STOAAT14

Tim and the officer with him in her apartment were finishing up their discussion while standing at her bar when they heard the rapping sound of an angry fist. Tim motioned for the officer to draw his weapon but keep quiet. He didn't need to look out the peep hole to confirm the knocker's identity. He grabbed a barstool and scraped it across the kitchen floor; making sure Jessup heard it.

"I know you can hear me, you little bitch!" came the harsh words from the other side of the door.

"Open this door or I'm coming in." He said argumentatively.

Tim walked slowly and quietly to the door; making sure he'd be hidden once the door was opened. The officer leaned forward on the bar in an effort to shield most of his body. His gun was aimed at the door waiting for the threatening man to give him a reason to pull the trigger. Tim heard the key enter the lock and the click as the door knob turned. He also heard the double clicking slide as the officer fed a bullet from the magazine into the chamber; the same bullet he was prepared to send straight into the chest of one Karl Jessup.

Jessup opened the door with a charge, never seeing the officer poised with the intruder in his sights. But the officer never had a chance to pull the trigger. Tim Johnson cold-cocked Karl Jessup; laid him out flat with one solid left hook. Standing over the motionless body of Jessup he began to mirandize him…"you have the right to remain silent – I'll tell you the rest when you wake up you worthless, low-life piece of shit!"

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In treatment room 4 at Rampart, Dr. Brackett and Dr. Morton were closely studying the x-rays of the girl they now knew as Maggie. She had sustained heavy bruising in multiple places on her body but the only fracture – in addition to her already casted left wrist – was her left little toe. It wasn't the newest broken bone that had the doctors concerned; it was the old fractures. Her x-rays showed a history of abuse dating back several years, including a couple of cracked ribs and fractures of both ulnas.

"Defensive wounds?" ask Dr. Morton.

"That's my guess, Mike, but without a history, it's hard to know for sure," came Dr. Brackett's response. "Looks like both ribs were cracked at the same time but the right ulna fracture appears older than the left. The fractures are consistent with someone holding up her arms trying to block a blow to the head. Mike, what are the chances of three different injuries like this occurring in a young teenage girl at different times and all of them accidental?"

"Slim to none" said Dr. Morton with his arms folded over his chest.

Dr. Brackett looked over at his young patient who was now resting, albeit fitfully, now that she had some antianxiety medication on board. She'd have to be monitored very closely due to her age and previous partial ingestion of unknown tranquilizers. He inhaled deeply before walking over to Maggie….and her entourage. Roy, Johnny and Dixie were standing vigil at her bedside watching her vital signs and the fast drip of her IV.

"What did the pictures tell you, Doc?" asked Johnny.

"Well, looking at her growth plates, I have to agree that she appears to be 14 or 15 years old. We only x-rayed a small section of her wrist before so we didn't pick-up the recent rapid bone growth. She also has some old injuries, fellows." Dr. Brackett gave a questioning look to his two paramedics. "Did she say anything to clue us in on how she got those?"

"No, Doc, she really hasn't told us anything," came John's response.

"Well, do you really think she was trying to kill herself?" Brackett asked while placing a hand on her forehead.

Roy gave the question some serious thought before he answered. "Doc I don't think she wanted to die…I just don't think she wanted to keep on living. Does that make sense?"

"Yea, Roy…..it makes perfect sense" and with that Kel gave Dix the orders needed to move her to ICU for at least the next 24 hours.

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John Gage was pacing the hallway outside the courtroom. He knew he was ready to testify. He looked at Tim who seemed to be sweating bullets. He knew that Tim's mind was on Mollie and that a part of him wished that Jessup had been charged in her death. But his primary concern was sitting across from him with her social worker and her court advocate.

