The Road Home
Chapter 2 It Takes a Village II
ICU nurse Tina Jackson, a veteran of 10 years, had never before seen a case like his young woman. A missing persons case that tore her heart in two. Social services had set her up with a new identity because she had total retrograde amnesia. A new name, Amy Johnson, new SSN, new drivers license for the state of Montana and some cash to get her re-started in a new life.
All this nagged at Amy though. What if people from her old (real) life couldn't find her because her identity was changed? She wanted her real life back, she couldn't help but feel that the little girl with the dark brown hair and the man in her dreams were important to her. She wanted to find them – or have them find her. But how to do that? She needed to regain her memories!
Tina had volunteered to have Amy stay with her for a while; would Tina help her find her way home? Were people from her real life still looking for her after 7 or so years? That is a long time for someone to be missing, so she was told. Well, she was going home with Tina and would have to see what the new day brings.
Sylvia had sent in the postcard and wrote on it that her partner would be calling the number on the display. She wasn't sure whether to expect a reply or not.
Matt called the number from the display and a young girl answered. "Hello, Loomis residence, who is calling?"
"Hi there, this is Detective Matt Barnhart of the LAPD. My partner and I saw this missing person notice at a street fair at the Santa Monica Pier this weekend. The young woman resembles someone we know, or knew. Can you tell me more?"
Cheryl introduced herself and described her project. She tells Matt all she knows, basically not adding anything to what Matt already knows since he is well acquainted with what efforts had been undertaken to find Kensi.
"Tell you what, Cheryl. Kensi's case is near and dear to my heart. If you learn anything more, if any new information comes your way, please don't hesitate to call me. Ok?" He gives Cheryl his cell #.
"I will, and thank you, Detective." She is thrilled that her project has produced at least one call to date! She tells her dad and they bow in prayer, hoping that they are one step closer to finding the pretty woman and helping her find the road home.
Eric and Nell email Hetty and request an afterhours meeting with her. All 3 of them quietly stay late one week-day and Hetty joins them in Ops.
"Well, wonderkids, what is up that necessitates this clandestine meeting?" Hetty slyly smiles. "Will I be surprised?"
"Probably not," admits Nell. "I just don't believe that Kensi is dead. I cajoled Eric into talking through both crime scenes with me and we came up with a few things that we think deserve more scrutiny.
"1) At Kensi's apartment, Deeks himself stated that she took a bullet intended for him. If true, that implies that Deeks was a target, if not THE TARGET. We don't think we have approached our investigation from that angle thoroughly enough.
"2) At the shooting scene, the video blurs out just before Kensi is supposedly shot. Thus, there is NO indisputable evidence that she actually was shot. The video then sharpens, showing her body with bullet holes in her shirt and all that blood. We submit that all of that COULD be staged. It would be impressive special effects!
"3) What about all that blood? When the shooting of Kensi allegedly occurs, she has been in her captor's custody for almost 2 years. There is video evidence of Leanne's shooting & death. Was she added to the scene as a prop? We do not know, and likely never will. But it is an intriguing possibility.
"3a) We do know that enough time has elapsed for the perp to phlebotomize Kensi, remove blood several times, store the blood and use her own blood to dress up the crime scene. Again, impressive special effects. This would imply someone with in-depth medical knowledge & skill.
"3b) The amount of blood at the shooting scene implies a near total bleed out onto the bed and floor. If not impossible, that is very highly unlikely. Blood exposed to air clots quickly. Chest GSW will bleed both externally, AND into the chest cavity. The actual wound will clot before a bleed out. A bleed out can occur for instance when the femoral artery is transected. There then is nothing to stop the flow. This crime scene seems contrived. The body of evidence seems to us to point to "IT'S OVER", "SHE'S DEAD", "GIVE UP", "STOP LOOKING!"
"What do you think, Hetty?" Eric asks.
"Well, I am impressed. As I often am when the two of you work on a problem. The question then is – what do we do about all of this? At this point in time, I am loathe to direct the agents to a dissection of Mr. Deeks cases. That will emotionally destroy Marty. One thing perhaps . . . blood storage. That requires specific chemicals and consistent, reliable refrigeration. Can the two of you re-visit the crime scene & the evidence VERY DISCRETELY? And report to me only?"
"Yes!" They answer in unison.