“Kei Lien, have you taken a bath or shower since your last sexual encounter?” asked the doctor.
Kei Lien didn’t know how to answer that question because she had no idea what sexual encounter meant. She just stared straight ahead.
“It would help us to know the person who assaulted you if you just give us a chance and answer our questions.”
“Doctor,” the nurse said quietly, “I’m guessing she does not even know what the word assaulted means.”
Kei Lien spoke up. “My father. He always washed me in warm water after a gift from Santa.”
“A gift from Santa? What does that mean?” the doctor asked. “I’m sorry Kei Lien, I don’t understand.”
The nurse looked at her and then at the doctor. It suddenly dawned on her that this girl was not just physically abused, but mentally as well.
“We need to tread lightly here,” the nurse said. “This young woman has obviously been abused for quite some time now. Trying to find out who the person or persons is will not be determined from a rape kit. Not if she has been bathed after every episode. Kei Lien, may we ask you another question?”
“I guess.”
“What does gift from Santa mean? Can you try to explain? We only want to help you. We are very sorry you had to…”
Kei Lien flew into a tantrum upon hearing that word…sorry.
“No! No! I’m never saying that word again! I can’t have another gift or say that word ever again! I’m glad my father is dead! He can never bring me those gifts ever again!”
“He can never hurt you again. Kei Lien,” the nurse said calmly. “Take a deep breath and take your time. Tell us what happened to you. We won’t touch you, okay? Would you feel safer if we brought Daniel in here to sit by you?”
Knowing Daniel was right outside the door was comfort enough. Kei Lien started to calm down and her breathing became less labored. She was quiet for a few moments and then slowly began to tell her story.
“I write letters to Santa. Like my mom used to tell me to do. When she died, I kept writing them. A lot of them. Hoping Santa would bring her back to me. Then I asked for him to bring me somebody that would love me like she used to. My father said what he and the others did to me was my fault because I kept writing and asking for someone to love me. Then I’d have to say I’m….” her voice trailed off.
“Kei Lien, did you keep any of your clothes? Maybe some under clothes by any chance? Something that you did not wash?”
Kei Lien didn’t know how to answer that question or why they would even ask it.
“I guess so. I don’t like to touch some of those things, so I keep them together in a bag under my bed. If my father found out I’m sure he would be awful mad. He would do more bad things if he knew.”
She sounded like a small child at times while being questioned. In reality, she was an adult. Just not a functioning adult.
The nurse and doctor stepped aside to talk privately.
“This poor girl has been tortured sexually for many years, I’m guessing,” the nurse said.
“It sounds that way to me as well,” replied the doctor.
It was nearly impossible to collect all the information they needed to conclude she had been raped. The doctor could see the bruising and scaring on the outside of her body but was unable to perform an internal exam without sending her over the edge. Once out of her room the doctor spoke to Daniel.
“Daniel, are you her guardian?”
“No. I’m just a friend trying to help. She is of age to make her own decisions, but I’m guessing she’s not mentally able to do this, right?”
“Miss Chandler needs to be admitted to a hospital for observation and to see if she can be convinced to submit to an internal exam. We need that exam to determine if she was raped and assaulted. I think the only way we’ll be able to do it is with the proper medication to relax her.”
Daniel didn’t like the sound of that. His short-lived attempt at a medical degree taught him a lot about medications and their side effects. But he didn’t have the power to make the choice for her.
The nurse called Detective Clayton and shared the information about the clothing under Kei Lien’s bed. The detectives had already searched the house and nothing like that was logged into evidence.
“Is she still at the doctor’s office?” asked Emerson.
“I’m on the phone with them now,” Reese replied. “They’re going to transport her to Cromwell Med.”
“Let’s go. We’ll meet them there.”
Detectives Lake and Clayton walked into Cromwell Med, flashing their badges at the reception desk.
“Kei Lien Chandler, where is she?” barked Lake.
A very recognizable voice replied from the back-computer station, “Oh, as I live and breathe. Are you going to be polite to me this time or are we going to continue to have a problem?”
Reese chimed in, “We’re sorry about the other day. My partner and I had a disagreement right before we arrived, and he took it out on you. Isn’t that right, detective?”
“Right. Sorry,” he huffed. “Now could you direct us to Kei Lien Chandler? Please.”
“I’ll look up that room number for you.”
At least that’s one fence mended, Reese thought to herself.
An officer was posted at the door to Kei Lien’s room. Emerson questioned him a bit and then asked the nurse if it was okay to go in and speak with her.
“I think it would be better if I go in with you,” Reese interjected. “She’s pretty fragile right now and seems more comfortable with women.”
Reese entered the room with the nurse as Emerson stood at the open door within earshot.
“Kei Lien,” the nurse said, “this is Detective Reese Clayton. She’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Reese quietly approached her bedside. “Kei Lien, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m with the Cromwell Police Department and I’m here to help you. I’d like to talk to you a little bit if that’s ok?”
