Chapter 21
Jude's eyes took on an empty glaze as she continued
in monotone.
"That was when I called in to gmajor to say that I
might not ever come back. It took a week, but I convinced him to move
back to Canada. But he had changed, he would come home drunk most
nights. Come home and attack me." She paused, brought back by
Gina's voice.
"Jude, What did he do the first time he
attacked you after you got back home?"
Jude looked to the floor,
"He hit me, I don't remember, I woke up the next day." Jude
mumbled, shaking her head.
"and when did he move on from
hitting, what did he do then?" Gina questioned.
Jude released
Tommy's hand, pulling both her hands into her lap. She pulled at
the sleeve of her jacket. "He, he has this knife." Jude murmured.
"He threatened me before, but never actually used it." She paused
again, "He cut me. My wrist, and every time he would say 'Jude,
why do you do this to yourself'." A silent tear ran down Jude's
check and she wiped it away quickly. Refusing to cry. "That's
what they would think if they saw. That it was me, not him. And he
knew it." Tommy felt a stab at his heart as she said this,
remembering what he had said to her in the studio.
"And the
most recent?" Mr Gray questioned. "Do you believe they show the
worst of all he has done previously?" Jude nodded without
hesitation. "He had been away for a couple of days, he had come
home. Then, three recent attacks." Jude looked up from the floor.
"Then Tommy, he found out, he came and took me to his house." She
smiled slightly for the first time since she had begun talking. "but,
Jason found me." Her eyes shifted down to her hands as she played
with the hem of her shirt.
"Miss Harrison," Mr Gray said
quietly getting Jude's attention. "If you could, please go into
detail. The four attacks after Mr Gutierrez returned."
Jude
nodded slowly her eyes glazing over again as she began to speak. "Um,
the first after he came back." She took a long pause letting out a
shaky breath. "I came back in late from the studio, he yelled, I
yelled back, then he hit me. He pinned me to the floor and took out
his knife. His grip tightened around my arm pulling the rest of my
body closer against his back, I wanted so badly to get away from him
but I couldn't," Mr Gray looked down at the photos infront of him
using a black sharpie to circle something on one of the images and
adding a note next to it. "He yelled, and moved over me, still
pinning my arm to the floor. He went to kiss me, but I pushed at him
with my free hand. 'You want me to start on that arm too'" Jude
mimicked Jason's growling tone. "He had haunting calm tone to his
voice. He shifted his weight pressing down on my left wrist and
pinning my right down too. He started to lean in again, and I
struggled, he tightened his grip on my arms as he continued, he
leaned in to kiss me and I turned my head avoiding him. He shifted
his hand around my left wrist and pressed his fingers down against
the cuts, I let him kiss me. He stood up, and pulled me up too. He
told me he loved me, I didn't say anything. He stroked his thumb
over my wrist and the pain started again. I told him I loved him
too. He asked why I did this to myself, and, he left." Jude
stopped, here eyes flicking up for a moment before returning to the
floor. Jude took a few ragged breaths, looking as if she were about
to cry. "You're doing great Jude, try to keep going." Gina
coaxed. Jude nodded. "The second?"
"He, he came in, he had
been out drinking. I had fallen asleep leaning up against the wall in
the living room, he grabbed my arms, he was hurting me so I asked him
to let go, but he wouldn't, he shook me." Jude's eyes wandered
the room, never once focusing on the three people in there with her.
"Um, I just wanted someone to help me. I whispered Tommy's name,
and I guess he heard me." Tommy closed his eyes, fighting back
tears. "He had his hand round my throat, yelling at me to repeat
what I said. I wouldn't, I knew it would just make it worse if I
did. He kept tightening his grip. And then, then I don't remember."
Jude looked to her hands fidgeting with her nails. Mr Gray switched
the photos around again, un-capping the marker and repeating his
actions. The three looked over as Tommy began to murmur. "I was
there, that night, I was there outside the door, no one answered."
He looked to Jude, the pain clearly visible in his eyes. Jude turned
back to Gina and Mr Gray wanting to get the rest of the statement
over with. Gina nodded motioning for her to continue.
"I came
back from the studio, Tommy brought my guitar over. I went to the
window and waved bye to Tommy. He, Jason, saw. He asked if it was
Tommy I was waving to, he twisted my arm back until I admitted it
was. He pushed me into the bedroom, onto the bed. He cut me again,
and" Jude paused. "He raped me." Jude finished barely above a
whisper. She sat in silence for a moment before adding. "I called
Tommy that night. He came and took me back to his place." Tommy
reached over squeezing her hand quickly in an attempt to comfort her
a little.
"But he found me. He came at me with his knife, and I
stopped it. He punched me, then, everything went black, the next
thing I remember is Tommy picking me up, taking me to the hospital."
She finished, finally looking up and meeting Gina Vierra's eyes.
She reached up shutting off the camera. "Thankyou Jude, you did
really well." Mr Gray finished marking the rest of the photos and
looked up. "Thankyou Miss Harrison. Are you ok?" He questioned,
she could hear the concern in his voice. Jude nodded "I just want
to go home." She looked up, pleading with her eyes. "Ok, we'll
inform you when we get a hold of Mr Gutierrez", Jude nodded, she
couldn't deny that statement struck fear up inside of her. Tommy
turned to her. "You ready to go?" Jude nodded, forcing a smile.
