Page 65 of Pretty Broken Dolls

“It was in a…well, it got rain and mud damage, which ruined the engine, dented the doors,” she mumbled. The truth was that her car was damaged working a previous missing persons case during a torrential rain storm.

“Look, I have some blankets you could wrap up in. Why don’t I give you a ride home?”

“Oh, no thanks. I’ll be fine. I don’t want to leave my Jeep here.”

“Well, let me at least lend you the blanket so you won’t wipe out your seats.”

Katie was tired and didn’t want to play the agent’s games. “Sure, that would be great.” She forced a small smile.

Agent Campbell went to his SUV and retrieved a gray blanket and brought it to Katie.

“Thanks,” she said and wrapped it around her as she was beginning to shiver.

“I mean it. I wanted to talk to you about the cases.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow?”

“I know you have quite the schedule, I just wanted to share some information.” He kept his focus on her, making her somewhat uncomfortable.

“Well…”

“Unless you’re busy for the rest of the day?”

“Okay,” she said reluctantly.

“Meet me at Tiny’s Diner. Do you know where that is?”

“Yes. In an hour?”

“That sounds good.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sunday 1345 hours

Katie made it home and quickly jumped into the shower to heat up and to relieve her sore muscles. It took several minutes to feel warm and back to her usual self. The heat and steam wiped away any anxious symptoms she had.

She couldn’t get Agent Campbell out of her mind. He was acting strange. His explanations were smooth and gave the impression he was honest—but was he?

Was he still following her?

Why did he really want her and McGaven on the case?

The more she rehashed every meeting she’d had with him, the more she thought that things didn’t ring true. She couldn’t figure out how or why the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department was brought into the cases. Her uncle didn't give her any indication that there was more she didn't know.

Katie quickly dressed and took care of Cisco, leaving him home.

“I’ll be back in about an hour,” she said as she closed the front door.

* * *

Katie drove in the small parking lot for Tiny’s Diner and immediately spotted Campbell’s large white SUV along with several other cars. She parked and quickly got out, heading to the front door.

It had been a while since she had been to the diner, but it had been around for as long as she could remember. Ever since she was a kid, they’d had the best milkshakes and cheeseburgers.

She pushed open the glass door with an old “Open” sign that had been hanging there for years. It was crinkled and worn around the edges from years of being exposed to the sun. As she stepped inside she was greeted with the smell of coffee and the daily chili special. She saw Campbell right away. He waved to her as she approached the red booth. She quickly rethought the wisdom of meeting him outside of typical business hours. She felt a drop in her stomach and a familiar tension in her neck and back that usually meant trouble—but she was also curious about what he had to say.

“Detective,” he said. There were already two menus on the table. “Nice of you to make it. I thought maybe you would stand me up.”