Kei Lien nodded her head.
“Ok, great. Kei Lien, do you remember when the last time your father gave you a bath? Was it before you ran away?”
“I don’t remember, but when I got into the lake I felt clean…really clean. The cold water felt good and I stopped hurting for a while.”
“Oh shit,” Emerson said under his breath.
“Reese,” he whispered from the door.
Reese turned toward him. “Ask her what lake,” he said.
Reese turned her attention back to Kei Lien.
“Kei Lien, do you remember which lake you were at?”
“I don’t know. I want to go home. Do I have a home? Where should I go? What do I do now?”
It hit her all at once. Her mind was racing. Suddenly her arms began flailing uncontrollably and her eyes were rolling back in her head. The nurse ran to her bedside and held her steady as not to pull the tubes from her arms. She hit the call button.
“I need some help in here…the patient is seizing.”
She looked back at Detective Lake at the door, “I think you and your partner need to leave now. It’s too much stress for her.”
Once back at the station, Captain Brown huddled up a team to start researching lakes in the area.
“Let’s first go over where she began to run and then trace the path to the barn she slept in that night. How many lakes are in the vicinity? Which one would she go to?”
“It looks like three within close proximity, from what I can see on Google earth,” one of the officers replied. “I hate these satellite maps. Give me a paper map any day.”
“Luckily, two are not that big, Captain,” replied Reese hanging over the officer’s left shoulder. “More like good size ponds. The other is rather large. It would take a long time to search that one.”
“Okay,” the Cap
tain said. “Then it looks like we have our work cut out for us.”
Captain Brown assigned the search teams and gave them their orders.
“Remember, we are looking for a young woman’s clothing. Stay sharp people.”
“Detective Lake,” Reese chimed in, “call for a K9 team to start on the biggest lake.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he jolted up to attention and saluted her.
The entire station erupted into laughter.
“That’s enough!” shouted Captain Brown. “Get your asses out there and find that clothing!
“Lake,” Reese sneered, “I’ll deal with you later.”
As the group began filing out of the conference room, Reese overheard snickering from two of the officers, “I’ll bet you twenty bucks she does, too.”
“Twenty-five?”
“Deal.”
Reese stepped in front of the doorway blocking their exit staring them down.
“Is there a problem here officers? Anything you want to share?”
“No, Detective.”
“Dismissed!” yelled the Captain giving Reese a look. “Is there something I need to know, Detective Clayton?”
“No, ma’am.”
Chapter 43
Allen Manning, while sharing in the hunt for Kei Lien’s clothing, could not shake the feeling that he knew the hotel desk clerk from somewhere. He asked the officer with him, “John, do you know Randall Cummings? The desk clerk at the Strasburg Hotel? I know Dayton is a pretty big county, but I know I’ve seen him before, just not at the hotel.”
“No, I don’t know him personally, but I have seen him from time to time. Coffee shop, grocery store, I think. Why, what’s up? Do you think he is involved with this case?”
“I don’t know for sure. Let’s just say it’s a gut feeling.”
“Where did you work before you came to Cromwell, Manning?”
“I was a transplant from the D.C. area. Always wanted a career in law enforcement. I considered being a bodyguard for hotshot politicians, but after I started training, I realized I could lose my life in a flash trying to protect someone who in reality, would give a shit less if his bodyguard died taking a bullet for him. So, I said my goodbyes and headed west. I tried a few security jobs along the way. Just wasn’t my thing. Standing in a bank lobby for eight hours a day would drive anyone crazy. So, I moved on. Still heading west. Never once did I ever consider South Dakota. It just happened that I loved the state.”
“Yeah. Clean air, natural beauty, low population.”
“I saw Mount Rushmore while traveling west and that was it. All of it seemed comfortable for some reason, like a hometown should. So, I decided to call it home.”
“How did you get on the force?”
“I already had my college degree, so I was able to sign up right away for the local police academy and became an officer after graduation. What about you?”
“Born and raised in this area. Always wanted to be in law enforcement, too.”
They continued their search around the perimeter of the lake. Hoping to find answers. It didn’t matter to Allen if he went farther in his field or not. He liked what he did and where he chose to live. He had a secret though. One that could cost him his career.
Chapter 44
The search teams around the lakes were coming up empty handed. Detective Clayton was beginning to think they would have to bring in the big guns. FBI. Something she dreaded doing. It would be a black mark on her record and on her ego as well. So, she thought she would give it a little while longer before she caved. She decided to approach Sara Hunter again to see if there were any updates on any of the victims.
