Before She Was Found - Heather Gudenkauf Page 0,100
provide for my daughter.
“The court automatically appoints a lawyer to Violet. It’s standard for juveniles. It will all be explained to you if she’s taken into police custody.” Officer Grady shifts in his seat. “Listen, that’s not why I’m here to talk to you. I’ve got kids, too. A girl in high school and a boy in eighth grade at the same school as Violet.”
I see the sympathy on his face and I know he’s thinking of his own children and the possibility of them being caught up in a similar predicament. The pressure on my chest eases a bit. Maybe Officer Grady is in our corner, maybe he believes that Violet is innocent.
“I want to show you something.” He stands, pulls out his phone and sits next to me on the sofa. He scratches his eyebrow and takes a breath. “If I were in your boat, I’d want all the information.”
That familiar feeling of dread begins to overwhelm me again and I know that whatever Officer Grady is going to show me isn’t going to be good news for Violet.
He pulls up a video and it takes a moment for me to understand what I’m seeing. A black-and-white, grainy video of the train yard with a twelve-thirty time stamp for April 16. There is no sound. I look up at Officer Grady. “We installed a camera last fall when we suspected an increase in drug activity at the depot. Keep watching.”
Three figures come into the frame and though their features are fuzzy, I recognize Violet’s long dark hair. The other two girls have to be Cora and Jordyn. They are walking shoulder to shoulder and arrange themselves in front of a row of boxcars.
Violet reaches into her pocket and pulls out what appears to be a cell phone, stretches out her arm and raises it above her head to take a picture. Jordyn lifts her arm, too, and in her hand is something—but I can’t tell what it is. Once the photo is snapped, Jordyn reaches into her backpack and pulls out a bottle, twists the lid and takes a drink. The camera is too far away to see her face but by the way she shoves the bottle toward Violet it’s apparent that she doesn’t like the taste.
“Are they drinking alcohol?” I ask. Officer Grady ignores my question, keeping his eyes on the screen. Violet wipes the rim of the bottle with her sleeve, takes a drink and offers it to Cora, who shakes her head. Violet presses the bottle back toward Jordyn, who takes it, dumps out the rest and tosses the bottle to the ground.
The girls freeze in place and then turn their heads toward somewhere out of sight of the camera. The girls spend the next few moments in what looks like deep conversation until Jordyn lifts her book bag to her shoulder and begins to walk away. Cora grabs one of the straps and tries to pull Jordyn back toward her. Jordyn gives one big tug, forcing Cora to let go and tumble to the ground. Then Jordyn tosses whatever item was in her other hand to the ground next to her. Violet reaches down to pick it up.
“Is that...?” I begin to ask but then stop. I know what it is. It’s the knife. “It doesn’t mean that Violet...” I say but Officer Grady holds up a finger to silence me.
Cora gets to her feet and shoves Jordyn, who stumbles back a few steps. Cora turns her head as if something has caught her attention. Jordyn lunges, arms outstretched, striking Cora on the back with both hands. Cora falls hard and doesn’t immediately get up. Violet bends over as if checking on Cora.
Violet’s and Jordyn’s heads snap toward something off camera. Even Cora, from her spot on the ground, looks up. Jordyn and Violet run off in different directions as Cora struggles to her feet, clutching at her arm, and staggers away.
“Just wait,” Officer Grady says as I start to speak. Several minutes pass with nothing but even though I know what’s coming I can’t help squirming in my seat. I don’t dare blink, afraid of missing something, and I keep my eyes on the screen.
A shape rushes past so quickly that I can’t tell who it is. Officer Grady stops the video, backs it up fifteen seconds and replays it. “We’re pretty sure that’s Jordyn Petit. See the backpack in her hand?”
I nod and we continue to watch the video. The train