Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
Katie heard Cisco’s barking even before she got out of the Jeep. It always made her smile that he knew it was her and was welcoming her home. She stepped up to the porch and found the door unlocked. After she had barely stepped inside, Cisco greeted her and ran around the house.
“Hi,” said her uncle from the kitchen. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, which was an unusual sight. He was nearly always in uniform.
Katie closed her door and locked it out of habit. “To what do I owe the honor?” she said, dropping her jacket and briefcase. “You’re not sheriff tonight.”
“I’m always the sheriff until they don’t vote for me anymore.”
Katie pulled off her boots and walked into the kitchen. “What smells so good?”
“I was going to bring takeout, but I felt like cooking your favorite chicken dish.”
Katie hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re here. We don’t spend as much time together as we used to.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m going to change that.”
That made Katie happy. She was definitely missing family. Of course, she had her work family, but her uncle Wayne was family. He had been there for her when she lost her parents and she for him when his wife, her aunt, was murdered. They both had been through so much but they had each other.
Katie and her uncle chatted over dinner about all kinds of things, except work.
Katie cleared the table and rinsed the dishes, putting them into the dishwasher.
When she returned to the living room it wasn’t a surprise to see her uncle and Cisco sitting side by side on the sofa. Uncle Wayne loved the dog.
Katie sat next to them. “Why is it I get the feeling there’s something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Because you’re such a great detective.”
Katie waited for him to either ask or tell her what he needed to.
“I’ve been wanting to spend time with you, but since you went on your break and then dived into this investigation there’s been little time.”
“Let me help you along… is it about John Blackburn?” she said.
The sheriff took a breath and his expression became serious. “Yes.”
“What about him?” Katie could tell her uncle had some misgivings about the relationship, but she wasn’t going to let anyone tell her who she could date. “You like him, don’t you?” she said.
He smiled and shook his head. “I see why you’re such a good interviewer. You know exactly how to make a point even before you’ve asked any questions.”
She kept things light. “So what’s the problem?”
“I know you’ve been seeing each other. Something obviously changed after you, McGaven, and John went to Echo Forest.”
“Yes, things did change. But I think we’ve felt a bond for a while now.” She felt a little uncomfortable talking about her love life, and she wasn’t entirely sure if they were serious yet. They were getting to know one another and seeing if they really clicked.
“You know it can be risky since you work so closely with one another.”
“Yes. I’ve thought a lot about it.”
“You’re a grown woman and you make your own decisions… but I want to caution you that things can get problematic if it doesn’t work out.”
Katie leaned forward and hugged her uncle. “I know. Believe me, I get it.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I think John is a great guy, talented, intelligent, and his forensic work is top notch. The department is lucky to have someone like him.”
“I agree.” Katie didn’t want to talk about John anymore—she missed him already and they’d only been apart a few hours. He had to work late, so she wouldn’t see him until tomorrow morning. “Okay, we’ve talked about my love life… what about you?”
Cisco grumbled, trying to get more comfortable.
“That’s interesting that you should ask,” Uncle Wayne said quietly.
Katie sat up. “You met someone?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“We’ve been dating for about a month.”
“A month? You’re just telling me now?” Katie was happy to hear her uncle was seeing someone. She didn’t want him to be alone. “What’s her name? She doesn’t work at the department or in corrections does she?”
He laughed. “No. Her name is Sydney Butler.”
“Where did you meet her?”
“At a fundraising event. We seemed to get along…”
“C’mon, Uncle Wayne, ‘get along’? You mean you had chemistry. I bet she’s pretty.”
“Slow down with the interrogation, Katie. We’ve been out a few times, getting to know one another.”
“What does Sydney Butler do?”
“She’s a commercial real estate broker.”
“Wow, she’s pretty and sounds smart.”
“She is.”
Katie was happy to see her uncle going on with life and getting out more to meet new people away from the department. She hugged him again. She almost felt like she did after her parents were gone and her uncle stepped up and took care of her.
“How are you doing with the case?” he said, changing the subject.
“Fine. You’ve read the reports,” she said, trying not to sound as uncertain as she felt.
“I don’t think you’re being entirely truthful with me.”
