The humiliation was fresh all over again, and I couldn’t look at anyone in the room.
“Then he pressed a button, and the panel between the front seat and back seat slid down. Oleg . . . he had the girl . . . the young one. She was crying and she’d been beaten. Oleg started to squeeze her neck. I’ve never seen anyone’s eyes bulge before. They went red—all the white parts went red—and I thought, Oh my God, all the veins in her eyes are breaking! She was looking at me the whole time. She just kept looking at me. Her lips were blue and she was scratching at Oleg’s hands, but he just laughed. And Sergei . . . he was laughing, too. He said, ‘She won’t last much longer’. And . . . and . . . I didn’t want her to die. Then she wasn’t moving anymore. And I knew he wanted to kill her. He was enjoying it. They both were! Those sick bastards . . .”
I covered my face with my hands.
“So I did it. I did what he said. Oleg kept laughing and Sergei . . .”
I heaved, but managed not puke, swallowing back the vomit that threatened to humiliate me again.
“It made me sick. When he . . . finished, I threw up all over him. He was so angry, screaming at me. He slammed the gun against my head, here, and I thought he’d shoot me, but he opened the car door and pushed me out. He held the gun and pointed it at me. I thought he’d kill me. I didn’t even care anymore.” I glanced up, but it wasn’t the police station I was seeing. “The girl . . . I think he killed her in front of me and I did nothing!”
I shouted out the last word and Angela rested her hand on my arm lightly. Her sudden touch made me lash out, overturning the chair as I leapt backwards.
There was an appalled silence while Angela stared at me fearfully.
“I think we should take a break now,” said Petronelli.
Angela nodded and closed her notebook.
“Interview suspended at 15:24.”
“I’m sorry.”
But I wasn’t sure who I was saying it to.
Three hours later, I sat alone in the interview room. I was wrung out, utterly devoid of any feeling other than the dull ache of shame, too exhausted to care any longer.
The questions had gone on and on: who had I seen, what had been said, who was the biker, had I seen drugs, had I been given drugs, what had Volkov said, where was Marta when I saw her, what had she said, where was the brothel where she was being kept, where was I going to get the money to pay Sergei, how many times had I sold myself to women, why hadn’t I gone to the police when I had the chance? And then reliving the horror of the night they’d caught me and the evil bastard Oleg had flogged me with his own belt while Sergei jerked off.
Then the policemen had photographed my back and ass, commenting quietly to themselves on the marks.
Somehow it was worse that all of this was in front of Laney’s friend. It was a mistake having her there. She’d been professional, kind even, but now she knew things about me. She knew and she judged me, whether she meant to or not.
But I guess Laney would find out one way or another. If not from Angela, then from her father.
Angela walked back into the room, pushing a cup of black coffee in front of me as she sat opposite. I couldn’t drink it without cream and sugar, but I enjoyed holding the warm cup.
“How are you doing?”
I almost laughed and Angela gave me a rueful smile.
“That’s understandable, but you did well. They’ve got a lot of information to work with and pass on to the Las Vegas police.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“I know what you were told, but there are good officers there who will investigate. This won’t be swept under the carpet.”
I was silent. I’d wanted justice for the girl, for Marta and the others. But the justice Sergei and Oleg deserved was at the end of a gun or a rope, not through Courtrooms and police and polite pieces of paper.
“Your Embassy has been contacted and they’re going to expedite a new passport, but it could take a while, bearing in mind that the current one has been used illegally. They’re prepared to issue temporary ID so you can access your bank account in Slovenia and have your credit cards re-issued. But don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks. I’ll do my best to hurry them along . . . unfortunately this means that they won’t be able to arrange a flight home for you just yet, and with the ongoing police investigation, well, they’d like you to be around for the time being. However, your Embassy has authorized me to issue you $200 hardship money and arrange a hotel for you.” She smiled at me. “But Laney says you’re welcome to stay with her.”
I looked up, stunned.
“She’ll let me stay?”
“Yes.”
I met Angela’s eyes, reading the unspoken message.
Then I shook my head. “Her father won’t let that happen.”
Angela laughed lightly. “If you think her father could stop Laney when she’s made up her mind, you don’t know her very well.”