"But I honestly knew nothing about any of this. So why don't you tell me—what month, what day, what hour, what minute did it happen?"
"And here's the other thing. We're both martial-role actresses. We can hold our own. That cook may be a man, but he's lame in one leg. If the two of us had teamed up, how could he possibly have forced himself on me?"
The questions came one after another, and Sally lost her footing. She backed away, and her voice began to shake.
"The reason I didn't call for help was—"
I cut her off again.
"I understand. You weren't free to act, is that it?"
"Because a girl as kind as you would never have just stood there and let it happen, right?"
Sally nodded fast.
"Right, right, right, I couldn't do anything!"
"My heart ached for you."
But the crowd had caught up by now, and they sensed something off in what she'd said. After all, if Sally were really as kind as she claimed, she wouldn't have picked this exact day to drag the whole thing out.
"If you cared so much about her, why bring it up now?"
"Showing up in a red dress like that—is that for her sake, or do you want to ruin her?"
"You don't think this whole thing is made up, do you?"
"Look at Arlene. So calm. That's the face of a woman with a clear conscience!"
Owen heard the wind change and started to sweat. He cut in, his words loaded with warning.
"Sally, talk is cheap. If you've got no proof, then I can only say you're chasing shadows."
"You think I won't write a complaint and make sure you never set foot in the theater company again?"
Sally realized she'd said too much. But Owen's words snapped her back into focus.
She shouted in a panic.
"I'm not making it up!"
"I have a witness."
The words were barely out of her mouth.
Sally gathered up her skirt and ran out to the yard, then hauled in the cook, Zane Parsons, who'd been lurking outside to watch the show.
Zane had been there the whole time, so of course he knew exactly why she'd called him in.
The moment he stepped inside, he nodded.
"That's right, that's right—me and Arlene Butler really did have a thing!"
It didn't surprise me that he'd admit to it.
He was ugly and sleazy, and if he could spin some scandal with the star of the theater company, he'd be over the moon.
When I didn't deny it, Zane rubbed his hands together and grinned.
"She said so herself—said she worked up too much of an appetite, that one dinner roll wasn't enough. So I gave up my own ration to feed her. She ate my food. Doesn't she owe me a little something for that?"
"And don't any of you blame Sally. She only spoke up today to help Arlene out—she just wanted Arlene to cut ties with me, that's all!"
"She's a good person. Don't you go blaming her!"
"Arlene, don't worry about it either. I'm a stand-up guy. Since it's all out in the open now, you might as well just marry me. It's not much of a match, but you'll never go hungry for a dinner roll, I'll tell you that!"
Before I could react, Owen lunged forward like a man gone mad and slammed his fist into Zane's face.
"Shut your mouth."
"Arlene would never stoop so low for a dinner roll. You forced yourself on her, you used violence!"
"I'm calling the police!"
At the word police, Max and Marilyn jumped in at once.
"No—if you call the police, Arlene really will be ruined!"
Owen heard that, and the fight drained out of him. He sank to the floor. In the end he said nothing more about the police. Instead he took my hand, his voice trembling but firm.
"Arlene, don't be afraid!"
"After everything you've been through, I don't care about any of it!"
