The victim

Chapter 3

Connie's work schedule was already overloaded, yet she insisted on walking out of DA Hardin's office with the Paige Smith file in her hand despite protestations from him. As it was, she was already working the weekends due to the difficult Hendricks case.

The idea of taking on another case had become moot, anyway, because Hardin's final decision was he would not be pressing forward with the Paige Smith matter.

But perhaps she could change her boss' mind.

Connie first needed to review the Smith file before she confronted him. The downside for her would be that if she were a success, this extra case would mean working through all her lunches, and perhaps losing an hour or two of sleep everyday.

But all that extra sacrifice would be worth it, in the name of justice.

Now she was beginning to sound like Mike.

Mike...she allowed herself to let her mind wander just a little. Thoughts of Mike swinging his bat or tossing his baseball whenever he needed to organize a case in his mind flit through her mind.

At those endearing moments, he always seemed younger and more approachable.

Enough thoughts of him.

Connie paused when she reached the doorway of her office and glanced through the glass window.

She had a visitor.

It was a female.

As Connie viewed the back of the woman who sat in the visitor's chair. She hadn't recalled any appointments this morning. Connie entered her office and walked around to face the person.

"Hello," greeted Connie, putting on a smile, "May I-"

Connie gasped at the seated female, who was now smiling tentatively.

"Hello, Miss Rubirosa…do you remember me?"

Of all the people in the world, Connie had not expected someone from her past in New York to suddenly pop up in Los Angeles.

Sitting across from her was Paige Regan.

The same Paige Regan who, back in New York, had been slated to testify against her boss, Burt Rainey for murdering another co-worker. This case eventually led to the arrest and conviction of defense lawyer Marcus Woll.

Connie could see that time had not been kind to the young female. Gone was the naïve girl from New Jersey and in her place sat a street-wise woman with unevenly dyed blonde hair and cheap, tight clothes.

Paige looked to have aged ten years.

As Connie sat behind her desk, she gave Paige an encouraging smile, "Of course, I remember you, Paige! How are you?"

Paige sat back and gave Connie a sad, wistful expression.

"To be perfectly honestly, Miss Rubirosa, it's been a rough year and a half," she answered, "The economy went bad, and for an uneducated girl like me…well, I gotta do what I can do, right?"

Connie nodded while looking down at the file labeled with the name "Paige Smith" She made the connection that the exotic dancer Paige Smith on file and the visitor Paige Regan in front of her must be one of the same.

"I came here to press rape charges." Paige bluntly announced. She pushed her shoulders back, attempting to appear brave. She followed Connie's eyes, "Is that my file you have there?

"Yes," Connie replied truthfully, "But with the different last name, it hadn't occurred to me that the victim was specifically you, Paige. I'm so sorry to hear about what had happened to you."

"Yeah," explained Paige ruefully, "I relocated here with a new last name, thinking I could get a fresh start out here; you know?" She let out a big sigh, "But, as you can see, life didn't turn out exactly as I expected…"

Paige tried to blink back tears.

Connie retrieved a box of Kleenex from her desk and extended it out to the sullen woman. Paige took two sheets and dabbed her eyes.

"You did the right thing to come here." Connie's voice was tinged with empathy, "It must have not been easy for you."

Paige nodded several times, "At first, I-I tried to let go of that awful night, because, like, people wouldn't believe me anyway... because...I dance for a living, you know what I mean?"

"Don't think like that, Paige." insisted Connie gently, "...Your profession has nothing to do with what happened to you. It was a violent attack and those brutes will have to pay!"

"...and you think people are gonna believe a stripper?," Paige looked doubtful as her voice trailed off, "I think everyone will think I had it coming..."

"Stop thinking like that, " Connie compelled, "I believe you, and if I believe you, others will, too. You did not give your consent. It was a brave thing you did to step forward. It's the beginning to making yourself whole again…."

"That's what I thought, " Paige nodded, "but when I reported it at the police station, nothing happened, so I came to the DA's office to personally get the ball rolling. And then, as luck would have it, I was so happy when I saw your name on the directory list...what are the chances of that?...Anyway, I remembered a year and a half ago, how kind you were in the hotel room…"

Connie gave a comforting smile.

"I'm touched, Paige, that you even remember me."

"What about you? You've ever been assaulted like that before, Miss Rubirosa?" interrupted Paige suddenly.

The switch in conversation threw Connie off, "Uh...No, not really, however..."

"Well, let me tell you, Miss Rubirosa, what happens afterwards is a joke!" Paige tried to explain, "You have to tell the story to one person, and then another, and just when you are sick and tired of telling the story, they pass you on to another person! It's like they're saying, let it be someone else's problem..."

"Paige," insisted Connie emphatically, "everyone has to go through various people and agencies in order to press charges. That's just the way the system works."

"Passing the buck is more like it, " concluded Paige, "and you should see the way they look at me after they find out I dance...they look at me like they've just wasted their entire afternoon!"

"I'm not going to lie to you," agreed Connie, "It's a trying process and there will always be people who will doubt your word, but not because of your profession."

"My God, I'm so tired of all this already, " Paige looked defeated, "I just wanna go home!"

"Paige, again, I'm sorry that you had to face this alone…" comforted Connie, "but I assure you, you are not alone anymore."

Those words seem to give Paige new hope.