Maggie was sitting on her hands trying to stop them from trembling. She needed to go to the bathroom but she wasn't sure if it was to urinate or vomit. Melissa, her court advocate, had spent hours with her explaining every detail of what to expect during her time in the courtroom. She taught her to hold her left hand in a fist so that it would be easier to remember to hold up her right hand to be sworn in. She taught her to pay close attention to the way the lawyer worded the questions so that she answered ONLY the questions asked so as not to accidently say more than was necessary. They had practiced with Melissa asking her very personal and embarrassing questions to help her be ready when the defense attorney asked them. She also had practiced methods for reducing tension and stress so that Maggie stayed in control while on the stand. Right now though, she just wanted to get it over with.

Jessup's arrest was definitely one of the best days of Tim Johnson's career but as he sat outside the courtroom five months later he began to have doubts. Had he done everything by the book? Was there anything Jessup's attorney could use to have this case thrown out on a technicality? If he was honest with himself he'd have to admit that a small part of him wished this trial was for Mollie instead of Maggie. He had never told anyone that he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Karl Jessup was not only responsible for Mollie's ultimate demise; Karl Jessup was the man who had killed her. Several months after Mollie's death he had been contacted by one of Jessup's "ladies" saying that she had actually witnessed Jessup kill Mollie. The details were especially gruesome but he sat and listened to every gory detail vowing to see to it that Jessup paid the price for what he'd done. According to the prostitute, Jessup was at the house popping pills of some kind. She didn't know what they were but she said they made him crazy. He started tearing up the house; punching holes in the walls and throwing things. He got a very wild look in his eyes and walked over to where Mollie was sleeping on her bed. He pulled her off the bed by her hair and shoved her head against the wall. The force caused a cut above her right eye but he wasn't finished with her. She was naked and poised on her hands and knees with her face against the wall beside her bed. Jessup kneeled down behind her forcing her to spread her legs far enough apart that he could easily maneuver between them. He then thrust himself violently inside of her. She moaned in pain at the suddenness of his entry but she dared not scream. She too was high and in no condition to resist him. He grabbed a handful of her hair and began slamming her head against the wall with the same rhythm he was using with his hips. As his thrusts became faster and harder, so did the pounding sound of her head being bashed into the wooded slats of the wall. At some point during the attack, she lost consciousness and her knees collapsed but he continued his relentless assault on her body. With a final thrust he climaxed with a loud groan and brought her head crashing onto the cement floor. He lay on top of her for several moments trying to catch his breath while the life literally drained from her body leaving a pool of blood on the floor. Mollie did die from blunt force trauma but that was all Tim ever told anyone. Even John Gage didn't know all the truth. Since Jessup was never charged everyone just assumed that another man had committed the crime. The prostitute who had relayed this story to him had said that she was too afraid to intervene at the time but that she was willing to testify against Jessup if he was arrested. Within a week, she was dead – either she jumped, fell or was thrown from an overpass – killing her instantly. Jessup was never charged with Mollie's death or the death of that young prostitute.

Tim inhaled deeply pulling himself back to the present day and the testimony he was about to give. Could he do it without losing control of his emotions? Yes, he had too – for Maggie's sake. The bailiff came to the door at that moment and called Tim Johnson to the witness stand.

After Tim's testimony was given, John's name was called. He gave Maggie a slight smile and turned to enter the courtroom. Maggie would be the last witness. This had been a deliberate move on the part of the District Attorney. He wanted her testimony to leave a lasting impression on the jury.

Finally, her name was called and she stood, her trembling legs carrying her slowly but steadily up to the witness stand. The District Attorney was very good at his job; especially with young witnesses. His tone was soft and he placed himself strategically between his young frightened witness and her abuser. He wanted her to be able to tell her story without having to see Jessup's face or feel the heat of his sneering glare while she told strangers the intimate details of her life. Her cross-examination would not be as comfortable.

