Page 50 of Making Home with You
“This is a small town, Sir, even if I wasn’t the Chief, it would be hard not to know,” I say, immediately regretting my words.“But yes, I know.”
“Okay,” he says, not giving anything away.“Well, obviously this is something we have to treat seriously,” he continues and I say nothing, only nod at his words.“But, that doesn’t mean we don’t take a balanced approach when we do,” he adds.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning,” he continues.“That I’m here to get your side of the story, that’s all.”
I let out a long exhale, loosening my fingers which have somehow become tightly entwined on my desk.“And do I get to hear her version of events.”
The detective shakes his head.“No,” he says.“At this stage, you are aware of her allegation, but in order to make this fair and unbiased, I need to ask for your version of events first.”
I watch as he pulls a small recording device from his pocket and places it on the desk between us.He makes a note of the time and who is present in the room before nodding toward me, as if to signal I can begin.
I fall back in my chair, push a hand through my hair as I try to imagine exactly what Carla has told this guy.When he could possibly have gone to see her.Two weeks ago, I never would have dreamed that a single night from high school could have ended up like this.
“It was nearly sixteen years ago,” I start, forcing myself to maintain eye contact.“Which of course doesn’t dismiss things, but I do want to categorically state that what did happen was entirely consensual.”
Detective Greenwood nods.“Just start from the beginning,” he says.“Tell me what happened.”
So I do.
I explain how one night, toward the end of our final year in high school, at a party to celebrate our upcoming graduation, Carla approached me.I’d always known she’d had a bit of a crush on me and while I wasn’t looking for a girlfriend or anything, I wasn’t going to dismiss the idea of a one-time hook-up either, especially when it was something she wanted too.
We’d both been drinking, but neither of us was so drunk we didn’t know what we were doing.I’d probably had four beers at most and at first we spent an hour or so just hanging out in the kitchen, flirting and innocently touching each other.
At some point though, Carla suggested we take things somewhere private, slipping a hand under my t-shirt as she pressed her body against mine.I remember looking at her, wondering if she was serious, wondering if this was a good idea, especially when I knew she probably wanted me more than I wanted her.
“Come on, Finn,” she’d said, practically purring.“Let’s go fool around a little.”
I don’t know what made me do it.Guess I was just a horny teenager like everyone else at that age.Either way, I let her lead me into a bedroom upstairs where she proceeded to jump me, even supplying the condom after she’d pulled my clothes off.
We’d had fun, of that I was certain and afterward as we’d laid there trying to catch our breath, we’d even discussed our plans now that school was nearly over.
I was moving away, heading to the police academy in New Braintree like my dad and granddad had done.Even though it was only two hours away and I had my own car, I wasn’t sure I’d be coming back to Rockport on a regular basis.Certainly not often enough to consider having a serious girlfriend.
Carla told me she was heading to BU to study business and even though that was thirty minutes closer, it still wasn’t enough to convince me that us trying for any kind of relationship was a good idea.I thought she’d accepted that.Thought she understood that even a casual friends-with-benefits thing when both of us were back in town wasn’t what I was looking for.
We’d left on good terms.She’d even thanked me for the good time before she kissed me and walked out the door.Never in a million years could I have expected she’d turn this into something as ugly and perverse as sexual assault.
“Okay,” Detective Greenwood says, when I finally finish, glancing down at the notes he’s been making as I’ve recounted this story.“There’s definitely some differences in your version of events,” he says.“Can you think of any reason why Ms.Robinson might be suggesting things happened differently?”
I let out another deep breath, suddenly exhausted by all of this.“My guess would be because I’ve been seeing someone,” I say.“It’s serious and I guess she doesn’t like that because ever since her divorce she’s been repeatedly asking me out, hoping for something more.”
“And your response to those invitations?”he prompts.
“Has always been no,” I say, sitting up a little.“I’m not interested in a relationship with her.I never have been and I’ve made that clear from the get go.”
“Okay,” he says, holding up a hand as though to placate me.I realize I’m now leaning forward, an urgency in my body language as though I’m willing this guy, who could ruin my career with the stroke of his pen, to believe me.
I force myself to sit back, to relax so I don’t come off as too defensive, or worse still, aggressive.
“Right,” he says, jotting down a few more notes.“So from here, I’m going to need to do a little more investigation before we make any decisions.”
“What kind of decisions?”I immediately ask, my heart pounding in my chest despite my attempts to remain calm.
“Look, Finn,” he says, his voice calm as he offers me a smile.“We’re not out to ruin anyone with this, okay?Yes, this is a serious allegation and there are procedures we need to follow, but we will investigate it thoroughly.”
“But…”
