Story Background
Why She Won’t Name Him
The hardest person to persuade in your new case is the victim herself. She keeps defending the man who hurt her. She has even begun to wonder whether she remembers it wrong.
You are a lawyer. To understand what happened to her, you investigate alongside Vyn Richter, the psychiatrist who works with you on the NXX team. After several interviews, you notice a pattern: whenever she describes how she was wronged, she ends up blaming herself.
Tonight, you stay at the office to listen to the recordings again. Rain falls outside as Vyn lays two transcripts side by side. The same experience has become two different accounts.
To understand why her story changed, you first need to find out exactly what that man said to her.
You Can Say No to Me, Too
It is late when the recording stops. Vyn gets up and sets a cup of tea within your reach. You have listened to one passage twice, but still haven’t turned the page.
‘When he said those things, he sounded as though he cared about her.’
‘Mm.’ Vyn lets you take your time.
You look up. ‘How do you tell whether someone cares about you, or just wants you to do as they say?’
He puts down his pen.
‘You could start by seeing what they do when you say no.’
Since you began working together, Vyn has always seemed to think of everything. You have grown used to asking his advice, and to finding a cup of tea he has left beside you when work runs late. You meant to ask about the case. Now, you don’t look away.
Vyn meets your eyes and adds softly:
‘You can say no to me, too.’
