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“According to Detective Orlando, you treated her last night?”
“She’d been beaten up badly. Bruised ribs. Swollen eyes. Cuts to the forehead and lip.”
Some of her injuries happened prior to coming to the cave then. Had it been that way with the other victims as well? She assumed they were beaten after the eyes were extracted. Swollen eyes would be hard to remove. Why was this different? Nadine might have fought, almost gotten away. The killer might not have had a choice.
Jimmy continued his story and Violet listened, watched his body language and noticed Regis and Sheriff Modine lurking, whispering. Was Jimmy committing the cardinal sin here?
If what he was saying was true, then the killer broke in, beat her up and attempted a sexual assault before the interruption of headlights—that had turned out to be nothing but some kind of light breaking through a dark room. Then he returned and finished it. She needed to chew on that one. Something didn’t add up.
“Anyone else at the trailer when you arrived?”
Jimmy broke eye contact, and his sight darted to the left. “No.”
Lies.
Someone was there. He was either protecting someone or afraid. Maybe both. “Why didn’t she call 911?”
“I guess she didn’t want to go.” He shrugged.
Violet inched further into his space, and he retreated a couple of steps. “Your friend is dead. You saw the body. You know how horrific it was. You can tell us who was there with you or not. But something you need to know, we are very good at our jobs. That’s why we have them. We’ll find out sooner or later, but later means more women die. You want that hanging over your head?” She folded her arms then stepped aside, motioning for Asa to take charge.
Asa angled his body to conceal Jimmy Russell from Regis and Sheriff Modine. “No one has to know about our conversation. No one will read anything in the report other than Nadine called you and you went to help.”
Because they were withholding their personal reports from the local department. But Jimmy needed to know that he was free from any corrupt law enforcement retaliation.
“We can’t catch this guy if we can’t catch a break.” Asa splayed his hands, showing their need for Jimmy to come through.
Jimmy massaged the back of his neck. “I could... I could die for talking to you.”
“Not gonna let that happen. Who was there with you?” Asa asked.
Licking his lips then expelling a heavy breath, Jimmy leaned in. “A guy called Whiskey and his friend. I think his name is Greg.”
The undercover agent and Whiskey. John would want to hear this. “What’s her relationship to them?” Violet treaded lightly to not tip him off that they already knew of Whiskey and his presence in the holler. They didn’t want to blow the DEA agent’s cover by knowing information they shouldn’t.
He cleared his throat. “She... I don’t really know.”
He didn’t want to reveal she ran drugs for the guy. “Where can we find them?”
“You can’t. Whiskey finds you, and Greg...he’s nobody really.”
“Whiskey’s trouble then?” Asa asked, playing the ignorance game.
Jimmy glanced over Asa’s shoulder to where Regis stood. “He’s dangerous and that’s all I can say. If I want to wake up breathing tomorrow.”
Violet scowled in Regis and Sheriff Modine’s direction. “Could he have hurt Nadine?”
“He’s not above violence if he thinks it’s warranted, but I don’t see him murdering women and putting them in caves this way. Not his style.”
But he could have beaten her up if she’d turned down his advances, then she called Jimmy, but why would Whiskey let her call? Why stick around? Could someone else have gotten to her later? Violet couldn’t put her finger on what was happening.
“Have you tended the wounds of other women who have had a relationship with him?” Asa asked.
Jimmy checked his watch. “Occasionally.”
“Any of our victims?”
Another heavy breath. “I’m already dooming myself, might as well jump off the ledge. I saw Atta Friday night. She called me saying she’d been roughed up and asked to come by for me to take a look. She needed a butterfly stitch above her left eyebrow.”
