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He’s right, of course. Watching Avery suffer the same torture I endured all those years ago will do nothing to help her. But it does help me cope with what I have to do next.
“I know it’s difficult,” he continues. “But it’s at least proof that she’s still alive. We still have time to find her.”
I push the heels of my hands into my eyes, as if I can scrub away the images seared into my retinas. “I know, Quinn. Trust me…I’m just tired of sitting idle.”
A doctor appears from around the corner and Quinn stands to meet her. “Is she awake?”
The doctor purses her lips disapprovingly. “She is. But I have to insist that you make this quick, detective. Though her vocal chords weren’t damaged to the extent we first thought, she’s suffered severely and is under heavy pain medication. She needs rest to recover.”
Quinn nods. “Thank you. We appreciate your help.”
He hands me back my phone as the doctor leads us into Carmen’s hospital room. A plastic breathing apparatus covers the lab tech’s mouth, and a loud beeping emits from a machine beside her bed.
The doctor draws the curtain, giving us some privacy as the nurses continue to monitor her condition.
“Carmen,” Quinn says, his notepad drawn and pen at the ready, just like the good detective he is. “I’m Detective Quinn. This is Agent Bonds. We need your help to catch the person responsible for your attack. Are you able to do that?”
Weakly, her eyes blink open and she nods against the pillow.
“That’s great. Do you recall what the offender looked like?”
She shakes her head.
He frowns. “That’s okay. Was it because he knocked you unconscious? Do you remember the attack?”
She shakes her head again. Then slowly lifts her hand and points to her face. When Quinn only stares, she blinks a few times and waves her hand over her face.
“He wore a mask,” I offer.
She nods.
“What about height? Build?” Quinn asks.
After a hard swallow that looks painful, she pushes the breathing apparatus aside and whispers, “Tall. Maybe just under six feet. Skinny.”
Quinn jots down the note. “Hair color?”
“I don’t know…maybe dark brown. Average. Short.”
“That’s good, Carmen. Thank you.” With noticeable effort, Quinn prepares to ask her the tougher questions. The ones we’re really here for. “Carmen, did he say anything to you?”
She blinks. Shakes her head.
I lay my hand on her arm, and she looks into my eyes. “Carmen. You’re not in trouble for anything. Nothing you tell us will incriminate you. You’re a victim. But Avery really needs your help. Anything you can tell us at all about your attacker or why you think he targeted you might save her life.”
Her hand trembles as she pulls it away to wipe a tear streak from her cheek. She breathes slowly for a few seconds, then, “Avery found something on one of the ropes. I was the only one in the lab that night…with her. When I heard about what happened to her…I got scared. That’s why I didn’t come in today.”
Quinn smiles down at her. “It’s okay. Like Sadie said, you’re not in trouble, and I know this has been terrifying, but you’re safe now. We just need to know if Avery took a sample. Did she do anything that night—?”
“She did,” Carmen cuts in. “Right before I left. She logged the discovery and then took a sample to send off.” She closes her eyes. “She gave it to me to put in outgoing forensics.” Her eyes open. “I don’t think…” She breaks off. “I don’t think, at least I don’t know, if she noted that before…”
“It’s okay,” I say, giving her hand a comforting pulse. “You’ve given us a lot to go on.”
She nods. “If I had any idea at all what would’ve happened, I never would’ve left—”
“You did the right thing, Carmen,” Quinn says. “Avery gave you a directive and you followed it.”
We leave Carmen as she begins to drift from the pain medication.