“It’s like any other case. There are a lot of moving parts. Things that don’t seem to fit and things that are still missing.” She turned to look at her uncle. “It’s fine. Gav and I have been in rough places before with investigations. We have a big day tomorrow and will hopefully get some answers.”
“I know you and McGaven will find the killer even if they aren’t alive.”
That piqued Katie’s curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m sure you’ve thought about this, but maybe whoever killed Mrs. Collins and her child could be dead—especially if it’s been more than ten or fifteen years. A lot of things have happened.”
“So what you’re saying is, that they could have been murdered by one of the other people we have found?”
“There’s definitely a possibility.”
Katie stayed quiet for a few minutes. She had to admit she thought the husband, Bruce Collins, was the most likely suspect, in theory and statistics, but what if he had been murdered by someone who knew or found out what he did?
Buck had suggested she start with Bruce and his family tree and work her way back.
“I know those wheels are churning,” said the sheriff, interrupting her thoughts.
“I’m sorry, it’s part of the job.”
“Well,” he said, getting up from the sofa. “You need your sleep and so do I.”
Katie joined him. “Thank you for dinner and for hanging out with Cisco.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “You know I love spending time with you—the both of you.”
“Goodnight, Uncle Wayne.”
“Goodnight,” he said and left.
Katie watched her uncle drive off and stood for a moment in the doorway with her mind processing everything. She sighed and for an instant wished John were there with her. She picked up her phone and sent him a text message.
Thinking about you. See you in the a.m.
He replied:
You too. See you soon.
Katie smiled and got ready for bed after taking Cisco out to do his business. She walked around her yard, relaxing and breathing slowly to calm her mind.
On the side of her property, a gate separated the rest of her acreage and led to a trail and then a roadway.
The gate was slightly ajar, which made her go over and investigate.
The lock was gone and it appeared someone had come through recently as there were flattened shrubs and divots of footprints.
She glanced back at one of her cameras fixed to the corner of her house, but her alerts hadn’t let her know there was movement in her backyard.
She glanced around in the darkness beyond her outdoor lighting. Nothing seemed to stand out. She secured the gate, making sure it was in place. Tomorrow she would find or buy a lock, even though that wasn’t much of a deterrent.
Cisco ran around the corner carrying his favorite ball, wanting some more playtime. Katie took it from him and tossed it one more time before going back into the house.
Katie’s sleep was restless and unsettling. She awoke with a startle, which wasn’t unusual. Perspiring and feeling uncomfortable, she decided to get up and get something cold to drink. Cisco was softly snoring in his favorite chair in the corner of her bedroom.
Katie walked to the kitchen and took a glass out of the cupboard.
She had goosebumps, which seemed to come out of nowhere.
She poured herself some juice from the fridge, walked to the window of her sliding glass door and stared out in the darkness.
The trees were just shadowy shapes surrounding her house.
She sipped her juice. The clock on her stove read 2:15 a.m. She needed to get back to bed.
Before she turned, she thought saw something move among the shadows.
Quickly checking her laptop on the counter that showed all her video cameras, nothing was detected.
But she still felt uneasy. Looking back at the sliding door, she saw the dark mass move again.
Katie ran back to her bedroom, slipped on her sneakers, and pulled on a sweatshirt.
She grabbed her Glock from the nightstand drawer.
Returning to the kitchen, this time with Cisco at her side, she crept to the sliding door. The dog was quiet, alert, and ready for anything. Katie looked from left to right and back again. The technology told her the backyard was fine—no movement. But her gut was telling her otherwise.
Katie wasn’t going to be frightened of something she couldn’t see, so she decided to do a sweep of the area. Gun ready, with Cisco at her side, she eased herself outside, stepping on the patio. She was in the ready position as she moved forward with her gun directing her lead.
She walked back and forth. The gate was still locked and everything seemed as it was just a couple of hours earlier. She was about to head back into the house when a soft voice came from the tree area.
“Detective?”
Katie jumped and Cisco barked. The dog didn’t run to the source, but stood his ground, waiting for whoever to approach them.
“Who’s there?” she said. “Come out now!”
A dark mass moved from the tree area. It came forward and Katie gradually saw a tall figure emerge wearing a heavy long coat that appeared to be adorned with various levels of camouflage. She then saw his face.