Page 50 of Little Girls Sleeping

“Hey,” said Deputy McGaven, coming up to the back of the ambulance. “You okay?” He sounded concerned.

Katie smiled. “Yeah, just some bumps and bruises.”

“Did you see the driver, or a license plate?”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. And believe me, it’s going to haunt me.”

He gestured to the forensic technicians hovering over the evidence. “Great instincts to get the tire-mark impressions.”

“McGaven?” she said.

“Yeah.”

“You feeling okay this morning?”

“Yeah, why?”

Katie smiled. “Never mind.”

The paramedic took the Velcro blood-pressure armband off her right bicep area and continued to wrap bandages around her forearms, which had seemed to take the brunt of her fall.

Katie began to feel the pulsating pain now, as her adrenalin had had plenty of time to cool off.

“That about does it,” said the paramedic. “You should get checked out at the hospital.”

“I’m fine, really,” Katie stressed. “I’ve taken worse, that’s for sure.” She stood up. “McGaven, can you drive me to my house so that I can change?” she asked. Her legs felt fatigued and strangely rubbery. As she walked toward the crime-scene area, it was as if she was trudging through drying cement.

“You’re not coming to work today,” said the sheriff as he walked up behind her and the deputy.

He had heard about the truck incident from the police scanner. Most of the department had probably heard about it.

“I’m fine,” Katie repeated.

“Take the day off, that’s a direct order,” he said. His voice softened a bit. “Just go home and rest. Forensics haven’t completed their examinations of the caskets and clothing. And there might be more to come from Dr. Dean.”

“Maybe I will rest for a couple of hours,” she conceded. “I’ll have my report to you as soon as—”

“The entire day,” Sheriff Scott reminded her. Then, to McGaven, “Please take her home and make sure she stays there… and doesn’t ditch you this time.” He smiled, but the authority in his voice and posture was more like a warning to the deputy.

“Fine,” stated Katie. The more she argued, the more tired she became. “Let’s go,” she ordered McGaven.

This was exactly what the killer wanted: for Katie to be out of the game. She knew this meant she was getting closer to solving the case.

Twenty-Nine

Once Deputy McGaven was sure Katie wouldn’t pull a runner on him, and he’d played some high-energy ball with Cisco, he finally left her house. Katie studied the investigation notes on her wall one more time, trying to connect the leads. She decided to add the truck incident to the mix and see if it meant anything or pointed to someone—the Darren brothers, Mrs. Stanley, or even Detective Templeton. It was another puzzle piece that might prove to be helpful, a missing clue, or it might be one more thing for the trash. What was the motive? Was there a connection to Chelsea? Tammie Myers?

Cisco was stretched out on the kitchen floor, cooling off after his morning of fetching ball with the deputy. Within minutes, he was softly snoring and recharging his battery.

Katie had changed into warmer sweats and sipped some water with lemon. She’d thought she would be edgy and anxious after getting home, but to her surprise, she was tired and relaxed. She stretched out on the couch, and before she could run through the investigation in her mind, she fell asleep.

Cisco’s barking and a loud knocking rattled her awake. She sat up and saw Chad standing at her door peering through the small upper window, while Cisco ran in circles demanding to meet the visitor.

Crap.

Katie knew that she looked like hell after her run and then taking another fall down a hillside.

“Quiet,” she said to Cisco. The dog backed away and went to his down position.