“For a five-year-old? Christ, Charlie is almost five, and she weighs near on to fifty pounds,” Jack exclaimed.
“Child welfare reports claim her speech was severely delayed, and she exhibited the emotional and mental capacity of a two-year-old. There are medical reports that show the physical and sexual trauma Caylee endured as well as a signed confession from her mother admitting that she was neglectful and abusive, allowing the men she had traipsing through her home to have free rein over her child.”
“What the hell does that have to do with my woman?”
I continued, “Dr. Melissa Jefferson was the leading expert on the court hearing at the mother’s trial. When Caylee was taken into custody, Melissa was called. She does emergency assessments for child services. She recommended Caylee be removed, then testified when the mother went on trial.”
“What’s the connection to the cop?” Jingles asked.
“Still working on that.”
“I found Melissa,” Nav said.
“Where is she?”
“She left here and drove into town. She stopped at the diner for a while, and when she came out, she was with Jessie. They both got in separate cars, but it looks like Melissa was following Jessie.”
“Someone call Jessie!” Ghost demanded.
“I’ll do it,” Dante offered as he put his phone on speaker when Jessie answered, “Hey, Dante.”
“Hey, Jessica, are you with Melissa?”
There was a pause before she answered, “Nope. Just me in the car.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “Jessica, where are you headed?”
“Why?” she asked, hesitant to answer.
“Jessabel! Where the fuck are you going?” I yelled.
“Dude, what is going on?”
“Jessie, please. Is Melissa with you?” Ghost begged.
“Yes, she is following me.”
“Where are you taking her, Jessie?” King demanded.
“To the Powell Ranch. She wanted to go to the hotel, but I wasn’t letting her go to that shit hole. Greyson’s letting her stay in one of the cabins.”
“Did Greyson say that?” Jack asked with a chuckle.
“Not yet. But the man can’t tell me no. May as well take advantage of it.”
“Why are you taking her to the ranch?” Gunner asked.
“Um.”
Dante picked up his phone and took it off speaker phone. “You’re off speaker. Tell me why she left. Ok, yea. I’ll tell him. No, I get it. Tell her I’m sorry.”
When he disconnected his phone, Ghost asked, “Well?”
“She was upset and planned to leave town. Jessica ran into her at the diner, and they talked. One thing about Jessica, she may be blunt and socially awkward, but people trust her. They open up to her. She talked Melissa into staying, and when she mentioned the hotel, she talked her into staying at the ranch in one of the cabins.”
“Call Winchester, tell him to get his ass home and stay there until I tell him otherwise,” King said as Colt put his phone to his ear and walked out of the room.
Ghost got to his feet. “I need to go.”
