“It’ll let in about a quart a minute. Nobody’s out there at night.”

Carly drifted off, before she could ask her question.

—

She woke up in cold water. Someone had her by the hair.

“Hang on,” he said. “Can you help pull yourself up?”

She flailed with one arm and made contact with something wooden and slippery.

“Stay on your stomach,” he said, “and hang on. We’re about fifty yards from shore.”

Carly held on for her life, while somebody rowed slowly. She faded again, and this time, she woke lying wrapped in a blanket. Someone brushed her hair out of her face.

“I’ve called for an ambulance,” he said. “They should be here soon.”

“Where’s Tim?” she managed to ask.

“All I saw was you, just an arm draped over the gunwales of a sinking boat. I got hold of your wrist and held on. I’m sorry you were uncomfortable, but there’s little room on a one-man racing shell. I like to come out here and row at night, when there’s a moon. You don’t have to deal with powerboats’ wakes.”

“You didn’t see Tim?”

“I didn’t see anything but your arm. Are you stoned?”

“Not in the way you mean. I was drugged, though.” She felt herself drifting off again. “Tell them something for me.”

“Tell who?”

“The ambulance people.”

“What shall I tell them?”

“Tell them I want a rape kit.”

“What?”

But she had already fallen asleep again.

—

This time it was daylight, and there was a whirring noise, as her bed sat up. Somebody put a glass straw in her mouth.

“Suck,” a female voice said.

She sucked in water greedily. “I want a rape kit,” she said, when she had slaked her thirst.

“Already accomplished,” the woman said. “Your rescuer relayed your message.”

“Where is he?”

“Around somewhere. He’s only a teenager, but he got you aboard his shell and hauled you to shore.”

“A friend was with me. Tim Scott.”

“No word of him. Were you in a boat together?”

“I think so.”

“You’ve been out for about nine hours. I’ve sent samples to the tox lab, and your rape kit is in the hands of the police.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you hungry? Would you like some soup?”

“Yes.”

She pressed a button on the bed, and a nurse brought in a tray.

—

There were two cops; the woman did all the questioning. She had already asked for her name and address. “So you were in class. Tell me what happened after that.”

“We had planned lunch together. Tim had a picnic basket in his car. He drove us out to the lake and to this little clearing. It was sheltered and had a nice view. We . . .”

“Did you make love?”

“Yes, sort of. He went down on me.”

“Go on.”