"Ms Billings, I need to know where those photos came from," Detective Larioza told her patiently, "I need to ask your friends where they got them."
The little girl closed her eyes. "Saki Aizawa and Sabine Weiss." Maybe the detective could get some answers out of them. Annie certainly could not.
"Is this the same Sabine Weiss that you attended that fund-raiser with?" Detective Larioza asked.
"Yes," Annie replied. She spelled Saki's full name when prompted. "Is this in any way related to your investigations?" she asked to change the subject.
"It's possible that the photo was taken during the robbery," Detective Larioza explained, "while you were unconscious."
Annie's eyes grew large. "I... I was stripped by whoever stole my things?"
"It looks that way."
"All of this doesn't make sense," Annie said, confused, "What really happened?"
"My guess is," Detective Larioza began, "you got in the cab. You fell unconscious, during which you were stripped and your photo was taken. After that, you were dumped in the alley where patrolmen found you."
Annie gasped. "Dumped? Naked?"
"Yes," the detective confirmed.
Annie glanced at Big Sis, who looked alarmed.
The detective was watching her reaction. "You didn't know?"
Annie shook her head numbly. "I didn't know I was found naked. Then, my dress..."
"Was stolen," the detective finished for her.
The little girl stared in horror.
Detective Larioza glanced at her notepad. "That's something else I wanted to ask. Before the fund-raiser, who knew about that red dress you wore?"
"My family." After a moment of thought, Annie added, "Connie and Sabine. Why?"
"That red dress was the single most valuable item you had on you," Detective Larioza explained, "I believe that the robbery was planned and the dress was the objective."
"You think my friends did that to me?" This was yet another shock to her.
"I didn't say that. I'm just gathering the facts."
Annie slumped back in her seat. "This... this is just too much."
"I'm sorry, Ms Billings," the older woman inclined her head sympathetically, "We're doing our very best, so hang in there. You have my number if there's anything."
Detective Larioza then took her leave and Big Sis escorted her to the door.
Annie hugged her knees. This could not be happening. First, there had been that photo of her. Then she had discovered that it was taken while she was unconscious. She had been stripped! What else could the robber have done? Did he touch her? No wonder they had put her through a rape test!
And... and she had been dumped, naked in an alleyway, exposed for anyone to see, to touch, to play with. How long had she been left there before the police found her? What else could have happened during that time?
Could her friends have done it to her? Had they stripped and photographed her? Would Connie do such a thing to her? Surely not quiet Sabine. But they were her friends.
The little girl trembled.
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