Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Authors note: This is a short wordy chapter but I need it to get to where I am going.
What just happened?" Asked Ric very concerned. He had grabbed Lucky by the arm stopping him from following Elizabeth.
"Let go!" yelled Lucky trying to get his arm out of Ric grasp.
"What Happened? Why did Elizabeth scream when you touched her?" Rick asked, angry now as he tightened his hold on Lucky's arm. "You are not going after her until you tell me?"
While Ric and Lucky were arguing Courtney walk around the counter to pick up the dress that had fallen to the floor. Taggert who had been still sitting at his table said, "Don't touch that Ms. Matthews, It might be evidence." As he walked to the counter. "Was there a card?"
Still holding Lucky's arm Ric turned to face Taggert. " Why would a dress I sent to Elizabeth as a surprise be evidence? I do not understand. Why did she get so upset? Will some one please tell me what is going on?" He is angry now almost shouting. He looked from Lucky to Taggert waiting for someone to answer.
"Oh God!" said Lucky looking over at Taggert as he realized what the officer had come to tell Elizabeth. He relaxed and stopped Fighting Ric. Taggert simply looks back at him but Lucky could see the worry in his eyes.
Ric sees the look pass between Lucky and Taggert. "What is going on," He asks his voice sounding desperate. "First she speaks with Taggert who upsets her. Then she opens the dress and runs out of here after Lucky touches her. What is going on? What did you say to Elizabeth, Taggert?" Ric finally releases Lucky and has walked up to stand in front of Taggert glaring.
"Ric calm down," Bobbie said as she walks around to stand in front of him. "You getting into a fight with Lucky or Taggert is not going to help Elizabeth right now. Taggert will you please answer the question What did you tell Elizabeth?"
"Tom Baker was release two weeks ago and was on Walters Street yesterday." Said Taggert.
" Why wasn't Elizabeth Informed when he was released? Asked Lucky irritated
"Because Baker is not a convicted sex offender. I only found out yesterday myself because he got a ticket. I came to inform Miss Webber as soon as I found out, "said Taggert calmly but forcefully.
"What is going on?" asks Ric. "Who is Tom baker and what does that have to do with the red dress?" Even as he asks he starts to put the pieces together. He grows pale. He could feel the panic welling up inside him and the dread, as everyone was silent. He had realized when Elizabeth screamed the just how much he had grown to care for her in the short time he had known her. He turned to face Bobbie. "Will you Please answer me?
Bobbie looked at Taggert and Lucky trying to decided what to do. Finally she spoke up; " Ric.Elizabeth was attacked when she was 16 and the man who attacked her was Tom Baker."
"Oh my God.. On valentine's day?" Ric asked Bobbie. He took a couple of steps back to lean against the counter because he felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach.
"How did you know that? Asked Lucky angry now himself he stepped forward and grabbed the front of Ric's Jacket. "If you did this on purpose to hurt her I'll kill you!"
"Calm down Lucky!" Bobbie said as she pulled on his sleeve. "LET GO!"
" I guessed.'" explained Ric as Lucky let go of his jacket and took a step back. "On Christmas Eve as I was walking Elizabeth home when I touched her she had flinched and then tried to make light of it. She made a comment about the Ghosts of Valentines past. I thought it was odd so I remembered it."
"Yes. It was Valentines Day," said Taggert calm as always. He was surprised at how quickly Ric was piecing together what had happened.
"She was wearing a Red dress similar to the one you sent," Lucky said hanging his head as he realized how he had helped upset her by grabbing her arm.
"When you say attacked do you mean raped?" asked Ric trying to stay calm. Putting on his best Lawyers act all the while dreading the answer because as he asked the question he knew the by the Look on all their faces what the answer would be.
No one wanted to answer his question. In many ways it would break the trust that they had with Elizabeth all these years. It was her right to tell and hers alone. They didn't want take the choice of who would know away from her.
Finally Courtney who had been standing by the counter holding the dress box spoke up. "Yes, Elizabeth was raped. I wasn't here but she told me a few weeks ago. She just told me. She seemed ok with what had happened. She acted like it wasn't a big deal." she said not really understanding why Elizabeth ran out.
" How can you say that it wasn't a big deal you hardly know Elizabeth," Lucky said as he glared at her.
" No Courtney," said Bobbie trying to defuse Lucky's anger but angry herself at the stupidity of the comment. "It was a big deal! We were her friends when it happened to her. Yes Elizabeth is strong and she has tried to live her life as though nothing happened to keep Tom Baker from taking anything else away from her. To keep him from destroying her she stayed strong but please understand it really is never alright." Bobbie said with tears in her eyes as she thought about that hurt little girl Lucky asked her to help that night.
"You all do realize that Miss. Webber has run out of here into the snow without a coat. She isn't in a very good frame of mind at the moment and even though the dress is a gift from Mr. Lansing tom Baker is still Out there." Taggert said placing a few bills on the Counter. "I will have the PCP keep a eye out for her and let you all know if we find her," He said as he went out the door.
"I need to find her," said Ric as he started towards the door. "Bobbie will you please call Carly for me and tell here I have to cancel our meeting. Please just tell her something came up."
"I 'm going with you," said Lucky as he grabbed his coat off the counter stool and started after Ric.
"Why?" Ric asked as he turned to look at Lucky. "It was the dress that upset her in the end. I need her to understand that it was a gift from me not a threat or something to scare her. I need to make sure she's alright."
"Simple, Because I know where to look," said Lucky
To be continued.
