Page 13

S am and Sophie heard Doc’s old Ford truck pulling up the long drive, the rattle of the engine coughing up its familiar putter before its final sigh. Both hurried toward the door, but Katherine held back. Glass was everywhere.

“Sit,” Katherine ordered the dogs, as Doc Baker and his companion approached. Katherine was instantly struck by the exotic woman at his side. This must be Ilene Silva. “Watch the glass,” Katherine warned. “Thanks for getting here so fast.” Katherine found it hard to tear her gaze away from the woman. “Please, come in.” Katherine stepped aside, then closed the shattered doors. “I have coffee or a drink if you’d like.” Her social graces dictated she offer them something, even though this wasn’t a social visit.

“This is K,” Doc said to Ilene.

Ilene Silva was tall, at least five-ten. Her black skin-hugging dress showed off her slender curves, yet she wore practical black low-heeled pumps with sheer stockings. Her dark brown hair was cut razor straight, then sharply angled toward her chin. Her hair shined as if she’d come straight from a stylist. Diamonds flashed on her hands and around her neck. Her eyes were an unusual aqua color. Regal came to Katherine’s mind—if you didn’t look at her shoes.

Ilene stared back at Katherine like she was a specimen in a petri dish. “I can’t say I’m pleased to meet you, so good evening will have to do,” Ilene said, holding a well-manicured hand out to Katherine. “Are those your dogs? I’m terrible around animals.”

Put off by her rudeness, Katherine ignored Ilene’s outstretched hand. This woman didn’t like animals. That was an immediate strike against her. Katherine shooed Sam and Sophie upstairs. She then turned abruptly away from Doc and his brusque sidekick. With a newfound boldness, Katherine refused to be intimidated by the woman’s commanding presence, probably a remnant of her time in the CIA.

Tyler stood when they entered the kitchen. “Doc, Ilene,” he said, and shook both of their hands.

How does he know this woman? Katherine wondered. A dozen questions soared through her mind, but she didn’t dare ask them.

“Tyler, you get more handsome every time I see you. How’s your mother doing these days?” Ilene asked. Her knowledge of Tyler’s mother helped put Katherine more at ease. Possibly Tyler’s mother and Ilene were friends?

“You know her—ornery as ever,” Tyler said, a grin on his face.

“She’s a good girl. I’ve always admired Cecilia. She’s practically a saint, putting up with your father all these years,” Ilene added.

Katherine observed their banter and thought it inappropriate, given the circumstances. “Would either of you like a coffee? Something stronger?” she asked again.

“I’m fine. Thank you, Katherine. That’s such a pretty name,” Ilene said. “Who were you named after?”

“Thanks. I wasn’t named after anyone that I know of. Maybe a stray nurse in pediatrics.” Katherine was telling the truth; she had no clue who she was named after. Probably one of her father’s employees or a name scratched on the wall of a dirty restroom. That was her mother’s style. Spiteful and demeaning.

Ilene turned to Doc. “You’re right. She’s a gutsy little thing, even if she doesn’t acknowledge it herself.”

Katherine had to respond. “What are you talking about?”

Ilene took charge. “You. Doc told me about you, your situation, and what’s happened tonight. Given all this, I’ll stick with my initial impression. You’re gutsy.”

Katherine was unsure how to further respond. So she said what came naturally. “Thank you, I do appreciate the compliment, though it’s not true.” She offered up a wan smile. They were not off to a good start, Katherine thought. She hated bossy women.

“Never underestimate yourself. Right, Franklin?” Ilene winked at Doc Baker.

Franklin? Katherine realized that before this, she had no clue what Doc’s first name was.

“Come on, Ilene. You’ve messed with K enough for now,” Doc said. “You two want to tell us what happened tonight? Why the hell didn’t you call the police? You better have a damned good reason, kiddo.”

Nodding in agreement, Katherine forced herself to respond truthfully. She gave Doc all of the details of what happened, with Tyler backing her up. “If you want to look at the security cameras, maybe we missed something. I’m not the expert here.” She focused her attention on Ilene.

