The Third Twin Page 0,14

head and began to cry. Jeannie squeezed her hand. She wanted to say to McHenty, "What the hell was she supposed to do?" But she kept silent. Already today she had been rude to a boy who looked like Brad Pitt, made a bitchy remark about Lisa's boobs, and snapped at the lobby guard in the gym. She knew she was not good at dealing with authority figures, and she was determined not to make an enemy of this policeman, who was only trying to do his job.

McHenty went on: "Just before he penetrated you, did he force your legs apart?"

Jeannie winced. Surely they should have female cops to ask these questions?

Lisa said: "He touched my thigh with the point of the knife."

"Did he cut you?"

"No."

"So you opened your legs voluntarily."

Jeannie said: "If a suspect pulls a weapon on a cop, you generally shoot him down, don't you? Do you call that voluntary?"

McHenty gave her an angry look. "Please leave this to me, miss." He turned back to Lisa. "Do you have any injuries at all?"

"I'm bleeding, yes."

"Is that as a result of the forced intercourse?"

"Yes."

"Where are you injured, exactly?"

Jeannie could not stand it any longer. "Why don't we let the doctor establish that?"

He looked at her as if she were stupid. "I have to make the preliminary report."

"Then let it say she has internal injuries as a result of the rape."

"I'm conducting this interview."

"And I'm telling you to back off, mister," Jeannie said, controlling the urge to scream at him. "My friend is in distress and I don't think she needs to describe her internal injuries to you when she's going to be examined by a doctor any second now."

McHenty looked furious, but he moved on. "I noticed you had on red lace underwear. Do you think that had any effect on what happened?"

Lisa looked away, her eyes full of tears.

Jeannie said: "If I reported my red Mercedes stolen, would you ask me whether I had provoked the theft by driving such an attractive car?"

McHenty ignored her. "Do you think you might have met the perpetrator before, Lisa?"

"No."

"But the smoke must have made it difficult for you to see clearly. And he wore a scarf of some kind over his face."

"At first I was practically blind. But there wasn't much smoke in the room where ... he did it. I saw him." She nodded to herself. "I saw him."

"So you would recognize him if you saw him again."

Lisa shuddered. "Oh, yes."

"But you've never seen him before, like in a bar or anything."

"No."

"Do you go to bars, Lisa?"

"Sure."

"Singles bars, that kind of thing?"

Jeannie boiled over. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"The kind defense lawyers ask," McHenty said.

"Lisa isn't on trial - she's not the perpetrator, she's the victim!"

"Were you a virgin, Lisa?"

Jeannie stood up. "Okay, that's enough. I do not believe this is supposed to happen. You're not supposed to ask these invasive questions."

McHenty raised his voice. "I'm trying to establish her credibility."

"One hour after she was violated? Forget it!"

"I'm doing my job - "

"I don't believe you know your job. I don't think you know shit, McHenty."

Before he could reply, a doctor walked in without knocking. He was young and looked harassed and tired. "Is this the rape?" he said.

"This is Ms. Lisa Hoxton," Jeannie said icily. "Yes, she was raped."

"I'll need a vaginal swab,"

He was charmless, but at least he provided an excuse to get rid of McHenty. Jeannie looked at the cop. He stayed put, as if he thought he were going to supervise the taking of the swab. She said: "Before you do that, Doctor, perhaps Patrolman McHenty will excuse us?"

The doctor paused, looking at McHenty. The cop shrugged and went out.

The doctor pulled the sheet off Lisa with an abrupt gesture. "Lift your gown and spread your legs," he said.

Lisa began to cry.

Jeannie could hardly believe it. What was it with these men? "Excuse me, sir," she said to the doctor.

He glared at her impatiently. "Have you got a problem?"

"Could you please try to be a little more polite?"

He reddened. "This hospital is full of people with traumatic injuries and life-threatening illnesses," he said. "Right now in the emergency room there are three children who have been in a car wreck, and they're all going to die. And you're complaining that I'm not being polite to a girl who got into bed with the wrong man?"

Jeannie was flabbergasted. "Got into bed with the wrong man?" she repeated.

Lisa sat upright. "I want to go