When the District Attorney finished, he gave her a warm knowing smile; the nonverbal equivalent of an "atta girl". Then she felt the heat rising up in her chest turning her neck and face red. The defense attorney rose and walked arrogantly towards her. He did exactly what Melissa said he would do. He stood directly between her and the District Attorney blocking her from seeing him. Several times during her cross-examination he pointed at Jessup asking her to look at him. She was one step ahead of him though, looking over Jessup's head to the fire extinguisher on the back wall. The appearance was that she was looking at Jessup when in fact, she was visualizing the Fire Station where her new friends Mr. Gage and Mr. DeSoto worked. The defense attorney tried to make her look like a runaway and the biggest liar ever. Yes, she had lied about her age. Yes, she had lied about her name. Yes, she had knowingly consumed alcohol even though she was only 14 years old. Yes, she had taken prescription drugs that were not prescribed for her. Yes, Mr. Jessup had spent the night in her apartment on multiple occasions and she never filed any charges against him. Never during this barrage of questions was she given the opportunity to explain her reasons for these actions. By the time she was excused from the courtroom she felt like she was going to collapse. She once again felt beaten, abused, harassed and used by Jessup but she also felt the self-loathing thoughts returning; intruding into the depths of her soul. She again felt worthless and dirty. She wanted to cry but the one thing she didn't want to happen was for Jessup to see that he had gotten the best of her again.

The District Attorney praised her for her excellent testimony. That was good? How can a lying, drug using, alcohol abusing slut be a good thing she wondered. "I was watching the jury while you were testifying, Maggie. They weren't buying the things Jessup's lawyer was saying. In fact, I think it made them angry that he did that to you" was his response.

He was right too. Two days later the jury came back with a decision: guilty on all counts. Tim couldn't help but offer up a "Thank you, God" as he heard the verdict read. He was also there for the sentencing the following month. Karl Jessup would be spending at least 27 years in prison for a plethora of charges; not the least of which involved several crimes against a child. Tim just smiled to himself; he knew how child abusers were treated by other inmates. Even hardened criminals have their limits of what they are willing to tolerate among their own.

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Tim sat down at his desk and noticed the report from the medical examiner sitting on top of the stack of mail that had been building up since he left on his vacation. He knew what it contained and he had mixed feelings about opening it. It could wait a few more minutes. He reached inside the small brown sack and retrieved the small starfish shell he'd purchased at a souvenir shop in Huntington Beach. Turning it over to find a smooth spot, he took out a black felt tip pen and wrote: MAGGIE 1974.

She had survived a brush with the biggest monster Tim had ever had to deal with during his career. He placed the starfish on the book shelf behind his desk. Hers was number eight and he hoped he'd be able to add more soon.

Over the last several months Maggie had started making tremendous progress. She was opening up to her counselor and was winning the war against her demons during her therapy sessions. One of her biggest fears was being in the Foster Care system but even that fear was dissipating. She was now residing in a group home for girls. It wasn't ideal but foster homes were limited and teenagers were the most difficult age group to place in a home setting. He knew that but he still had a slight pang of regret for her. She was a good kid who deserved to have a family to surround her and support her. He couldn't dwell on the things he couldn't change.

He then opened up the envelope from the medical examiner's office and began reading the autopsy report.

Name of Decedent: Karl Robert Jessup

Date of Death: December 28, 1974

Cause of Death: Pulmonary Aspiration

Manner of Death: Homicide

The narrative read like a horror movie script; one that Tim Johnson couldn't have penned in a more satisfying manner himself. Jessup was found face down and naked behind several trash cans near the mess hall of the prison where he was serving his time. His boxer shorts had been stuffed inside his mouth with so much force that all the material had fit inside it and he had been unable to spit it out. He was restrained by force and brutally sodomized by an unknown number of assailants. The aftermath of the rape left a mixture of blood, feces and semen on his buttocks, backs of his thighs and pooled on the floor between his legs. During the assault, he had vomited and being unable to spit out the vomitus had choked on the remnants of his last meal. His attackers had left him lying with the trash – naked and exposed for all to see. As was almost always the case in a prison assault – there were no witnesses.

