At nine forty-five, we gathered in the corner of the visitors’ lounge with Dr. Adams and Mr. and Mrs. Weeks. The doctor explained how Jane was doing physically. Once he left to do his rounds, J.T. and I went over the possible mental setbacks Jane could endure. Telling Jane’s family what they needed to know about that sadistic killer was tough, but in order for them to understand her vulnerability, we had to share some of his deeds. We kept the descriptions that didn’t involve Jane as generic as possible.
J.T. added, “Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, there’s a good chance that once Jane is home, she’ll need counseling. She’s been through a lot. That killer’s crimes were heinous and beyond imagination. Jane is the only person we know of that lived through his torture, and she has the wounds to prove it. We want you to know her condition before you go in. She hasn’t seen herself in the mirror, and your looking shocked will only add to her anxiety. Please remain calm if you can.” J.T. stood. “So, whenever you’re ready.”
Mrs. Weeks took a deep breath, looked at her husband, and nodded. “Okay, take us to see our daughter.”
“Please, right this way,” I said as we led them to the ICU wing.
Alice allowed us entry into the unit.
“Jane is in cubicle six, right over here.” J.T. knocked, and she responded.
I opened the curtain halfway and peeked in. “Jane, your mom and dad are here. Are you ready to see them?”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she nodded.
“Go ahead, Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, we’ll give you some privacy.” I slid the curtain open, they walked through, and then I closed the door at their backs. From the other side of the door, we heard cries of love and likely sorrow at what their daughter had gone through.
J.T. squeezed my shoulder when he noticed my own tears. “It doesn’t get any easier as time goes on. It’s okay to be tough and compassionate. Let’s give them a half hour alone. Want a coffee?”
I brushed away the tear slipping down my cheek. “Yeah, let’s wait in the visitors’ lounge. I feel like I need to call Jack.”
“Because of John Pratt?” J.T. asked as we walked down the hallway.
“Yeah, I mean the guy was local. Jack can pull up his name and see if he had a record in Washburn County.”
“Give Spelling the time he needs, Jade. It won’t take long to track down John Pratt if the lead is authentic.” He grinned. “We are the FBI, you know.”
I pulled out my cell phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Seeing if there’s a picture of the guy online.”
“You’re Googling him? I don’t think you’ll find his personnel file or life history on Google. That’s why only special departments like ours have access to that type of information.”
“It doesn’t hurt to check. I’m antsy, okay?”
J.T. chuckled. “Sure, knock yourself out.”
Thirty minutes went by, and I hadn’t learned anything from the public web searches. “Damn it.” I closed out the Google search and pocketed my phone. “Let’s see how Jane and her folks are doing.”
J.T. and I reentered the ICU wing after Alice nodded us through. I knocked on Jane’s door.
“Come in.”
“It’s us, Jane. May we join you?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
We entered to see Mrs. Weeks sitting on Jane’s left and Mr. Weeks on her right. Each parent was carefully holding one of her hands.
“How’s it going in here?” I smiled when everything looked calm beyond the curtain.
Mr. Weeks spoke up. “We’re good. We were discussing a future trip. Maybe once Jane is released, we’ll go to the Florida coast for a week of relaxation.”
“That sounds really nice, and I’m sure Dr. Adams will go over her release date with you. Do you have any questions for us, Jane? There’s a chance we’ll be moving on later today. Gotta catch the bad guys, you know.” I gave her a wink.
“Agent Monroe, do you think you’ll really catch him? Has he hurt anyone else since me?”
“We haven’t heard of any more incidents, so that’s good. And yes, we will catch him. When we do, I guarantee you’ll hear from me personally.”
Jane smiled through her swollen face.
“Is there anything else you remember about him that we can add to our notes?”
She closed her eyes as if she were trying to recall something. “I’m sorry, but no. I’m sure I was unconscious most of the time.”
I patted her blanket-covered legs. “And that was probably a good thing. You gave us plenty of helpful information. We’ll give you guys some more time alone.” J.T. and I stood and turned toward the door.
“Agents Harper and Monroe?”
I looked back. “Yes, Jane?”
“You’ll say goodbye before you leave, won’t you?”
J.T. smiled. “You can count on it.”