Page 48 of Her Last Whisper

“I’ll hang on… I’m running reports, so no problem.”

Katie quickly opened the vehicle and pulled out her briefcase, setting it on the hood. She had slid out several files and her notebook, when a white piece of paper dropped to the ground.

Staring at the familiar fold of paper, she slowly said, “Denise, I’m going to have to call you back. I’ll text you all the information I have.”

“Katie? Everything okay?”

She picked up the piece of paper, carefully holding to the edges. “I’m fine,” she managed to say.

“Katie?” Denise said again.

“I’ll call you later,” she said slowly and ended the call.

Unfolding the paper, which was written in the same cursive blue handwriting, she read:

Don’t spend too much time there.

“What? What is that?” said McGaven.

Katie instinctively looked around the car for anyone suspicious or watching her. There was no doubt someone was tailing her, shadowing her, and watching her moves before they left this note.

McGaven was at her side. “Another one?”

Her cell phone chimed with a text message from John. The sound made her twitch, adding to the uneasiness she already felt.

Linkage between Payton and Jane Doe cases—tan carpet fibers match 87%.

Twenty-Eight

Tuesday 1145 hours

The smell of diesel and exhaust fumes filled her senses and Tess woke with a dry cough, the stinging pain from her wrists and ankles a devastating reminder of where she was and everything that had happened to her.

She turned her head slightly from side to side, the tape over her eyes tugging on her hair and the skin near her ears. There it was again, the familiar smell she had recognized before—jasmine. Sweet and pungent. It was lighter than before, so she knew that the person who had been in the room with her was now gone.

She was alone.

“Anyone there?” she croaked as her throat was still exceptionally dry. “Can I have some water?” She didn’t expect to hear a reply but wanted to hear someone’s voice—even if it was her own.

She began working her restraints, feeling out the thin, sturdy twine and how many times it wrapped around her wrists. She tried to move her body upward on the bed to try and figure out how her hands were tied. Rocking and bouncing slightly, the bed springs groaned and squeaked until something loosened and she began to make progress with one area of the twine.

“I can almost…” she whispered to herself. “If I could just…”

A door slammed nearby making Tess start and jerk her arms down, pulling hard on her wrists. She let out a feeble cry as two strong hands pushed down hard on her upper arms as he leaned across her body, paralyzing her. Without saying a word, a man tightened her restraints, all the while breathing heavily near her ear. After he secured her, he didn’t speak to her. He didn’t touch her. She waited in absolute terror for what was next.

What was he waiting for?

And then, she felt a slow weight press down next to her body. Her flesh prickled as if ants were crawling all over her. She couldn’t help but recoil. Any hope she had felt previously had been dashed. “Tell me, Tess… What areyourdirty little secrets?” The eerie voice in the dark was nothing more than a whisper.

“Tell me!” He hissed like a snake.

“I… I don’t know what you want from me,” she stuttered in terror. “What secrets?”

“Truth,” he said. “You’ll give me the truth before I have no use for you anymore.”

“What truth? I don’t know what you want. Please… please…”

Tess felt the weight next to her face and tried to turn away. Paralyzed in fear, she shook, waiting for another taunt or strange request she couldn’t answer.