“Can we sit down?” Ilene asked.

“Of course. Let’s go to the dining room.” Katherine put her cup in the sink, then led the trio to her dining room. She touched a wall panel, and the room filled with light.

“Wow,” Ilene said.

“The table is hideous, I know. It was here when I bought the place,” Katherine explained, a smirk on her face. “I’d planned on asking Doc if he knew of a church or a charity I could donate this monstrosity to. I just never got around to it.” The table was a brushed silver color. Its odd shape reminded Katherine of a puzzle piece. The chairs matched the table; the seats and backs were tufted, the material a maroon velvet, and the chair legs a curved cabriole style. Hideous was being nice.

“Are you sure Elvis isn’t lurking around here?” Ilene asked. “Never mind. That’s crude of me. I apologize.”

But Katherine agreed. The former owners may have had an affinity for the King of Rock and Roll.

“Have a seat,” Katherine said. “Believe it or not, these ugly chairs are quite comfortable.”

Once they were seated, Ilene took charge. “I’ll need full access to your security footage. As you said, I might see something you missed. I also want to search the house, top to bottom. Whoever rifled through your desk and turned your computer off probably left fingerprints. I suggest we get a forensic team in here tonight.” Ilene paused. “I don’t have access to my former contacts in that department, so we’ll have to allow the locals to take care of this aspect of the investigation. Plus, you do need an official police report. They can document what’s missing.”

“No! I can’t let the public know about this. Doc?” Katherine turned to him, her brows raised in question. “You explained to her why I can’t?”

“I think you should tell Ilene what you want her to know,” Doc said. “I’ve kept my word, K. Now, you need to let Ilene do her job or not. Up to you.”

“He’s right, Katherine,” Tyler chimed in. “Who knows if this will happen again? Your safety is important to me.” Tyler stood. “The doors are still open. I’ll close them.”

“No, Tyler. Leave it. Evidence,” Ilene said. “Go ahead, tell me what you can.”

Were the two people Katherine felt a kinship with turning on her? “I know it’s crazy,” Katherine said, and glanced at Tyler. “But there is a part of my life that I’ve kept hidden for good reason. If I tell you all, I must be assured it won’t leak.” She would tell them what she thought they needed to know.

Doc, Tyler, and Ilene all stared at her.

“Not that I can’t trust you. It’s the police. If they start nosing around, the privacy I’ve kept for years will be ruined.”

Ilene nodded. “Are you in trouble with the authorities?”

“I wish that’s all it was. To answer your question, no. I’ve never even had a traffic ticket.” Katherine was in the clear, unless they found out about her fake identification.

“Then what has happened to you that is so horrible you’re willing to risk your safety? Maybe your life,” Ilene said, her words much gentler than the tough persona she presented.

“K, you can tell us. I promise you that whatever you say won’t leave this room. At least not from me,” Doc said.

“Count me in. I took an oath, and I’ll uphold it. What you say stays here.” Tyler used his index finger to tap his head.

“Listen to your friends, Katherine. I don’t know you, but Franklin praises you as much as Stephanie. In my profession, keeping my mouth shut was part of the job. While this isn’t a CIA issue, and even though I’m retired, I can sniff around. I haven’t lost my skills. However, I highly recommend we call the locals. They’re pros and have the resources you need. Up to you,” Ilene told her.

“Do you remember the Boston Marathon in 2013?” Katherine asked. Just saying the words made her throat tighten—deep breath in, deep breath out.

“Relax, Katherine. We’ve all got your back,” Tyler instructed. “Take a few more deep breaths, okay?” He watched her, and she saw concern in his eyes as he spoke. “And of course we remember. It was all over the news for weeks. A friend of mine was supposed to run that day but backed out when his wife went into early labor.”

“I’m fine,” Katherine said. “I just need some water. Excuse me.”

“I’ll get it,” Doc said. “Stay put.”

Tyler moved his chair closer to hers. “Deep breathing will help. Later I can teach you different methods, if you want to try them. There’s a method that stems from the ancient practice of yoga called equal breathing. When you feel ready, we can discuss it in more detail.”