He folded the report and placed it back in the envelope. He needed to go spend a few moments with a certain nursing student who needed to know that her killer would never hurt another young woman. Then he had to meet Johnny. They were going over to the Girl's Home. Today was going to be a big day for Maggie and she needed their support. He also had to pick up a gift that he, John and the DeSotos had decided to buy for her. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face later on this afternoon.

He picked up a bouquet of red and yellow roses; the same flowers he would have purchased for her on her graduation day. He walked across the cemetery to the familiar grave. Laying the bouquet on top of the gravestone, he touched his lips with two fingers and then touched those same fingers to the stone. The only way he could now give his sister a loving peck on the cheek. " Karma caught up with him Mollie ….and he got what was coming to him. I love you, sis." Then he turned and walked back to his gray bronco. He had to make one more stop before picking up Gage.

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Eva Robinson, Maggie's Foster Care Social Worker, glanced over at the nervous teenager sitting on her bed at the Girl's Home. Over the last several months she had grown quite fond of the girl. She was however a teenager and she could be very stubborn and difficult at times.

"What if I don't like them?" asked Maggie as she stood in front of the dresser she shared with her roommates brushing her hair back into a tight ponytail.

"Maggie, there's no pressure on you, ok? If you don't like them then you don't have to stay with them but I think you'll find that they are a very pleasant couple." Eva was trying to be encouraging but her patience was growing thin.

"They're just a couple of old geezers aren't they?" she asked again.

"Maggie, I've told you before, they are not elderly. They are a nice young couple with a couple of kids of their own," Eva explained.

"Oh, great….they are just looking for a permanent babysitter for their little snot-nosed brats." Maggie complained. Her hair was perfect but she continued to brush the ponytail with a nervous fierceness.

"No, they aren't looking for a babysitter…..Maggie they just want to give you a home. Why can't you accept that for what it is?" asked Eva. She regretted the statement as soon as she had said it. She knew why Maggie was stalling and why she was worried.

"Oohhh, I get it. You said they were young and they had kids. I guess the wife doesn't have time for her husband anymore right? He talked her into this because he's going to want me to give him blow….."

"Magnolia Ann Mooring!" Eva raised her voice interrupting the damaging thought processes of her young charge. "That is not fair and I won't let you act like this!"

Maggie was stunned and tears began to sting her eyes threatening to spill onto her already hot cheeks.

"I know that you are scared, Maggie. You are afraid that you might actually like these folks and that scares the daylights out of you."

"Does not….." came Maggie's sniffling response.

"Yes, ….it does ….and that is completely normal, Maggie." Eva walked over and stood behind Maggie; looking at her in the mirror. "You know that if you begin to tear down that wall you've built around your heart and let someone get close to you that you might get hurt." Eva could feel the girl's breathing rate increase and knew that she was right. "Maggie, if you never let anyone get close to you again then no, no one will ever hurt you….but you'll never feel the joys that those close relationships can bring." Her voice was much softer now and she watched as Maggie gave her a simple nod in agreement.

"Maggie, just give them a weekend. It will be your choice but these folks have been through several interviews, psychological evaluations, physical evaluations and LOTS of training in order to be approved to be foster parents. They know about your past…..they even know about your nightmares that still happen sometimes…..and they just want the chance to be there for you…..please give them this weekend and I won't ask you to give them more than that." Eva hoped she had persuaded her.

"K" was all Maggie could say….but it was enough.

"Now Maggie, there are a couple of visitors waiting for you downstairs. They want to spend a few minutes with you before we leave, alright?"

Maggie reached for her duffle bag and draped the long handle across her body. She looked at Eva and turned toward the door and huffing as she headed down the stairs.

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Johnny and Tim were waiting in the visitation room when the door slowly opened. Maggie peeked in before entering. She wasn't sure who would be waiting in there for her. Johnny and Tim gave her smiles and hugs. They were so happy for her. She was standing on the verge of a new life with a foster family…if she would just agree to it. Johnny held out his hand towards her. In it, he held a small box wrapped in floral wrapping paper and a purple bow.

