Page 23 of I Stop Somewhere Waiting For You

CHAPTER 13

MAV

The file’s waiting for me when I get back.

“Mav!” Val, one of the chicks who cleans the Cathedral calls out as I ascend the porch steps. “You just missed Carmine. He left something for you on your desk.”

Bentley eyes me suspiciously when he notices me tense up at the mention of it.

I nod, feigning an appreciative smile as I force my body forward into the house. My feet feel like they’re filled with concrete, and it takes every ounce of effort I possess to push forward. My eyes zero in on the door to my office like it’s the ninth circle of Hell.

I cross the threshold, cutting myself off from the rest of the world as I allow the heavy door to slam shut behind me. My eyes lock onto the file situated on my desk, and suddenly the room feels smaller, like the walls are caving in on me.

Swallowing back the bile rising in my throat, I make my approach, removing my leather jacket and tossing it aside as I walk.

Bypassing my desk like a fucking pussy, I head to the makeshift bar in the corner instead where I pour myself a whiskey. Downing it in one shot, I breathe out while trying to steady the rapid thundering of my wildly beating heart. I pour myself one more, this time taking the glass with me to my desk before dropping down into my chair.

Setting the glass off to the side, I notice the unsteady tremble of my hand as I reach for the slim manila folder. There’s a note attached to this one, held to the front cover by a paperclip.

Mav,

Think hard before you open this.

Some things you can’t unsee.

-C

My breath comes out shaky as my fingers run along the edge of the file. Gathering all the strength I can manage, I inhale deep while flipping open the cover.

It’s an instant punch to the gut.

The first thing I see is a picture. It’s Jonsie, though barely recognizable. She’s in a hospital bed, her face swollen and badly marred with deep purple bruises. Her left eye is completely sealed shut. Her bright blonde locks are tainted a dingy brown with dirt and matted with blood. A breathing tube travels out of her mouth, hooking her up to a respirator.

It’s as though the world has muted around me. I hear nothing except the rush of my own blood pumping in my ears. Against my better judgment, I keep going.

The next pictures document the multitude of injuries that litter her body. I shuffle through the various prints before one of them in particular catches my eye. It’s a close up of her left breast bearing multiple puncture wounds that are situated in a series of circular and crescent shapes. My fingers trace the patterns as it dawns on me what they are… bite marks.

I haphazardly collect the photos, flipping them over before I get sick. Shifting them off to the side, I take notice of the ER report underneath. It doesn’t look like official paperwork one would receive at discharge. It looks more like notes the nurses would use when filling out their reports. Nicky probably had everything confiscated before any official reports could be filed.

Female, approximately 16 y.o. brought in by ambulance, 11:47 PM.

Found on side of road following anonymous 911 call.

Preliminary findings:

Fractured jaw

Broken ribs

Collapsed lung

Wrist lacerations – consistent with being bound and suspended

Head laceration approximately 3 inches in length behind right ear

Extensive vaginal bruising and tearing

Rape kit performed: Samples collected

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