Chapter 4: Beginnings Of Recovery
Casey inhaled sharply as she followed Olivia into the cubicle at St. Catherine's. A 12-year old girl was lying on the bed. Olivia turned to her slowly.
"Livia, could I?" she whispered.
"Sure, but I'll be here if you need me,"
Casey nodded. "Risten?" she asked as they walked toward the bed.
The girl nodded, shivering a little.
"Oh, don't be scared," Casey soothed. "I'm Casey, and this is my friend, Olivia. Can you tell us what happened earlier?"
Risten sighed. "I was walking home from school when a man dragged me into the bushes by the hospital. He forced himself on me. I begged him to stop, but he didn't seem to hear a word I said."
Olivia stepped forward then. "Did you get a good look at him?" she asked softly.
"I only remember his eyes, They were deep green, like there was a storm in them."
"Casey, can I see you outside a sec?" Olivia asked in a whisper, pulling her aside.
Casey nodded. "We'll be back in a bit, Risten," she said as they left.
"Didn't you say you attacker's eyes were green?" Olivia questioned once they were outside.
Casey nodded again. "Same guy, ya think?"
Olivia was about to speak again when Elliot walked up to join them.
"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was insane. So, what've we got?"
"I was raped last night, and our vic says her attacker has the same color eyes as mine had," Casey told him.
Elliot's eyes softened, and his sorrow for Casey's nightmare was evident. "Could this be the same perp?"
"That's what Livia and I were thinking, but we're gonna need more than the eyes to connect both rapes."
"What else can we use?" Elliot queried.
"I don't know, but I not sure how much help I'll be. I passed out after my attacker dragged me into an alley," Casey answered.
"Risten said her attacker dragged her into the bushes by the hospital," Olivia said suddenly. "There's another link. You were both dragged to a new location before the attacks."
"Was there anyone else around?" Elliot asked.
Casey shook her head. "Not that I noticed."
"Let's go ask Risten if anybody was around the hospital at the time of her attack." Olivia said as she turned back toward the room, pushing the door open slowly. "Risten, do you remember if there was anyone else around when you were attacked?" she questioned gently.
Risten shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."
"It's OK, Risten," Casey soothed. "Say, where are your parents?"
"They're outta town. I've tried both their cell phones, but I can't get ahold of them. The doctors tried, too, but they had as much luck as I did. No one can find them."
Casey nodded. "Try to rest for awhile. We'll be back later."
With that, the trio left the room, heading for the parking lot.
"If this is the same perp, why didn't he make sure Risten passed out like you did? Olivia wondered as she turned to Casey.
"Maybe he likes it better when his victims can fight back. My guess, he likes to watch them struggle. He saw me as a sitting duck, so he chose someone he could get a real fight out of."
"No, Casey, don't do this. You did your best. It wasn't your fault," Olivia soothed.
"I know. Let's hope it's the same perp."
"I'll bet we can find more connections once we get back to the precinct," Elliot said as he ducked into the car.
Olivia laughed nervously. "Here's hoping," she said as she slipped into the driver's side. "Come on, Casey, we'll drive you back."
"Can we sleep on it?" she asked with a yawn as she climbed into the back seat. "I'm exhausted."
"Sure. We won't have to come in till around noon," Olivia said before turning to Elliot. "Should we drop you off at your place?"
He shook his head. "I'm parked on the far side. Thanks though."
"Can we at least drive you over to your car?" Casey offered.
This time, he nodded. "That you can do." He chuckled nervously.
With that, they drove in silence, their minds moving over the
connections between the cases.