A Steele Between Two Thorns - Part Thirty-Seven
“And - and then Mr. Steele and he fought, and I - I picked up the gun and shot him in the leg.”
Lieutenant Benjamin nodded as he took down Laura’s account. “Right. And did he actually confess, or was this all a total waste of time?”
Laura frowned at the officer and self-consciously adjusted the orange jumpsuit that she had donned in place of her own torn outfit. “He didn’t say anything definite, but he - um - alluded to another instance.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll see what I can get on him.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Steele said quickly, wrapping an arm around Laura’s shoulders. “Are we free to go?”
Benjamin paused, looking at her carefully. “You know, Mrs. Steele, it really doesn’t take long to collect a rape kit, and -“
“I wasn’t raped,” Laura said through gritted teeth for the tenth time. “I’m fine.”
The officer glanced appealingly at Steele, but he was looking at Laura with narrowed eyes. She, in turn, was staring determinedly at Benjamin.
“Fine. Have it your way,” Benjamin said at last, tucking his notebook away. “I’ll let you know what happens.”
He left them standing together in silence. After several minutes, Steele gently said, “Laura? Why don’t we get out of here?”
She nodded and followed him to the van, still parked around the corner. Neither said anything as they drove. Mildred sat behind them, glancing from one to the other, obviously full of questions, but aware that it was the wrong time to ask.
The silence persisted until they reached the loft, when Steele finally said the only thing he could think of. “Can I - um - can I get you anything?”
Laura shook her head. “I’d just like to take a bath, if it’s alright.”
“I’ll go run it,” he said, but he didn’t move. “Laura - um -“
“It’s alright, Harry, you can say it.”
“Say what?”
“I told you so.”
Steele raised his eyebrows. “Why would I say that?”
“Because you were right. It wasn’t a good idea to go in alone.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“I was stupid.”
“So was I. I let you go.”
Laura looked up into his eyes for the first time since the incident. “Are you angry?”
He sighed. “Of course not. I’m just worried about you.” He paused before continuing in a very quiet voice. “What did he do to you?”
She turned her eyes to the ground and didn’t answer.
“Laura, I know it’s not something you’d like to tell people, but if he - if he -“ Steele’s voice broke. “You should really tell Lieutenant Benjamin.”
To his surprise, Laura smiled. “He didn’t go that far, thanks to you.”
Steele breathed an enormous sigh of relief and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank God.” He held her for a few minutes before asking, “What did he do?”
Laura pulled back. “I held him off pretty well, but he - he touched me a few times.”
“I see.” Steele noticed that she wasn’t looking at him again. “I’ll go run that bath.”
When the tub was ready, he gently reached for the jumpsuit and began to remove it. He tried not wince as several unpleasant cuts were revealed on her abdomen, but he couldn’t help grimacing when he saw the ugly bruises that circled her wrists.
“Would you rather be alone?” he asked, when she had eased into the water.
Laura looked for a moment as though she was about to say yes, but then she shook her head. “No.”
Steele carefully began to wash her body. It didn’t escape his notice that she looked uncomfortable as he touched her at first, but he continued until - to his relief - she relaxed.
“Harry,” she said later, when they were sitting on the couch with steaming bowls of soup. “This morning I promised that we could… tonight. But I don’t…”
He leaned over and kissed her lightly. “I wouldn’t expect it tonight, love.”
She smiled. “You know you make a very good husband.”
Lieutenant Benjamin nodded as he took down Laura’s account. “Right. And did he actually confess, or was this all a total waste of time?”
Laura frowned at the officer and self-consciously adjusted the orange jumpsuit that she had donned in place of her own torn outfit. “He didn’t say anything definite, but he - um - alluded to another instance.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll see what I can get on him.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Steele said quickly, wrapping an arm around Laura’s shoulders. “Are we free to go?”
Benjamin paused, looking at her carefully. “You know, Mrs. Steele, it really doesn’t take long to collect a rape kit, and -“
“I wasn’t raped,” Laura said through gritted teeth for the tenth time. “I’m fine.”
The officer glanced appealingly at Steele, but he was looking at Laura with narrowed eyes. She, in turn, was staring determinedly at Benjamin.
“Fine. Have it your way,” Benjamin said at last, tucking his notebook away. “I’ll let you know what happens.”
He left them standing together in silence. After several minutes, Steele gently said, “Laura? Why don’t we get out of here?”
She nodded and followed him to the van, still parked around the corner. Neither said anything as they drove. Mildred sat behind them, glancing from one to the other, obviously full of questions, but aware that it was the wrong time to ask.
The silence persisted until they reached the loft, when Steele finally said the only thing he could think of. “Can I - um - can I get you anything?”
Laura shook her head. “I’d just like to take a bath, if it’s alright.”
“I’ll go run it,” he said, but he didn’t move. “Laura - um -“
“It’s alright, Harry, you can say it.”
“Say what?”
“I told you so.”
Steele raised his eyebrows. “Why would I say that?”
“Because you were right. It wasn’t a good idea to go in alone.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“I was stupid.”
“So was I. I let you go.”
Laura looked up into his eyes for the first time since the incident. “Are you angry?”
He sighed. “Of course not. I’m just worried about you.” He paused before continuing in a very quiet voice. “What did he do to you?”
She turned her eyes to the ground and didn’t answer.
“Laura, I know it’s not something you’d like to tell people, but if he - if he -“ Steele’s voice broke. “You should really tell Lieutenant Benjamin.”
To his surprise, Laura smiled. “He didn’t go that far, thanks to you.”
Steele breathed an enormous sigh of relief and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank God.” He held her for a few minutes before asking, “What did he do?”
Laura pulled back. “I held him off pretty well, but he - he touched me a few times.”
“I see.” Steele noticed that she wasn’t looking at him again. “I’ll go run that bath.”
When the tub was ready, he gently reached for the jumpsuit and began to remove it. He tried not wince as several unpleasant cuts were revealed on her abdomen, but he couldn’t help grimacing when he saw the ugly bruises that circled her wrists.
“Would you rather be alone?” he asked, when she had eased into the water.
Laura looked for a moment as though she was about to say yes, but then she shook her head. “No.”
Steele carefully began to wash her body. It didn’t escape his notice that she looked uncomfortable as he touched her at first, but he continued until - to his relief - she relaxed.
“Harry,” she said later, when they were sitting on the couch with steaming bowls of soup. “This morning I promised that we could… tonight. But I don’t…”
He leaned over and kissed her lightly. “I wouldn’t expect it tonight, love.”
She smiled. “You know you make a very good husband.”