Latch Key

Chapter Three

Saint Anthony's Children's Hospital

Pediatric Psych ER

Room 458

2:45 PM

George Huang shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at Jennifer, who was glaring at him. She was a stubborn girl.

"I'm not saying anything," she hissed. "I know Detective…whatever his name sent you to talk to me. I'm not saying a word."

"Jennifer, we're trying to help you," Huang said softly.

"You can help me by leaving me alone!" She yelled. "Get out!"

"I can't do that," he said. "You tried to commit suicide, but you were unsuccessful…why is that?"

"Why do you think?" She asked. "That cow of a teacher found me in the bathroom. I always hated her."

"Your teacher?" He asked.

"No, Mrs. Clause," she said acerbically. "Of course my teacher moron."

"Okay," Huang conceded. "What did she do to make you so mad?"

"She's just always on my case about my grades," Jennifer huffed. "She's always telling me how smart I am…"

"You are an intelligent girl," George said. "You're-"

"I'm not a girl," she interrupted.

"Young lady," George corrected.

"I don't need people patronizing me," she said, looking away. "I deserve to be punished for what I did. But I told Eddie and Megs that I would never leave them alone. I promised them that I would never leave them."

She rubbed her stomach.

"I'm feeling kind of sick," she complained. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Want me to get the nurse?" George asked.

"No," she said quickly as she grabbed the small cup of water she had and took a sip.

George sighed. "Has the desire to kill yourself gotten worse, or have you kind of pushed it to the back of your mind?"

Jennifer looked away. "I just want to be with my brother and sister. Do you know what it's like, loving other people like that?"

"Like what?" He asked, curious as to where she would go with this.

"Loving them…in a way that," she paused to find the right words. "In a way that defines your whole purpose in life. My dad always told me that without purpose, you have nothing."

"Were you close to your dad?" He asked.

"Yeah, we were like best friends," she said, tears in her eyes. "He was the best dad. We understood each other on a level that was…different, you know? My mom couldn't really grasp it, and I know what you're thinking."

"What am I thinking, Jennifer?" George asked.

"My dad never…touched me or anything gross like that," she huffed. "You shrinks."

"I wasn't thinking that at all," he said, taking a seat next to her bed. "Girls tend to have closer relationships with their fathers. It's a natural connection. What about your relationship with your mother?"

"Sharon was off in her own world," Jennifer sighed. "When my dad died, I was six years old, Eddie was three, and Megs was a baby. I knew that Sharon would never be the same. My dad would come home from work and he'd cook, clean…do everything for us. Sharon would just do her own thing. So when daddy died, I knew right then and there that Sharon wasn't going to be there for us."

"So what did you do?" He asked.

"I learned how to do stuff," she shrugged. "I learned to cook on my own, Sharon was working a little, but not much, so we didn't have much money. I wasn't in school for a year. So I got used to doing everything for my brother and sister."

"Let's talk a little about friends," he said. "Do you have any friends at school?"

"No," she shrugged. "But it's okay. In a few years, I won't have to see them ever again. I mean, the kids at school…they all walk around like their lives are so perfect. Their moms and dads come in their big SUVs, pick them up, help them with their homework. They have birthday parties and money to spend. No worries. They talked about me and my brother…I didn't care though. I'm not shallow like some other kids. I didn't care what kids thought about me because we each have our own life. Why spend time putting down or worrying about what others do?"

George grinned. "That's some good wisdom to live by."

"I miss Eddie and Megs so much," she sighed. "But I had to kill them to protect them. Things were getting so hard…"

"Protect them from what?" Huang asked.

"We ran out of money," Jennifer continued, ignoring the question. "I didn't know what to do anymore. We had to steal to eat. They would take us away if I didn't do something. A mother would do anything for her kids."

He furrowed his eyebrows at her slip, and she tensed up, her eyes turning to stone.

A nurse gestured him to come outside.

"Excuse me Jennifer," he said.

"You can actually leave," she said, her attitude turning. "You got me talking. I don't like that."

He sighed and got up.

He went out and met the nurse.