"For me?" she asked. "I don't understand," Maggie said.

"Maggie, you act like Tim and I don't know what today is?" he grinned his crooked smile and then announced "Happy 15th."

Maggie was shocked. She didn't realize that anyone knew that January 12th was her birthday. She couldn't hide the huge smile that spread across her face and Johnny and Tim shared in her joy by adding their own smiles to the already happy scene. She untied the ribbon and peeled off the paper revealing a small black box. Opening it up, she gasped.

"Oh wow…..it's beautiful" she exclaimed as she gently caressed the gold necklace with the starfish pendent. Tim cleared his throat and began to tell the story of the Starfish Thrower. When he finished, Maggie looked up with a big grin on her face. "I'm your starfish, right?" she asked.

"Maggie, you are indeed…..you are my number 8 starfish" he announced and slapping Johnny on the shoulder. "Thanks, partner" he said to Johnny. Johnny smiled and tried to hide a blush.

"Oh my, Maggie…I almost forgot to give you this." Eva reached inside her purse and pulled out a square envelope. "Your new foster parents asked me to give this to you to read before we get there."

"Now?" She asked Eva. "I'm visiting with Mr. Gage and Mr. Johnson" she protested.

Johnny and Tim agreed to wait for a few minutes while she read her card.

Some sappy "we're gonna save you" card, she thought. She opened the envelope and pulled out the small card. It had a cute beach umbrella on the front and she couldn't help but notice the small starfish in the sand. She opened the card and found that it was not a preprinted card. It was a blank card that was now filled with beautiful cursive handwriting.

Dear Maggie;

You have inspired us more than you could ever imagine. You have faced so many challenges and endured so many losses – more than any teenage girl should ever endure. There is no way that we can ever restore to you all that you have lost. Your parents, grandmother and sister all loved you so much and no one and nothing can ever take their place. But if you are willing to give us a chance, we'd like for you to come and live with us. We'd love to give you another home and another family to cherish and love you the way that you deserve to be cherished and loved. We are not perfect parents and we've never parented a teenager before. We have two young children who will no doubt aggravate you terribly at times. We are not wealthy and we don't have a big home. But if you will accept us with all of our flaws, we'd love to have you become a part of our family. We will not pressure you for a decision and there will be no hard feelings if you choose not to stay with us. Just know that we are here for you today and always,

Roy and Joanne DeSoto

Johnny watched as Maggie read the card. Her lower lip began to quiver and he knew that Joanne's words were wrapping themselves around her heart. He had to turn to his side and fake a cough so he could wipe away the moisture that was beginning to pool in the corners of his eyes. He looked up at Eva who was standing in the open doorway and gave her a knowing wink. She smiled back just as Maggie read the names at the bottom of the card. Her chin began to tremble and she looked up through teary eyes at Johnny, Tim and Eva.

"Is this real? Do they really mean it?" She was crying now but they were tears of joy.

"We'll take that as a yes" she heard a man's voice say and looked up to see Roy and Joanne standing beside Eva; Roy's arm wrapped lovingly around Joanne's waist.

Maggie opened her mouth to try to say 'thank you' but found she was speechless. She and the DeSotos closed the distance between them and hugged each other. No one had dry eyes at that moment and in no time the six of them were all embracing each other. This was not a 'good-bye' visit after all. It was the beginning of her 15th year and the beginning of the rest of her life.

"Let's go home, Maggie" Joanne said.

"Wait, I want to wear my necklace….home" she smiled. Joanne helped her with the clasp before giving her a slight sideways squeeze.

"Now, you can call me Uncle Johnny instead of Mr. Gage alright?" Johnny joked, bringing laughter to all of the misty-eyes in the room. As they exited the visitation room and headed to their waiting cars, Tim looked up and imagined that Mollie was somehow looking down and smiling her approval. Maggie had been given a new lease on life ….and Tim had been given a reason to keep saving them…..one at a time.