MOB

While Detective Richards escorted Me’shelle out of the building, he offered up a half-baked apology, which he served cold. He found no takers. Me’shelle walked silently out of the building and got in her car. She understood now why Travis didn’t want to go with her to the police station to face the detective. She realized, after the treatment she received, that even though Travis didn’t know Bruce, the detective would have tried to push a connection down his throat.

That thought made her feel a little better as she drove herself home. What was still troubling was the fact that Travis not only was a robber, but he had lied to her about it all these months. Maybe if he was honest about it from the start-Get real. If he had told you what he was doing, you wouldn’t have given him the time of day.

She thought about something Travis had told her over dinner when he first started the programming job.

“This is the first programming job that I’ve had in two years.”

“How have you survived for two years without a job?” Me’shelle asked.

“Sometimes real life leads you to make real hard choices that you normally wouldn’t.” But then the waiter arrived and broke into an elaborate description of the desserts, and she never got around to asking Travis what he meant by that. Now she wished that she had.

What’s really bothering you? She asked herself. Is it what he does for money, or that he didn’t tell you?

She didn’t know, but the question had to be answered.

Chapter Thirty-one

The day had come for Brandy to be released from the hospital. Although she was still disoriented, and still plagued by uncontrollable trembling and feelings of coldness all over her body, Brandy’s condition had improved. She began to communicate again.

Me’shelle and her aunt arrived at the hospital early. However, when they walked into Brandy’s room, they found Detective Richards, the rape counselor, and a police sketch artist in the room with her.

“What in God’s name is going on here?” Juanita demanded to know as soon as they came through the door.

Brandy looked up at them and smiled. Detective Richards stood up and approached the three ladies.

“Brandy, I needed to speak with your family for a minute. Is that okay?” Judith, the rape counselor, asked.

Brandy nodded and glanced in Me’shelle’s direction. Seeing Me’shelle made her feel better. Brandy spoke slowly. “Can Aunt Me'shelle stay with me, Judith?”

“Well, Brandy, honey, I really need to speak with Me’shelle too. Is that going to be okay? I promise that it won’t take long and we’ll be right outside. Is that okay?”

“It’s okay,” Brandy said softly. Judith stood up and started for the door.

“Judith,” Brandy called.

Judith turned around. “Yes, Brandy?”

Brandy pointed at the sketch artist. “I don’t want to be alone with him.” The sketch artist got up immediately and walked out of the room.

“Does he frighten you?” Judith asked.

“No. I just don’t want to be alone with him.”

“He’s gone now, Brandy. But we need his help to catch the men who did this to you.”

“I understand.”

“I’ll stay in here with her,” Miranda offered. “I won’t do anything to upset her.”

Judith looked at Detective Richards and he nodded. Miranda sat down next to Brandy as the others left the room.

Once outside the room, Detective Richards explained that when Judith called and told him that Brandy could answer questions, he grabbed the sketch artist and came right down.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t call you, but I kind of assumed one of you would be here,” Richards said.

“That doesn’t matter,” Juanita said.

“That girl is a minor. One of us should have been here before you asked her anything,” Me’shelle added.

“Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have, but you haven’t exactly been cooperative, Ms. Lawrence. I thought it best that we go ahead. I haven’t asked any questions. I just listened while she told Judith what happened to her.”

“Me’shelle,” Judith said, “I want to assure you that Brandy has been doing fine with this. She’s been able to tell us what happened that night, and was doing very well with the sketch artist.

“Brandy told me that she felt dirty and ashamed. She may have not have been able to be as open if her family was in the room while that was going on.”

“But Brandy wants me to stay with her,” Me’shelle protested.

“I see that, and since she’s already told us all what happened, I’m willing to let you go back in there with us. But just you. And only if you promise to keep quiet and let us do our jobs.”

“You act like I don’t want you to catch the people who did this to her.” Me’shelle was angry at the thought and started to say something else, but then she caught herself. The detective was right. What was important here was for them to get what they needed from Brandy, not her trampled feelings.

“I’m sorry if I’ve given you that impression, Detective Richards. I want you to catch them, and I won’t do anything to interfere with that. But before we go back in there can you please tell me what happened?”

“Your niece was able to tell us that there were four of them, and that she was listening when one of them killed the fourth man. She heard the men yelling at your brother about money he owed them. She hid in the closet under a pile of clothes, but they found her while they were looking for the money. After they found her, your brother told them where to find his money. She said after they got the money, they raped her and her mother while your brother watched, just to teach him a lesson.”

“Oh my,” Juanita said. Me’shelle shed tears for her brother.

“She got away when she hit one in the head with a lamp, and her father told her to run. She doesn’t know what happened after that.”

After hearing the story, Me’shelle wiped her eyes and followed them back into Brandy’s room. While she sat there listening to Brandy bravely describing her attackers, Me’shelle’s mind replayed the detective’s words. She heard the men yelling at your brother about money he owed them. Bruce said that if they didn’t get them their money they would kill him. She should have given him the money.

Me’shelle looked at Brandy. I’m sorry. If I had just came off my high horse and gave Bruce the money, none of this would have happened.

As the tears began to flow from Me’shelle’s eyes, Brandy looked over at her. “Don’t cry, Aunt Me'shelle,” Brandy said to her. “It’s gonna be all right.”

Me’shelle quickly tried to wipe away her tears. She knew that she had to be strong for Brandy. She would have to put aside her feelings of guilt for the time being.

The next couple of day weren’t easy for Brandy, as they were still marked by feelings of coldness and uncontrollable trembling. Brandy complained of an overall soreness of her body and had difficulty walking at times due to the pain she felt. She still had some bruises on her upper body, and she often complained of sudden, sharp pains in her vagina. There were times when Brandy would cry uncontrollably. She had headaches on a daily basis, which she attributed to having been hit in the head repeatedly during the assault.

She didn’t talk very much, and would spend most of her day lying across her bed. One afternoon, some of her friends caught the train out to Queens to see Brandy, but she refused to see or talk to anyone. Her family did everything they could to make her comfortable and safe. One of them stayed in the room with her at all times.

She didn’t sleep much, and when she did, she would be awoken frequently by nightmares about the assault. “I don’t like goin’ to sleep, Me’shelle,” Brandy told her.

“How come?”