Jenna opened her mouth to ask why she had not told the doctor Dorsey was holding her prisoner when Kane cleared his throat. She turned and walked with him to the other side of the room. “What is it? I need to speak with her.”
“She has Stockholm syndrome.” Kane’s eyes flicked to the girl and back. “She has been held captive for so long she figures she belongs here, that is normal. The brain shuts down and protects them from what is really happening. She isn’t afraid of me. That was the clue: Seeing strange men is normal to her. She likely has feelings for Ely as well. Some kids cry for their captors when rescued even after suffering abuse. You’ll have to tread easy.”
She gave him a nod and returned to Jane. “He sent us to have you see a doctor at the hospital but I promise to speak to your mom and see if she’ll meet us there. Do you know where he kept the key to your manacles?”
“With the keys to his car.” Jane pushed matted hair from her face.
“We have his keys.” Jenna glanced at the lifeless eyes of the various elk heads hanging on the walls. The house appeared to be surprisingly clean, unlike the girl standing before her. She was pitifully thin. The skin on her bony arms had bruises, some clear indication of fingermarks, her feet and legs appeared scratched, and she had a festering sore on one ankle. Jenna had seen similar marks to the bruising on her neck on strangulation victims.
“Can I get you out of those chains?” Kane’s gaze slid over the girl, his face etched with concern.
Jane leaned into Jenna and looked up at him. Jenna patted her hand. “Kane is a very gentle man; all he wants to do is set you free.”
When Jane nodded, Kane moved closer and Jenna could feel her trembling against her. “Take it slow, Kane.”
“Okay.” Kane dropped his voice to almost a whisper and avoided eye contact with her. “I spoke to Adam recently about you. He has never stopped looking for you. I’ll call him straight away and he can meet us at the hospital.” Kane went through the keys then he unfastened the cuff. “There you go.”
As Kane pulled the cabin apart collecting boxes of thumb drives and a computer, Jenna used her cellphone to access the driver’s license image of Ely Dorsey. She held it up for the girl to see. “Is this the man who chained you up?”
Jane nodded then turned her face away. “Is he in trouble?”
“No. Can you tell me anything about him or his friends?”
The girl shook her head, sending dirty hair falling over her face.
Jenna sat beside her. “How did you come to be here?”
She lifted her troubled gaze. “His friends will kill my family if I tell.”
In an effort to hide her distress, Jenna took a deep breath. “No, we’ll protect your family. His name is Ely Dorsey.” She glanced at the girl. “We are looking for his friends.” She gripped the girl’s hands. “We need your help. Will you at least tell me how you met him?”
“That was a long time ago.” Jane stared into the distance. “I don’t remember.”
“When he left, did he tell you where he was going?”
“No.” Jane gave her a wary stare. “He had a new girlfriend, didn’t he? That’s why the others stopped coming here.”
Jenna sighed. “I’m not sure. Do you remember anything else at all about the other men? Scars, tattoos?”
“One had a spider tattoo on his hand between his thumb and index finger.”
“I’m done here.” Kane came back into the room and Jenna noticed a flash of anger in his eyes. “There are a few chickens out back running loose. They’ll survive on their own, there’s a stream running through the property.” He held out an evidence bag filled with pills. “I found a massive supply of contraceptive pills in the bathroom. I gather that’s why he took her to the doctors. You might need to mention them to the doctor at the hospital.”
“Okay. Let?
?s go.” Jenna looked at the girl. “Is there anything you want to take from the house before you leave?”
“I’m not coming back?” Jane appeared agitated. “Maybe we should leave him a note.”
Jenna shot a glance at Kane. “Don’t worry, we’ll tell him.”
16
After delivering Jane to the hospital and leaving Walters to watch over her, Kane waited for Jenna to speak briefly to Jane’s brother and the doctor before returning to the office. The girl would remain in the hospital for a few days to complete tests and a mental health evaluation then return to her family. Any further interviews with her would have to wait until the doctor had cleared her later that day.
Kane glanced at Jenna on the way back to the office. “What next?”
“We are in a wait-and-see situation right now.” Jenna’s head bent over her notes. “I’ve requested another interview with Zoe and the doctor will speak to the parents shortly.” She glanced at him. “While we wait for the autopsy on Dorsey, it means some grunt work. We have no other men who might be implicated in the sex ring, so we’ll have to shake the murder suspects and see what falls out. One of them must be withholding information on the men involved or is the vigilante killer.”