Mahree whimpered, moving her head to the side once more as the man tugged the blanket away. She forced herself to look back at him as he caught her own gaze. She listened to everything he said to her, a rough sore scratching at the insides of her throat and refusing to go away. Mahree started to shake again. Was there any way that this still wasn't real? She whimpered again when the man started grabbing at her breast. She didn't think so. He mentioned a 'file', and Mahree recalled what he had been looking at the night before. At his question, Mahree couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut once more. Her hand tightened around Lucas' ring hanging from the chain at her neck. "No," she whispered back. "I'm not." Not for years. This file...what? Mahree opened her eyes, looking back at the man. "I. I don't know what to call you," she said, her tone still soft.
Adler would normally have taken any opportunity to joke back with Reese, but now, his expression was grave. The other daughter, Aimee, he quickly filed her behavior into the back of his mind.
A blonde woman he assumed to be Mahree's mother descended from the staircase, her pale face red from crying and lack of sleep. Mahree's father followed behind. Adler could see the man trying to keep his expression straight. Trying to be calm for his wife's sake. Adler could see that it wasn't really working. "Mr. and Mrs. Bennett," Adler started. "I'm Detective Adler, this is Detective Reese. We're here to help find your daughter."
James Bennett put a hand on his wife's shoulder, wavering every so slightly. "Come inside," he told the detectives, motioning deeper into the living room. His voice broke, and he sighed, closing his eyes and knitting his brow as he led them to a couch. He motioned for them to sit, but did not do so himself, wrapping an arm tightly around his wife.
