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“I need to do some research,” I say. “The statute of limitations on his crimes has probably passed, in which case he can’t be brought up on charges for what he did back then.”
“Stalking? Drugging people?” Rory shakes her head. “Sometimes the law sucks, Cal.”
“I know it does. But statutes of limitations exist for a reason. Evidence deteriorates with time. Eyewitnesses forget. A memory isn’t infallible.”
“Sounds like they just protect criminals,” Carmen adds.
“They protect defendants,” I say. “But yeah, it sometimes amounts to the same thing. We do have due process in this country, though. That’s a good thing.”
“Blah, blah, blah…” Rory says.
“Hey, if you were accused of a crime you didn’t commit, you’d be pretty darned happy about due process.”
Though I believe those words with all my heart, I’m hating the idea of statutes of limitations at the moment. Without the charges, we have less to bargain with. Lamone probably knows that.
“All I’m seeing at the moment,” Carmen says, “is that we know one criminal who is guilty who isn’t going to pay.”
“That was our call at the time,” I remind her. “We could have gone to the police.”
“We had our reasons.” Rory looks into her lap.
“Ror, I know we did. I don’t regret anything. I’m just saying we have to put our thinking caps on because some of the leverage we had then may not exist now. But come on. The three of us have more brainpower in our little fingers than Pat Lamone has in his head. We can do it.”
The problem? I’m not sure I believe my own words.
Sure, Pat Lamone may have the brainpower of a tomato, but if we no longer have his previous crimes to hold over his head, we don’t have much.
He can attempt to ruin us all over again.
“You and I need to confront him,” I say to Rory.
“What about me?” Carmen asks. “I was a victim too. I drank the shit.”
Rory meets my gaze. We didn’t let Carmen, Jordan, and the others in on everything, and I’m not about to get into it now in the middle of Rita’s.
“I have to get back to the office,” I say.
Rory rises as well. “I have a lesson, too.”
I don’t know if she does or not, but I know the two of us have to talk before we say anything more in front of Carmen.
“You guys want to meet for a drink after work?” Carmen asks.
“I can’t,” Rory says. “I have rehearsal with Jesse and the band tonight.”
“I’m…seeing Donny,” I lie. Though maybe I will be. Who knows?
“Let’s do it soon, then,” she says. “We should talk about all of this.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” I tell Carmen. “We’ll be in touch.”
Rory and I leave Rita’s. Once outside, Rory says, “I take it back. We don’t need to bring Carmen and the others in on this.”
I regard my sister. She’s seriously spooked. “Ror, what’s going on?”
“It’s just all coming back. Like a fucking steamroller. I never let myself think about those times, Cal, and now… I have to think about it. Jesus, we were kids. I’d handle things so differently now.”
“I know. We all would. I don’t let myself think about it either. I had to completely immobilize my body when I ran into Pat at the Snow Creek Inn with Donny. One false move and I felt like Donny would be able to read my mind. What would he think?”
“If he knew?” Rory shakes her head. “Probably nothing. I mean, the man loves you.” She sighs. “I’m glad I never told Raine about any of this. She wouldn’t have understood. And that right there tells you exactly why our relationship wasn’t cut out for the long haul. I love her and I miss her, but it’s more like missing a close friendship. You know what I mean?”
I scoff. “No, I don’t. I’ve never been in an intimate relationship with a friend.”
“I suppose it’s different for a bisexual person. Everyone I meet is a potential intimate relationship. Another thing that Raine never got. She’s girls only, all the time.”
“I get it, Ror.”
“You think you get it, but you don’t. My only hope, I guess, is to meet another bisexual person, whether it’s a man or a woman, and fall in love.”
“I think you’re selling the human race short,” I say. “Just because Raine couldn’t handle your bisexuality doesn’t mean all straight and gay people can’t.”
“Raine isn’t the only one. Remember Lucia Vasquez? And Tomas Revere? Both of them could have been serious relationships for me—they were great people—and both ended them because of my bisexuality.”
“I’m sorry.” I’m not sure what else to say.
She sighs. “No biggie. Honestly, it’s better that I’m alone right now. I don’t want to drag anyone else into this drama we’re facing.”
I bite my lip.
Her words ring true.
I can’t drag Donny into this, especially not while he’s facing his own family crisis. His father was shot, for God’s sake.
