will. Each boy acts older than his age. Each boy seems serious. There’s not the laughter or teasing you would find in boys their age. But as I said, that’s understandable given what happened to them for so long.”
Dr. Flasch explained the shoulder wound and the resulting surgery and the proposed rehab Brett had begun and would need to follow up with. Arrangements were made for the transmittal of records and x-rays. There were questions as to Brett’s overall health, which was surprisingly good, except for the fact that he’d have to be tested every six months for the next two years or so for HIV. He explained that, like the other boys, Brett had suffered from malnutrition and dehydration. He added that Brett had refused any pain medication other than Ibuprofen since coming out of surgery.
Unlike Jeremy’s previous meetings, there was open hostility towards Kelliher and Cochrane as well as a refusal to believe, at least on the part of Victoria, anything they had to say about her brother, Brett’s uncle, Anthony Dominico. She would not hear anything about him having anything to do with Brett’s kidnapping, his captivity, or that Dominico had any knowledge of Brett’s whereabouts during the twenty-two months Brett had been in captivity.
Speaking quietly, actually softly, Thomas asked, “What you’re suggesting is that Tony had Brett kidnapped, forced him into this . . . ring, had him held captive and knew where he was all along?”
Victoria shut her eyes and shook her head, refusing to believe.
Pete patted a manila folder and said, “We have pictures of Dominico entering and leaving the building where Brett and the boys were held captive. We have pictures-“
“-no!” Victoria said, leaning forward, fingertip pointing at the agent.
“-pictures of Dominico engaging in sex acts with your son and with the other boys-“
“-no!” she repeated, more forcefully this time.
“-as well as movies on DVDs of his encounters with Brett and several other boys-“
“-No! No! No!” she yelled, coming out of her chair. “Those are faked. They’re lies. You’re mistaken. You’re framing him.”
Thomas reached for Victoria’s hand, but she batted it away, and said, “Tony said you’d be telling us lies . . .” she stopped, knowing she had slipped and said too much.
Cochrane’s eyes darted towards Kelliher and then back to Victoria. Jeremy looked over at Kelliher, then back at Victoria.
“When?” Thomas asked. He had turned to his wife, shocked, and asked, “When did he tell you this?”
Victoria sat back down, placed both hands in her lap and glanced up at Kelliher and then down at her hands, refusing to say anything further.
Pete ran a hand over his face, sighed and said, “Do you believe your son to be honest?”
Thomas looked at his wife, then back at the men facing him and said softly but with force, “Absolutely. To a fault.”
Pete shrugged, looked at Jeremy and said, “It was Brett who first told us about his uncle.”
Victoria went white. Thomas covered his face with his hands and then ran them through his hair.
He looked from one agent to the other, then at Jeremy as if pleading for help. “What you’re . . . suggesting . . .” he didn’t finish, but merely shock his head.
“I know this is a shock,” Jeremy began to say.
“It’s a mistake . . . a misunderstanding,” Victoria said quietly.
“On who’s part?” Pete asked a bit more angrily than perhaps he should have.
She shook her head dismissively.
“What do we do now?” Thomas asked after the silence in the room thickened like congealed gravy.
“We’ll take you to your son. He’s anxious . . . nervous to see you,” Jeremy said.
“Nervous?” Thomas asked.
Jeremy nodded and said, “It’s been a long time, and a lot has happened to him. He’s a very tough and resilient boy, one of the leaders in the group . . . a boy the others looked up to and sought out . . .
Dr. Flasch explained the shoulder wound and the resulting surgery and the proposed rehab Brett had begun and would need to follow up with. Arrangements were made for the transmittal of records and x-rays. There were questions as to Brett’s overall health, which was surprisingly good, except for the fact that he’d have to be tested every six months for the next two years or so for HIV. He explained that, like the other boys, Brett had suffered from malnutrition and dehydration. He added that Brett had refused any pain medication other than Ibuprofen since coming out of surgery.
Unlike Jeremy’s previous meetings, there was open hostility towards Kelliher and Cochrane as well as a refusal to believe, at least on the part of Victoria, anything they had to say about her brother, Brett’s uncle, Anthony Dominico. She would not hear anything about him having anything to do with Brett’s kidnapping, his captivity, or that Dominico had any knowledge of Brett’s whereabouts during the twenty-two months Brett had been in captivity.
Speaking quietly, actually softly, Thomas asked, “What you’re suggesting is that Tony had Brett kidnapped, forced him into this . . . ring, had him held captive and knew where he was all along?”
Victoria shut her eyes and shook her head, refusing to believe.
Pete patted a manila folder and said, “We have pictures of Dominico entering and leaving the building where Brett and the boys were held captive. We have pictures-“
“-no!” Victoria said, leaning forward, fingertip pointing at the agent.
“-pictures of Dominico engaging in sex acts with your son and with the other boys-“
“-no!” she repeated, more forcefully this time.
“-as well as movies on DVDs of his encounters with Brett and several other boys-“
“-No! No! No!” she yelled, coming out of her chair. “Those are faked. They’re lies. You’re mistaken. You’re framing him.”
Thomas reached for Victoria’s hand, but she batted it away, and said, “Tony said you’d be telling us lies . . .” she stopped, knowing she had slipped and said too much.
Cochrane’s eyes darted towards Kelliher and then back to Victoria. Jeremy looked over at Kelliher, then back at Victoria.
“When?” Thomas asked. He had turned to his wife, shocked, and asked, “When did he tell you this?”
Victoria sat back down, placed both hands in her lap and glanced up at Kelliher and then down at her hands, refusing to say anything further.
Pete ran a hand over his face, sighed and said, “Do you believe your son to be honest?”
Thomas looked at his wife, then back at the men facing him and said softly but with force, “Absolutely. To a fault.”
Pete shrugged, looked at Jeremy and said, “It was Brett who first told us about his uncle.”
Victoria went white. Thomas covered his face with his hands and then ran them through his hair.
He looked from one agent to the other, then at Jeremy as if pleading for help. “What you’re . . . suggesting . . .” he didn’t finish, but merely shock his head.
“I know this is a shock,” Jeremy began to say.
“It’s a mistake . . . a misunderstanding,” Victoria said quietly.
“On who’s part?” Pete asked a bit more angrily than perhaps he should have.
She shook her head dismissively.
“What do we do now?” Thomas asked after the silence in the room thickened like congealed gravy.
“We’ll take you to your son. He’s anxious . . . nervous to see you,” Jeremy said.
“Nervous?” Thomas asked.
Jeremy nodded and said, “It’s been a long time, and a lot has happened to him. He’s a very tough and resilient boy, one of the leaders in the group . . . a boy the others looked up to and sought out . . .
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