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She definitely knows something, and I’ll bet Laurel knows a piece of the puzzle too.
“I got a divorce, decided to change my world for the better. Delaney Grove isn’t as grand as it seems.”
Craig gave me all the info on her, and I’m looking at it on my phone now.
“You were married to Antonio Gonzalez, correct?”
She nods curtly, a coldness washing over her eyes.
“He still lives in Delaney Grove,” I go on.
Duke is watching me, a confused expression on his face.
“Why’d you come here instead of the police station?” I ask her. “The local PD is who broadcasted that they needed the information on Ferguson.”
“You should call him the monster,” Laurel interjects, surprising me as her eyes darken.
There’s a fury there. A dark, deeply laced fury. There’s not an ounce of fear in her eyes, just determined hatred so out of character for an abused child. The bruises on her arms and face and neck suggest he wasn’t gentle about his ways with her.
Has she even been examined yet?
Lindy ignores my question, but I already know the answer. He sent her here.
“Has she seen a doctor?” I ask Lindy, changing my line of questioning.
“We’re going to see one today.”
She doesn’t say more.
“How severe was she injured?”
“Bad enough to leave scars on her soul, but not to the extent it could have been. If you know what I mean, Agent.”
He hasn’t raped her. She’s too young. But he’s forced her to do other things, and that’s bad enough.
Lindy speaks like a victim herself, as though she understand the trauma on a different level. The unsub knew this, because that couldn’t be a coincidence.
She knows him. And she’s apparently for whatever crusade he’s on. I won’t get an ounce of information out of her that tells me who he is. Whatever happened affected more than just the unsub.
But why not tell me what happened?
What the fucking hell is going on in Delaney Grove?
“Ms. May, I know this is difficult, but can you at least tell me what led to you leaving Delaney Grove? Maybe something that affected more than just you?”
Her eyes shift, and a calmness comes over her.
“I left to start anew, Agent. If you want to know about Delaney Grove, maybe you should visit it.”
So he asked her not to tell. She spoke with him. There’s no doubt about that.
He saved the child. The child feels safe because he’s the dark knight that slayed the monster who has haunted her for months, ever since her disappearance. Our unsub handed her over to this woman, who he swore would keep her safe. She trusted him. She was cared for by Lindy, and the bond formed instantly.
That much makes sense.
They both owe him their silence for a reason. They’ll never talk. And I’m not in the business of bullying victims who’ve suffered enough. I’ll find out another way.
Donny walks back in, and I look over at him as he nods.
