Chapter 59
FIFTY-NINE
Katie came home exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open.
Even Cisco seemed tired and wasn’t his usual self.
She tried to stay up, going over her notes and preparing for the next day, but she wasn’t making progress.
She needed a full battery-recharging sleep and hoped she wouldn’t be awakened to go to another crime scene before morning.
Her mind wouldn’t shut off, but her body was drained. She kept seeing Tyler’s car in the ravine along with Arson Investigator Ames’s smug attitude. Whatever was going on with him, it left her wondering why he was so aloof one moment and then showing his ego the next.
Katie finally got up from the sofa as Cisco and Midnight were still completely comfortable in their spots. She glanced at the clock, realizing how late it was. Turning off the lights and walking down the hallway, she could hardly wait to fall into bed.
John was working into the night and was going home to his place. She missed him but they both had demanding jobs and each understood why they had to do what they needed to. He usually came to Katie’s place because she had Cisco and it was bigger and more comfortable.
Katie drifted off to sleep almost immediately. She slept, but it was turbulent at times. Too many crime scene aspects kept feeding her mind. And too many suspicions and theories about the killer kept her tossing and turning.
Barely two hours after her head hit the pillow she was woken by a big bang that sounded almost as if something had landed on the roof.
It was loud, but she looked to the corner of the room where Cisco was sleeping undisturbed.
If there was a noise, he would be alert or even barking.
Maybe her sleeping mind was playing tricks.
Katie sat up. She felt instinctively that there had been a noise, and not in a dream or her imagination.
She moved her legs to the edge of the bed and then stood up.
She was still exhausted. Quickly pulling on her pajama bottoms, she grabbed her service gun and moved to her door.
Maybe it was all the notes the killer had left her, or maybe it was the talk and suggestion that the killer was luring her into his web of fantasy.
Either way, these things made her jumpy.
Katie quietly shut her bedroom door and proceeded down the hallway.
She checked her video surveillance and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
In fact, it was quiet. Looking out her windows, nothing appeared out of place.
She went to the front door. Everything was clear and still.
The wind had settled down and the sky was clear with no clouds or threat of rain.
As she woke up completely, she realized she was being silly and her dreams were too vivid.
Katie could see the patrol car parked at the end of her driveway. She assumed an officer had been assigned to her home again. But the more she studied the cruiser the more it seemed strange. The interior light was on and the car was partially blocking her driveway.
All her instincts and experience told her she needed to check it out further.
She slipped on a warm jacket and shoes before exiting out the front door.
It was colder than it appeared from her windows, and tingly shivers ran down her backbone.
As she got closer to the cruiser, it definitely seemed like something was off. She upped her pace to a run.
As Katie got closer, her biggest fear was realized. She could clearly see the deputy lying next to his open door, which had caused the interior lighting to come on. At first, she thought he was dead. His pant leg was crimson, and it looked as if he had been shot.
Katie dropped to her knees and took his pulse in his neck. He was alive. She didn’t immediately recognize him—there were many new officers she didn’t know. His nametag said, “Young, S.”
“Can you hear me?” she said as she moved him slightly. His head was bleeding. “Can you hear me?”
Deputy Young moved slightly and murmured something she didn’t quite catch. “He’s… looking… and… for…”
“Don’t talk.”
She scrambled inside the patrol car and was relieved to see the radio was operational, just with the volume turned down. There was a bottle of water, a Styrofoam cup containing coffee, and remnants of a barely eaten sandwich.
“This is Detective Scott. I have an officer down in front of my house. Please send backup and an ambulance immediately,” she said, almost out of breath.
“Ten-four. Sending help now,” said the dispatch.
Katie dropped the radio and went back to Deputy Young. He began to move around.
“Stay still. Help is coming.” She looked closer at his leg and realized it wasn’t a bullet wound, but what looked like a knife wound. The major bleeding had almost stopped. If it had been a serious or mortal wound, it would have hit a main artery near the femur bone.
Katie shed her jacket. She then ripped a wider hole in his pants. The officer grimaced in pain. She then wrapped her jacket around his leg to stop any more bleeding.
“I’m sorry, but I want to make sure the bleeding has stopped.”
Young moved and tried to sit up. Katie let him lean against her.
“Can you tell me what happened?” she said.
“I don’t know. Someone came up behind me and I thought at first it was an ambush and they were going to shoot me…”
“It’s okay.” Katie wished she could hear sirens, but it was still quiet.
“I think I went unconscious because when I woke up a guy was standing over me… and… and then I felt a surging pain in my leg…”
“Don’t move. Stay still…” The first thing Katie thought was this was the work of their killer. He was getting closer—to her.
If the killer wanted to kill the officer, he wouldn’t have missed that artery and Young would have bled out in minutes. She knew it was strategic; she knew it had happened in her front yard for a reason.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Katie was relieved. “It's going to be all right.”
“I’m sorry, Detective.”
“For what?”
“I failed to keep you safe.”
“No, you didn’t. I’m fine. And you’re going to be fine too,” she said.