Chapter 4
FOUR
As Katie drove home, she thought constantly about the severed finger and who might have wanted her to be the first to know about it.
Was it someone she had investigated? Someone who’d recently got out of jail?
Or someone else who had an ax to grind? Either way, there wasn’t anything she could do right now.
It would have to wait for the test results to come back on who the finger belonged to.
Katie reminded herself of all the possible reasons people might leave body parts or dismember bodies: covering up a crime, sending a message, organized crime, playing cat and mouse with cops, souvenirs, fantasies, the list was endless.
Any body part left by someone would indicate that a crime had taken place and it could lead to murder.
She pulled into her driveway and cut the engine.
Her yellow farmhouse with white trim and a front porch was always a welcome sight.
She loved living there, but it was sometimes bittersweet because it was where she grew up, and her parents were no longer living.
She took a couple of breaths and realized she was exhausted.
She had been able to get a fair amount of work done without all the usual interruptions, but she missed her work partner and, mostly, she missed John.
A small smile washed across her face; she’d never thought they would be together despite the spark she so often felt when they worked closely on cases.
Katie got out of her Jeep and walked to the front door. She instantly heard happy high-pitched barking from inside. She unlocked the door and pushed it open as a flash of black fur and paws rushed her.
“Oh, Cisco, you know I missed you,” she said. They had been an army explosives K9 unit, and she’d been able to bring him home with her after her tour. She would be lost without him still.
The large dog spun around and rushed her again. They played for a few moments after Katie put down her jacket and briefcase. Standing in the middle of her living room, she noticed how different it felt when she was alone. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised John hadn’t called yet.
She quickly changed her clothes and heated up some leftovers. After her dishes were cleared and washed, she sat on the sofa, and her phone rang. It was John.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Have you?” she said coyly.
“I can tell you miss me…”
“Of course, I miss you.” She paused a moment. “Did Eva call you?”
“I saw a couple of voicemails from her, but I wanted to call you first… Is everything okay?”
“Yes.”
But he could read her moods by the tone of her voice even when she tried to hide it. “Tell me.”
Katie took a breath. She didn’t want him to worry, but they had been through so much together; nothing really surprised either one of them anymore.
“There was an incident, but the department and forensics are handling it.”
“Meaning what?” He sounded stressed.
“When I left this evening and went out to my car… Someone had put a small box on my seat with a severed finger in it.”
“What? Katie? That sounds like a threat,” he said.
“Not necessarily,” she said, trying to not make it sound like a big deal.
“A severed finger left in your car?”
“It was probably just someone wanting attention or maybe even a dare.” She knew she was downplaying it. “We don’t know anything for sure yet. They should be able to get a print and hopefully an ID quickly, and then we can go from there.”
John sighed. “I can get a flight home tomorrow.”
“No. That’s not necessary. John, please don’t cut your conference short.” She walked to the window and saw the police vehicle in place, as her uncle had ordered. “I’m fine. There’s a patrol cruiser out front. I know how important this conference is.”
“Katie.”
“Please, John. I appreciate the thought and would love to see you, but keep your original plans.”
As she sat on the sofa, she heard him sigh. She could tell John was worried.
“Okay,” he finally said.
Cisco jumped up and settled himself next to Katie.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I don’t know why everyone seems to dismiss the fact that I’m a veteran and a police officer… not to mention I have Cisco.”
John chuckled. “Of course you’re capable… but I also know how you are with jumping into things no matter the risk.”
“I know…”
They talked about John’s conference for a bit before saying goodnight.
Katie yawned. The long day had caught up to her. “I need to go to bed.” She thought about how nice it would be to be lying next to John, feeling his warmth, and strong arms around her.
“Love you, babe,” he said.
“Love you.”
“Goodnight.”
Katie made her way to her bedroom with Cisco trailing behind her.
Suddenly, there was a crash and what sounded like glass breaking.
It was close. Her flagging energy flipped back into cop-mode readiness.
She grabbed her Glock and slowly moved down the hallway.
Turning her attention to the windows in the kitchen and living room, everything appeared to be exactly the same. Nothing was broken.
Her mind whirred, but there wasn’t anything to indicate where the sound originated.
Katie stopped and stood in the middle of the living room. She waited.
Nothing.
Everything remained silent.
Cisco stood like a statue next to her, his ears alert, body tensed, and breathing slow.
It was as if time had stopped.
She looked to the door that led to the garage, which she mainly used for storage. Slowly moving forward with her weapon at her side, her other hand reached for the lock lever. She pulled the door open. The weather stripping made a strange sucking sound.
Katie’s mind flashed through the entire evening, from the discovery of the severed finger all the way until she spoke to John.
At the threshold to the garage she reached in and turned on the light. The large area lit up with the overhead fluorescent lighting—one bulb tube igniting at a time.
Cisco didn’t leave Katie’s side.
Turning her attention from left to right and then back again, Katie didn’t see anything out of place. The garage was filled with neatly stacked boxes, and old furniture covered in tarps and blankets; things belonging to her parents she hadn’t had the heart to get rid of.
She took a step… then another.
There was the sound of broken glass hitting the concrete.
Katie pivoted to her left and saw movement behind two tall stacks of boxes. She made her way to the area where she saw clearly that a small window had been broken.
Something moved in her periphery.
Cisco barked and bolted to the area.
“Cisco!”
The dog managed to squeeze himself in between the wall and the boxes. Katie could only see his tail wagging furiously, as if in play.
She inched forward.
There was a soft meow and that’s when she saw a small black cat darting in between the dog’s legs. Its eyes were bright yellow, like a Halloween decoration. Katie instantly relaxed.
“Look at you,” she said bending down to pet the cat, which had no collar. She looked for any injury from the broken window before she picked up the cute cat, which immediately purred loudly, happy to have some attention. “Where did you come from?” she said.
Cisco was dancing around wanting to see the cat again. He was clearly and instantly in love with his new friend. He nudged the kitty and bounced a bit with happiness, staying close.
Katie gently put the cat down. She went inside and gathered some food, a bowl of water, and blankets. She would contact a neighbor in the morning who was involved in animal rescue—she might also know whose cat it was.
The image of that finger in a white box kept reeling through Katie’s mind.
She knew that she was safe with her house security, Cisco, and the patrol officer stationed outside.
But still there were more questions she needed answered.
And she still couldn’t help but think it was personal—that something she’d done had triggered the person who’d left the box.
Katie finally went to bed. Cisco whined for a little bit, wanting to go see the kitty again. He eventually relaxed and settled down to sleep.
Katie rolled over and automatically touched the side of the bed where John usually slept. It was cold. Empty. She missed him and thought about him until she fell asleep.