Authors note: This is a short wordy chapter but I need it to get to where I am going.
What just happened?" Asked Ric very concerned. He had grabbed Lucky by the arm stopping him from following Elizabeth.
"Let go!" yelled Lucky trying to get his arm out of Ric grasp.
"What Happened? Why did Elizabeth scream when you touched her?" Rick asked, angry now as he tightened his hold on Lucky's arm. "You are not going after her until you tell me?"
While Ric and Lucky were arguing Courtney walk around the counter to pick up the dress that had fallen to the floor. Taggert who had been still sitting at his table said, "Don't touch that Ms. Matthews, It might be evidence." As he walked to the counter. "Was there a card?"
Still holding Lucky's arm Ric turned to face Taggert. " Why would a dress I sent to Elizabeth as a surprise be evidence? I do not understand. Why did she get so upset? Will some one please tell me what is going on?" He is angry now almost shouting. He looked from Lucky to Taggert waiting for someone to answer.
"Oh God!" said Lucky looking over at Taggert as he realized what the officer had come to tell Elizabeth. He relaxed and stopped Fighting Ric. Taggert simply looks back at him but Lucky could see the worry in his eyes.
Ric sees the look pass between Lucky and Taggert. "What is going on," He asks his voice sounding desperate. "First she speaks with Taggert who upsets her. Then she opens the dress and runs out of here after Lucky touches her. What is going on? What did you say to Elizabeth, Taggert?" Ric finally releases Lucky and has walked up to stand in front of Taggert glaring.
"Ric calm down," Bobbie said as she walks around to stand in front of him. "You getting into a fight with Lucky or Taggert is not going to help Elizabeth right now. Taggert will you please answer the question What did you tell Elizabeth?"
"Tom Baker was release two weeks ago and was on Walters Street yesterday." Said Taggert.
" Why wasn't Elizabeth Informed when he was released? Asked Lucky irritated
"Because Baker is not a convicted sex offender. I only found out yesterday myself because he got a ticket. I came to inform Miss Webber as soon as I found out, "said Taggert calmly but forcefully.
"What is going on?" asks Ric. "Who is Tom baker and what does that have to do with the red dress?" Even as he asks he starts to put the pieces together. He grows pale. He could feel the panic welling up inside him and the dread, as everyone was silent. He had realized when Elizabeth screamed the just how much he had grown to care for her in the short time he had known her. He turned to face Bobbie. "Will you Please answer me?
Bobbie looked at Taggert and Lucky trying to decided what to do. Finally she spoke up; " Ric.Elizabeth was attacked when she was 16 and the man who attacked her was Tom Baker."
"Oh my God.. On valentine's day?" Ric asked Bobbie. He took a couple of steps back to lean against the counter because he felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach.
"How did you know that? Asked Lucky angry now himself he stepped forward and grabbed the front of Ric's Jacket. "If you did this on purpose to hurt her I'll kill you!"
"Calm down Lucky!" Bobbie said as she pulled on his sleeve. "LET GO!"
" I guessed.'" explained Ric as Lucky let go of his jacket and took a step back. "On Christmas Eve as I was walking Elizabeth home when I touched her she had flinched and then tried to make light of it. She made a comment about the Ghosts of Valentines past. I thought it was odd so I remembered it."
"Yes. It was Valentines Day," said Taggert calm as always. He was surprised at how quickly Ric was piecing together what had happened.
"She was wearing a Red dress similar to the one you sent," Lucky said hanging his head as he realized how he had helped upset her by grabbing her arm.
"When you say attacked do you mean raped?" asked Ric trying to stay calm. Putting on his best Lawyers act all the while dreading the answer because as he asked the question he knew the by the Look on all their faces what the answer would be.
No one wanted to answer his question. In many ways it would break the trust that they had with Elizabeth all these years. It was her right to tell and hers alone. They didn't want take the choice of who would know away from her.
Finally Courtney who had been standing by the counter holding the dress box spoke up. "Yes, Elizabeth was raped. I wasn't here but she told me a few weeks ago. She just told me. She seemed ok with what had happened. She acted like it wasn't a big deal." she said not really understanding why Elizabeth ran out.
" How can you say that it wasn't a big deal you hardly know Elizabeth," Lucky said as he glared at her.
" No Courtney," said Bobbie trying to defuse Lucky's anger but angry herself at the stupidity of the comment. "It was a big deal! We were her friends when it happened to her. Yes Elizabeth is strong and she has tried to live her life as though nothing happened to keep Tom Baker from taking anything else away from her. To keep him from destroying her she stayed strong but please understand it really is never alright." Bobbie said with tears in her eyes as she thought about that hurt little girl Lucky asked her to help that night.
"You all do realize that Miss. Webber has run out of here into the snow without a coat. She isn't in a very good frame of mind at the moment and even though the dress is a gift from Mr. Lansing tom Baker is still Out there." Taggert said placing a few bills on the Counter. "I will have the PCP keep a eye out for her and let you all know if we find her," He said as he went out the door.
"I need to find her," said Ric as he started towards the door. "Bobbie will you please call Carly for me and tell here I have to cancel our meeting. Please just tell her something came up."
"I 'm going with you," said Lucky as he grabbed his coat off the counter stool and started after Ric.
"Why?" Ric asked as he turned to look at Lucky. "It was the dress that upset her in the end. I need her to understand that it was a gift from me not a threat or something to scare her. I need to make sure she's alright."
"Simple, Because I know where to look," said Lucky
To be continued.