He ushered them into the dining room. They all sat around the table, and Peter poured them all a strong coffee.
“You guys are starting to freak me out. What’s going on?” Peter asked, nervous.
“I got a call last night from John Turner, Brad’s friend,” Gabriel said.
Peter tensed at Brad’s name.
“What’s going on?” Peter asked. He was tired of their pointed looks.
“Kelly Lighthouse was gang-raped last night. John has named Brad, Tyler, and Adam as being the men. I’m waiting for the DNA results. The bastards didn’t wear condoms. The Steer brothers have made sure they remain in custody. Kelly was lucid enough to name them. The girl fought.” Gabriel stopped and looked away.
Peter didn’t know what to say. Kelly was such a sweet young woman. She had her whole life ahead of her. He couldn’t believe something so horrible could happen to her.
He’d known something bad was going on with Brad. Peter had no idea it could have been something so awful.
“What’s happening?” Peter asked.
“John has admitted he didn’t have anything to do with the rape or the previous victims. He’s mentioned a couple of names of women, but he doesn’t remember them all,” Gabriel said.
“Is he trying to save his own skin?” Peter asked, disgusted.
“No, he wants to be charged as well. I don’t know what’s happened to him, but he’s like a changed man. He won’t accept a lawyer and refuses to change his statement. When I told him he could get off with a warning or even a shorter sentence, John shook his head.” Gabriel stopped, gripping his coffee cup lightly. “John said he didn’t come forward sooner, and he was just as bad as his friends. He should have come forward. I’ve announced an emergency meeting in the town hall.”
“Why?”
William and Edward remained quiet.
“The Steer brothers agree with me, as do these two,” Gabriel said, pointing at the other men. “It’s time to open up the town’s minds. They’re that closed off that four of their boys thought they could get away with it. I’m about to open their eyes to the truth of their actions.”
Rose cleared her throat capturing their attention. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Peter went to her. He saw the tears in her eyes. Wrapping his arms around her body he pulled her in close.
“I need to go and see Kelly. She shouldn’t be alone now,” Rose said.
“Of course. We’ll visit her later today.”
“I’ve organised for the town meeting to be at two. It would be great if you two could make it,” Gabriel said, standing.
“How is Kelly?” Rose asked, stopping the other man with a hand to his chest.
“She’s hurting. There are no words to describe what she’s been through.”
“How are her parents handling it?” Rose asked, not letting the other man move.
“Her mother had to be sedated, and her father is being watched. He knows what’s happening, and he wants to be at the town hall when I show them what’s happened. Things are going to change in Cape Falls. It has to.” Gabriel nodded at them before leaving. Edward and William left.
So much had changed, and Peter didn’t know what the hell was going on. A few years ago, the Steer brothers had gotten permission to exhume their three fathers to find out which brother was Daisy’s father. Peter recalled the hurt in both Paul and David when they discovered their youngest father had been the one to stray from their mother. Daisy, at least, had gotten some closure from the pain. Her mother and the youngest Steer brother were her parents. Paul, David, and Daisy’s relationship was always strained.
The door closing pulled him out of his thoughts.
“I feel like I’ve woken up in the Twilight Zone,” Rose said.
He stroked her hair wishing he could take everything away that she’d just heard.
“Do you know Kelly well?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’ve seen her around town, but I don’t really know her. It seems so cruel. I feel like I should know her.”
“Don’t worry about it, baby. There’s nothing we can do other than be there for her.”
He tightened his grip around her, not wanting to let her go.
“I feel so awful.”
“Why?” Peter asked.
He was doing a lot of asking just recently.
“Last night was the best night of my life, and I’m so happy. I don’t think I should be happy.”
Taking hold of her chin, Peter forced her to meet his gaze. “You should be happy. You’ve got nothing to be guilty about.”
“How can you not think I’m partly to blame?” she asked.
He didn’t understand the sudden change in her mood. “Where are all these thoughts coming from?” he asked.
“If you hadn’t taken me yesterday Brad might not have gone searching for another person,” Rose said.
His anger was instant as he looked at her.
“No, you’re not to blame. John finally came forward, and from what I heard this was not the first time.” He stroked her cheek trying his best to reassure her. “There’s no guilt here for you.”
She smiled. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t think my thoughts are ever going to change.”
“They will. Come on, go and get dressed. We’ll take a trip to the hospital and then on to the town hall. This is going to be a long day.”
Peter watched her leave as he went to the laundry room, grabbing out some laundered clothes. He paused in getting dressed. If this didn’t wake up the sleeping town of Cape Falls, he really didn’t know what would.
****
Rose rubbed her hands together as the nurse led her down to Kelly’s room. Peter stayed behind along with a few of the other visitors. Kelly didn’t want anyone to visit without her permission. Rose was surprised by the turn-out in the hospital. There were plenty of locals from Cape Falls present.
Her palms were sweaty, and she wished there was something more she could be doing.
“She’s right through there,” the nurse said.
There was a sense of doom around everyone. Rose sensed the pain in the hospital staff. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Rose rounded the door. She saw Kelly’s mother first. The older woman was reading to her daughter. Tears were evident on the woman’s face as she looked at the woman on the bed.
Rose cleared her throat looking toward the bed. Kelly’s face was bruised from fighting. Her body was covered with a hospital gown, covering most of the damage.