Rarities Unlimited 04 - The Color of Death

rape kit. Some bruising on her thighs, slight vaginal tearing, a few stray hairs.”
    “So basically there’s proof of sexual contact, but not rape?” Ronnie asked.
    “Yes. I didn’t mention that to Kelly. I’m trying to be positive, because she needs to know we believe her and are going to help her. Especially since even the nurse was treating her like a criminal.”
    “Usually they have a little more tact than that.”
    “It wasn’t the nurse’s fault,” Tessa admitted. “There was one strange thing that even I have been questioning.”
    “What?”
    “During the exam, an admissions nurse pulled me aside. She wanted to show me something that had fallen out of Kelly’s purse.”
    “Drugs?” Veronica asked.
    “No. It was an envelope that wasn’t sealed, so when it hit the ground the contents went flying. There were half a dozen credit cards and a wad of cash inside,” Tessa said.
    “Kelly’s cards?”
    “No, that’s the weird thing. They all belonged to different men, according to the names on them.”
    “Geez, Tessa. Sounds like she’s involved in some kind of scam.”
    “I know it looks bad. I made a photocopy of all the cards, then returned the envelope to Kelly’s purse. I asked her about the credit cards, but she had no idea what I was talking about. She said the money was for a deposit.”
    Veronica was silent as she stirred another packet of sugar-free sweetener into her tea.
    “I know what you’re thinking, Ronnie. But I’m pretty good at reading people. Kelly was genuinely surprised about the credit cards in her bag.”
    Veronica frowned. “So what’s her story then?”
    “She said the restaurant she works at gave her the envelope to give to her cousin, the one she’s staying with. She had no idea of what was inside the envelope, but thought about it and came up with an explanation. Apparently her cousin had some friends in a private room at the restaurant, and they must have left the cards that night. The cash is part of the regular deposit.”
    “I suppose that could be a logical explanation. But until you investigate further I’d reserve judgment.”
    “That’s one of the reasons I’m glad you and Ed were assigned to the case,” Tessa admitted. “I want Ed to look into the credit card thing, so we can decide if Kelly can be trusted. But everything else about the hospital exam and interview with a rape counselor checked out,” she added.
    “What happened after the medical exam?” Veronica asked.
    “I took Kelly and the hospital records to the police station nearest where the attack occurred, so she could make a statement. The officers said they’d question Aiken, but every time I follow up I’m told they haven’t done it yet. And really, what’s this guy going to say? ‘Yeah, I’m the knuckle-dragging son of a bitch who raped an eighteen-year-old girl with stars in her eyes, go ahead and lock me up?’ ” Tessa shook her head, causing her shoulder-length blond hair to fall forward across her face again.
    “You know he won’t. He’s going to say that whatever happened between him and Kelly was consensual, and she’s a trashy, gold-digging wannabe starlet,” Ronnie said bluntly.
    “Exactly. I don’t want to put Kelly through that, but…” Tessa knew there was no choice, given the constraints of the legal system.
    “What is Kelly doing now?” Veronica asked.
    “She’s staying in LA at her cousin’s house. The rest of her family is still in Colorado, I guess. Anyway, Kelly said she needed a few days to get herself together before she decides whether to press charges.”
    “Wait a minute,” Veronica leaned forward. “Why the hell am I coming offmaternity leave a week early to take this case if Kelly hasn’t agreed to testify yet?”
    Tessa shifted in her chair. “She will.”
    “Well, shit. Tessa, you can’t blame the other officers for dragging their feet if even the victim isn’t sure she wants to pursue the case.”
    “It’s a common reaction among rape victims. She will press charges, she just needs a few days to deal with what happened to her before she can cooperate fully with the investigation.”
    “ She needs a few days? Or you need a few days to talk her into prosecuting?” Veronica asked as she arched a dark brow.
    Tessa met Veronica’s brown eyes. “I did have to push pretty hard to get Kelly to go to the hospital,” she admitted. “I see that now. So I want to give her time to learn to trust me—and to trust the