“Are we okay? Does anyone need anything?” Dawn asked, a gracious hostess.
Kyra nodded and looked at Nina.
Nina shook her head. “We’re good.”
“Okay, I’m going to let you do your thing. If you need something, one of these men can come get me.” Dawn squeezed Zeke’s arm and nodded to Monty.
“Yes, ma’am,” they both said.
Dawn chuckled and left the room, leaving the door open since Zeke was standing in front of it.
“Nina, I’m going to ask you to close your eyes and describe what you remember. Liam said it’s a female?” Kyra asked as she flipped open her sketchbook.
“Gwendolyn Lennox,” Nina said.
Kyra gasped. “Oh. Um, I didn’t realize that. Okay. Is she the only one?”
Nina shook her head. “There is a man who is with her all the time. There are others, but only one I know for sure is with her. But the others could help lead to her, I guess.”
“Let’s do anyone you remember clearly, and we’ll let Marcus and Adam decide what they want to use. Is that okay?” Kyra asked.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you.”
“You’re so welcome. I know this isn’t easy. So first, close your eyes.”
Nina did, her other senses firing. She immediately opened her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Monty asked.
Nina looked around the room. “Sorry. It’s…”
“She doesn’t like the dark,” Zeke answered for her. “Is closing your eyes hard, too?”
Nina nodded.
“You can try with your eyes open,” Kyra said. “Usually it’s better to close your eyes and block out everything else.”
“Hold her hand,” Zeke said.
Monty looked up at him, then reached for Nina.
She put her hand in her brother’s and drew a breath. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. “I’m safe,” she whispered.
“Yes, you are. Zeke and I are right here. He’s at the door, and no one’s going to get in.” Monty’s words were soothing.
Nina nodded. “Gwendolyn is a little taller than me. Dark blonde hair. It’s a little wavy at the ends, but straighter on top. The longest parts go to the tops of her breasts with the shortest closer to her collarbones. She wears suits, sometimes without a shirt underneath. She likes that she has power. Short nails, no polish.”
Nina swallowed at a long ago memory. The night before Nina turned eighteen, Gwendolyn surprised her with a night of pampering. Massages and mani/pedis. A facial. The technician who painted Nina’s nails gave her a fun, flirty pink polish. Nina talked Gwendolyn into the same color, said they should match.
Gwendolyn agreed, but the next day, her nails were clean and free of any color. When Nina asked why, Gwendolyn scolded Nina and said she couldn’t risk anything that stood out and that she wasn’t a child.
Those were the first harsh words Gwendolyn ever spoke to Nina, and the first time Nina realized the perfect life she thought she ran to wasn’t so perfect.
“Did you think of something else?” Kyra asked.
“No.” Nina shook her head and refocused to the last time she saw Gwendolyn. “She has brown eyes, pouty lips. She has a sharp chin, thin I guess. No jewelry, nothing flashy.”
“That’s all good, Nina. I’m going to ask you some questions to help narrow down everything and get a good picture of her. Is that okay?”
