A Girl in Need

This is the first chapter of a story based on real life, about a crime that happens all too often. I am going to put it under romance because that is where the story is going to end up. I hope so anyway. Please let me know how you feel about it.

Life can be such a bitch, and then sometimes it gets better.

Life as a rural cop is never dull I reflected as I walked into the front door of Valley High School and went into the office. I leaned over the counter and saw Mrs. Pearson the office manager. I asked "Is Mr. Jackson around, he called the office asking that I call in today as he had something for me?"

Just then Tony Jackson the principal of the school and a squash opponent and gym partner of mine stuck his head out of his office door and said "Come on in Jake."

He looked pretty serious as he motioned me to sit. I asked "What could be so bad, I know most of the kids here and they wouldn't get into anything serious?"

He replied "One of my teachers approached me this morning. She had been approached by a student who told her that her best friend had confided in her that she was in a sexual relationship with her father. Apparently it has been going on for some time!"

I got that kind of ashen taste in my mouth; I hated these calls, no matter what happened I was probably going to see a family destroyed today. Not for the first time I wished that I had stayed in a bigger city force. Had I done that I could have called the detectives and handed the case over and been out of there. As a country cop, I was it; the case was all mine and if I needed help from CIB that's all it would be. The responsibility was all on me. My next question was "How old is the girl in question"?

He replied "She is eighteen, she graduates this summer. On the one hand I wish that this had remained secret, on the other, I can't imagine what her life has been like."

"How old is the girl who gave the information"?

"She is 18 also." replied Tony.

I thought good, we won't need her parents. "Can you please bring her in along with a female teacher or the school nurse if you have one? What she will be saying is hearsay evidence, but she could give me some ideas as to how to get through to her friend. You had better come up with some excuse for me being in the school most of the day for the benefit of the rest of the students. This is something that we can't rush because of the potential repercussions. Another thing, does the girl have any younger sisters?"

Tony replied "she has one younger sister here, I don't know about the elementary school but I can find out for you." He left to make some phone calls.

I used the school phone to call my boss at the office. I wasn't giving out anything by radio, knowing of the multitude of scanners monitoring our transmissions, from tow trucks to newshounds with all kinds of wannabees in between. "Hi Sarge, it's Jake Rogers."

The answer was "Like I didn't know already, what kind of troubles are you bringing me now?" He sounds gruff but he is all Cop and I can't think of one better that I would want backing me up.

"It looks like we have a case of incest on the go. The girl involved and the informant, her best friend are both over 18, but it looks like the abuse started when the girl was a young teen so I want to get a worker from Children's services involved in the case. Would you contact Helen Green the head there and use your dulcet tones to convince her to assign somebody and I will pick them up before I get round to interviewing the victim"

"Jake, one of these days that silver tongue of yours will get you into trouble but right now I'm glad it's you out there and that the call came in on your shift. I'll get hold of Helen and give her a heads up so that they can brief someone to expect you."

Like I said a heart of gold inside a gruff exterior. I'm one of his best investigators and first line supervisors, I know that and while I don't take any nonsense he still demands a lot of respect.

Tony had come back into the office. "The family has another daughter in elementary school, what happens now?"

I replied "Well if I and a case worker from Children's Services believe it necessary then both the younger girls will be taken into care. The victim is 18 so we will probably try to convince her to go to the Women's shelter here in town. A lot depends on what she tells us". Depending on what her friend tells us I will pick up a case worker and she can conduct the interview with me present. "First let's have a chat with the friend and see what she can tell us."

Tony ushered in a fairly young teacher and a teenage girl. "This is Ms Thomas who made the original complaint and Beth Young who is in her class." I motioned them to sit across the table from me.

"Ms Thomas, my name is Jake Rogers, I am an investigator with the local police detachment and my job is to interview Beth to find out how much she can tell us about this matter. Beth is 18, so I don't have to involve her parents, but I would like you to please sit in on the interview and just make sure that Beth feels comfortable and not pressured. Is that okay with you Beth?"

Beth nodded and sat facing me with her hands on the table. I said, "Beth, I was told by Mr. Jackson, that you had talked to Ms Young about one of your friends being sexually abused by her father, is that correct?" Beth nodded in the affirmative. I continued, "In that case I would like you to tell me in your own words, what your friend told you. You may feel that you are violating a secret and not want to, but remember it isn't just your friend who is at risk, but her sisters as well!"

Beth had tears in her eyes, "My friend is Ginny Jacobs, she lives out on a farm with her parents, and we work together at the department store downtown. Lately she has seemed really quiet so yesterday after school we went for a cup of coffee before work. The coffee shop was pretty empty so I asked her what the problem was. She wouldn't say at first, saying there was nothing wrong. Then she started crying, telling me she wanted to get out of town but she couldn't because of her sisters.

I asked her why and she said because my father has been having sex with me since I was 14 and she was scared that if she left home, he would start in on her sisters. I said she should tell her mother and she said her mother knew, who did I think got her on the pill. Then she wouldn't say anymore, as if she was sorry she had said anything. We went to work and her dad picked her up later when we finished."

I said, "Thank you Beth, you have been really helpful. What I would like you to do is write down what you told me and keep that note. I can't see you being called to give evidence if charges are laid but it is possible. Now if you see Ginny before I do, please don't say anything otherwise she may run off, or get really mad at you for saying anything. I will be seeing her in about an hour."

Tony, I have to go down to Children's Services to pick up a case officer who will interview Ginny with me. I have to brief her first as to what we have, so I will be about an hour."

As I drove I thought of my own kids, how could a father do such a thing? Even worse how could a mother aid and abet? Not that this was anything new to me.

Arriving at the Children's Services Office I went in, the receptionist saw me, and said, "Go right in Jake, Helen's expecting you;

I rapped on her door, and walked in. Helen was seated behind her desk and a girl of about 30 or 32 was sitting in front of the desk. There was an empty chair beside her and Helen waved me to it.

"Jake," Helen said, "I would like you to meet Pat Williams, Pat this is Corporal Jake Rogers who we just love having on these cases. Jake, Pat is a new hand here. She has lots of experience; she transferred from the city to lighten her load so she can spend more time with her son so the pair of you have one thing in common."

I went over what I had been told by Beth, and that there were two more children involved and told Pat what I needed her to do, even though Ginny was now 18, the case began when she was 14 so the Agency would still be involved and that I would let Pat lead in the interviews unless there was something that I picked up on. Pat agreed to do so saying, "It's about time I was into a good solid investigation, in the city the office manager was so worried about having to call me back for court that he had me doing filing for about 3 months."

We stood and left the office. As we did so I couldn't help but notice that Pat was almost my height, was dressed really smartly and seemed to be all woman. This case was looking up, at least it seemed that I had a pretty good partner, but time would tell.

To be continued...