Chapter Five. #2
“Yeah. This poor woman, she’s barely legal,” I whispered and gently touched her fingers.
“Who called it in?” Teagan inquired as we headed out of the cubicle.
“That guy there, he followed the ambulance in too. Poor guy’s very distraught,” I said, nodding at a middle-aged man. He had a horrified expression on his face and was clutching his chest. I studied him carefully and decided I didn’t like his pallor and approached him.
“Are you okay, Mr…?”
“Yes, no, I’m having a few chest pains, no doubt from finding that poor girl,” he replied.
“Okay, let’s check you over. What’s your name?” I said as I helped him stand up.
“It’s Darren Rogers. Nurse, I’ve got a daughter that age. Julie’s missing, and I was looking for her when I came across…” Mr Rogers broke off, and his voice hitched.
“The police are on their way. Can you remove your clothing and put on this gown? Sir, I’m worried about how you’re holding your chest,” I said gently.
Darren nodded, and I pulled the curtains across the window and left him to change. I approached Dr Simmons, who’d just got off the phone.
“Doctor, I’ve taken in Mr Rogers. He’s having chest pains,” I said, and he nodded.
“April, I think we’ve a trafficking victim here. We need to do a full workup, including a rape kit. I’m putting you in charge of her. Please ensure nobody goes in or out of that room without you being present. Her attacker might come for her again.”
“How long until the police arrive?”
“Soon, they’re aware this is a priority, we’re going to start processing her and collecting evidence,” Dr Simmons stated sadly.
“And Mr Rogers?”
“You can check on him while I’m with Jane Doe. If I’m not there, you need to be present,” Dr Simmons said.
“That’s fine. I’ll get Teagan to hook Mr Rogers up and take his vitals,” I replied.
“Good idea,”
Simmons headed back into Jane Doe’s room while I went to check on Mr Rogers and let him know Teagan would be looking after him.
The man was even paler, so I hooked him up and grabbed Teagan.
Reines was around, and Teagan approached him to report that a patient had been admitted with chest pains.
As she did, I hurried back to Jane Doe. The curtains on Jane Doe’s cubicle had been closed, so I knocked and waited to be told to enter. This was going to be a hard day.
Harlequin
I was concerned when Mr Rogers informed me he was at the hospital. That grew when he explained the circumstances. He begged me to meet him there, even though I had refused. When I arrived, the nurse had clearly been expecting me and took me through to his cubicle.
“Mr Rogers?”
“Harlequin, a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about the situation. Call me Darren.”
“Honestly, I don’t think I should be here, sir,” I replied.
“Harlequin, today I found the beaten and barely alive body of a young woman. The next one could be my Julie. Please, I’d rather not waste any more time; six months have passed already,” Darren rasped through a breathing mask.
“Darren, I have to ask questions, and I need honest answers. Some of the things I ask might be upsetting. If you’re ill, this isn’t a good time,” I said.
“And if I die, who’ll look for my Julie? You need to get going now, especially after what I found today,” he retorted.
“Fine. I’ll record this and also take notes. That way, nothing is forgotten.”
“Please, Harlequin, just start,” the man demanded weakly.
“Tell me about the day you last saw her. Begin from the first moment you woke Julie up,” I said, and Darren nodded.
He told me they’d eaten breakfast together, and Julie was excited about that evening because she was attending a party with her boyfriend.
“Did Julie often attend parties?” I asked.
“No, Julie was more inclined to remain at home and study. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t an unsociable child, but she wanted good marks and would work for them. Jabari, her boyfriend, was a relief, really; he forced Julie to go out and have fun.”
“Most parents want their kids to be studious,” I replied.
“Oh, Julie’s grades were important, but I’m a strong believer in a work-life balance.
Julie needed to study hard, but also have some time being a teenager.
Jabari ensured that happened. He is a respectful, courteous boy.
I liked him and, bless him, he checks in once or twice a week.
Jabari hasn’t given up hope either. He treated my daughter as the precious object she was, despite the fact that he was a jock.
We all know how they act.” Darren chuckled weakly.
“Do you think they were having sexual relations?”
“Probably, they’ve been together since they were thirteen. I don’t enjoy considering it, but I’m a realist.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” April demanded as the door opened, and I stiffened in my chair.
“Speaking with a client,” I answered as she came into view. The look of anger on April’s face blew me away.
“Mr Rogers is being checked for a heart condition. Leave,” she snapped.
“Nurse April,” Darren reached out and touched her arm. April turned to face him, and her expression softened. “Please, it’s important that I talk to Harlequin. He’s a PI, and my daughter went missing six months ago. He’s going to help me track Julie down, and after today…”
April bit her lip. She checked the ECG monitor’s readout before nodding. “I’ll allow this. Every second counts, Mr Rogers, but I’ll keep a check on you, and if I find any sign of distress, this ends.”
“Between you and Nurse Teagan, a man is well looked after,” Darren soothed with a heavy dose of charm.
April snorted. “That doesn’t work on me.” She pivoted to me, and anger and hatred flashed across her face. “Do not upset him. Am I clear?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” April turned and went away.
“You seriously affect that woman,” Darren said.
“Definitely, she loves to hate me,” I replied and laughed. But it hurt deep inside the way April looked at me.
“Love’s the flip of hate.”
“Don’t go there, Darren. Let’s continue. What happened after breakfast?”
◆◆◆
An hour later, I left Darren. I’d wrung everything out of him possible for now.
Darren had given me Jabari’s address and phone number, as well as the details of the four girls Julie hung out with.
I spotted Detective Emilio Hawthorne and his partner Phil Gold standing by the nurse’s station and headed over.
“What are you doing here?” Lio asked.
“Interviewing Darren Rogers about his daughter…”
“Julie. She’s been gone for six months,” Lio finished.
“You’re aware of the case.”
“A kid like that goes missing, we certainly are. We’ve tracked every lead down possible and got nothing. I hope you have better luck and find her. Darren’s a decent man and a good dad,” Lio said.
“Anything you can tell me that might help?”
Lio and Phil exchanged a glance. “We’ve got a Jane Doe. She’s thin, has bruises that show she’s been imprisoned for a while and shows signs of rape. Historical and recent rape.”
“Trafficking,” I guessed.
“Possibly. Girl’s barely an adult. I wouldn’t place her at more than twenty,” Phil said.
I winced. “Same age bracket as Julie.”
“Yeah. I’m hoping this isn’t that shit, but if it is, Julie may be a potential victim,” Lio replied.
“Can you keep me updated if it is trafficking?”
“As much as possible. I hope you find Julie. I really do,” Phil stated.
“Fingers crossed, because Darren deserves some peace and answers.”
“I’ll check in with you in a few days, once I’ve spoken to everyone, maybe compare notes, and we can jog something loose.”
We exchanged nods, and I headed outside, walking smack into April.
Shit.