Page 5 of Fighting Conviction

“I understand,” Ellie began. “But your injuries… something happened… I’d love for you to tell me, rather than come to my own conclusions.”

Naomi narrowed her uncovered eye in warning. “I came here to get checked out. I didn’t come for anything else.”

Naomi’s insistence on silence weighed on Ellie, and she leaned on the nearby counter for support. “Please, Naomi? I think I can help you, but we need to know which direction to take.”

There was only so much they could do if a survivor refused to disclose anything. There were ways to still support them, but handing out pamphlets was much less effective than filing a police report.

“Bike accident,” Naomi muttered.

Ellie leaned closer and tilted her ear. “I’m sorry, what’s that?”

Naomi opened her mouth, only for her lips to tighten shut again. Dev cleared his throat.

“Ma’am, you’ve suffered numerous contusions, including petechial hemorrhaging in and around your eyes, and lacerations to your upper body and facial region. Those are most consistent with strikes with a closed fist, likely right-handed given the swelling and discoloration concentrated on your left temple and orbital area.”

“It was anaccident.” Naomi’s light olive skin blushed even under the bruises, and her voice lilted up on the end, as if she was asking a question instead of trying to convince them.

“I’m sorry, Naomi…” Ellie began in a gentle voice, trying not to cause the woman more stress. But it was important she knew thattheyknew her story wasn’t plausible. “Your hoarse voice and the fingerprint bruising on your neck aren’t typically caused by—”

“It was a bike accident!” Naomi’s whispered shout cracked painfully and Thea’s attention swiveled toward them, her nose scrunched as she assessed the situation. Naomi, Ellie, and Dev remained silent, and Thea huffed before turning back to the tablet.

“Thea and I were ridin’ our bikes and… uh… hers swerved into mine. I crashed onto the ground.”

Dev’s schooled expression dropped enough to expose his concern.

“You have the opportunity to get help for you and your daughter… Don’t you want to take it?” He delivered the question in his cool monotone, despite the worry rolling off of him, but Naomi’s swollen eye narrowed a fraction as she hissed.

“Are you sayin’ I’m a bad mother?”

“No, but—”

“Absolutely not, Naomi. We don’t think that,” Ellie answered. “If your injuries need to come from a bike accident, then that’s where they’re from.”

Ellie scowled at Dev and his light cheeks reddened. He nodded at her silent reprimand before sagging against the counter. They’d been doing this long enough he should’ve known from Naomi’s mannerisms she’d shut down at a pointed question like that. But some cases—like ones involving strangulation—were too daunting to keep silent.

She returned her attention to Naomi, hoping they could move forward. “Do you think you need to go to the hospital?”

Naomi’s subtle shake “no” led Ellie to her next routine question, although she knew what the answer would be.

“Would you like to report this… bike accident? We can protect you—”

“No! No. I-I can’t.”

“Okay.” Ellie nodded once and retrieved a pen and paper from her backpack.

“Okay?” Naomi asked in her rough voice. “That’s it? You’re not gonna make me report it?”

Ellie raised an eyebrow. “Do youwantme to report it?”

“Oh, God, no. I-I can’t come back if you do.”

Ellie bit her lip. The fear they wouldn’t come back the next time they needed help was why she never pushed too hard. “Do you believe there’s any way Thea would get hurt? Does she get in… accidents, too?”

Naomi’s exposed eye widened. “No. Of course not… it’s just, um, me.”

Ellie shrugged. “Well, I guess we can’t report a bike accident.”

There was a heavy pause, one with the weight of decisions hanging in the balance.