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give one of them the whistle so he can start and stop the play. And I’m going to do the samething with you, when you’re ready.”
    She turned to Sinclair. “I thought you were going to question me.”
    “You seem to be getting on with Bridges.”
    “I like helping people,” Bridges said. “I want to help the investigation, of course, but more important, I want to help you. If you can trust me enough to tell me what happened, you’ll have made an important first step.” Like other SOIT officers, he had been trained to place the needs of the victim first. Doing so not only yielded better evidence but also established a strong relationship that encouraged victims to follow through.
    She looked down at her lap. “Talking about it makes it seem like it’s happening all over again.”
    “Then it’s time you left the defence to us. We have the best defence in the world right outside your door.” He stood and summoned the two uniformed police. “We’re having show and tell, gentlemen. Please introduce yourselves.”
    “PC Denton, Miss,” the first man said. He looked like an NFL linebacker, broad and solid, but he was not armed.
    “PC Bolton,” the second, slimmer man said.
    “This is not my area of expertise,” Bridges continued, “so we won’t cover everything. However, even I know that you have radios, in case you need backup. And clearly you both carry truncheons. Would you like to tell us why you’re here?”
    “To protect this young lady,” Denton answered. He looked in Jenny’s direction.
    “How can you do that without guns?” she asked.
    “We don’t need firearms to protect you, Miss. If you need us, all you have to do is call.” He nodded at the DCI.
    As Denton and Bolton left, Bridges continued. “They check everyone’s identification, Jenny, every time. When the Chief Inspector and I arrived this afternoon, we both had to show our warrant cards. They have a list of approved medical personnel. DCI Sinclair has given very specific instructions to ensure your safety.”
    She was seeing only a small part of the picture. “Will you help me?” she asked Bridges. “Yesterday I was—offsides.”
    Bridges smiled. “My kids do that when they’re trying to win the game all by themselves. You don’t have to. With your permission, we’ll record what you say so you won’t have to relate everything more than once. We may have follow-on questions, but those can be asked at a later time.”
    “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Jenny said in a strained voice. She watched Bridges’ face very carefully, but there was no sign of censure in his expression when he replied.
    “Of course you didn’t. The man who hurt you was in the wrong, not you. Do you want to tell us about it now?” He saw her face turn pale. “You can begin with your arrival in London,” he said quickly. “Was this your first trip across the pond?” He turned toward Sinclair. “Sir, if it’s no bother—”
    She heard Mr. Sinclair recording the introductory information.
    She nodded. “I’d never gone through customs before. When the official asked if I were entering the country for business or pleasure, I didn’t know what to say. I took the train into the city. Seeing London’slandscape for the first time—Texas is a horizontal landscape, but it seems like everything here is vertical.”
    “Were you tired at that point?” Bridges asked.
    “Yes, tired of lugging my bags. I’d been too excited to sleep on the plane, so I had to nap when I finally got to the hotel. The owners lived in Texas for a while, isn’t that crazy? They recommended places in the neighborhood to eat and gave me directions. I found a chocolate shop. Everyone was so courteous. I thought I was off to a good start.”
    “You are,” Bridges said.
    “The next day—Thursday—I went to the planetarium. It’s near the hotel. And I walked through the Wallace Collection. That was amazing! Museums in the southwest are in new, contemporary buildings