government soldiers, the death of some family members, the incarceration of the others, her problems conceiving as a result which is why she was here.
"The self defense training was part of her rehabilitation and counseling, so she wouldn't feel helpless and so afraid of men anymore," I said.
"Christ!"
"Makes what Lisa and I went through pale in comparison. Not that it makes it right, but there's always someone who has it worse than you do. She was showing us some things last night. I wouldn't mess with her on a bet."
"Why does Scott want to get different ammo?"
"The stuff we have is target ammunition. Marcia recommended we get jacketed hollow point. I don't know the difference, but Scott and Lucia know. She said it was less likely to go through your target and hit someone else and would do more damage to Jack."
"Oh, yeah. It definitely does that."
Lucia came out shortly after. "They have one more test they have to run today," she said. "I have two more tests on Thursday and Friday is when Dr. Sturgis will tell me if she can help or not."
"Can I speak to you a moment?" Detective Riley asked.
"I already told the officer about the man following us."
"It's not that; a couple different things. Could you step outside with me a moment. I don't want to startle anyone in here."
Lucia nodded. "As long as it doesn't take much time. They said they'd call me in ten minutes."
"It won't take long." They walked outside and around a corner.
They were gone no more than five minutes, then they came back. Detective Riley was nodding thoughtfully.
"How long is the next test supposed to last?" He asked.
"Thirty to forty-five minutes."
"Listen, I'll meet you both at the house in two hours," Detective Riley said. "I don't think you'll need a police escort to get you home safely."
"Why's that, Detective Riley?"
"Because I wouldn't mess with her on a bet either. Feel free to get your new ammo."
Lucia grinned like the Cheshire Cat.
"Thank you, detective," she said.
He left and I asked, "What was that all about?"
"He wanted to check my Concealed Carry permit and see if I knew what I was doing."
"How did you prove you knew what you were doing?"
"I disarmed him. Took his gun away. Twice." Grinning.
I laughed. Lucia laughed with me.
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