“Not really.” Ellie stared into her to-go cup. “I kept my eyes averted and left as soon as they’d headed toward the counter. They arrived in eighteen-wheelers, so I imagine they were drivers like the others.”
“When you walked back to the parking lot, did you see anyone else or any other vehicles?” Kane leaned forward slightly when Ellie shook her head. “Okay, now close your eyes and imagine you’re walking out into the snow. Look around. What do you see?”
“Only the line of eighteen-wheelers and footprints in the snow leading to the store.” Ellie kept her eyes shut tight, a small frown creasing her blood-smeared brow.
“Now go back to when you were placing your groceries in the SUV. Did you hear or see anything?”
“Not at first, but then I heard heavy breathing close by.” Ellie’s hands shook. “It happened so fast. The smelly hood went over my head and I panicked.”
“Okay.” Kane exchanged a look with Jenna. “Keep your eyes closed. You mention smell. Did you smell anything before the hood went over your eyes, or hear anything at all?”
“Why?” Ellie opened her eyes and frowned and then winced.
“When we’re looking for suspects we need all the information we can gather.” Kane turned the cup in his fingertips. “If the attacker smells like oil or gas, he might work in the automotive industry or with machinery, and if he smells like cows or horses, we’d look for him at one of the ranches. Smell can be a very important tool to finding someone and identifying them as your attacker. Cast your mind back. What can you smell?”
“Onions, frying.” Ellie’s eyes popped open. “Cologne. Cologne, it was strong. Not nice, cheap and nasty.”
A solid clue. Jenna smiled. “Could you recognize it again?”
“Yes.” Ellie looked up at Raven as he gently cleaned the blood from her face and neck.
“Can you recall anything about the vehicle?” Kane pushed the packet of wipes Raven was using toward her to clean her hands. “Make, color, license plate?”
Concerned by Ellie’s pale complexion and trembling fingers, Jenna gave Kane’s arm a squeeze. She looked at the young woman. “Are you okay to keep going? We can do this tomorrow.”
“I want to keep going. I know how important it is for you to get information so you can catch this person before they hurt someone else.” Ellie looked up as Raven checked her eyes again. “I feel better than I did before.”
“I don’t believe you have a concussion, but there’s excessive bruising.” Raven took two pills from a bottle and handed them to her. “These will help with the pain. When the local wears off, it will hurt again, I’m afraid.”
“Thank you for helping me.” Ellie’s lips quivered into a smile. She turned her attention back to Jenna. “The vehicle was an SUV hatchback. I have one and I’m familiar with the inside. That’s how I knew to get out through the back.” Ellie swallowed the meds with the remainder of her coffee. “Not a new one, maybe seven years old, it looked just like mine. It had a blue or gray interior, same with the outside. It was either gray, silver, or light blue. I didn’t see the plate, I told you. I climbed out of the side door and ran.”
“Great.” Kane sipped his coffee. “Now, the person who grabbed you spoke to you—man or woman? Size? Height? Did you see any part of them?”
“I’m only small, so everyone seems big to me.” Ellie fingered the dry blood in her hair and shuddered. “Not tall like you but wider than me. I fought them and they were strong and took control really fast. I’m not sure if they were male or female. Their voice was muffled but I made out whatthey said.” She swayed a little. “That’s all I can remember. I really need to lie down.”
“I’ll take her to the hospital.” Raven gathered up his things and removed his gloves. He looked at Jenna. “I’ve already called ahead and they’re waiting for us.”
Jenna stopped recording and folded her notebook. “I know you’re anxious to run tests, but she is likely covered in evidence. You’ll need to cover your seat with a foil blanket and make sure there’s no cross-contamination from your vehicle. I’ll call Wolfe to meet you at the hospital. He’ll get things done fast and she’ll be able to take a shower and wash off the blood.” She looked at Ellie. “Rest up. You’ll be perfectly safe. We have a secure ward. No one gets in or out without permission.”
“Who is Wolfe?” Ellie looked at Jenna with eyes like saucers.
“Dr. Shane Wolfe, the medical examiner.” Kane smiled at her. “He’s a very nice guy.”
“I have left groceries in my SUV.” Ellie sighed. “The groceries will likely be frozen solid by now.”
“We’ll go and check your vehicle at the convenience store.” Kane smiled at her. “Don’t worry.”
“What happens in the morning?” Ellie looked from one to the other. “I need to feed my cat and I need to be at work on Monday.”
“I’ll be by to see you in the morning.” Raven helped her to her feet. “We’ll make plans then and I’ll make sure your cat is fine. If the tests come back clear and you feel okay, you might be able to return to work.”
“What if they try to grab me again?” Ellie looked wildly around.
The woman was echoing Jenna’s thoughts. “I’ll make sure you’re okay. For now, stay at the hospital because it’s safe. I’ll arrange security for you when you’re ready to leave.”
“I don’t have my purse, my keys, or my phone. They couldbe in the back of my SUV.” Ellie bit her bottom lip. “I need my phone.”
“We’ll go and look for your vehicle.” Kane stood. “I’ll make sure you have your things.”