Jennifer watched outside the window suspiciously. When Dr. Huang and the nurse both looked at her, she knew that she had to get out of the hospital by whatever means necessary.

"Are you sure?" George asked.

"Blood tests rarely lie," the nurse explained. "Our phlebotomist checked it twice."

George took out his phone.

1-6 Precinct

SVU Squad Room

4:50 PM

"Jennifer Zimmerman is what?" Cragen asked.

George leaned against one of the desks. "She's three months pregnant."

"Jesus, she's only eleven," Elliot sighed. "Poor kid. Did you get her to talk?"

"Yes, but now she distrusts me," George reported. "Jennifer has some major trust and anger issues, but she's a very bright girl. She views the world like a seventeen year old would, not like an eleven year old. She told me, 'A mother would do anything for her kids.' Just think of having to raise yourself, and two other kids when you're a kid yourself. Jennifer truly felt overwhelmed. She became a mother in her own mind."

"My twins are eleven and the biggest issue they have is whether or not Bella Kinkleman's birthday party will be boring," Elliot huffed. "My God. Did she mention anything about being pregnant?"

"Considering how guarded Jennifer is, she probably already knew but didn't want to share that with me," George continued. "But then again, she may not have known because she tried to kill herself. She's eleven years old, and ironically, even though she's worldly wise, she's still naïve. It's obvious that her mother never gave Jennifer and her siblings the attention they needed, so it's possible that she may not have known about puberty, sex, her menarche."

John sighed. "No, she knew. I'm telling you, that girl knows what she's doing. She's trying to high tail it out of this life, and I want to know why."

"We need to find the ass wipe that knocked her up," Elliot said, rather angry. "This screams sexual abuse."

"Elliot, it may not be," George broke in. "Girls are becoming sexually active at younger and younger ages, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of the boys in her school is the father."

"What the hell does an eleven year old know about sex?" Elliot asked, thinking of nothing but his own kids.

"That's enough," Cragen broke in. "Elliot. I need you to tell me right here right now whether or not you can handle this."

Elliot sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Yeah, I can handle it."

Cragen nodded.

"I need to talk to the kid," John said.

"How do you know she'll open up?" Elliot asked.

"She will," John said confidently.

"Before you do that, go see Warner," Cragen said.

One Police Plaza

Dr. Melinda Warner's Office

Morgue

5:30 PM

Melinda lead John and Elliot over to the two dead children.

"Edward and Megan Zimmerman," she sighed. "I ran a tox screen on their blood. Both had traces of sleeping pills. Your girl was smart. She gave them both just the right amount to kill them."

Elliot nodded.

"The boy was very healthy physically," she explained. "Both kids were well fed, had good teeth, except the little girl was a thumb sucker. But, I did find something other than the spaghetti in the girl's stomach."

"What did you find?" Elliot asked.

Melinda held up a canister with stomach contents. "Along with spaghetti, I also found breast milk."

"She was breastfed before she died?" Elliot asked, looking at John.

"So that means she did know that she was pregnant," John sighed. "Jennifer was the only one with the kids the night they died."

"Your girl is pregnant?" Melinda asked. "Has the hospital done an examination yet?"

"No," John said. "Jennifer didn't come in as a complainant."

"Well they should," she said. "Megan's hymen was torn, and there was bruising on her cervix, and even if she hadn't been killed, she never would have been able to have children. The perp hurt her so badly, it damaged her for life."

Both detectives looked away.

"When you find the son of a bitch, give him a swift kick in the balls for me," she said as she looked upon the kids. "Twice."

Saint Anthony's Children's Hospital

Pediatric Psych ER

6:23 PM

"I'm sorry sir, but Jennifer Zimmerman was checked out of the hospital by her mother hours ago," the nurse reported.

"Damn it," Elliot huffed. "Look, we need to take a look at the release forms and we need a description of the mother."

Meanwhile, John was on the phone with their captain.

"Okay, we'll be there," he said before flipping his phone shut. "Stabler."

"What?" Elliot said.

"Cragen wants us down at the precinct," John explained.

"For what?" Elliot asked.

"Sharon and Jennifer Zimmerman are there," John said.