“He made all the guys come upstairs from the basement. They were watching TV. He said they should start eating, because the girls wouldn’t do it.”
Captain scowls, but holds in her disgust.
“And then…” She thinks. “Wang gave me some punch and gave me shit about being trailer trash. What a fucker,” she says, her eyes stinging. She cries for a minute, and then pulls it together.
“He was messed up by then,” she continues. “I thought something was going on. So I took the punch he gave me and tested that—I didn’t drink any. The paper turned blue, and I flushed it all down the toilet.” She closes her eyes again.
“I went downstairs,” she says slowly. “I checked the chemicals on his lab table, and I didn’t see the ones I was looking for—GBL and NaOH. Those two chemicals combined make GHB, a drug-facilitated, sexual-assault weapon. I studied about it, like you told me to.” Captain nods.
“But when I got upstairs, I remembered seeing some bottles on top of his refrigerator. Paint stripper and lye. The same chemicals that create GHB.”
“By then I was paranoid and worried. All the soda was in open two-liter bottles, and I didn’t even want to get a glass of water, because he had one of those water-filter things on the tap, and I thought he maybe put the drug in it. So I grabbed a beer—I’m so sorry, Captain—and drank it sort of fast, but I had food by then too. And a beer, honestly, is not too much for me. I don’t know what happened,” she says, crying again, covering her face. “I screwed up, didn’t I?” Captain closes her eyes. “No, Janie. You did fine. We should have thought to send you with some individual water bottles or something.” Cabel stops pacing and rests his forehead against the window. Bounces it against the glass a few times. Mutters unintelligibly.
Captain carefully continues. “You told us a few hours ago, something about the meatballs. Do you remember that?”
Janie is silent. Confused. “I don’t remember meatballs.” Captain nods at Cabel. He looks quizzically at her, then he nods. He dials his phone. Talks to someone. Eventually hangs up.
“GHB, confirmed in the meatballs and in the veggie dip,” he says.
“Jesus Christ.” He takes off his rugby, leaving his T-shirt on. Begins pacing some more. “I didn’t know you could put it in food.”
“Apparently Durbin wanted to cover his bases,” Captain says quietly, eyeing Cabel carefully. She turns back to Janie. “Is there anything else you remember? Don’t worry if you can’t. I expect that’s probably about it.”
Janie remains quiet for a long time. Finally she says, “This is weird, but I know Coach Crater raped Stacey. Not this time. Last semester.” The room rings in silence.
“How do you know, Janie?” Captain asks.
Janie hesitates. “I can’t prove it.”
“That’s okay. Give me your hunch. Remember? We can’t solve crimes without leads.”
Janie nods. Tells her the car dream Stacy’s had since last fall. And then tells her about pausing the dream and not being able to see the face.
“But I saw his hand,” she says. “In the dream he’s wearing a square fraternity ring. I remember seeing the same ring on Crater’s right hand last night.”
Silence.
And more silence. Cabel makes another phone call.
Captain ventures another question with an almost-smile on her face.
“Do you remember when you activated the panic button?” Janie looks at her. Shakes her head no.
“So you don’t remember beating the shit out of Crater and Wang?” Janie stares. “What?”
Captain smiles. “You were amazing, Janie. I hope someday you remember it. Because you should be very proud of yourself, like I am of you.”
Janie closes her eyes.
Finally she says, “Cabe, can you step out for a minute?” He gives her a fleeting look, then goes.
“Captain,” Janie says, “did anything happen? You know. With me?” Captain holds her hand. “Nothing below the belt, kiddo. When Baker and Cobb found you, your sweater was off your shoulder. That’s it.
The doctors did an exam. You stopped them, Janie.” Janie sighs in relief. “Thanks, sir.”
6:23 p.m.
Cabel drives Janie to his house.
“Twenty-one positives on the GHB, Janie.” Cabel’s voice is harsh.
“Everyone at the party was drugged. Durbin even drugged himself.
Rumor has it, the drug is known to enhance stamina.” He pauses.
“Ewww.” They both shudder. “When Baker and Cobb and the backup crew arrived, Durbin had three female students in his bed with him.” Janie is quiet.
“He’s going to jail for a long time, Janie.”
“What about Wang?”
“Him too. Sadly, he raped Stacey before Baker and Cobb got there.
They found his DNA. She asked for the morning-after pill. She doesn’t remember anything that happened last night.” Cabel’s hands grip the steering wheel. His knuckles are white.
Janie’s quiet. “Fuck,” she says.
She should have done better.
Done better for Stacey.
Janie’s headache dulls by evening. She eats everything Cabel gives her, and then declares herself fit. “Stop babying me already,” she says with a cautious grin. She knows Cabel hasn’t slept.
Cabel gives her an exhausted, lost look. Sucks in a breath as his face crumbles. He nods. “I’m done,” he says. “Excuse me.” He walks out of the room, and Janie hears him in his bedroom. Yelling into his pillow.