Page 90 of The Woman Who Couldn't Scream
Kateri said, “Mrs. Cipre, I’m the Virtue Falls sheriff. If I can render aid…”
“No. No, of course not. There’s nothing wrong, Sheriff.” Elsa never took her frightened gaze from her husband’s face. “Dawkins and I are simply… very close.”
“Say good-bye to your new friends, my dear.” His light brown eyes glowed a sickly amber.
“Good-bye. I… I enjoyed myself,” Elsa said.
He acknowledged the group by not even a glance. All his attention was for his wife. “Sorry, ladies, I don’t like losing control of her.” He dragged at Elsa, making her move too quickly.
She stumbled.
The door slammed behind them.
Silence reigned for a long moment.
Mrs. Golobovitch looked at her fingers, then looked at the door. “That poor woman.”
Merida began to tremble. “That’s why she wears those clothes,” she signed. “To cover the bruises.”
Lilith gave voice to her words.
Emma turned to Kateri. “Can’t you do something?”
“Abused women sometimes are afraid of their abusers and refuse to report them, but more often, they’re in love and won’t leave and won’t file a report.” Kateri snapped the cover over her 9mm semiautomatic once more. “I’m sorry. We see this more often than you know.”
In a low, shamed voice, Tora said, “I was abused. I didn’t leave him until… he almost killed me. If it wasn’t for Lillie…” She hugged her sister.
A murmur of sympathy swept the room.
The radio at Kateri’s shoulder vibrated. She stood and walked away from the group, listened to Bergen’s low-voiced report and said, “Oh, my God. Her whole face?”
“It’s… so much worse than last time,” he told her. “You can’t imagine.”
“I’m trying not to.”
“I’ve got Moen on his way to pick you up.”
“See you soon.” Kateri hung up and returned to stand over the quilting frame. “Ladies, we have a situation. I don’t want to cause panic, but I would ask that none of you walk alone tonight.”
“Another slashing?” Emma Royalty asked.
Kateri nodded.
“Killed?” Mrs. Golobovitch asked.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“We haven’t been able to identify the body.”
Nine women dove for their cell phones to call the people important to them. A babble broke out. There were exclamations of relief and warnings.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Golobovitch clasped her hands at her ample bosom. “The Cipre man was out there alone, without his wife. She is so afraid of him. Do you think that he…?”
“Right now, we don’t have a suspect, not on our radar and not in custody. But yes, until Dawkins Cipre provides an alibi, he’s a suspect.” The room fell silent as everyone listened to Kateri. “So are a lot of men. And women. Please don’t make accusations. I can tell you that the sheriff’s department’s official statement will be that we are investigating and hope to have a suspect in custody soon.”
The women returned to their phone calls. Word would spread fast.
