Jane met Maura who was stood outside Jane Doe's hospital room, standing next to her, Jane looked at her friend with soft eyes. "How is she?".
Maura looked at Jane's hand that was now on her arm, "She's awake, very lethargic. I haven't talked to her". Maura paused, "She's mute".
"What do you mean mute? Can't talk? Or won't?".
"Jane, Korsak's taking Rosenthorpe to the station" Frost informed his partner, before leaving just as quickly as he came.
Jane nodded in response. Maura took her eyes off the sleeping girl confused, "Why have you arrested Brad?".
Jane raised her eye brows and nudged Maura with her elbow, "Brad huh. Since when have you been on a first name basis?". Maura tried to smile but her efforts were wasted. "The semen stain on her dress came back to him" Jane told her.
Maura listened, she became distracted as Jane Doe opened her eyes. Jane looked at Maura, "I'm going to talk to her. You want to come with?". Maura shook her head, her curls moved softly as she did so, "No" she managed.
Jane walked in to the small hospital room occupied by Jane Doe, the mahogany haired girl looked at Jane, making eye contact for only a second.
"Hi there" Jane said softly, a smile graced Jane's lips. "My name's Jane, I'm a detective" she paused, "Can you tell me your name?". A silence filled the room making the air in the sanitised box heavy. Jane was surprised by the girl's reaction. She watched as she zipped her lips shut with her fingers.
"Okay then... Can you write it for me?". With no answer again, Jane exhaled deeply. "I'm going to call you Hannah". This caught JD's attention. "Hannah, I don't know what you've been through, but I do know someone has hurt you and without your help, I can't get justice for you". Jane realised Hannah's eyes were fixed on Maura, Jane turned to face Maura who was talking to one of the nurses. "You want me to get Maura? Do you want to talk to her?". Again there was a thick silence, getting up, Jane headed straight for Maura.
"You have to talk to her".
"What? Jane, I can't".
"Maura please. She won't talk to me".
Becoming flustered, Maura reluctantly agreed. She opened the door and entered Hannah's domain.
"Hello" Maura spoke awkwardly, finding it hard to talk to the girl she had almost killed. "Hannah my name is Maura". An awkward silence lay like a blanket resting on the shoulders of them both. "How old are you?" Maura tried. She gave a small weak smile. The girls eyes fell gently on Maura, she picked up the pen and pad Jane had left and began writing.
My name is NOT Hannah. I am 19 years old.
Maura read the note, she shook her head in the negative; "You're not nineteen" realising her tone had become sharp, she softened her eyes; "Sorry" she started getting flustered again, "Can you tell me your real name?".
Taking the pen, the unknown girl wrote,
I can't tell you my name.
The girl stopped writing, then picked up the pen again.
I am 15.
"Can you speak?".
No. You can't know where I am from. I can't go back. The police have no comprehension of my situation.
"What about your family?" Maura pressed becoming more concerned and more interested in the girls mind.
I have no family.
Nodding gently, Maura watched the girl with a fascination.
My holiday is permanent. I can't help you. I'm sorry Maura. I can't give up my protection.
Maura stood up to leave but was shocked as a cold hand touched her arm. One last note was given to her, this time, a question.
Have you got my mobile?
Maura shook her head, "No sweetheart, I don't". Maura took the notepad and made her way back to Jane who practically jumped out of her seat.
"Did she talk?".
"Her name isn't Hannah". Jane had already guessed as much. "She's fifteen. Jane, she's not American. She's scared to talk because she doesn't want to be deported".
"Smart girl. We can't send her back if we don't know where she's from".
"There's more, she said she can't go home because she has protection here".
"Protection how?".
"It's possible someone transported her here. I'm not making an assumption, but it's possible she's protecting someone, she wrote she has no family, and the police can't comprehend her situation".
"It's not the first time someone has thought they outsmart the police. It's no big deal, what else did she say?".
She's a native English speaker, her grammar would suggest she's very well educated" Maura paused, "I think she's English".
"Not making assumptions huh?" Jane remarked, "How did you get to that conclusion?".
"Look" Maura said showing Jane the notepad, "See how fluid the writing is, that would suggest English is first language. See here also" Maura pointed to the last two notes, "She say's holiday, not vacation. When I got up to leave, she asked me about her mobile phone, not her cell phone".
"Maura, you're brilliant!" Jane said amazed.
As Jane began walking, Maura grabbed her arm, "Jane wait. Help her Jane. Keep her safe".
"Maura, I got this".
/
"Bradley Rosenthorpe, can you explain why your DNA was found on the dress of a Jane Doe we found at the docks this morning?" Frost asked Rosenthorpe.
