Page 106 of Last Girls Alive

McGaven’s face looked relieved, so he smiled and started walking away. “See you then.”

Katie returned the smile. Then she saw John loading up the surveillance equipment and thought for a moment she needed to talk to him, but that would have to wait. He turned and looked at her, his somber expression difficult to read, but he smiled at her with a gentle nod.

Katie opened the patrol passenger door again and slipped back inside to the welcoming heater.

Candace burst out, “I didn’t try to kill you and your partner.”

“Why were you following me?”

“I… I wanted to make sure that Carol’s murder would be solved. And… I’ve been terrified that whoever killed her is coming after me, so I followed you on the investigation to make sure. I had a car for a while.”

“Why did you shut the door on us?” Katie persisted.

“I just wanted to give myself time to get away. I knew one of these times that you would catch me.”

“So who was driving the bulldozer? Who was your partner?”

“I don’t understand. Partner?”

“Who were you working with?”

“No one.”

“So you mean to tell me that ‘no one’ tried to push the metal container off a cliff with me and my partner in it?”

“I’m telling you no one was helping me. I just put a stick in the lock, I figured you’d be able to escape within minutes, but it gave me enough time to get away.”

“So you didn’t start the bulldozer?”

“What? I don’t know anything about bulldozers. I just wanted to slow you down, not kill you. Why would I want to do that?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Katie said.

Candace leaned forward. “I’m telling you the truth. I didn’t lock you in the storage container. I swear, I’m telling the truth.”

“Who was there with you?”

“No one, I left as fast as I could.”

Another knock tapped at the window. This time, it was the patrol officer wondering how long Katie was going to take. She held up a finger indicating it would be a couple more minutes.

“Who is Amy Striker?” said Katie. “You listed her as your emergency contact at the dentist.”

“She’s a name I made up from a singer that used to sing at the coffee shop once in a while.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to be traced—besides, I don’t have anyone to list as an emergency number.”

“What about 1457 Green Street?”

“Oh… I saw a flyer about that new development and all the houses for sale—I dreamed of a place like that and I just used one of the addresses.”

Katie thought it was a little too convenient—even though it made sense. “And I suppose you put that piece of paper in my locker?”

“What paper?”

“ETL Express. The name of the storage container company.”