“Yes, she’s awesomely beautiful. I liked her very much. She seemed sensible, she cares about other people, particularly her parents, and as you said, she’s immensely talented. She doesn’t trade on her beauty, either; she ignores it as best I could tell. It’s amazing, really, how she’s managed to move forward after those two roofied and raped her. Imagine, your own fiancé, the man you believed loved you, rapes you. He’s a monster, Sherlock.”

“No argument from me,” Sherlock said.

“I was thinking Alex had already decided Juliet wasn’t suited to be his wife now that he wanted to be a politician, was already planning to break it off. Or not, I can’t be sure either way. If so, like I said, I can see him thinking why not have his BFF Kent enjoy her, too? I also believe Alex never thought she’d remember, but she did.”

Sherlock sat back and marveled. “You actually pried the roofie and rape out of Juliet Ash Calley, a stranger you only just met? You’re beyond good, Mia. Okay, Alex must have suspected she remembered when she broke off the engagement.”

“Well, he knew for sure because Juliet confronted him; of course, he played it off, said she had a bad dream. That’s when she broke off the engagement. I imagine he was really worried, though, until he realized he and Kent would be safe, that Juliet would keep her mouth shut. She didn’t go to the police, nor did she ever tell a soul. She’s very protective of her parents. She still doesn’t want to deal with any of it, didn’t want to hear any questions about it at first. She didn’t even contradict Pamela telling me that breaking off the engagement was Alex’s idea, until I pushed her about it. I doubt even her parents know she was the one who ended it, and not the why, that’s for sure. I think she shoved her rage at what they did to her down deep, but it’s there, festering, and it’s costing her, even after two years.

“You wondered why she told me, a perfect stranger, and a reporter to boot? I really worked on her, Sherlock. She was shocked when I told her about Serena. It was kind of manipulative but it still wasn’t enough to make her come right out and admit what they’d done to her and agree to come forward. I asked her if she’s thought about warning Pamela about what Alex and Kent really are. You should have seen the guilty look on her face. She hadn’t said anything to Pamela, because she knew it would get back to Alex and what would he do to her? I felt really sorry for her and impatient, too. How could she let these two go on with what was their fun sport?