Chapter 21: Another Rescue

The four girls were doing quite well in school and I even got to help the older girls with their homework. Kim and Cathy bragged to their photography teacher so much about my work that they volunteered me to visit the class to show them some pictures I took and show them my techniques for getting the perfect shot.

I related well to the students and found it refreshing the way they had a thirst for knowledge. I had anticipated a room full of disinterested kids just taking up space but I found just the opposite to be the case. Since it was an elective class they were there because they wanted to be there.

While I was there I noticed that their class equipment left quite a bit to be desired. They were still working with film and darkrooms which limited their creativity. In many cases it would be days before they could see the results of their efforts and had to be frugal when it came to multiple shots. Knowing the intention of the class was teaching them how to take good pictures I was disappointed to see how much time was wasted on the mechanics of developing and printing their work.

I decided right then and there to do something about the situation. After class I had a chat with the teacher and made an offer to equip her classes with up-to-date tools to allow her students to develop a talent for creating pictures that were worthwhile. She was all for my idea so I made a visit to a big camera store and went shopping. Now I have to admit that in a camera store I was like a kid in a candy store so I may have gone a little overboard. I had all the neat new equipment delivered to the class the next day.

I purchased six high-quality digital cameras, three high-end computers and a large-format color laser printer. One of the computers occupied the teacher's desk and had a second large screen monitor attached so she could show the whole class some photo techniques. In addition I also got them spare memory cards, a supply of CDs, DVDs and thumb drives. The teacher was overwhelmed when the boxes started arriving so I visited again to help her get everything set up and working.

Cathy and Kim told me that the students were really enjoying the new equipment and were getting some really nice shots. I was pleased that I could help some budding photographers expand their talents. About three months into the course I got a call from the teacher asking me if I could come in to discuss a disturbing issue she had come across.

I arrived just as the last class was leaving and met with the teacher. The first thing she told me was that Kim and Cathy were her prize students and were showing real talent. I told her that they were exposed to photography almost every day. I didn't mention some of the pictures I had taken of them but instead elaborated about the nature studies and formal portrait shots.

I could tell that there was something troubling her so I asked, "Miss Collins, what is the real reason you called me in?"

"I wanted to tell you how much I like the way you set up the computers on a network so I could monitor the students work."

"That was a feature I thought you would find useful."

"You have no idea how useful it turned out to be."

"How's that?"

"I came across some disturbing pictures that one of the students had taken that he thought he had erased. They were indeed gone from the computer he was working on but they were still on mine."

"Can you show me the pictures you're talking about?"

"Sure, look at these and brace yourself. They're pretty shocking."

She clicked on a folder on her computer and her screen filled up with an array of icons of pictures. I could tell at a glance at the little icons that there were some pretty disturbing pictures on there. I clicked on one of them and up came a picture of what looked like a ten-year-old girl stark naked and tied to a bed spread eagled. The expression on her face was one of fear and she had a ball gag in her mouth. I blew the picture up and looked close at her body. She had several bruises that appeared to be a mix of recent and older ones.

I closed that view and brought up another. This one showed the same girl with an adult man standing above her obviously masturbating. The next one showed him spurting his semen on the girl's face, chest and abdomen. A few frames later the shot was of the man having full penetration vaginal intercourse with the girl. You could see the girls face was scrunched up in pain and she was crying. Several other shots showed the man swinging his clenched fist at the girl.

"When you said 'shocking' I guess you really meant it."

"So you see why I was concerned. We need to do something fast before that girl is permanently injured."

"Do you have any idea who the girl is?"

"Yes. She is in Mister Thornton's fifth-grade class. Her name is Melissa McIntosh."

"Can you get me their address?"

"Sure, just a second," She dialed the phone and had a short conversation with the office.

"She lives with her uncle at 1520 Bramble Lane."

"Can you burn those to a CD for me?"

"Okay, it'll only take a few minutes."

"You know we need to report this to the police, don't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Mind if I use your phone?"

"No. Go right ahead. Dial nine for an outside line."

I dialed the number of a friend of mine and it rang.

"Special Victims Unit, Detective Springer."

"Mark, it's Art Sherwood."

"Art, long time no hear. The last time I heard from you was at that farmhouse. How have you been?"

"I'm fine. I've got some disturbing information you need to see."