The bed dipped, and she felt hands on her back, caressing and rubbing her.
“Talk to us,” Kenny whispered.
She turned to look at Kenny. The tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
“You know that case you mentioned? The one from Detroit?” she asked, and he squinted his eyes as if thrown off by the subject.
“Well, after you told me, I kept thinking and worrying about my friend.”
She sniffled and took a deep breath. “Oh God, Kenny, I went to the library to look up the information in the news. I recognized the street where they found her. They called her Jane Doe because they didn’t know who she was. It’s been weeks now, Kenny. They’re going to close the case.”
“Calm down, baby. I don’t understand why you’re so upset,” Blake stated as he knelt down in front of her and rubbed her knees.
“There was a video of a newscaster’s report on the body found and the murder. It was my friend, Ariel Burres. She lived with me before I escaped that night.”
“Oh Jesus, baby,” Kenny said then placed his hand against her cheek.
“They showed her picture on the news. She was bruised and beaten. They raped her. I know they did. That night I escaped.”
“You escaped? Escaped from who, Lena?” Bryant asked.
She swallowed hard.
“The one who killed Ariel.”
The room went silent as she hugged Bryant and shook with fear.
* * * *
Kenny looked at his brothers. He was shocked. Lena never told them that she ran from some kind of danger. He wanted to know who this guy was and how Lena knew that he was the one who killed Ariel. He wanted to know all the details, but she was shaking. This was serious.
Blake and Quinn looked about to explode, and Bryant held Lena against him with both arms wrapped tightly.
Kenny caressed her back.
“Lena, I have some questions for you. You need to explain a few things.”
She pulled back slowly from Bryant and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I know you want to interrogate me and find out what I know. I didn’t tell you everything about my life back in Detroit because I wanted to put it behind me. I didn’t do anything that I regret except for sticking around as long as I did. “
“Then explain, Lena. Tell us everything now,” Bryant whispered as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face then lifted her off his lap and placed her on the bed.
She tucked her feet under her and stared at Kenny.
“First tell us about Ariel.”
“I met Ariel a year ago. She left home because her parents were divorced and basically fought all the time and tried to use her against one another. At least that’s what she had told me. We lived on the streets together and watched one another’s backs. When I slept, she kept on guard, and I did the same for her. Being a young woman alone on the streets is tough. I begged Mark, a guy that owned a local restaurant, for a job. I told him that I would work hard and that he could trust me to show up every night. I would shower at the shelter as Ariel kept guard so no perverts would break in and rape us.”
“Damn.” Quinn ran a hand through his hair. Kenny thought this was tough to hear, never mind go through. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle what she revealed.
“It worked out and I started working. We shared the money I made, and we were able to at least eat a few times a week.”
“A few times a week?” Blake asked, sounding shocked.
Lena looked at Blake.
“Sometimes I’d go a week or more without even a scrap of food. It was the reality of street life,” she stated, and Bryant caressed her shoulder.