Sara Hunter had been the Medical Examiner for Dayton County for a little under twenty years. She was very good at her job, but this case frightened her for the simple reason that she might not be able to give Cromwell Police the information they expected. For the first time in her career, she was confounded by a case. Her inner voice kept saying ‘What am I missing?’ Shocking her out of her thoughts, her computer alerted her to new data in the case. She had set a notification alert ringtone that would knock most people out of their skin. At least she knew she had something. The dental records were back for one of the children. Database records confirmed the dental work was performed in the small hamlet of Jade, just south of Westin, South Dakota. Patient name: Laurie Elizabeth Cole. She no sooner started to page the detectives when in walked Reese. The startled look on Sara’s face surprised Detective Clayton.
“Hey Sara, what’s going on? Did you find something?”
Sara took a moment to compose herself, “Yes, we have ID on one of the children. Her name is Laurie Elizabeth Cole. Dental records confirm it. The town is called Jade, near Westin. I was just going to contact one of you with the details when you walked in.”
“Thank you, Sara, great job. I’ll take it from here. Are you sure you are okay?”
“I’m fine. Just very disturbing cases and not sure if these six bodies have anything to do with the other two. Other than the stab wounds on all of them, where is the common thread?”
“We’ll find it. At least we have something to go on now.”
Reese looked directly into Sara’s eyes. “Thank you for what you do, Sara. Send the information to me. I’ll contact Detective Lake. I’m quite sure we’ll be taking a road trip to Jade.”
Sara decided to take a breath and get a cup of coffee in the break room. She thought it was time to relax a little before continuing her work on the autopsies. She selected a table that was semi-clean, wiped it with a napkin that she had dipped under the faucet. Better. That’s better. Several police officers came in, got their coffee and candy from the machines, and rotated out again. Except one.
“Hi, I’m one of the new recruits here. My name is Ken Sorenson. I don’t believe we have met.”
“Sara Hunter,” she said politely. She really wanted to tell him to go the hell away and leave her alone.
“You’re the Medical Examiner. We’ve just never been introduced. Are you waiting for someone or may I sit down and rest my weary bones for a minute?”
The very last thing Sara wanted to hear right now was the word bones, but being the nice person she was, she nodded and motioned at the empty seat.
“This is some case isn’t it?” Sorenson asked. “I mean, all these bodies at once. Must be a lot to handle in the morgue right now?”
“Yes, it is. Look, Mr. Sorenson…”
“Please, call me Ken.”
“I just came in here to take a breather and collect my thoughts for a few moments. So, please forgive me, I don’t mean to be rude, but I really would like to be alone for a while.”
“Oh, sure, I understand,” Sorenson said as he got up and headed to the doorway before turning back around. “Till we meet again, Sara Hunter.”
Then he slipped out.
Sara smiled. He was good looking, but there was no way she was going down that road, not if she could help it. Sara knew she was not herself lately. She felt nauseated, had headaches and was weak after standing in the morgue so long. Everything pointed to the flu, but she was sure that wasn’t it. Soon she would need to see her primary care doctor, but like all who have an ounce of medical knowledge, she felt she could deal with whatever it was that was making her feel like crap. She nearly fell asleep at the table, but the sound of voices jolted her back. She picked up her cup, did a fast swipe across the table with a napkin and headed back to work. Back to work on the body of that prick that probably raped his own daughter. Even though she knew it was unprofessional, when her colleague Bill wasn’t around, she made a few extra cuts on him. Smiling after each one. Cuts that made her feel better. Like she was exacting a little revenge on behalf of this child.
Chapter 45
Detectives Lake and Clayton both packed enough clothes to last a few days, just in case. The
trip to Jade was a little over a hundred miles away.
“Who knows how long we will be in Jade, Emerson, or what we will find on this family. I don’t understand why there was never a bulletin sent out about their disappearance. Jeez, a family of six, possibly seven, appears to fall off the face of the earth and no one cares where they went or why they never returned. Again, I have to ask the question, why did no one from the school district look into their truancy?”
Before they had left for Jade, they had their Cromwell investigators go through the police records warehouse to check on missing persons files. They went back ten years, at least, and nothing. After that time period, everything was stored on computers and nothing was there either.
“First, Reese, we need the family’s home address from the dentist and any other information his office may have regarding their employers or insurance coverage. Anything that will lead us to more details about this family.”
Reese nodded in agreement.
For most of the rest of the trip, they sat in silence. Both were lost in their own thoughts about the case. Until they reached Jade.
“This town seems really quiet, almost like an old-fashioned mom and pop type community,” said Lake. “I can’t imagine a business staying here and trying to survive. I don’t see a whole lot of people out and about either. You think of a dentist and immediately think big money, but how the hell does that happen here?”
“Beats me, but it’s clean,” Clayton replied. “Homes look in good shape. Lawns are nicely manicured and no trash around either. I’m guessing we’ll have to go to Westin to find a hotel room. Don’t see anything here that even resembles a bed & breakfast, do you?”
“Not yet. I knew we should have checked into that before we left Cromwell. Such good detective work, don’t you think? Aren’t we supposed to be brilliant at what we do?”
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