"That's true, isn't it?" she smiled for the first time,"I have you in my corner now! So, Miss Rubirosa...do you think you can help me file the charges, like, today?"

She looked anxiously at Connie.

Connie felt twinges of guilt, not knowing how she was going to explain the situation.

"Well, um...actually, Paige, there's been a...delay in the filing..."

Paige expression changed. Her mouth tightened as she knew exactly what Connie was implying.

"So I was right all along," Paige stated grimly, as her voice got louder at the end, "Everyone thinks strippers deserve it, don't they? That...that I'm no better than trash!"

"Paige, we are not filing charges now, but I will do whatever…"

"I knew it! I knew it!" she frustratingly interrupted Connie.

New tears started to surface in Paige's eyes. Connie started to reach out and comfort Paige, but before she could, they heard the arrival of new footsteps.

"Miss Rubirosa!" bellowed a male's voice from the doorway. Both ladies looked up. Only Connie recognized Jonah Dekker, her boss.

Connie introduced Paige to Joe, but Joe didn't seem to care that he was interrupting a conversation.

"Have we closed the Hendricks case yet?" he brusquely asked, "did you attend his sentencing?"

Connie didn't need to check her notes, "Yes, the hearing was held yesterday afternoon. Since Hendricks pleaded guilty to the abduction of the victim, he was sentenced to 22 years and his accomplice awaits sentencing."

Joe shook his head, "Dammit! I knew we shouldn't have allowed that motion to sever ties between defense counsels! I just want this entire matter closed!"

"Joe, " Connie stated his name in an exasperated tone, "Can we talk about thislater? As you can see, I am conferring with a possible client now."

It was as if Joe was seeing Paige for the first time as he glared at the young woman.

"Wait...The name was Paige Regan, you say?" Joe asked, now recalling the introducitions, "I heard Jerry saying we weren't filing the charges, right?" he steamrolled on when he got no reaction from Connie, "Now... can we get on to talk about the Langley case? I want to charge him with man one for the reckless…"

He was interrupted by Paige's outburst.

"Oh God!Whydid I even come here?…."

She looked helplessly at Connie before she jumped up and ran out of her office. Connie was yelling to the backside of Paige.

"Paige, wait!"

Connie attempted to dash after her. but Dekker blocked her at the doorway.

"Connie, you can forget about her, it's a no-wincase for this office! I know it, you know it, Hardin knows it."

"Joe! How could you treat her like that?" accused Connie, "she is a person!Just like anyone else!"

"Dammit, Connie!" Joe countered, "Are we going to have to talk about this again? You can't take these cases personally! We don't have time for this save-the-world attitude! We are swamped with cases and can only do what we can do! So have a seat…if you still are interested in your job, that is."

It was a veiled threat. Connie had no choice but to relent, thinking that she could call Paige at her home later on after work.

If she gets home at a decent hour, that is. And that's a mighty big if. Connie had a feeling Joe was going to keep her in the office very late.

.

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Paige Regan ran as quickly as she could out the DA's office. Her heart pounding, she rounded the side of the building before she allowed herself to stop. Heaving hard to get as much oxygen back in her lungs, she flattened her back against the wall.

As she shut her eyes, a tear managed to squeeze out and run down her cheek.

Those b*stards were getting away with it! she screamed in her head. The lesson she learned from all this was that money and power would always win out.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the clear blue skies, wondering how the world could look so beautiful up there and yet so ugly down here.

Suddenly the words of Miss Rubirosa's came flooding back to Paige's mind:

You did not give your consent. It was a brave thing you did to step forward. It's the beginning to making yourself whole again….

Yes, Paige held her head up high, she needed to begin the healing process. She wasn't as dumb as some people thought! Her hands were shaking as she nervously fished out her cell phone from her purse. Taking a deep breath in, she determinedly called information.

"Yes, "Paige replied when information came on. She somehow managed to keep her voice from shaking,"I'd like to place a direct call to a…Michael..um …Cutter …yes...a Michael Cutter of the District Attorney's Office in New York City, please...What? A new office? Yes, transfer me there, then...yes...I'll hold..."

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.

Mike Cutter was in his office with Detective Olivia Benson sitting impatiently across from him. He had intended to let the call from his BlackBerry go to voice mail until he realized the call was coming from Los Angeles.

Olivia watched as his expression turned from surprise to anticipatory pleasure as he read the screen ID and picked up the call.

Then his expression fell when the other person on the other side spoke.

When Mike had read the location of Los Angeles on the screen of his BlackBerry, he had assumed it would be Connie, being that he did not know anyone else who lived out on the West Coast.

But , unfortunately, he had been wrong.

"Yes, of course I remember you, Miss Regan…" he began, working to hide his disappointment.

Olivia watched as a scowl developed on his face the longer he listened.

"Yes...uh-huh...I am so sorry to hear that..." as he spoke, he looked up, aware that Olivia was eyeing him, "...hold on, Miss Regan, yes..yes..."

He put the call on hold and Olivia knew what he would say next. She would have to wait outside until he finished the call, then he would talk to her.

"Don't tell me," stated Olivia evenly, "This call is important and you'll talk about my case later."

"Actually," Mike stated in a low voice, "I won't be talking to you at all about your case; you'll have to take it up with the District Attorney. Looks like I'll be flying out to LA..."

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(Thank you for all the kind reviews...I am truly touched and overwhelmed!)