Page 60 of Pretty Broken Dolls

“Scott, it’s clear!” yelled one of the officers.

Katie slowly crawled up to the makeshift trail with Cisco beside her. She stood up and saw three officers approach.

“You okay?” said one of them.

“Yes, we’re fine.”

“Go ahead and walk back to the parking lot. It’s been cleared for your safety.”

“Thank you,” she said as she hiked back.

After Katie returned to the main area, Lizzy and John met up with her.

“Are you okay?” they both asked in unison.

“Yes. We’re fine. A bit unnerving.” She was shaky but held strong.

Sergeant Hardy approached. “Detective Scott, we’re going to need your statement before you go.”

“Of course.” She looked at Lizzy and John. “I’ll be right back.”

Katie followed the sergeant.

“I’m afraid that I’m not going to be much help. I didn’t see or hear anything except the shots.”

“You said the shots came from the west.”

“Yes, but they seemed to be high in the trees.”

“Anything else?” he said. She could tell that he was annoyed that she couldn’t help or provide any other information.

“It’s just…it seems to me that they were just trying to scare me—not kill me. Otherwise, I would be dead.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Saturday 1330 hours

Katie was due to meet with her Uncle Wayne. They would usually meet for lunch once a month to catch up without the backdrop of the sheriff’s department. They typically would go to a restaurant or an art exhibit, but today had decided to have a nice quiet lunch at her uncle’s condo. Katie knew that the transition of moving into a condo from the home he had shared with his late wife was something that took getting used to. It was nice to take some time and enjoy the views.

She stood on the balcony and waited for her uncle to finish preparing the meal. More than anything, she needed family and something to distract her from the current events. It was the healthy thing to do. She had waited to tell him about the incident at K9 training.

Cisco had found a comfortable place on the couch inside and seemed content after a morning of training.

Katie stared out at the eighteen-hole golf course beside her uncle’s condo. The view from the balcony was beautiful, with the golf course spread beneath it and the countryside and trees around it.

At first, when her uncle decided to sell his big house in the country after his wife was murdered, Katie didn’t know if this type of setting would make him happy. But looking around, she felt now that it seemed to fit him.

Uncle Wayne’s three-bedroom condo was spacious, with plenty of room for his hobbies, guests, and any comfort he would need. He could entertain if he wanted and it simplified his life, which was what he needed.

“Okay,” he said as he carried out two plates and two bowls.

“Oh wow,” said Katie. She eyed the gooey grilled-cheese sandwiches and bowls of vegetable soup, and sat down at the small bistro table. “This was always my favorite when I was a kid—actually, it still is.” She laughed.

Taking his seat across from his niece, the sheriff said, “I know you’ve had a full week and it just seemed like the right meal to have today.”

“Uncle Wayne, you always know how to make me feel better.”

“It’s tough sometimes at work because I want to be your uncle when certain things happen, but I’m the sheriff and that’s the way I have to act.”