Page 24 of The Whispering Girls (Detective Katie Scott #14)

TWENTY-THREE

There was a soft knock at Katie’s door.

Cisco jumped off the bed and padded to the door. His tail wagged.

The door opened a few inches.

“Katie?”

Katie rolled to her other side and moaned. She had heard the knock and knew it was McGaven and that they had tons of work to sift through. “Yeah,” she said, her voice muffled.

The door opened wider.

“Hey, partner.”

“So are you my new alarm clock?”

He chuckled. “I seem to sleep great here…”

“Good for you.”

“We have a ton of paperwork to go through and I have a surprise for you,” he said.

“I don’t like surprises.”

“C’mon. Everyone likes surprises.”

Katie sat up looking at the clock. It was nearing 8a.m. and later than she thought. She flung the comforter back. “I’m coming, but I’m going for a half-hour run.” She stood up, searching for her running gear. “If you could feed Cisco, I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Sure, but?—”

“Please close the door,” she said.

McGaven and Cisco left her room and he quietly shut the door.

Katie didn’t mean to sound rude, but she usually thought about the investigations by running. She could clear her head and be fresh and ready to go. It had been her usual routine and she needed more than ever to have a sense of habit with these cases.

Within ten minutes, Katie was running along the trails. She didn’t see McGaven or Cisco as she rushed out the front door. There were sounds coming from the kitchen, but she didn’t want to waste time and then have to postpone her run. She decided to head toward where her rental cabin was located.

She could feel the cool air with every breath. The sun was out, tricking you that it was warmer than it actually was. Katie pushed her run and now recognized the area; knew it was near the cabin. She pressed on, pumping her arms and taking longer strides. The events of last night consumed her.

Why kill the woman they found in the stall?

Did she fit the profile of the other victims?

Did she know something about the killer?

Or was she an opportunity and would throw off the investigation?

And what about the other nurse and security guard who had been slain and left outside?

Katie pondered why there was a message this time and not a totem. It suggested it was a different killer—or maybe that the killer didn’t have time to prepare.

She passed the memorial bench with the plaque for Carol Ann Benedict.

Who was Carol Ann Benedict?

Katie stopped and took a closer look at the bench. Nothing seemed unusual, but there were some handmade letters scratched into the wood on the back.

I will love you forever, B.

Katie didn’t know what to think and she didn’t want to muddy her investigation by looking at things that didn’t complement the homicide investigations. She kept running.

A strong breeze pushed along the trail; perfect timing as questions inundated Katie’s mind.

Before she reached the wider opening and before the trail continued to the cabin and first crime scene, she heard a sound.

A soft pounding that resounded all around her.

Knowing that sounds in the forest played tricks on the mind, she didn’t take it too seriously.

Until…the sound turned into footsteps gaining speed from behind her.

This was someone who was a runner or an athlete—she could tell by their stride and speed.

But what was impossible to tell was if it was just someone who had the same idea as Katie to go on a run that morning—or if it was someone more threatening trying to catch up with her.

Katie decided not to ponder who it was any longer. Instead, she stepped aside and took cover behind one of the trees where there were plenty of rogue bushes to camouflage her.

The footsteps kept the same consistent speed and the person was just about to pass her. Katie waited in anticipation.

She saw black running pants and a green hoodie. Dark hair. Medium height. Definite athletic body type. And…

Katie emerged from the thicket.

“John?”

Immediately, the runner stopped and turned. John Blackburn was the amazing forensic supervisor at the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department, where she and McGaven worked.

“Were you hiding in the bushes?” he said, walking back toward Katie.

“What are you doing here?” Katie said, feeling incredible relief.

“Why do you think?” he said.

“I didn’t know you were coming. Are you Gav’s surprise?”

“The sheriff suggested I come down to help and act as backup.”

“Who’s watching over the forensic unit?”

“Eva is covering and she’s doing fine. In fact, it will be good for her to run things for a while. She’s such an asset. If there’s something that needs me, I can drive back in a little over two hours.” He smiled with a lingering gaze.

There were no doubts that Katie and John had an attraction to each other, but while she was engaged to Chad it had never been acted upon, and Katie hoped no one else had noticed this weakness of hers—not wanting to be vulnerable.

She studied him as sweat trickled down his forehead.

He had a way of smiling at her that made her feel as if he knew what she was thinking.

