Gretchen French was a pretty woman with very careful eyes, Daniel thought. He kept quiet, allowing Talia the lead.

“Please sit down,” Gretchen said. “What can I do for you?”

“Agent Vartanian and I are investigating a series of sexual assaults.”

“Vartanian?” Gretchen’s eyes widened, then narrowed in recognition. “You’re Daniel Vartanian. You’re working on the murders of Claudia Barnes and Janet Bowie.”

Daniel nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I am.”

“But that’s not why we’re here, Miss French,” Talia said. “As we’ve been investigating the recent murders of Claudia Barnes and the others-”

Gretchen held up her hand. “Wait. Others? Besides Janet and Claudia, there are others?”

“We found the body of Gemma Martin this morning,” Daniel said quietly, and Gretchen collapsed back into her chair, her face blank with shock.

“What’s happening here? This is insane.”

“We understand your shock.” Talia’s tone was calm without being condescending. “But as I said, we’re not here to talk about the recent murders. During the course of our investigation, we’ve discovered evidence of a series of sexual assaults.” Talia leaned forward. “Miss French, I wish I knew a way to say this to make it easier to bear, but I don’t. A series of sexual assaults occurred around the time of Alicia Tremaine’s murder. You were the same age as Alicia. You went to her high school.”

Daniel saw a flicker of fear in Gretchen’s eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Talia glanced down, then back up. “We found pictures of girls being raped. Your picture was among them, Miss French. I’m sorry.”

Daniel’s heart squeezed in helpless pity as he watched Gretchen’s expression change. Every drop of color drained from her face until she was ashen. Her lips dropped open and moved, as if she was trying to speak. Then her eyes skittered away, cast down, ashamed. Daniel saw Talia’s expression had also changed. There was acute sympathy, but there was also strength, and Daniel understood why Chase had handpicked her for this interview.

Talia put her hand over Gretchen’s. “I wish I didn’t have to ask you to live that moment again, but I do. Can you tell us what happened?”

“I can’t remember.” Nervously she moistened her lips. Her eyes were conspicuously dry. “I’d tell you if I could. I wanted to tell when it happened. But I couldn’t remember.”

“We think whoever did this to you, drugged you,” Daniel murmured.

Gretchen’s chin jerked up, her eyes devastated, but still dry. “You don’t know who?”

Daniel shook his head. “We’re hoping you can tell us.”

Gretchen sat, barely breathing. “I… I was only sixteen. I remember waking up, in my car. It was dark and I was… so scared. I knew… I mean, I could feel…” Her throat worked convulsively. “It hurt. A lot.”

Talia kept holding Gretchen’s hand. “Had you been with anyone before?”

Gretchen shook her head. “No. Some of the boys tried, but I’d always said no.”

Daniel bit back the fury that exploded within him. And said nothing.

“After that… I never dated. I was so afraid. I didn’t know who…” She closed her eyes. “Or why. If I could have avoided it. I knew I should have been more careful.”

The rage was hot and so hard to control. But control it, he did. “Miss French,” he asked when he could trust his voice, “do you remember where you were coming from, going to, was anyone with you?”

She opened her eyes, a modicum of composure restored. “I was driving home from my job. I washed dishes at the Western Sizzlin’ back then. I was trying to earn money for college. I was by myself. It was late, maybe ten-thirty. I remember being tired, but I was studying all the time and working and helping out on the farm… I was always tired. I remember thinking I’d stop and get out. Get some air, before I fell asleep at the wheel.”

Talia smiled reassurance. “You are doing great,” she said. “Can you remember drinking anything before you left your job or stopping on the way?”

“I worked in the kitchen. We were allowed to drink as much Coke as we wanted. And I washed dishes, so I wasn’t going to mess a glass every time I got thirsty. I just used the same one.”

“So someone could have put something in your drink,” Talia said quietly.

Gretchen bit the inside of her cheek. “I guess so. That was pretty stupid of me.”

“You had the expectation of being safe at your job,” Daniel said, and the look of gratitude she flashed him made him want to scream. She’d been violated, but she was grateful to be told she wasn’t stupid.

“Agent Vartanian’s right. You did nothing wrong or stupid. When you woke up, what do you remember?”

“I had a headache and I was sick. And sore. I knew… I was bleeding.” She swallowed hard and her lips trembled. “I had these new white pants. I’d saved my money to buy them. They were ruined.” She looked down. “I was ruined.”

“You woke up in your car,” Talia prompted softly, and Gretchen nodded. “Your pants were ruined, so you had your clothes on. All of your clothes?”

Gretchen nodded again, dully. “The pictures you have. Am I…?” Tears filled her eyes and Daniel’s eyes stung. “Oh God.”

“Nobody will see the pictures,” Daniel said. “No newspapers will get them.”

She blinked sending tears down her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered. “And there was the bottle.”

“What bottle?” Talia asked, slipping a tissue into Gretchen’s hand.

“A bottle of whiskey. Empty. There was whiskey on my clothes and in my hair. And I knew if I went to the sheriff it would look like I’d been drinking. That I’d asked for it.”

Talia’s jaw tightened. “You didn’t.”

“I know. If it happened today, I’d call the police so fast… But that was then and I was sixteen and scared.” She lifted her chin, making Daniel think of Alex in so many ways. “You’re saying this happened to more than just me?”

Daniel nodded. “We can’t tell you how many. But it was more than just you.”

Her lips turned up, so sadly. “And if you catch them you can’t do anything, right?”

“Why?” Talia asked.

“It’s been thirteen years. Hasn’t the statute of limitations long since run out?”

Daniel shook his head. “The clock doesn’t start until we file charges.”

Gretchen’s eyes hardened. “So if you catch them, you can prosecute?”

“To the fullest extent of the law,” Talia said fiercely. “You have our word.”

“Then put me on your list of witnesses. I want my day in court.”

Talia’s smile was sharp. “And we’ll do our damndest to give it to you.”

“Miss French,” Daniel said. “You mentioned some of the boys trying things and you saying no. Do you remember who you refused?”

“I didn’t have that many boyfriends. My mother made me wait until I was sixteen to date and that had only been a few months before. The boy I remember was Rhett Porter. I thought maybe he’d done it, but…”

Finally. But it was a connection one day too late. “But what?” he asked gently.

“But he ran with a mean crowd. I was afraid if I said anything…”

“You thought they’d hurt you?” Daniel asked.

“No.” She laughed bitterly. “He would have told everyone I asked for it and people would have believed him. So I kept my mouth shut and was grateful I wasn’t pregnant.”

“One more question,” Daniel said. “When was this?”

“May. The year before Alicia Tremaine was killed.”

Daniel and Talia stood up. “Thank you for your time, Miss French,” Talia said. “And your candor. I know this was difficult.”

“At least now I know I didn’t imagine it. And maybe whoever did it will be caught.” She frowned. “Are you going to talk to Rhett Porter?”

Daniel cleared his throat. “Probably not.”

Talia’s eyes grew huge with question.

Gretchen drew herself rigid. “I see.”

“No, Miss French,” Daniel said, “I don’t think you do. Rhett Porter’s car ran off the road last night. He’s believed to be dead.”

“Oh. I guess I do see. You’ve got yourself one hell of a mess, Agent Vartanian.”