Poor girl. She probably justified what she did by telling herself that
she wasn't really a prostitute if she didn't do it often and stopped
before she was older.
'Was there anyone else around when they were talking to you or when you
got pulled into the car?'
'No. When they stopped the car, I looked around to make sure no one
was watching before I started talking to them. I didn't want to get
caught again after what happened on Christmas. I think there might've
been one homeless guy sitting on the corner, but he looked really out
of it.'
I looked over at Chuck. 'We canvassed the area and didn't find any
witnesses,' he said. 'We found a guy who usually sleeps on that
corner, but he didn't see anything.'
'Kendra, the police have already told me what they know about what
happened. But, if it's alright with you, I'd like you to tell me in
your own words. I need you to be completely honest with me, even
though parts of it might be embarrassing. No one here is going to be
mad at you or get you in trouble for anything you say.'
She started from the beginning and told me everything. I never needed
to prompt her, and she continued talking even when she was clearly very
upset about what happened. Her statement was consistent with what she
told Walker and Johnson the night of the assault. She would make a
great
GO
witness, but unfortunately she did not reveal anything I didn't already
know. I'd been hoping for some new avenue of investigation.
I told her I understood why she initially kept some information from
Detectives Walker and Johnson at the hospital, but that I'd be asking
her to explain it to the grand jurors.
'I don't even remember much about when they first came into the room.
Whatever that doctor gave me had me feeling really sick. I just
remember being mad.'
'What do you remember telling them?'
'Well, I said I was on Burnside to go to Powell's. You know the real
reason I was there. I just didn't want to tell them, is all. It's
embarrassing, and I could get in trouble for it.'
'Do you remember telling them you didn't know how heroin got in your
system?'
'Not really, but then later on, when they came back with that lawyer
guy, he told me he knew I'd lied about it. So I figured I must've said
it. I didn't want to get in trouble, is all.'
'Is that the only reason you lied?'
'I don't know. It's hard to explain. It's like, I guess I was pretty
sure they wouldn't arrest me or anything since I was in the hospital
and all. But I thought if they knew what I'd been doing, they wouldn't
believe me about what happened. Or maybe they'd believe me but not
really care, since I, like, you know, kind of got myself in that
situation. And I wanted them to believe me and go out and find who did
it. So I told the truth about what they did to me, but I didn't tell
them the parts I figured didn't matter as much. Does that make any
sense?'
'It makes a lot of sense. Are you still doing that? Are you still
leaving things out that you think aren't important?'
'No. Detective Walker said he'd work on my case even if it turned out
that I had been doing something bad before it happened.'
'Good, because he meant it. I think you're a very smart young woman
and you've been brave to tell the truth.'
She stuck her chin out, rolled her eyes, and tried hard to hide a
smile. 'Thanks.' She probably wasn't used to compliments.
'I know you don't know us very well, but can you tell us why you don't
like living here?' I asked.
'It's actually OK right now.'
I'd forgotten how frustrating it is to try to talk to a kid. 'Why do
you run away?'
'Last time I left was because I was going crazy here. I felt really
sick and wanted to get some horse. The doctor says I've gotten to
where my body wants it, even if I don't think I do.'
'Is that why you started in prostitution?'
'I wouldn't really call it prostitution. I mean, I guess it's gotten
to that, but that's not how it started. It was just like I'd hear
about somebody who was, like, holding and then I'd find them and try to
get some. But most of the time I didn't have any money. At first, I'd
offer to go to the Kmart and, like, shoplift something in return. That
