Undercover Hunter(55)
The chair scraped on the floor as he sat. Outside the wind howled like a banshee bringing a horrible portent of doom. Ice rattled on windows, sounding like the taps of skeletal fingers. Nature was conducting a massive assault at the moment, and even being indoors wasn’t making her feel safe.
“I got angry about how you were treated,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. “I figured you didn’t need that. You’ve probably been there yourself countless times, so what can I add? Just that I hate rapists. Loathe them. And that I wish you could have gotten justice. But I’m no fool. So many rape victims don’t. I am, however, really impressed by the way you turned it around to help others. Not everyone would do that.”
DeeJay shrugged. “It just made me see things clearly. There’s a big institutional problem in the military when it comes to rape. You know. It’s been in the news.”
“I know. And it’s not just in the military.”
She lifted her eyes then, amazed that he understood. “No, it’s not.”
“Anyway, I’m truly sorry that you didn’t get the support you needed when you most needed it. You were violated in more than one way.”
“Thank you.” There seemed to be nothing more to say as she tried to stuff it all back into the dark mental box where she had kept it locked up all these years. Dragging it out didn’t fix anything—it just upset her all over again, reminding her of how vulnerable she could be against someone of greater size and strength. It also reminded her that she was never safe, even with a comrade. She couldn’t afford to live that way or she’d be cowering in a cave somewhere.
The important thing was not to be ruled by fear. Ever.
“I guess you’re not a misogynist,” she finally said.
His eyes widened. “Me? No way. Did I do something?”
“Only your reaction to having me as a partner. Now that I know why, I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time.”
A slow smile split his face. “I was wondering how we were going to be able to jolt along.”
“You’re right. I’m a prickly pear. I probably see slights where none are really intended. But mainly I want to make sure I’m treated as an equal. I guess I can go overboard sometimes.”
“I never met anybody who couldn’t, if the right buttons are pushed.” He got up, emptied the dregs from the coffeepot into the sink and started to make fresh. “Part of it was what happened to me with that woman. Part of it was that I knew nothing about you. I had no idea if you’d be a help or a hindrance.”
She nodded. “Have you decided?”
He faced her. “You’re a damn good investigator, DeeJay. We can leave it there if you want. A good partner.”
“Except for my carping about the cold.”
He came back to the table and sat. “Secret? It’s too damn cold for me, too. And I lived most of my life here. Still, there are at least a few weeks every winter when I wonder why I didn’t take a job in a warmer place. So carp away.”
She put her mug down at last, no longer needing to hang on to it. “I just need to adapt. I’m adaptable.” She closed her eyes, trying to finish the journey from her past into the present. “Part of me still wishes we’d climbed up to the crime scene. The rest of me knows it would have been a waste of energy after all this time. Buried under snow, whatever may have been left rotted...but it feels like unfinished business.”