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Two police walk in, one in uniform, the other in plain-clothes.
‘Hi, Lola. This is Constable Jack Davies and I’m Detective Sam Wheeler,’ says the woman in a short sleeved-blouse, tucked into her jeans. They both give Walshy a nod like they’ve met.
‘Mind if we sit?’
I shake my head. Jack nods to the nurse, who leaves. He closes the door behind her.
They both find seats, teetering on the very edge, their elbows on their knees. The detective subtly takes out her notepad. ‘Lola, in your own time, start by telling us what happened on Friday night.’
I tell them about work, that I’d seen an old friend and went home because I was keen to take another look at Blossom’s sketchbook—the only thing she left me.
‘Blossom. Mmm. Foster mother?’ Detective Wheeler checks her notepad and looks back up. She has clear blue eyes and no makeup.
‘Yes. She passed away a few days ago.’ They nod and mumble that they’re sorry for my loss. ‘When I got home, I found the back door broken, and it looked like someone had searched for something. The sketchbook was missing, but nothing else, so I cycled to my neighbour’s house and entered the shed.’
Detective Wheeler nods while she writes it all down.
‘It was full of women’s underwear, including mine—Donald Duck ones, I’d recognise them anywhere.’ I look at Walshy. ‘Creep must have taken them off my clothesline.’
Walshy’s nostrils flare as he snorts in some air.
‘Can you tell us how you came to get those injuries?’ She indicates my face.
‘I flipped my bike on the gravel.’
She nods. ‘You said you remembered a doll?’
You could have heard a cockroach cough.
I nod slowly. ‘I was hurt, lying somewhere. I believe it was Perry’s backyard couch. He was smoking weed, and I could smell it. I was floating and I remembered seeing a doll in the back of a car in a busy carpark. A big one. I thought it was a mannequin at first.’
The two police share a subtle glance. ‘Recently?’
I shake my head. ‘I was younger. It was in Northam, the night of the school social dance, the same night Lisa Lee was attacked. My caseworker stopped so I could see everyone going in. It was so packed that she double-parked alongside a silver car, and that’s when I saw it. I didn’t think about it again. But when I was injured, it suddenly came flooding back.’
‘It wasn’t a dream?’
I shake my head, which hurts. ‘No. I remember it like a photo.’
‘Can you describe the doll?’ Detective Wheeler leans forward, unblinking. ‘Did it have a ribbon wrapped around it?’
I shake my head. ‘I don’t know. It was in the back seat with all these dresses; dance costumes, around it. It was pretty, like dolls are. It had blonde hair.’
Detective Wheeler sits straighter. ‘If we showed you a picture, do you think you could tell us if it’s the one you remember?’
I nod and get a bit cold as she pulls something out of a folder. ‘I’ll try.’ She hands me a photograph.
The doll is encased in a clear plastic box, smiling, wearing a pink dress with long blonde hair in two plaits. A wide pink ribbon circles its middle. There’s nothing sinister about the doll except that its laying on grass and there are water droplets on the outside of the box. ‘I think so. I can’t say definitely, but it’s big like the one I remember. And blonde. It was definitely blonde.’
I hand the picture back and Detective Wheeler takes it, her eyes flickering across the picture. She stows it inside the folder.
‘And the car? Could you say what make or model?’
I shake my head. ‘I was twelve and fascinated by the kids all dressed up. Cars didn’t draw my interest much.’
‘Do you remember if it had a boot or was it a hatchback?’
I think for a second. ‘A hatchback. There was more stuff over the back seat.’
She nods encouragingly. ‘Silver hatchback. Okay. Anything else about last night Lola? Even if it feels minor, do you recollect anything else you want to tell us?’
I think about it and then shake my head. ‘That’s all I’ve got. What about the underwear in Perry’s shed? I saw him creeping about in the dark the other night, too.’ I gave them a quick description. Detective Wheeler noted it in the little pad and then tucked it away and then stood up. Jack followed.
‘Lola, how well do you know Perry?’
‘Been neighbours since I was nine.’
She nods. ‘Ever had any problems?’
‘He’s keen on Lola, and he’s a creep,’ states Walshy. The detective acknowledges him before she looks back at me.
‘He’s awkward. Wants a date with me, but he hasn’t really done anything.’
‘You’ve been very helpful, thanks Lola. We sure need a break in this serial rapist case. People need to feel safe.’
‘Why would he wait? I mean, if it’s the same guy, why does he go so long between attacks?’
Detective Wheeler sighs, holds her wrist in front and widens her stance, and I can imagine her in uniform, gun in holster. ‘Lots of factors here, Lola. These kinds of perpetrators can go years between serious attacks. Maybe they’re in a stable relationship. Situations change. People get new jobs, move house. But something happens, and they strike again. This one leaves a calling card, a doll, so he wants to be noticed, or he wants a message to get across.’
‘You’re absolutely sure it’s the same one? Don’t these crazies get copycats?’
‘We have fingerprints, and they match. But unless he’s got his paws on record, we got nothing.’
‘Perry?’
‘We’re off to interview him, but don’t get your hopes up. Undie stealers and violent rapists aren’t the same thing.’ She lifts a hand at my expression. ‘He’ll be questioned, I assure you. Just hold tight and heal up. You’ve given us a lead—silver hatchback. We have a list of every staff and student that were present at the dance, so we’ll see what cars they were driving eight years ago. You’ve done well, Lola.’ She pauses. ‘You didn’t go inside the hall that night, did you? Could I get you to look over the guest list and see if anyone’s missing?’
‘No. But I did see some people I knew. I can look.’ I shrug.
Detective Wheeler smiles warmly. ‘Thanks, Lola. You going to be okay?’ she indicates my face.
‘Oh sure. I used to get into the odd fight. I’m used to healing up.’ She nods.
‘Okay. Good luck. I’ll get that list to you ASAP.’