Kelly wanted to stand up and shout the truth but she knew better than to speak right now.However, she did glare at the detective.
Tomas handed his business card to the detective.“You can send the surveillance tape to this number.”
Detective Burrios’ nostrils flared but he reluctantly sent the tapes.Then he stood and unlocked Kelly’s handcuffs then reattached them in front of her.
Finally, he and the officer left the room.
The Chief shook his head.He looked at Tomas and said, “Detective Burrios is a little bit of a hot head.I can show you to the conference room.There will be an officer outside the door.”
Tomas nodded.“I understand although Mrs.Montross isn’t going anywhere until tomorrow.”
The Chief nodded then turned and walked down the hall.
Kelly and Tomas followed him.
When he opened the door they walked in and the door shut behind them.They both heard the click of the lock.
Tomas looked around the room then he nodded and sat down at the table.
Kelly sat across from him and when her hands rested in her lap they both heard the click of the cuffs from around her wrists.
Tomas reached for a yellow legal pad and a pen, then he looked up at her and smiled.“Don’t worry Mrs.Montross, as this is your first offense you should be able to get out on bail.”
Kelly hung her head.“If they dig deep enough, they will find out this isn’t my first offense.”
Tomas froze as he stared at her and asked firmly, “What were you arrested for?”
“I lost my mom early and they forced me into the system.When I was fifteen, I ran away from a horrible situation and the cops dragged me back.I was there for about two weeks then I ran again.I ended up in juvie for ten months and I finally got away a third time, but I also learned how to stay out of sight.They didn’t find me until I aged out.They tried to put me in jail but I proved I was 18 and they had nothing to hold me at that time.”
Tomas looked unbothered by this.“Well, if that’s all, your juvie record should be closed by now.Is there anything more I should know?”
Kelly nodded.“Yeah, as soon as I turned 18, I left Iowa and began roaming.I found a few friends along the way.We didn’t break the law but no one wanted us around either way.They called us a gang but there was never any trouble but you know how people can be.If they don’t want you around, they’ll make enough trouble for you.Then it just isn’t worth the fight.”
Tomas nodded.“Yeah, I’ve met those kinds of people.They are one of the reasons I do what I do.”He paused, then said, “The actions on that video were a little unhinged, what happened?”
Kelly took a deep breath then blew it out.“An old friend called me.I hadn’t heard from her since I was fifteen when she just disappeared.Until last night when I learned what happened to her and her sister.”
“And what was that?”Tomas asked.
“Back when she was a teen, Char told me her Uncle Victor showed up and told her mother that she’d had enough time in hiding but now it was time to come home and do right by their mother.Her mom told him to pound sand.She was never going back to be sold off to some slob as part of a business deal.So when she refused, her brother Victor threatened to take her and her daughters back to take her place.”Kelly paused then told him, “Victor also spoke of how sad it was that her husband had died in an accident on a construction site.How it was too bad that his scaffolding fell apart and he dropped three floors to his death.In essence, he had murdered her husband years back.Angry and upset, she he hit him and told him to leave.He then beat her so badly that she was unconscious and that’s when Victor snatched the girls and took them with him.”
Tomas’ expression showed his repulsion and his cheeks went a bit red.But he kept his composure.
Kelly went on, “So they lived with their grandmother after that.Char told me that when she was 18, her grandmother set up a marriage for her with an unknown older man and she didn’t want it but her grandmother told her she should do this or Rosie could.Rosie was only 14 at the time and Char didn’t want that for her so she went with the man, but as soon as they got home he started beating on her.Well Char wasn’t one that would put up with that so she swung a lamp at him and he was laying on the floor, out cold.She escaped and made her way back for her sister.But of course, she couldn’t get close enough to check on her, then about four months ago she saw Rosie being carried away from the house.Dear ole grandma sold her to a man that was supposed to marry her.Then it took Char weeks to find out where she was taken.”
“Who had her?”Tomas asked.
“Ty Regis,” Kelly whispered.“But he was beating her too.She was only 17 while he was abusing her and beating the hell out of her.When Char called me she asked me to come help her get Rosie out of that house.”
“How did you get into the house?”
“Would you believe we just walked in through a damaged basement door?”Kelly shook her head.“Once I got inside, I told her to find Rosie while I took Ty on.I knew what kind of guy he was and all I had was a baseball bat.Anyway, I found him asleep in his bedroom and I woke him up with a bat to his head.He got one lucky shot at me then I went a little crazy on him.But I didn’t come back to slit his throat.We were long gone by then.Whoever was in that hoodie was not me.”
Tomas remembered the video and he had a feeling someone else was there behind the scenes because he believed her.“Do you have any idea who else could have gotten inside that house after you left?”
Kelly shook her head.“I don’t know but Char and Rosie might know.”She opted to leave Chase and Comanche out of the telling.It seemed that no one knew they had been there and she wanted to keep it that way.
Tomas nodded.“And both girls are safe at your house.At least that’s what your husband tells me.”