“Here, kid.” Doc returned with the glass of water, and Katherine gulped it down, not caring that some dripped down her chin.

“Thanks.” She took a few deep breaths and placed her empty glass on the table. “Tyler, maybe you can tell me about this yoga practice another time.” The last thing she wanted right now was learn a new breathing technique. “I don’t know what the local police can do, but I don’t want to call them in.” She twisted the ends of her hair, struggling with her decision. The past needed to remain in the past. “I don’t want the police here. I’ll be fine.”

“K, you need to think about this for a minute. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way. Who knows who’s still out there? As Tyler said, they could be here now, just waiting for us to leave. It’s more than obvious they’ve been watching you, the house,” Doc said. “You’re not safe here.”

Katherine knew he was right. She should pack a few things and leave. She’d done it once before, and she could do it again. Irrational fears aside, she wanted to erase this evening from her memory and continue on as she had. Her life was far from perfect, but it was hers. She didn’t want to give up her privacy unless her life was truly at stake. She wasn’t sure if it was or was not at this point. Maybe this was just some whacked-out person who wanted to rob her—though why would they only take her flash drive and her notebook? It couldn’t be that simple. Was it possibly a deranged fan? She chewed on her bottom lip. Someone wanted to frighten her, and that mission had been accomplished.

“I can’t leave,” she told Doc. Before she lost what little nerve she had, she cleared her throat. How could she explain to these decent, kind folks the nightmares that had dominated her life? She’d always remember Adam, but there was little satisfaction in that. His killer, the brother that had survived, currently awaited a death sentence.

“What about the marathon?” Tyler asked. “What’s your connection to it?”

She wished she hadn’t said anything. “Just that I lost someone I cared about.” The room was silent as three sets of eyes stared at her, waiting for her to continue. “And it has nothing to do with this.” She waved her hand at the desk behind her.

“As I said, I lost a friend.” She knew it would be easy for them to Google the three who’d lost their lives that day and put two and two together. They must think she was truly out of her mind. She had to clear the air. “I was there the day of the bombings. I saw things no one should ever have to see. Looking back, I realize I was in shock. Who wouldn’t be? It was horrific.” Just thinking about that day could throw her into a panic attack. After another deep breath, she went on. “After taking care of my friend . . .” She paused. “I returned to my apartment, packed a few things, and well . . .” She raked her hand through her hair. “Here I am.”

Ilene asked, “Why here?”

Katherine recalled that day when she’d finally broken down and lost what sanity she had left. She’d taken the first exit off I-95 and drove aimlessly until she spotted a block of fast-food restaurants. She’d pulled her Nissan into the first empty parking space she’d seen. She was unsure how long she’d sat there, crying until her eyes were red and swollen. She remembered pounding her fist so hard against the dashboard that her knuckles bled. The pain forced her to focus on her situation. She’d scanned her surroundings, finding herself in the parking lot at a Wendy’s.

“Yes, why Blowing Rock, of all places?” Doc asked. “It’s nothing like Boston or Texas.”

Katherine nodded. “I know. I didn’t realize at the time, but I needed to be somewhere safe.”

“Listen up, Katherine,” Ilene said. “I’ve been around the block more times than I care to remember. Lots of people were in Boston that day. What aren’t you telling us?”

Katherine felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “That’s all there is to tell. I was in shock.” She looked down at her out-of-style black booties.

“Listen,” said Ilene, “you can keep lying all you want, and if Franklin and Tyler want to listen, that’s their choice. But I won’t. Either you spit it out now, or I’m leaving.”

Katherine wished she had Ilene’s spunk. Wished she’d done things differently. She took a deep breath and then slowly released it. “Ilene, you certainly know how to sniff out the truth.”

“I know that. Most of the folks I dealt with in DC know that, too,” Ilene said, her attention focused on Katherine. “So tell me.”

Katherine stared at the floor, embarrassed. She knew what she needed to do.