the Third Twin (1996)

Santa Teresa was a big suburban hospital near the northern city limits. Jeannie left her car in the parking lot and found the emergency room. Lisa was already in bed, wearing a hospital gown and staring into space. A TV set with the sound off was showing the Emmy Awards ceremony: hundreds of Hollywood celebrities in evening dress drinking champagne and congratulating one another. McHenty sat beside the bed with his notebook on his knee.

Jeannie put down the duffel. “Here are your clothes. What’s happening?”

Lisa remained expressionless and silent. She was still in shock, Jeannie figured. She was suppressing her feelings, fighting to stay in control. But at some point she had to show her rage. There would be an explosion sooner or later.

McHenty said: “I have to take down the basic details of the case, miss—would you excuse us for a few more minutes?”

“Oh, sure,” Jeannie said apologetically. Then she caught a look from Lisa and hesitated. A few minutes ago she had been cursing herself for leaving Lisa alone with a man. Now she was about to do it again. “On the other hand,” she said, “maybe Lisa would prefer me to stay.” Her instinct was confirmed when Lisa gave a barely perceptible nod. Jeannie sat on the bed and took Lisa’s hand.

McHenty looked irritated but he did not argue. “I was asking Miss Hoxton about how she tried to resist the assault,” he said. “Did you scream, Lisa?”

“Once, when he threw me on the floor,” she said in a low voice. “Then he pulled the knife.”

McHenty’s voice was matter-of-fact, and he looked down at his notebook as he spoke. “Did you try to fight him off?”

She shook her head. “I was afraid he would cut me.”

“So you really didn’t put up any resistance after that first scream?”

She shook her head and began to cry. Jeannie squeezed her hand. She wanted to say to McHenty, “What the hell was she supposed to do?” But she kept silent. Already today she had been rude to a boy who looked like Brad Pitt, made a bitchy remark about Lisa’s boobs, and snapped at the lobby guard in the gym. She knew she was not good at dealing with authority figures, and she was determined not to make an enemy of this policeman, who was only trying to do his job.

McHenty went on: “Just before he penetrated you, did he force your legs apart?”

Jeannie winced. Surely they should have female cops to ask these questions?

Lisa said: “He touched my thigh with the point of the knife.”

“Did he cut you?”

“No.”

“So you opened your legs voluntarily.”

Jeannie said: “If a suspect pulls a weapon on a cop, you generally shoot him down, don’t you? Do you call that voluntary?”

McHenty gave her an angry look. “Please leave this to me, miss.” He turned back to Lisa. “Do you have any injuries at all?”

“I’m bleeding, yes.”

“Is that as a result of the forced intercourse?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you injured, exactly?”

Jeannie could not stand it any longer. “Why don’t we let the doctor establish that?”

He looked at her as if she were stupid. “I have to make the preliminary report.”

“Then let it say she has internal injuries as a result of the rape.”

“I’m conducting this interview.”

“And I’m telling you to back off, mister,” Jeannie said, controlling the urge to scream at him. “My friend is in distress and I don’t think she needs to describe her internal injuries to you when she’s going to be examined by a doctor any second now.”

McHenty looked furious, but he moved on. “I noticed you had on red lace underwear. Do you think that had any effect on what happened?”

Lisa looked away, her eyes full of tears.

Jeannie said: “If I reported my red Mercedes stolen, would you ask me whether I had provoked the theft by driving such an attractive car?”

McHenty ignored her. “Do you think you might have met the perpetrator before, Lisa?”

“No.”

“But the smoke must have made it difficult for you to see clearly. And he wore a scarf of some kind over his face.”

“At first I was practically blind. But there wasn’t much smoke in the room where … he did it. I saw him.” She nodded to herself. “I saw him.”

“So you would recognize him if you saw him again.”

Lisa shuddered. “Oh, yes.”

“But you’ve never seen him before, like in a bar or anything.”

“No.”

“Do you go to bars, Lisa?”

“Sure.”

“Singles bars, that kind of thing?”

Jeannie boiled over. “What the hell kind of question is that?”

“The kind defense lawyers ask,” McHenty said.

“Lisa isn’t on trial—she’s not the perpetrator, she’s the victim!”

“Were you a virgin, Lisa?”

Jeannie stood up. “Okay, that’s enough. I do not believe this is supposed to happen. You’re not supposed to ask these invasive questions.”

McHenty raised his voice. “I’m trying to establish her credibility.”

“One hour after she was violated? Forget it!”

“I’m doing my job—”

“I don’t believe you know your job. I don’t think you know shit, McHenty.”

Before he could reply, a doctor walked in without knocking. He was young and looked harassed and tired. “Is this the rape?” he said.

“This is Ms. Lisa Hoxton,” Jeannie said icily. “Yes, she was raped.”

“I’ll need a vaginal swab,”