“I’m here for Detective Jimenez,” I said quietly.
He gave a polite smile. “Shouldn’t be long. If you folks would just have a seat right over there, she’ll be right with you.”
I nodded and sat between my parents in the blue cushioned chairs on the other side of the room. My father still hadn’t said a word.
“Where’s AJ?” My mother asked.
I shook my head. “He’s not…we’re not…” It didn’t matter. She didn’t pry.
“Ms. Kelley,” Detective Jimenez smiled. I returned the gesture and motioned for my parents to come back with me.
“Is it okay if they come, too?” I asked, unashamed that I sounded like a child. I felt like one.
Detective Jimenez nodded. “That’s entirely up to you, but be aware that we do need to discuss some of the night’s events in detail. If you’re comfortable with that, I don’t have a problem with it.
Hesitantly, I nodded. The detective led us to a small conference room where she closed the door before taking a seat across from us at the long, rectangular table. “So…before we start, you mentioned that you were coming down here today to talk to me about a few things. I’ll let you start.”
My hands were shaking so badly that my mother grabbed them in hers and tried to calm me. It felt like my chest was going to cave in, but I had to do this.
“You asked me who my attacker was, and…I’m ready to give you his name now,” I forced out.
With a sympathetic expression, Detective Jimenez gave an encouraging nod.
I blew all of the air out of my lungs and had a flashback of that night, being trapped in his bed with his arm over me like we’d just made love. “His name’s Antonio Martin.”
The detective gave a slow nod. “And I’m assuming that you knew Mr. Martin prior to this incident, correct?”
I nodded. “We went to high school together – dated for awhile.”
She nodded again and made notes in her notepad.
“And how did the evening play out?”
Again I sighed deeply and forced myself to think back to that night. “We had plans to hang out that night. I changed my mind at the last minute and went to his place to cancel because I thought it’d be better than doing it over the phone, and…”
My mother pulled my head down on her shoulder when I paused to quench my tears. “He didn’t like that, in his eyes, I was rejecting him again.”
“Mm hm… and what time was this?”
I thought back to the time I was supposed to meet AJ at the fountain. “Around 6:30.”
She made a few more notes. “There was a young guy who the nurses said brought you to the hospital?”
I nodded. “Yes…my ex.” My chest ached when I had to refer to AJ that way.
“And his name?”
“Anthony Hahn.”
Her pencil went to work again. “Was he with you at the hospital the entire time?”
Her question confused me. What difference did that make? “Yes, he stayed with me until I was released. After that, he took me to get a room because I couldn’t go back to my dorm.”
Detective Jimenez’s eyes met mine. “Why’s that?”
“Because my purse and keys are still in Antonio’s apartment.”
She made another note and then reached beneath the table. “This purse?” She asked, sliding my black satchel bag across to me. Confusion crossed my face. How on Earth would she have my bag if I hadn’t told her who was responsible for this?
Detective Jimenez clasped her hands atop the table and met my gaze. “We found this tucked away in the closet of Mr. Martin’s apartment. Imagine my surprise when we looked inside and found your license.”
I still didn’t understand.
“A frantic call came in from one of Mr. Martin’s neighbor’s last night. Apparently someone broke into his apartment and nearly beat him half to death. His phone and wallet were missing, so we thought that it was just a run of the mill breaking and entering gone wrong, but…that was until your purse became a factor.”