"No comment".
"You like to rape young girls? See we know you're sexually involved with the girl because your semen was found on her dress". Korsak informed.
"Statutory rape, the guys inside are going to love you" Frost smirked.
"I didn't rape her!" Rosenthorpe snapped. "We had consensual sex".
"She's fifteen" Korsak started.
"She's not old enough to consent" Frost finished.
"Try your hardest detectives. I will never go to jail for this, she won't press charges". The doctor laughed, "She won't even talk. To anyone! You think she'll take me to court?" Rosenthorpe's tone was once again mocking and all knowing.
"Well, now we, I mean you have a problem" Korsak corrected himself, "Detective Frost asked how your DNA ended up on the victim's dress".
Frost had caught up to Korsak, "You've just confessed to statutory rape" Frost couldn't help but smile as the all knowing became all locked up.
Walking in to the squad room, Frost told Jane what had happened, and how Rosenthorpe had confessed to a crime, rather than answer the question in hand.
"Nice job guys" Jane's hope began to spring, only, it was premature. Her phone rang, picking it up, the colour drained from her face, her heart slowed so much it could have stopped.
"You okay Jane?" Frost asked looking over at her as she hung up the phone.
Jane shook her head negatively, "No, our girl has disappeared from the hospital" she paused looking at a memo on her desk, "I've got to pick up something from the front desk, will you get the security footage? I want to know who she was with, what she was wearing, and which direction she went".
"I'm on it" Frost said as he and Korsak stood up ready to leave.
Jane went to the front desk and collected the small package. The officer at the front desk said a young girl had dropped it off not even an hour ago. She pulled off the brown paper that covered it, she read the front cover of the book. Jane realised right then, that if she hadn't been watching the first part of Bradley Rosenthorpe's interview, she would have been there to stop the girl leaving.
Nadine's book of Nadish thoughts.
Jane wondered if Nadine was Hannah, or Juliet. Whoever she was she prayed that the diary belonged to her Jane Doe. Jane spent no time in reading the first few pages, a photo of Nadine with her Mother, Father and younger brother was glued in, along with birth dates, and death dates.
"Maura" Jane said carrying the diary in to the morgue. "Nadine is Juliet. She is English, you were right, she's from south east London" Jane's voice carried excitement. "She came in a couple of hours ago and dropped this off".
Maura looked over at Jane, she removed her gloves, and black overcoat and joined Jane at her desk. Jane opened the book and pointed to the family photo, "You were right about her family too. She writes about their murders. The next entry is when she is here".
"Jane" Maura began, "Can I hold on to this? I want to read it" Maura was nervous, she had never envisioned herself as someone who would read someone else's diary.
Jane nodded, "Sure" Jane was about to make a joke about Maura wanting to read it, but she saw a sadness about her friend she wasn't used to seeing. "Hey, you want to get a drink?".
Looking up, Maura spoke softly, "Maybe later".
Jane sat on the edge of Maura's desk, "Talk to me Maura".
"I'm not sure what I'm feeling Jane. She reminds me of me".
"Maura" Jane spoke softly touching her friends arm giving it a small squeeze; "Nadine will be looked after, I promise" she paused, "But she has to go home".
"She doesn't have a home Jane. She has no one to go home to, and now, now where is she?" Maura was chained to ever lasting roller coaster of emotions, everything about Nadine reminded her of herself, being alone in a big world wondering constantly as to where the next corner will lead. Maura realised how lucky she was having her adoptive parents, because seeing how smart Nadine was, and seeing the pain in her eyes, the abandonment feelings struck deeply with her nerves.
"I can't have her back on my table Jane, we have to do something".
"What do you want me to do?".
Maura didn't know herself, her mind was racing with the possibilities then suddenly one of them won the race; "Fight her case, get her residency here".
Maura's warm heart and sad eyes were no match for Jane's defences. Almost choking on the sterile air in the morgue, a lump rose in Jane's throat. "Where is she going to live? What about school? And..." Jane saw a familiar glint in her friend's eyes. "Oh no. No. Maura No". She paused as Maura smiled and nodded, "You really want to do this?".
"I do. I know how she's feeling".
Jane sighed and got up, "No promises okay". A triumphant smile presented itself to Jane. Jane walked to the morgue door before turning back again, "We've spoken to Brad" she teased "He's admitted to have sex with Nadine, but claims it was consensual".
"Jane, I've got the DNA results back from the rape kit. There were no matches".
"So it wasn't doctor Rosenthorpe?".
"The stain on her dress was a few weeks old, his semen wasn't inside her. There were familial matches though".
