Chapter 1
Chapter 1
"What have we got?" Olivia asked the SANE nurse as they walked down the hospital hallway, with Amanda Rollins trailing in the back.
"Approximate 12 year old Jane Doe with bruising on her thighs and a hand print over her throat. She has a gash on her forehead that she won't let us tend to."
"So she's conscious but doesn't know who she is?" Amanda asked from the back.
The nurse stopped to talk to both of the detectives. "She was conscious when she was brought in, but she hasn't said a word. She won't let anyone touch her, so no physical examinations has been done, I'm just assuming there was sexual trauma when I noticed the bruising when I managed to talk her into changing her clothes. But she seems verbal, I think she's just really scared. Whatever happened to her, I don't think she's allowed to tell anyone about it."
"How did she make it to the hospital?" Benson again.
"A good samaritan found her in Central Park, she was roaming around aimlessly with her head bleeding and no winter coat. This woman managed to take her into a cab and bring her here."
"Is she still here?" Benson asked.
"No, she left, but she left me her name and address in case someone wanted to follow up with her."
"Do you think she's expecting a payment?" Rollins asked.
"No, she told me she's a mandated reporter and knew there's always follow ups in these situations. She didn't tell me anymore. She seemed genuine about the girls week being, she just said couldn't stay because she was going to be late for work. Here's her info," the nurse hands Benson a folded up piece of paper, "I'm sure she'll be happy to get an update on the girl. Now, if you can talk her into at least letting me stitch up her forehead would be much appreciated."
The nurse walked away, Benson and Rollins continued to the open door that held the mystery girl. As they looked in, they saw this young, petite girl with hair as blonde as Rollins'. She was curled up in a ball at the end of the bed, with her johnny pulled snuggly over her legs. She looked either cold or just really scared.
"Hi there," Benson started out. She kept her voice soft so not to startle her. "My name is Olivia and this is Amanda, we work with the Special Victims Unit and we want to ask you some questions, is that okay?"
Without out looking up, the girl nodded her head up and down. The blood on her forehead was dry and crusty all the way down her check now, with a clean stream where a trail of tears cleaned up. No blood in her hair, a few faded bruises on her arms. The abuse had been ongoing for some time.
"Sweetie, do you know what your name is?" Benson asked gently. The girl nodded her head up and down again. Benson looked to Amanda, maybe they can get through to this girl. "Can you tell Amanda and I what it is?" The girl nodded her head again but still made no sound. Amanda stole a glance at Olivia, Olivia nodded her head. She was letting Amanda take lead.
Amanda grabbed the chair near the head of the bed and moved it in front of the girl and sat down so she would be at eye level. "It looks like someone hurt you recently," the girl lifted her head up for the first time. The detectives could see the big handprint bruise on her neck. It was only a few hours old. "When someone hurts me, I always feel better after I talk about it with someone," a little fib never hurt anyone, Amanda thought.
"You've been hurt before?" The girl croaked out.
"I have. I was really scared and I didn't tell anyone the truth about how I was hurt until years later, and it tore me up inside. But after I told the truth, I was finally able to feel like myself again," Amanda was as honest with the girl as she could be, hoping to gain her trust.
"Did you know who hurt you?" The girl whispered.
"I did. But I felt I couldn't tell anyone because he was my boss' boss," Amanda could feel Olivia glaring at her. It's not protocol to open this much to a fresh victim, but Amanda took a risk and hoped it would pay off. "If the man who hurt you is someone with power over you, we are here to protect you. Olivia and I won't ever let that man near you again."
"You can't make that promise," The girl buried her head back in her arms. Amanda deflated.
Olivia pulled up another chair and sat down next to Amanda. She needed a new approach to get through to the girl. "What were you doing in Central Park this afternoon?" Olivia was still patient with the girl, but growing slowly frustrated with her.
"I wasn't supposed to be there. I should have never left home," The girl revealed.
"Home?" A shot in the dark for Olivia, "was it your dad, or maybe a brother that did this to you?"
The girls body tensed up, but didn't answer. She buried her head deeper in her arms. Olivia was getting close. Next, start the process of elimination. "Is your brother older or younger?"
"Older," Olivia gave Amanda the side eye. Were they getting an answer? "But he doesn't live with us anymore," Which it must leave the dad, Amanda glanced back.
"Why doesn't your brother live with you anymore?" Benson tried to dance around what they were suspecting.
The girl lift her head up slightly, she seemed fond of her brother, "he moved away to college last year, I miss Ty."
"So he's about 18 years old?" Amanda asked.
"I think he's 19 now. He told me that he'll come home more often to keep me safe, but he lied to me," she said longingly.
"What does he have to keep you safe from?" Amanda treaded lightly.
"I - I've never said it out loud before. He told me he'll kill me if I did. Were you afraid of being killed too? Is that why you kept your secret for so long?" The girl was looking to Amanda for some reassurance.
It was a bit more complicated then that for Amanda, but fibs never hurt at times like this, "yes. I told my truth and I'm still here today."
"Okay, I'll talk about it. Only if I don't have to go back home tonight."
"I'm giving you my word, I'm personally going to do everything in my power to make sure we will get you out of your house," Olivia squeezed her ankle to let her know she was sincere.
"Thank you. I just - I just want it to stop," the girl broke down crying.
They were getting through to her and opened the flood gates. Now if they could get some much needed answers before it was too late.
