Cooked Goose by G.A. McKevett Read Free Book Online Page B

woman. But I suppose having the woman’s consent would ruin the fun.”
    “I never understood rape mentality.” Dirk shook his head thoughtfully. “When a woman says, ‘No! Oh, God, no!’ it’s a real turnoff for me.”
    Savannah stared at him for a moment. “I’m so glad to hear that, Dirk.” She cleared her throat. “As I was saying...“ an attractive young man, above average intelligence and a decent job and his neighbors think he’s a great guy.”
    “Gee, that narrows it down.”
    “Oh, yeah... and he likes to dress up like Santa.“
    “Mmmm... if he got off by dressing like Mrs. Santa or the elves... then we’d have something.”

    * * *

    10:28 p.m.

    Through a haze of semi-consciousness and pain, Charlene Yardley could hear the male voice... his voice. He was back. “Don’t move. Lie still,” he was saying.
    Large hands... a man’s hands gripped her shoulders, holding her down. She fought against him as she swam her way to the surface of full consciousness. “Do you hear me? Be still,” he told her as he pinned her to the cold wet ground. Not again! She wouldn’t let him do it again. She would die first. “No!” she screamed, but her own voice sounded weak, barely a croak in her throat. “Get away... away... from…me.“
    The fingers tightened, pinching her flesh that was already bruised. “You’re going to hurt yourself,” he said. “Don’t move.”
    Another voice in the darkness. Softer, like an angel’s. A woman. “It’s okay,” she said. “You’re safe now. He’s just trying to help you.”
    Charlene tried to open her eyes. But one was so swollen she couldn’t see out of it, and the other felt as though it were on fire.
    The man over her looked different from her attacker. This man wasn’t wearing a beard or red hat. He was young and clean shaven, and his hat was dark. She was dimly aware of lights flashing over him, over them—red lights, blue lights.
    She was still lying on the ground, and he was kneeling over her. Behind him was the girl with the angel’s face, the girl who had come to her first... was it hours ago?
    “I’m a police officer, ma’am,” he was saying in a gentle, consoling tone. “My name is Officer Dunn. I’ve called an ambulance for you. It’s on its way.”
    Charlene started to cry as she realized her rapist hadn’t come back to kill her after all. Help had come. The help she had prayed for.
    “My arm,” she said. “I think he broke my arm.” Every word, every movement of her mouth brought stabs of new miseries.
    “I’m sorry, but that’s why you need to lie still,” he said, or you might make it worse. We’ll get you to a hospital right away, and they’ll give you something for the pain.”
    The girl moved to Charlene’s other side and knelt in the dirt. Her dark hair spilled around her pretty face as she bent over and took Charlene’s hand in hers.
    “Here. Hold my hand,” she said. “Everything’s going to be all right. You’ll see.” The girl’s fingers were warm and comforting, and the touch went straight to Charlene’s heart. “He... he hurt me,” she said between sobs.
    “I know. There, there... it’s okay.” The girl stroked her hair as she had before, and even though the teenager was only a few years older than her own kids, Charlene felt as vulnerable as a child.
    “I... I thought he killed me, but then I woke up.”
    The police officer released his hold on her and peeled off his jacket. He handed it to the girl. “Here,” he said, “put this on. We don’t want our Good Samaritan freezing to death.” As the girl slipped into the coat, he turned back to Charlene. “I hate to have to ask you questions at a time like this, ma’am, but I need to know: Did you get a good look at the man who attacked you?”
    Charlene forced herself to speak in spite of the pain. “No, wore a beard... red hat, like Santa.”
    The policeman nodded. “Was he a white guy, black… latino?”
    “White, I think. Was dark