Derision by Trisha Wolfe

Author:Trisha Wolfe [Wolfe, Trisha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-05-21T04:00:00+00:00

I’ve seen violence before. Depicted in images as I researched cases. The woman who filed spousal abuse on her husband. Her bruised face. Despondent, shadowed eyes that held so much pain. The man who was assaulted by a coworker. The chair that broke his arm. The claim that followed which showed the X-rays and hardship of his suffering.

I always viewed this violent world safely removed, however. Just a shade away from the victims. The pictures spread out before me now seem too close, too real. As if I can reach down and touch Samantha Dean.

The ligature marks wrapping her wrists make mine itch, and I rub my fingers over my skin, feeling the raised welts, the remnants of the chain that bound me the night before.

Although mine was accepted willingly, I can’t help feeling a connection to this victim on a deeper level that has nothing to do with last night. The fabric of time is slipping, and I’m struggling to stay in the moment.

Unlike the victim here, I don’t have visible proof of my scars. So they’re easily dismissed. Ignored. Forgotten. Proof, as I’ve come to learn, is all that matters. If you can’t prove it, then it never happened. I could’ve imagined the whole thing for all the world cares.

“The victim’s account of last night doesn’t match the accused’s MO,” Chase says as he flips the page in the report.

The ACA sitting at the table across from us leans forward, swiping a stray hair from her vision. “Then you admit your client has an MO.” She’s young, and her raised eyebrows give away too much of her thoughts, even though she’s doing a good job of that all on her own.

Chase isn’t fazed by her accusation. Instead, he continues to read the victim’s statement without any acknowledgment her way. “Accused, Miss Garcia. Doctor Bates has been accused three times and stood trial, all accounts inciting a specific routine.” He does look up once he’s finished with the report. “Or ritual, if you will. This, however, is a clear witch hunt. So now, every time a rape is reported anywhere within three counties, the Commonwealth is going to waste precious time by first harassing my client rather than conducting an investigation.” He crosses his arms. “Good to know.”

I’ve seen Chase in action before, during preliminaries and on news broadcasts, but I’ve never been this close to him while he’s in fighter mode. He exudes a dominance that ripples over my skin, heating my flesh. The woman across from him feels it, too. She touches her hair again and glances down, a clear sign she’s affected.

She’s as much out of her depth with him as I am.

After she clears her throat, she pushes another report across the table. “The scope of the warrant included Doctor Bates’ computer.”

“Oh, come on,” Chase says, his tone mocking. “How did you even get that pushed through? What judge did you stroke off?”

She blanches at his lewd allegation, and I can’t stop the smile that twists my lips.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.