Page 10 of The Whispering Girls (Detective Katie Scott #14)

NINE

Katie and Cisco had settled into the suite after emptying her Jeep.

She had been given the passcodes for the lodge, kitchen, and her suite.

The vet had left to go downstairs to attend to patients and make a trip to one of the local ranches.

Jack had stressed that she was to make herself at home around the lodge and that she could set up their command center in any of the other rooms.

Katie sat down in one of the chairs and called her uncle.

“Katie,” Sheriff Scott said when he answered. His voice was cheerful, which was a little unusual, because when in command his voice was matter-of-fact, so he must’ve been in a private area. “How are you?”

“That’s a loaded question.”

There was a pause. “I think it’s fairly straightforward. We both know you were going to struggle with what to do with yourself on a two-week vacation.”

“You know me so well.” She smiled.

“What’s that I hear in your voice? ”

“There’s already been some strange things in this case,” she said.

“Strange? Like what?”

“The girl who knocked on my door to alert me to the body hanging in the tree has disappeared. No one seems to know who she is…and…the victim has a striking resemblance to her.”

“I see.” He paused. Katie knew her uncle was mulling over what she had told him. “Your reputation and closed cases speak volumes, Katie. My advice? Start from the beginning like you always do and follow every lead, and if you have to, turn over every rock you find.”

“I need Gav.”

“I’ve already let him know about the situation. He’s just finishing up a burglary case with Detective Hamilton.”

“Okay.” That explained why she hadn’t heard from him, not to mention he had a longtime girlfriend, Denise, who worked as a supervisor in the records’ division at Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department.

“Keep me posted,” said the sheriff. “And Katie…”

She knew what he was going to say.

“Be careful, be mindful, and don’t take everything on by yourself. Understand?”

“Thank you, Uncle Wayne.”

“By the way, this doesn’t count as your time off.”

“But—”

“No discussion.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The call ended.

Katie sat and thought about her great losses. Uncle Wayne was her only family. Her parents had been killed in an auto accident when she wasn’t even a teen. With no brothers or sisters, she was on her own. Her family were her close friends and colleagues .

Her thoughts were interrupted by Cisco snoring from the other chair. He was curled up tight with his big paws tucked in. She watched him peacefully sleep, his breath making his chest rise easily up and down.

Katie’s phone rang.

“Scott.”

“I miss my partner,” said McGaven from the other end.

Katie was relieved and happy to hear his voice. They had been partners working cold cases for a while and she couldn’t imagine working with anyone else. They knew each other’s moves, and their different personalities complemented one another.

“So I take it you’re up to speed with the situation,” she said.

“Yes, so far. And I’m not the least bit surprised you’d take on a homicide on your vacation. But what’s the deal with you staying at a veterinary hospital?”

Katie laughed. “I’m not staying at a vet’s hospital. There’s a beautiful lodge located on the second floor of the converted warehouse.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“When can you get here?”

“I’m finishing up some paperwork and I’ll be able to leave by the end of the day.”

Katie was pleased he would be arriving this evening. “Great.”

“Anything I need to bring?”

“Anything that would help with sorting out the investigation, and your laptop, of course.”

“So what’s the wildlife like there?”

Katie knew he meant the other cops and not the native animals. “There’re two police officers. The chief had a mild heart attack this morning, so he’ll be on the sidelines.”

“That still didn’t answer my question.”

“No complaints. They seem eager to help. ”

“Hmmm. I guess I’ll have to wait until I meet them.”

“I’ll send you the location and entry codes. It takes about two hours to get here.”

“Ten-four.”

She was surprised he hadn’t directly asked about the crime scene. “Gav?” She took a deep breath.

“Yeah.”

“It’s a bad one,” she said.

“I know.” He remained quiet for a moment. “We’ve got this.”

Katie closed her eyes, trying not to picture the young woman hanging in the tree. “I know.”

“And we’ve got each other’s backs.”

“Always.”

“See you soon,” he said.

Katie took a few moments before getting up. She was so fortunate to have Gav as her partner and it had made her transition seamless to the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department and heading up the cold-case unit.

Cisco ended his afternoon nap and came over to Katie, nudging her.

“Yep,” she said.

She changed into appropriate running attire with extra layers to keep her warm.

She was eager to check out the trails behind the Echo Forest Lodge.

The chain of events and murder board listings kept churning through her mind, and she wanted to clear her head so she could get a jump start on the investigation.