Chapter Fifty-Two: Who Killed the Jensen Family?

Nick and Sofia were taking their relationship slow. Both had been hurt by previous lovers and wanted to take things slow. Although they have slept together (first and only time Lady Heather's Lair) but they still wanted to go slow.

It had been a few weeks since that quadruple murder in Henderson leaving the youngest – Cindy age 5 an orphan and catatonic. The mom, dad, sister, and brother were all murdered in their home and her older brother was found in Lake Mead.

Sofia and Nick entered her hospital room where a caseworker (looking grumpy) and a stern looking woman sat beside the child's bed talking quietly.

The caseworker looked up. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Nick Stokes from the Crime Lab, and Sofia Curtis from PD we need to talk to Cindy," Nick said.

The stern looking woman stood up. "I am Cindy's aunt; Cindy is not talking to anybody"

"Well ma'am, she maybe the only witness to the murder of her family, it is imperative we talk to her" began Nick.

Suddenly a very large man entered the room and Nick and Sofia exchanged looks.

"Excuse me sir, but we came her to speak to Cindy about her family's death" Sofia said.

"NO one speaks to my wife or my niece Cindy without my permission, and neither of you have my permission" to his wife he snarled. "And you, why the hell did you let these two in the room" he said and smacked her upside the head.

Nick grabbed the man. "What are you doing? Do not hit a woman," he said angrily.

Cindy meanwhile sat in her bed shaking like a leaf and said nothing. A nurse, who heard the commotion, came running. 'What's going on?"

"This guy hit that woman" Sofia said and explained the situation.

"He is not even supposed to be near Cindy, but because of some court order, the restraining order was overturned." The nurse said.

"By who?" Nick asked.

"That gentleman himself, Steve Jensen, Troy's brother."

"Anger problem like Troy?"

"Big time anger. Hate's women's rights – thinks it is ok to hit a woman, among other things" the nurse said.

The nurse took Anita, the woman who Steve hit to fix her up. The police arrested Steve the man in question and took him away. The caseworker who was silent though all the fighting decided she couldn't take Steve and Anita's antics anymore so she quit as Cindy's Caseworker. Cindy still sat in the bed shaking like a leaf, especially when Steve came in.

Nick and Sofia knew they should let one of the other CSI's talk to her but before they left Cindy Spoke.

"Don't leave me," she said.

Sofia and Nick turned to Cindy and went to her side.

"Do you know what happened to your family" asked Sofia.

Cindy nodded but said nothing.

"Are you afraid of somebody?"

Cindy looked down then at the door.

"Are you afraid of your uncle Steve?"

Cindy began to sob.

"We have to put her in protection, she knows something and when Steve gets out, Cindy could be in danger." Sofia said.

She left the room and made a few calls, leaving Nick alone with her.

"Did Steve hurt your family?"

Cindy said nothing.

Sofia entered the room again. "We got to move her now, Steve Jensen made bail" Sofia looked grim.

They gathered Cindy's stuff and when Sofia went to help her out of the bed, she noticed bruises on the child's arms and legs.

"Nick"

"Nick looked at the bruises and shuddered as Sofia carried the child to a different area. Unfortunately, Steve Jensen was heading down the hall towards them.

"What the hell are you doing to my niece?"

Nick handed Steve a court order. "You are to stay away from Cindy or you could go to jail" he replied.

"No court will convict me" Steve sneered.

Cindy started crying and became so frightened that she had wet herself, and subsequently Sofia, who was carrying her.

"It is ok sweetie," Sofia told her. Sofia took the child down to the other room and promptly put her in the bathtub.

Nick followed them to the new room.

"Nick, can you go to my locker and get me a change of clothes"

"UHH…"he said.

"I'll call Sara – all you have to do is pick up the bag" she replied smiling.

Nick left the hospital to get Sofia's change of clothes. Cindy was in a private room with a lock on the door and a private bathroom. After giving Cindy her bath and putting her in a change of a hospital gown, Sofia had a quick shower and because Nick hadn't arrived yet with her change of clothes, she put on a hospital bathrobe.

"What's your name?" Cindy asked.

"I'm Sofia" she replied.

"Are you going to be my new mommy?" she asked.

Sofia smiled but said nothing.

Nick knocked on the door and Sofia let him in, thanked him and went to the washroom to change clothes.

"Are you going to be my new daddy?" Cindy asked Nick.

"Uhhh…" he said and looked helplessly at Sofia who shrugged and smiled.

"Cindy we will make sure you get placed in the best place possible"

"I saw everything," she said suddenly.

"Cindy, can you testify to that in court?" Sofia asked.

"Yes"

"What about cross examination? Defense lawyer is a scumbag," Sofia said.

"Video" Cindy said.

Sofia and Nick looked at her.

"What?" asked Nick?

"The murders are on video," she said.

"How?" Sofia asked.

"Daddy was very abusive to us girls, mommy and Tania and I, the boys were also getting violent too especially James. They'd hit us, break our toys, or stuff for no reason. One day Tania was fifteen minutes late coming home, her reason was her teacher wanted to talk to her about a school paper. When she got home, Daddy beat her badly. Then he sent her to bed without dinner. Daddy had a rule, come home right after school, no staying for any reason, no sports, no clubs, no friends – she was talking to a teacher and she got beaten!. Any way the next night, Daddy took the boys out to some hockey game and we girls installed mini cams all over the house. That was one thing mamma and Tania was good at, installing these things…I was the watch gal – when the guys came home I heard the car and informed mamma and Tania. We immediately put all tools back and pretended as if we were watching TV all evening. If questioned we'd tell them what we had practiced. We had a system." Cindy said.

Sofia got on the phone with Jim Brass and told him to get to the Jensen home and search for the cameras.

"What about Steve?" Nick asked Cindy.

"He's an asshole. Whoops sorry," she said.

"Bet you heard that a lot" Sofia said.

"That and a lot worse" she replied."

"Who else knows about the video cams?"

"No one, mommy never told anyone else"

"Do you have any other family?"

Cindy shook her head. "Mommy was an only child and her parents died a few years ago and so did Daddy's parents. As you know daddy has a brother Steve and his wife Anita, they have 4 kids just like my mommy and daddy – two girls and two boys and my boy cousins are just as bad as my brothers if not worse." Cindy said. "I do not want to go with them"

"Why not?" Sofia prompted.

"Talk to my cousins" Cindy said.

Nick and Sofia exchanged looks. They now knew they had to protect the other Jensen children. If Steve was as bad as Cindy said they needed an intervention on that family.