As he realized it, he knew two things for certain. That they were going to be able to tie him to what had happened to Vivienne, and blame him for it. And his parents were going to kill him. His violin had cost his grandfather almost a hundred thousand dollars, an insane amount of money. They would never forgive him for this. It was unthinkable that he would lose it, and even more unthinkable that he had raped a girl. He could suddenly imagine himself going to prison. If he’d lost his violin, he might as well be dead. He thought of going back to the scene of the crime to look for it, but they’d probably arrest him then and there, since they had found her. How could he have been so stupid, to drink with them, to get so drunk, to be there at all. He didn’t even know Rick had raped her until the others told him. And now he was part of it, and sworn to silence to protect Rick, who wasn’t even a close friend. He hadn’t seen Rick do it.
He saw the email about the all-school assembly then, and knew what it had to be about. And as he left his room to attend the assembly, he felt naked without his violin case in his hand, and he prayed she hadn’t died, after they left her unconscious in the clearing. They had called the campus police. Or Chase had. Tommy wished he hadn’t joined them, but it was too late now. He was one of them, and would probably end up in prison with them. He wished he was dead and hadn’t gotten so drunk, but he had.
Chapter 5
The two detectives appeared in Taylor’s office while he was eating a sandwich at his desk, and he felt a knot form in his stomach the moment he saw them. Nicole was just leaving. She had asked all the school counselors to check in with their counselees, to see how they were reacting to the news of the rape. The word was out. The student who had been “assaulted” had been raped. And the search was on for the rapist.
“We’re here to see Tommy Yee,” the sergeant explained, and Nicole doubled back to discuss it with them. “We can take him with us, or talk to him here. We might get better results at the station,” he said practically. Tommy was the only human link they had to the crime, and they wanted as much information as they could get from him, particularly since Vivienne was so uncooperative. And since Tommy’s violin case had been found at the crime scene, he had probably been there at some point that night. They wanted to know what he’d seen.
“I’d like to make something clear,” Nicole said to them. “He’s an only child from an extremely traditional Chinese family, and probably our best student. If he feels that he has disgraced his family in any way, he instantly becomes a prime suicide risk. If you take him with you, and keep him for any reason, I want a suicide watch on him 24/7. Can you assure us of that?” Taylor hadn’t thought of it, but he was grateful Nicole had.
“We can talk to him here, if you think it’s that risky,” the sergeant said quietly. The situation was serious enough without adding a suicide to it.
“We’d appreciate it,” Nicole said and Taylor nodded. She went to get Tommy herself. She found him leaving the cafeteria after lunch. He was alone, although she usually saw him with two or three other seniors. She thought he looked tired and pale, and unusually tense. He didn’t talk to her on the way to Taylor’s office when she told him as gently as she could that the police were waiting to talk to him there. He didn’t say a word. She couldn’t imagine him raping anyone, and he looked as though he was going to cry when he walked in and saw the two detectives waiting for him. He shook hands politely with them, and sat down in a chair.
“Do you know why we want to see you, Tommy?” He nodded, and then shook his head. “We found your violin at the scene of the crime, where the victim was raped. We want to know what it was doing there, and where you were last night.”
“I went to the haunted house in the gym after dinner, and then I went back to my room and went to bed. My violin was stolen yesterday. I went to the haunted house in the afternoon too. I left it outside and it was gone when I got back.” The sergeant nodded.
“Did you report it stolen?”
“Not yet. I was going to today. I was hoping someone would find it and give it back. It has my name on it.” He spoke in a soft voice and seemed calmer once he was talking. He had spent hours trying to figure out how to explain where his violin had been found. He had gone back early in the morning to find it but the area was surrounded by yellow crime scene tape, and his violin was gone. He had guessed it had been taken by the police.
“We checked. It’s a Gagliano violin. That’s a very expensive instrument. It sells for about a hundred thousand dollars. I’m surprised you didn’t report it right away.”
“People are very honest here, and I have my name on the case.”
“That’s how we knew it was yours.” The sergeant paused for a moment then, and looked Tommy in the eyes. “Do you know who raped her, Tommy? We won’t say you told us if you do. It’s very important that you help us find who did it. Did you see anything last night, or hear anything?”
“No, I didn’t,” he said in a choked voice. “I don’t know anything.” And then he started to cry as Taylor and Nicole watched him intently and wondered what he was going to say next. “I didn’t rape her…I didn’t, I swear.” He sat there and sobbed for five minutes as all four adults focused on him, and then he regained his composure.
“I believe you,” the sergeant said seriously. “But do you know who did?” Tommy shook his head miserably in response.
“No, I don’t.”
“If you hear something, or remember something, will you let us know?” Tommy nodded and wiped his eyes.
“May I have my violin back?”
“I’m afraid you can’t. Even if it was stolen from you, it was found as part of the crime scene, and it’s been logged in to evidence.”
“My parents will be very angry. My grandfather bought it for me. I can’t practice now.”
“We can lend you one, Tommy, not as fine as yours, but maybe it will do for now,” Nicole said gently. “One of our alumni donated a Gustave Villaume.” She knew from talking to the head of the music department. It was a fine violin, but nowhere near the quality of the one he’d just lost.
“Thank you,” he said, looking devastated and frightened of what his parents would say.
“You can go now,” the detective said, and Tommy nodded, thanked them and left the room, as the sergeant sighed and looked at Taylor and Nicole. “That’s two for two so far. The victim is lying to us too. I don’t believe his violin was stolen. With something that valuable and important to him, he wouldn’t have let it out of his sight for a minute, not a conscientious kid like him.” Nicole could recall seeing him with it all over campus, even in the cafeteria. “And the girl lied to us this morning about the tequila, and said she was drinking with a bunch of girls. We checked out part of her story, and it was a bald-faced lie. She’s either afraid of whoever raped her, or he’s a friend of hers and she’s protecting him.”