Promise You Won't Tell? by John Locke Page B

what?”
    “Like—what’s your client’s name?”
    “Riley Freeman.”
    “What if I told you these cameras have nothing to do with Riley?”
    “What do you mean? They have everything to do with her.”
    “You’re focusing on your case.”
    “That’s my job.”
    “I agree. Which is why you need me.”
    “I’m waiting,” I say.
    “You’re not seeing the bigger picture. There’s more going on here.”
    “Tell me.”
    “This isn’t the work of teenagers.” Fanny says.
    “No?”
    “This is a professional installation. It took time. My guess, these cameras have been in place for a long time.”
    “What, exactly are you saying?”
    “Someone’s been spying on Kelli. And probably for a long time. You might find a video of Riley Freeman being assaulted, but Kelli’s a victim, too.”
    I point at one of the photos. “This camera’s directly above Kelli’s bed?”
    “Sure is.”
    “And this one covers her dressing area.”
    “Yup.”
    Dillon and I look at each other.
    He shrugs.
    I say, “How big a raise were you looking for?”

At ten this morning, Riley shocked me with a question. At four-fifteen she makes a comment that knocks me for a loop.
    “What do you mean you want to drop the case?”
    “I’m sorry, Ms. Ripper. I’ll find a way to pay you for your time. It’s just that I can’t do this.”
    “You owe me nothing, Riley. I haven’t been charging you. But we have to see it through.”
    “I can’t.”
    “Why not?”
    “Kelli’s my friend. If you tell the police about those videos, it could ruin her life.”
    “Riley, after all we’ve been through, surely you want to know what happened.”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “If there’s a video, and it shows something happened to you, we have a responsibility to talk to the police.”
    “But what if there are videos of Kelli?”
    “The police should know about that, too.”
    She goes quiet a minute.
    I say, “You think she already knows?”
    “What? No, of course not!”
    “Any idea why she hates her stepfather?”
    Riley stares straight ahead. “Please don’t do this.”
    I say, “He keeps his bedroom door locked at all times, won’t let anyone inside.”
    Riley says nothing.
    “Look,” I say. “It’s just me and you. Please, honey. Tell me what you know.”
    She continues staring straight ahead a long time. Then says, “Promise you won’t tell?”
    “I promise.”
    “He raped her.”

“When did this happen?”
    “Last summer.”
    “Kelli’s stepfather raped her?”
    “Yes.”
    “Who knows about this?”
    “Me, Kelli, Mitch…I don’t know if Kelli told anyone else. But Parker knows.”
    “Parker Page? Your best friend?”
    Riley nods. “I told Parker about it a few months ago. She and Kelli were having a feud, and Parker kept treating her like shit.”
    “Does Lydia know?”
    “Absolutely not.”
    “How can Kelli keep such a huge secret from her mother?”
    “He threw himself on his knees and begged her forgiveness. Said he was drunk, under a lot of pressure in his job. He sobbed. Begged her not to tell her mom or anyone else. Kelli keeps thinking she must have done something wrong. That it’s her fault, somehow.”
    “Except that he’s spying on her.”
    “ If he is.”
    “Has he touched her since?”
    “No.”
    I think a minute. Then say, “You’re positive she doesn’t know about the cameras?”
    Riley’s eyes flash with sudden anger. “What are you saying? That my friend is performing for that psychopath?”
    “No, of course not! You just made it sound like she’s forgiven him to some extent. And has accepted part of the blame, which, by the way, is exactly how victims typically respond to this type of situation. But the bottom line is, she’s keeping his secret.”
    “So?”
    “You told me she hates Mitch. I was just wondering if, after being raped, she found out about the cameras.”
    “You need an additional excuse for why she hates her stepfather? She’s fearful in her own home.