She took another drink of water. “I only remember turning onto El Camino Real from Via de la Valle. It’s a few miles up.”

“Is there anything about the property that stands out? Anything you remember?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re doing fine.” Harv paused. “Think you can re-create the step-by-step process you went through when the kidnapper made you call Duane?”

Nathan knew Harv had purposely changed directions. Debriefing often employed this method. New memories could trigger older ones.

“I think so,” she said. “He set up the video camera and connected it to his laptop. He made me call Duane and then made him connect to a Web site so he could see me. Then he took the phone. I couldn’t hear what Duane said.”

“What did he say to Duane?”

She shook her head. “I was so scared. I don’t remember.”

“I want you do a breathing exercise with me, okay? Close your eyes and take a deep breath. I want you to let it out slowly. We’ll do it together.…  Breathe in deep, and let it out slowly. Let your pain recede into the background. Listen to my voice and picture a dark blue color, like a twilight sky. Take another deep breath and let it out slowly. See the twilight sky in your mind. Let’s take another deep breath together. Let it out slowly. Deep breath. Out slowly. One more time.”

Nathan watched Nichole’s expression ease. Atta boy, Harv. His partner was so good at this kind of thing that even Grangeland’s expression seemed to ease.

“Keep your eyes closed and picture the twilight sky. Concentrate on my voice. Take another deep breath and let it out slowly.” Harv’s tone had taken on a soothing, melodic cadence. Nathan found himself deep breathing with Nichole. “Rewind your thoughts. Go back to the call. Picture yourself as you were at the time and see the event as it unfolds. He took the phone from you and spoke to Duane. What happened next?”

“He said something about being attacked, asked if Duane knew about it.”

Harv waited.

“He wouldn’t let Duane ask any questions. He shocked me with a stun gun to make Duane talk. It was horrible. Duane said something to him and he covered me with a sheet.”

“What happened next?”

“He said he’d keep his men away from us if Duane cooperated. He held a box of condoms up to the camera. I was so scared my girls were going to be raped.”

“I know this is painful to relive, but you’re helping us a lot. What happened next?”

“He brought my girls into the room. He told me he’d kidnapped them, but he never let me see them. Before that, I could only hear them upstairs. They were so scared. He taped my mouth closed.” She began to cry again.

Nathan shook his head at Montez’s cruel methods.