Ted departed soon after Kate's outburst. "Hang in there, son," he'd encouraged, recognising the tough time ahead for both Steve and Kate.
Taking a deep breath, Steve found some courage to enter the lions den, also known as his bedroom. "That was pretty rude, Kate," he scolded her. "You know the gaffer doesn't gossip. He's only told DCI Davidson what has happened and she isn't going to tell anyone either," he continued and Kate knew he was right.
"Sorry," she apologised.
"For the record, no one is going to blame you for what happened if they do find out," he told her.
"I guess we'll find out if you're right," she said and Steve finally became aware that she was preparing to leave the flat.
"Where are you going?" he enquired.
"I've phoned DS Watson. I'm going to go and report my assault," Kate informed Steve.
"Now?" Steve said, finding it hard to keep up with Kate's sudden change of mind. She hadn't seemed that keen on making this assault official until now.
"That's what you wanted isn't it?" she challenged.
"Only when you're ready," Steve replied.
"Well I am,".
"Give me five minutes to shower and sling some clothes on and I'll come with you," Steve offered.
"You don't have to," Kate replied although she was lying.
"I want to," Steve answered back. There was no question he would be beside her when she did this.
"Thank you," Kate said as Steve disappeared in to the shower.
Waiting for the water to heat up, Steve sighed deeply. Today was already proving to be quite challenging, made even more so by a severe lack of sleep. He was having to walk on eggshells around Kate, something he'd never had to do before in all their years of friendship. He just hoped they would still be friends at the end of the day.
Kate's fear on reporting her rape was that she would be recognised as soon as entered the police station. Luckily that was not the case as she and Steve stepped in to Heath Road, the station Suzy Watson worked out of. A quick call to her office by the desk sergeant and Steve and Kate were being shown to a room filled with sofa's. They sat down together whilst awaiting DS Watson. They didn't have long to wait before the door opened and a woman about Kate's height entered.
"Kate?" She enquired.
"Yes," replied Kate as she studied the officer in front of her. She had close cropped blonde hair, even shorter than Kate's current style and was dressed in a very relaxed way. Linen jump suit with Doc Marten boots. "I'm DS Suzy Watson," she introduced herself as she approached Kate and held out her hand. "You can call me Suzy," she continued as Kate shook her hand, "and this is one of my junior officers in the team, DC Holmes,".
"Seriously?" Steve said. "Watson and Holmes?" He asked, slightly amused at having a famous fictional pair of detectives on the case. Kate ignored him.
"I'm Kate. This comedian is Steve," she introduced them with a glare at Steve that firmly told him to quit the jokes.
"You're here to report an assault?" Suzy asked.
"Yes," replied Kate again.
"OK," Suzy said. "Don't be nervous. It will just be those of us here in this room but we will have to record it for evidence," Suzy started to explain.
"I'm a police officer," Kate interrupted, cutting Suzy short. She didn't need to hear all the procedural stuff. She knew it off by heart. "We both are. I'm a DI working in MIT at the moment and Steve's a DI in anti-corruption,".
"Shit!" replied Suzy as she realised she was in the company of senior officers. "Now I'm the nervous one!" she joked.
"I didn't mean to do that," Kate apologised, taking a liking to Suzy. "I just meant you could cut the official stuff,".
Suzy looked hesitantly at Steve. "But I'll get in trouble with this one won't I if I don't do things by the book?" She teased.
"You're doing just fine," Steve said. "I'm purely here supporting Kate," he continued as he took his partner's hand.
A few minutes later everything was set up ready for Kate to talk. Although it wasn't a questioning like Steve had had to endure a couple of years previously, it still felt foreign not being the interrogator. "In your own time, Kate," Suzy said encouragingly before Kate began.
Suzy, and DC Holmes sat back and just listened to Kate tell her story. Being a police officer it was a very succinct, factual testament. Steve also listened but kept an eye on the junior officers. Kate was too preoccupied with her evidence but he couldn't help but notice the looks that DS Watson gave DC Holmes at certain things Kate said. He knew the look because it was one he was familiar with. The look when a witness was giving you the information that helped your case take a giant leap forward.
"Can you describe your assailant?" DS Watson asked when Kate had finished.
"He was wearing a balaclava so I can't give you a great facial description," Kate admitted. "But he had pale blue eyes. Icy cold blue. No feeling in them," she explained. "Athletic build. He definitely worked out. He had a six pack,".
"How old?".
"Younger than me," Kate replied. "Early twenties I would guess. He was in to personal grooming. He had shaved all his pubic hair off," Kate said, remembering what she had seen when he had turned her on to her back before he had dressed himself after her rape.
DC Holmes noted all Kate's observations down. "How about how he incapacitated you," Suzy asked.
"All I remember is some pressure at the side of my neck before the world went black. It was very quick. I didn't have time to defend myself,".
"Anything else before we wrap things up?" suzy asked.
"I don't think he likes women all that much," Kate said. "He wanted to totally humiliate me by making me completely naked. Remove all my dignity. He kept calling me Buttercup for some reason. And I'm fairly sure he took my knickers,".
"OK," replied Suzy before she pressed the button to stop the recording. "You did really well Kate,".
"Is there a toilet nearby?" Kate asked. "I feel like I'm going to throw up," she confessed. Reliving her ordeal and the HIV tablets she'd taken before venturing out of the flat were starting to make their presence known.
"Follow me," Suzy said as she quickly led Kate to the nearest rest room. It was just in time as Kate emptied her stomach contents in to the waiting toilet. "HIV PEP?" Suzy asked once Kate had stopped heaving. Kate nodded.
"How did you guess?" she asked as Suzy gave her a bottle of water.
"I've had the pleasure of taking a course," Suzy revealed. "Needle stick injury on some heroin addict I stopped and searched. It gets better after about a week," she informed Kate.
"Thank god," said Kate. "I'm not sure I could cope with a month of this. It's worse than morning sickness,".
"You feeling a bit better?" Suzy enquired.
"A bit, thanks," Kate replied. "So what happens now?".
"I was going to ask if you felt up to working with an artist to come up with a likeness of your attacker?" Suzy asked.
"I can try," Kate said.
"Excellent," Suzy replied. "I'll take you to the artist,".
Leaving Kate with the man, Suzy headed back to the interview room where Steve was still waiting. "Kate feeling better?" he asked.
"Yeah," Suzy said. "She's agreed to help a composite artist come up with a likeness. She's with him now,".
"Right," said Steve.
"Do you want to wait here?".
"I suppose so," Steve answered. "Can I ask something?".
"Sure,".
"Kate's attacker. He's done this before hasn't he?".
"How did you know that?".
"I saw the look you gave DC Holmes," Steve explained. "Some of the things Kate mentioned…you've heard them before haven't you?".
"Yes," Suzy admitted. "There are lots of similarities to other recent sexual assaults,".
"I think I'd like to help you get this bastard," Steve mentioned.
"I'm not sure that's such a good-".
"I'm not taking over," Steve promised. "I just need to help in tracking him down. It's something I need to do to help me deal with this situation,".