Page 117 of Her Last Whisper

“I think that it’s going to take some time, but it’s a solid beginning for the Haines. I’m happy for both of them. Actually, for all three of them, and a fourth one on the way.” She continued to watch them converse.

“What about us?” Chad asked.

She turned to him and said, “I think it is a good beginning. Make that a great beginning.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “I hope your next case isn’t as crazy as this one was.”

“I’m so glad that Tess Regan will recover,” she said.

“Well, she’s lucky you were there. Any longer, she would have been… well, let’s just say, she’s lucky.”

“Lucky that McGaven was there.”

“True. He’s a good man.”

“I still cannot believe that we almost missed the clues that led us to Randall Drake. It makes perfect sense now—he made the evidence point to Dr. Jamison and caused so much collateral damage. He could watch his victims from security cameras and blended in without anyone suspecting him. Bobby Sykes must have known what was going on and was really trying to help, somehow; he felt compelled. One thing bothered me,” she said. “Amanda mentioned the smell of jasmine. When they searched his house, they found two dozen bottles of jasmine hand-washing soap.”

“Wow.”

“There’s still some things that we don’t know why—like why Amanda had such a rich, fancy dinner in her stomach, but that’s just the way it is.”

“Why do you think he did it?” he asked.

Katie still watched the brothers as she spoke. “He suffered such a tremendous trauma of losing his wife and three-month-old baby in a fire that he blamed anyone and everyone at the hospital who told people that their loved ones were going to be okay—when they weren’t. We’re still not entirely sure of the number of his victims—not much turned up at his house. This case is officially closed, but sadly, there will probably be other victims we don’t find or ever know about.”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

“Remember, I’m not alone in this.”

“I know.” He hugged her tighter.

She turned to Chad. “I need a favor,” she said.

“Name it.”

“Since I’m supposed to be taking it easy, can you drive me somewhere?” she said. “It’s not far and it won’t take long.”

“Of course.”

Katie gestured to everyone outside. “I think they’ll be just fine for half an hour if we sneak out.”

Seventy

Katie walked down the curvy walkway through a grassy area holding a single pink rose, cut from her garden. She searched several areas until she found what she was looking for. Taking a quiet moment, she hung her head forward in respect and said a short prayer.

Her attention was focused on a particular cemetery headstone:

Amanda Lynn Payton ~ Loving Daughter & Best Friend

Katie then knelt down and put the rose next to Amanda’s grave.

“I’m so sorry that I couldn’t protect you—but you helped others and brought a killer to justice. May you find everlasting peace,” she said softly.

She stood up and slowly walked back, filing Amanda’s death away in the heavy box of people she couldn’t save, which she carried inside of her like a lead balloon.

Standing up at the top of the hill, she could see the outline of Chad and Cisco waiting for her with the sun beaming behind them. It was as if there was a new awakening for her—a chance for a new day—a new life.

Realizing that life really was truly not long enough, Katie vowed to never skip any moment to tell someone that she loved them, mend any feud or argument, and never take those she loved for granted. Life was too fragile to take any chances of not expressing those sentiments. Life was indeed too short.