Page 24 of Fear for Her Life

“Thanks, I’d like that.” Maggie squeezed her arm. “Amy Clark’s parents are outside in the waiting room. I told them that I would be staying with her until you arrived and then they would be able to see her. I didn’t give them any details. I just told them that she would be okay.”

Walking her to the door, Jenna wondered how she could ever make it as sheriff in Black Rock Falls without Maggie running the office. She was the constant who kept everything moving along. In rain or shine, Maggie was always behind the counter as solid as a rock. “I’ll go and see them the moment I’ve spoken to Amy.”

When she turned around, two female doctors stepped out of the room. Jenna walked up to them and introduced herself, along with agents Carter, Wells, and Katz. “We’re all involved with this case. Is there a room where we can speak to you in private?”

The doctors led them a short way along the passageway and into an examination room. Jenna looked at them expectantly, waiting for them to give her information about Amy Clark.

“In normal circumstances”—a doctor who introduced herself as Dr. Ann Bradley clutched a file in front of her chest and looked from one to the other—“I wouldn’t be able to give you any information on my patient. Amy, however, has instructed me to give you all the necessary details to bring the men who assaulted her to justice.”

“Did she suffer any injuries in the wreck?” Carter had his notebook in one hand and pen raised.

“Yes. Superficial injuries from broken glass, we assume from the windshield. We removed quite a few shards from her face and head. We found bruising as well, but it is difficult to determine if that came from the bus wreck or when she was beaten by her assailants.”

Jenna shot Carter a look to silence him. “I assume you did a rape kit? Was there any sign of sexual assault?”

“I’m sorry to say, there was.” Dr. Bradley’s eyes flashed with anger. “She was subjected to multiple rapes over the time she was with them. They didn’t use protection and we’ve taken swabs to test for DNA and multiple diseases, but she will need to be tested regularly over a long period of time before we know she is clear.” She sighed. “Then there’s also the chance of pregnancy. We’ve offered her a number of options and she has yet to make a decision.” She cleared her throat. “She’s not in shock, but you’ll need to tread very carefully when you interview her. I haven’t administered medication, but I will be placing her under sedation for a few days at least. I hope you will allow her to remain here under our care.”

“Sheriff Alton really doesn’t have any choice in the matter.” Beth stared at the doctor, eyebrows raised. “Amy Clark is a victim and it’s her choice if she remains in the hospital or not. We can only advise her to remain here at least until we have apprehended the men who did this to her.”

Beside Jenna, Beth was like a coiled snake and had been getting worse with every step closer to the victim. She had some understanding of Beth’s upbringing from the fact that she was the daughter of a serial killer named Cutthroat Jack, who was still alive and living in the state pen. She found it difficult to believe that Beth, with her unstable background, had passed all the tests the FBI had thrown at her. According to Styles, apart from being slightly eccentric in her way of doing things, she’d proved her worth as a very capable crime solver.

During her stint as an undercover DEA agent and having to endure physical abuse from her faux husband, Jenna understood firsthand how facing similar cases could evoke flashbacks. She wondered if Beth was reliving bad memories, as before they’d even spoken to the victim, she was standing up for Amy’s rights. This was very noble but it didn’t help the situation. They couldn’t go in and rush Amy like bulls at the gate. They needed to treat her with kid gloves.

Taking a step closer to the doctor, Jenna needed to exert her authority. She looked at Beth. “I’ll be interviewing Amy, along with Jo. We’ll need to treat her very gently. Have you had experience in cases of this nature before?”

“I’ve lived through cases like this before.” Beth’s gaze hardened and changed to predatory. “It’s in my file that I was abused as a child in foster care. I don’t suffer from PTSD, but I do have some idea of what she’s been through, and yes, I can be considerate. My anger is for the perpetrators and the need to catch them before they do this again.”

Jenna nodded. “Okay.” She waved Beth toward the door and caught Jo’s inquisitive gaze on her.

In that moment she wished she had time to sit down and talk to Jo about her concerns. Although Beth must have passed all the necessary tests to be working in the FBI, she hadn’t convinced Jenna. Taking in the entire picture, it surprised her that Jo hadn’t come to the same conclusion. Beth Katz fit the profile of a serial killer. She had a psychopathic parent and she’d been living in the house when her father was on his killing spree. Likely, she’d witnessed her mother’s death by his hand and then suffered long periods of abuse in foster care. She completely understood that not every child inherited the psychopath gene from their parent, but the look Beth had just given her had chilled her to the bone. She had seen that same cold evil expression in many serial killers she’d arrested.

TWENTY-SEVEN

As Jenna entered the hospital room, the sight of Amy Clark’s battered face pushed all thoughts of Beth’s psychopathy to the back of her mind. Maybe she’d chat with Jo later or leave it until Kane returned. Up to this moment Beth had been nice and extremely helpful. Being angry about abuse was something she’d experienced many times, so maybe she was being a little harsh toward Beth. She couldn’t blame the poor woman for the sins of her father. She approached Amy and introduced everyone before sitting beside the bed. Jo and Beth sat opposite. Jo had a notebook ready to take notes, but Jenna pulled out her phone, laid it on the side table, and activated the record button. “Amy, so we don’t miss a single detail, I’m going to record this interview. Are you okay with that and is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?”

“No. I don’t mind, and Maggie told me you help many women who’ve been through the same experience. I’m feeling very safe here in this secure ward.” Amy glanced at Jo and Beth. “I appreciate you sending women doctors and FBI agents to speak to me. I’m not very good around men right now.”

Nodding, Jenna wanted to hold her hand to comfort her in some small way, but being direct and professional would be best. “Can you tell me what you remember from the time you left the prison? Was everything normal during the bus ride?”

“Yes, it was very quiet. The prisoners didn’t speak to each other at all. They just stared out of the windows. They seemed to enjoy the view.” Amy pushed a strand of hair behind one ear and stared into space. “Then I heard the sound of a chopper overhead. It seemed to follow us for some miles until we got onto an open stretch of highway. There were no vehicles for miles ahead of us. It just dropped out of the sky and hovered in front of the bus.”

“Can you describe it?” Jo glanced up from her notebook. “Did you see anyone inside?”

“Yes.” Amy turned her head slowly toward Jo. “It looked like a military helicopter but it was black. It had open doors with men sitting along the edge aiming assault rifles at us. The men were dressed in black, like the SWAT teams you see on TV.”

She went on to describe the incident as it occurred with surprising clarity. Jenna noticed how Amy became distressed when she described approaching the cabin. “How far would you estimate the cabin was from where you’d left the bus wreck?”

“Maybe a mile. It was difficult to gauge. It could have been two miles. We were moving very fast.” Amy blinked a few times. “I could hear water running, so I figure it was near a river.” A large tear rolled down her cheek.

Having to ask this poor woman questions was tearing Jenna apart. “I know this is difficult for you, but can you tell me exactly what happened when you arrived at the cabin?”

“I didn’t know they were going to shoot the old man.” Amy picked at her fingernails. “They told me they just wanted to get inside the house and find some clothes. It wasn’t necessary to kill him. There was washing on the line. They could have taken it without anyone knowing.”

“The prisoners are lifers and violent criminals. Did one of them take charge?” Jo looked at her. “I understand you must have been facing the old man, but do you know who shot him?”

“Margos gave the orders. He was in charge the entire time.” Amy scrubbed at her forehead as if trying to remember. “I’m not sure who shot the old man. It could have been Margos or Romero. They were the two carrying weapons.”

Jenna cleared her throat. Asking about sexual abuse was difficult but the questions needed to be answered. “Do you remember which one of the men assaulted you?”

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