They were good friends. In fact, they were close friends.

He pushed up his sleeves, revealing his tattoos from the Navy, where he had been a Seal. “So,” he said. “Where were you heading in such a hurry? I could barely keep up with you.”

“I like to clear my head first thing, but…”

“Somehow I have a feeling you’re taking this route for a reason.”

Katie smiled. She couldn’t keep his gaze. “You know me so well. How much do you know about the current crime scenes?”

“I drove in around 5a.m. and Gav was sleeping on the couch with paperwork spread across his chest. I woke him. ”

“That’s Gav.” Katie felt bad that she wasn’t awake to help him sift through things.

“He briefly updated me and then I studied the board.”

“I’m glad you’re here because there are forensic questions we need answers to,” she said and began walking toward her original destination.

“So where are we going?”

“I was staying at a cabin when a young girl, TJ, knocked on my door and took me to the first crime scene.”

“Okay,” he said.

“And I wanted to look at it again—I have some questions I want to try to answer.”

“These homicides are full of questions, according to Gav.”

Katie rubbed her face. She felt faint.

“Hey,” said John. He stopped her and put his hand lightly on her arm.

Katie looked at him but didn’t explain. She put it down to feeling overwhelmed by not getting answers she needed to solve the investigation.

“I know how hard the last case was for you—and that’s why you were here to get away and rest. And now you’ve been thrown into these cases…”

“Yeah, that’s part of it. I just…”

“Just what?” He still had his hand on her arm.

“Things are different this time. I don’t think we’re going to solve this one.”

John smiled at her and took his hand away. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never stepped back and hesitated about anything.”

“Well, but these cases…”

“You need some coffee, food, and to regroup.”

“Okay, but?—”

“You’re just having a moment when you’re overthinking it. I know for a fact you’re going to find the killer or killers.”

“You think so? And what’s your evidence?” she said, smiling back at him. She appreciated that he was supportive. She couldn’t ask for a better team.

“Because that’s what the universe says…”

Katie could barely tear her gaze away from his intense dark eyes.

“Show me this first crime scene area.”

“Okay.”

“Is it really true that a veterinarian worked the crime scenes?” he said.

“Yeah. It was definitely a first.” Katie explained everything that had been going on as they walked the rest of the way, about the crime scenes, the first two victims having a striking resemblance to each other, Devin’s cabin, and the town in general.

“Sounds interesting,” said John. He paused and looked at Katie. “I have to say, as horrible as whatever’s going on in this town is, it seems strange too.”

“That’s how I see it.”

“That’s why you feel you may not be able to get everyone rounded up?”

She chuckled. “After the scene at the hospital, I’m not so sure.

Some things seem to indicate a serial killer, but then others seem more random…

as a way to cause chaos and panic.” Katie walked closer to the tree where the body of Theresa Jamison had been found.

She stared at where the totem was set up.

“Is this the tree?” he said.

She nodded. “What do you know about totems?”

“Like amulets or talismans or putting a curse on someone?”

“I guess.”

“I don’t know much except there are some people who believe in spirits and that these types of representations ward off evil spirits…or send a message.”

“Exactly.” She studied the area, noticing the shape of the totem was still evident.

“I get this sense someone is trying to send a message or warning and... The first two victims were found at basically the same type of crime scene, but the hospital scene showed a more desperate, spur-of-the-moment type of killing.” Katie walked around the tree, noticing for the first time a narrow trail that ran parallel to the cabin she had been staying in.

John studied the marks on the tree left by the rope.

“John, take a look at this…” she said.

He joined her.

“Doesn’t this look like a drag mark?” she said.

He bent down and studied the area more closely. “It could be.”

“Look at how wide it is. It’s not consistent with a person or even an animal sliding.” She looked around at the low-lying scrubby brush. “Look at this.” She pulled what looked to be tan fibers from the lower section of the trail. “What do you think? It’s not from wildlife.”

John looked closely, turning over the short pieces in his hand. “I can’t tell for sure, but they definitely have the look and consistency of rug fibers.”

Katie stepped back. She hadn’t taken a thorough look at the area due to the weather and the fact that the crime scene was already being handled by the chief and Jack. “It’s only been a few days. It’s possible this could be from the killer, right?”

John nodded. “Let’s photograph the area and collect these. Maybe we can find where it came from.”