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“Listen, Delilah,” I said as calm and as comforting as I could. “We have the security tapes from that night. We know you didn’t go to the club with Justin. You were alone. You spoke to the owner and there’s evidence of you purchasing a membership and a mask from the shop.”
Her jaw began to tremble, and then she broke, sobbing with tears pouring down her cheeks.
“Delilah.” I scooted closer to her and grabbed her hand, trying to calm her by rubbing my thumb in smooth circles along her skin. “You’re not in any trouble here, okay? We just need to know what really happened and why you lied.”
“I didn’t lie about the rape,” she swore. “Justin… I discovered he was cheating on me. I went through his phone and found messages between him and this girl… Kristen. A friend of mine knows how to make fake ID’s and so, I got one. I knew Justin was meeting her at The Flirty Sanctum, and—”
“You went there to catch him in the act,” Detective Hutch said from behind me.
“I was going to confront him,” she fiercely admonished, her red eyes flashing. “But I never got the chance. I couldn’t find him. Everyone there… They all had masks on, and according to the rules, you can’t officially enter the sanctum without one.”
“What happened?” I asked. “There’s no use in lying, so you might as well come clean.”
“I bought this ugly beaver mask and as soon as I was through the door, I went hunting. When I couldn’t find Justin, I decided to head back to the front desk because I remembered I had to sign in after I purchased my membership. I never thought about checking the list when I first got there, so I decided to go back to see if his name was on it.”
“But you never made it that far, did you?” asked Detective Rhodes.
Delilah sadly shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“Did you talk to anyone? Anyone at all? Even if it was just a few words?” I asked.
“The bartender greeted me and asked if I wanted something to drink, but other than that, no.”
“You said your attacker had a bull mask on,” said Detective Hutch.
“Yes!” Her eyes frantically lit up. “It was a bull. It had to be. If not a bull, then it was something extremely close to it. I was so scared… I tried to scream, but then the guy put his hand over my mouth and told me to shut up or else he’d kill me. He-he had a knife…”
“He pulled a knife on you?” Detective Hutch repeated, his tone raised and heated.
“Delilah,” Rhodes cut in gently. “Why didn’t you tell us this the first time?”
“Because I was terrified,” she answered, her wet eyes wide and pleading for us to understand. “I’ve never been in this type of situation before.”
“It’s fine,” I said before either of the detectives could say anything else. “We know now, and that’s all that matters. Now, your attacker… Did he say anything else to you? Anything at all?”
“He…” She paused, her jaw trembling as she swallowed. “He told me I was stupid and that I knew better. That I belonged to him and that he had to teach me a lesson.”
I sat back in my seat then and blinked in frank surprise, my brows to my hairline. “And why would he say something like that?”
“How the hell would I know?” She met my gaze, then Hutch, then Rhodes. “I have no idea who did this to me if that’s what you’re implying. I swear I’m telling the truth.”
“And you never saw his face?” Hutch asked. “Not even a glimpse?”
Delilah shook her head. “No, never. It covered his whole face, and he never took it off, but…”
“But what?” I wondered. “What is it?”
“My mask broke while he was beating me. He tore it off and when he saw my face, he…stopped. His whole body went stiff, and it was like he was just… frozen. I can’t be sure, but a part of me feels like maybe he thought I was someone else.”
I took a moment to absorb the information, nodding at the probability. It wasn’t as crazy as it sounded, and I could tell just from the look in her eyes that she was terrified we wouldn’t believe her.
“And then what happened?” asked Detective Rhodes.
“He bolted after that. Ran right out the bathroom and just left me there on the floor.”
“What about your mask?” I asked. “Do you know where it is?”
Sadly, Delilah shook her head. “Sorry, no, I don’t. I don’t remember seeing it in the bathroom before I ran out, so it’s possible the guy could’ve taken it with him.”
