looked in his cup. “No, I’m good, but I will take one of those donuts.”
Candy pushed the box toward him. “It’s almost four o’clock. Do these people ever sleep?”
He yawned. “Is insomnia a side effect of the drugs?”
She joined him in yawning. “Sorry, it’s contagious; and I’m sure they have a drug for side effects, too. If you take enough of any of them, you’ll sleep for a long time.”
“I guess that’s why we’re out here.”
“Blake, did you ever do drugs?”
He put his cup back in the console. “Never did. My parents kept me busy with sports and church all the time growing up and showed me what drugs could do to ruin a person’s life. When I did leave home, I knew better than to try them. I still hate drugs and dealers. How about you?”
She stared at the front door of the house. “I did some experimenting, my senior year of high school. Something horrible happened prom night, and that was the end of it.”
Blake leaned back in the seat and pulled his cap over his eyes. “Want to talk about it?”
Candy picked up the night vision binoculars. “Not really, but since I brought it up, I guess I owe you an explanation.”
He closed his eyes for a second, then looked at her. If it will help keep me awake, talk. “Not if you don’t want to.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “Maybe I need to talk about it. I smoked a little pot now and then. Funny how it’s always a little pot. Everyone says it’s harmless, but I know better. It disarmed me enough to let my guard down.” She wiped her face. “Prom night, we were all drinking and smoking, and we really thought we were smart. We thought we were invincible and that we knew everything.”
Blake nodded. Maybe I can catch a nap. “Uh-huh. Age has a sobering effect on us.”
Her voice softened. “That’s the truth. I don’t remember how it happened, but suddenly everyone disappeared except one guy. He was someone I admired from afar. Guess what I thought was so cool about him?”
Blake sighed. “What?”
She held the binoculars to her eyes. “He didn’t take any garbage off anyone. He dressed tough. He had tattoos up and down both arms and wore heavy metal earrings. I thought he was all-together—you know, someone who could do anything he wanted to anytime he wanted to, and no one could stop him? That night he wanted sex, and he raped me.”
Blake gasped. “Oh, Candy. I’m so sorry.” He sat up.
She shook her head. “My brother heard me screaming. When he found me with Mr. Tough Guy, my brother pulled his knife. Mr. Tough Guy was high and so strong. He snatched the knife from my brother and killed him.”
Blake let the last sentence sink in for a few seconds. “That’s terrible; I’m so sorry.”
Silence filled the old van as they stared at the front door of the house they watched.
Blake could think of nothing more to say. What can I say? How does she live with such a horrible memory?
Candy finally broke the silence. “There’s nothing like a stakeout to bring out what’s on someone’s mind. Truth be told, I’ve thought about it every day of my life.”
Blake rubbed his eyes. “You should go to the counselor. You could get some help.”
She kept peering through the binoculars. “Oh yeah, and lose my job. Do you think they’d keep me after all that?”
He took off his cap and wiped his brow. “Trust me, they already know about it. They checked you out when they hired you. They know. Now go get some help. It’s too much for you to carry around. Did they convict the guy?”
She lowered the binoculars. “Like so much unfinished business in our lives, he disappeared. They never found him. I’ve done searches and come up empty-handed. They say there’s no justice. There are times when I agree.”
Blake picked up the camera. “I’m so sorry that happened to you and your brother. I can’t imagine what’s it’s been like, reliving it every day. Really, Candy, promise me you’ll see the department shrink.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He snapped a photo of another buyer at the front door of the house.
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