Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

67 ∞ covert intentions

Day Sixteen ∞ Saturday

"WE'VE GOT AN ASSAULT VIC," Corporal Neil said. "Young female."

Detective Patel finished his cup of Joe. "Seriously hurt?"

"Doesn't seem so. Just roughed up and traumatized."

Patel looked across the half busy office. A short black girl sat in the waiting area with her arms around the shoulders of a hunched-up Caucasian brunette.

"She looks familiar, the black girl," he said.

The brunette raised her head a little, rubbing her dirty arm in an obsessive-compulsive manner.

Patel frowned as the recognition slipped away. "Or not... I'll take it. Bring her to Interview Room Two."

"Copy that," Neil said.

Patel got the notepad and pen from his desk. When he reached the room, the two girls were still outside, the brunette shaking her head and stepping away from the door.

"Hey, hey," the short girl said, rubbing the brunette's arms. "It's okay."

The brunette squeezed her elbows to her sides, making herself smaller, her hands half-covering her chin with an occasional tremor. But she allowed the short girl to touch her.

Neil shrugged at Patel and left him to it.

"Afternoon, ladies. I'm Detective Patel—I'll be taking your report. Sooo... how can I help you?"

He studied the victim. He couldn't see her face properly with her head bent, her ruffled bob-cut and bangs hiding most of her face. She looked like she'd had a scuffle on the ground by the dirt on her clothes and the torn sleeve. But he couldn't see any scrapes or bruising. She would have to clean up first.

"Come on," her friend said. "We're here to report those thugs." She tried to touch the brunette's face but she backed another step, shaking her head.

The friend looked at Patel with a shake of her head. "I think she might be claustrophobic."

Patel tried to gain eye contact with the victim, but she shrank away. "Ma'am, is that the problem?"

She hunched herself even more, but she was looking through her thick bangs.

"I'm not sure if she can speak," the friend said. "I dunno. She might be deaf."

"Where did you find her? Have a name or anything?"

"Don't know her. Just heard her cry out when I was going to... um... She was across from the plaza at the riverfront. Next to the construction, ya'know?"

"Did you see anything else? Any signs of abuse? Anything that was out of the ordinary?"

"Two guys running away. Didn't see their faces, but... I heard one say something like... umm..." She stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then an amused look fleeted across her face before she met Patel's gaze again, "Like, 'Trey, let's go'."

"Trey?" he said. "Alright, I'll have Corporal Neil take your complaint."

At the counter, Patel jotted the name on his pad, waved Neil over, and picked up the phone. As soon as Patel heard the voice at the other end, he said, "Dispatch two units to—"

He broke off, a sudden pain cutting through his train of thought. He rubbed his temple.

"Detective? Hello? ... We're not your personal operator, thank you."