Justified by C.M. Sutter

Author:C.M. Sutter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: C.M. Sutter
Published: 2017-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

I closed the door to the data storage room and approached Alice.

“The bag is back on the shelf, and we appreciate you giving us a chance to look inside. I’ll contact Sergeant Lewis myself to talk about the evidence. Here’s my card. We’re going to take a quick peek in at the girl then grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria. If anyone shows up for that evidence before we’re back, call me right away.”

“I understand, Agent Monroe.”

“Good. Do you have any idea when Jane’s sleep medication is going to wear off?”

“Jane? As in Jane Doe?”

I smiled. “Yes, as in Jane Doe.” I couldn’t tell Alice any more than that. Hospitals were notorious for watercooler fodder, and other than the polo shirt from Petro Fuel and Food, we didn’t have actual proof that the injured girl barely clinging to life was in fact Jane Weeks.

Alice checked the time. “I’d say it should wear off in an hour or so, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be coherent. That head injury could affect anything, including her speech. We just don’t know yet. When it’s all said and done, it’s the doctor’s call if he allows you to talk to her, not mine.”

I patted her hand. “I understand. We’ll check back this afternoon to see if she’s awake. The doctor said you’d give us masks to wear.”

“Certainly. I’ll get them. She’s in cubicle six. It’s the third room on the left.”

J.T. and I entered through the sliding glass door for Jane’s room. Beyond the privacy curtains, we saw her hooked up to machines that monitored her breathing, heart rate, and pulse. Fluids were being pumped into her body by IV drips. With our masks in place, we crept into the room quietly and stood on either side of her bed. I imagined the horrible scars she’d wear and face daily every time she looked in the mirror. They would be a reminder of his violence—if she made it through this ordeal and lived. Her face, swollen to the point of looking as if it would burst, was unrecognizable as the woman in the picture we showed Dr. Adams. Now I understood why he couldn’t confirm she was Jane. Her body was covered in gauze wraps, likely to protect her countless stitched injuries. It was painful to look at her and only fueled my fire to capture that maniac. I jerked my chin toward the door. “Come on. I’ve seen enough.”

We pulled off the masks, and I dropped them into the waste can on our way out. We took the elevator to the lower level, where the cafeteria was located. The appetite I had earlier faded after seeing Jane’s condition.

We slid our trays along the rails at the buffet counter. I grabbed a small plastic container that held a Caesar salad, and J.T. ordered a cheeseburger. With a bottle of iced tea each, we paid for our food and took seats at a small table in the corner of the room. I knew I had to eat something even though my mind kept going back to the vision of Jane.

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