Crash Into Me by Liz Seccuro

Author:Liz Seccuro
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781608193110
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Published: 2010-02-14T10:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

The Media Beast and

What She Eats

C ommonwealth of Virginia v. William Beebe was the name of the case—the Commonwealth was bringing charges against someone who had broken its laws. I had been just seventeen at the time of the rape, so it was a case of sexual assault against a minor, and as such, I was referred to only as Jane Doe in the filings. Still, my anonymity did not last long. I hadn’t anticipated how much interest the media would have in my case, or how quickly they would find me. It didn’t help that someone at the Charlottesville juvenile courthouse had neglected to black out my real name in two instances on the indictment. On the day of Beebe’s arrest, Chief Longo held his brief, somber press conference on the steps of Charlottesville City Hall. Almost immediately, our home phone—which had always been an unlisted number—and even my cell phone started ringing off the hook with reporters asking for comments. My BlackBerry was abuzz with further requests. I didn’t want to make any public statements, and I definitely did not want to say anything that might jeopardize the case. We didn’t know what to say on the phone except “She is not available.” But the media do not give up easily. By the next morning, the AP wire had picked up the story, and life as I knew it came to an abrupt end. The phone calls were just the beginning. Two days later, laden with a sleepy two-year-old and an SUV filled with groceries, I turned into my driveway in the early evening. At the bottom of the hill on Lake Avenue, news trucks were idling with their lights off, as if I would be too stupid to notice. I gunned my engine and hightailed it up the hill. Parking alongside the house, instead of in the garage, I left my groceries and sprinted into the house through the rear kitchen entrance with Ava in my arms. I slammed the door, locked it, and lowered all of the miniblinds. As if on cue, there was an aggressive slamming of our knocker out at the front door—it was only a matter of time before they found the back entrance.

Mike came into the kitchen and I could only point my finger toward the front door with fright in my eyes. Ava and I crawled underneath the kitchen table. I pretended it was a game and put my finger to my lips with an exaggerated “Shhhhhh …” She giggled and became a happy co-conspirator as we huddled together in our secret spot, pretending to hide from Daddy. I didn’t want to face the cameras; more important, I didn’t want anyone taking pictures of Ava. My first responsibility was to protect her.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I finally heard the door open and a bit of a scuffle with Mike’s loud voice echoing off the walls. He did not sound happy. Leaning out from under my table, I could spy a little throng of lights, cameras, and people.

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