Page 104 of Little Girls Sleeping

“You’re safe now,” he said, and kissed her.

She leaned into his arms and wept uncontrollably. He held her for as long as she needed, until they heard the sounds of SUVs and emergency vehicles fast approaching.

Fifty-Nine

Colorful balloons, stuffed animals, and cheerful cards cluttered the small hospital room. The curtains were half drawn as Katie lay peacefully sleeping. She had been in the hospital for three days, recuperating from hypothermia and a mild concussion.

Partially awake, she turned to her left side and drifted back into a wonderful dream. It was the most rest she had had in months, and she was taking full advantage of it.

Her uncle appeared in the doorway, dressed in casual clothes. Seeing that Katie was sleeping, he was just about to leave again.

“You weren’t going to say hello,” murmured Katie.

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”

“I haven’t talked to anyone in a while.” She sat up. “Please come in.”

The sheriff entered the room, pulled a chair close to the bed, and sat down. “How are you feeling today?” he asked.

“Better. My head doesn’t hurt as much, but the stitches are getting itchy. I want to go back to work, or at least go home to look at better scenery.”

“It’s only been three days—work will still be there. There are a lot of people wanting to see you, including a certain eager young man.”

“Uncle Wayne,” she said, embarrassed. The truth was, she didn’t know what to do about her relationship with Chad. She didn’t want a romantic relationship until she could balance other things in her life first.

“I’m just saying—”

“What’s the status on the case?” She quickly changed the subject.

“I think we can wait to talk about that.”

“No, please, I need to know. What’s going on?”

The sheriff smiled and leaned back in the chair. “We’re just about to wrap everything up, but there’s a few more things before we put this entire thing behind us. They’ve identified the third girl, Wendy Stiller, age eleven, and have contacted her mom. It looks like Dena Matthews will make a full recovery. We’ve put together forensic evidence—including the boot prints at your house, Cisco’s bite, and the two notes. Everything is falling into place and points to Charles Rey with everything found at his house. The media has been relentless, but we’ve managed to keep them away from you.”

Katie picked up a cup and sipped some water. “Was Rey the only perp?”

“As far as we can tell, there were no other conspirators. Officially theToymakeris dead and buried.”

“What about Terrance Price?” she asked, now wide awake.

The sheriff shook his head.

“Are you sure?”

“There’s no indication that he was involved in the kidnappings or the murders.”

Katie let out a sigh. “I thought it was possible that Rey had used him, or that he was an accomplice after the fact.”

“If he was, then he took that secret to his grave. The case for Price is closed. Rey has been declared officially dead, even though the rescuers couldn’t find a body. There’s no way he could have survived.”

“What about…”

“Detective Templeton?” He finished her sentence.

She nodded.

“He’s been fired and stripped of his police-officer status for planting evidence, and the DA is deciding what charges, if any, will be brought against him.”