Page 43 of The Whispering Girls (Detective Katie Scott #14)

THIRTY-NINE

Katie led McGaven and John down the interior secret staircase.

The sound of their footsteps was like an entire group of combat soldiers going into battle.

No doubt Jack and Clark could hear them coming.

Cisco weaved and padded down the staircase as if it were nothing.

He too was alert and ready for anything, waiting at the bottom.

They were a team of four and between all of them they would find out the killer’s identity.

The group stood in the large waiting area—no one sat down. It was like a standoff. The storm was gaining strength outside and they could hear the thrashing winds slamming into the structure.

“So where is he?” said McGaven. It was clear he was annoyed and anxious at the same time, which was the opposite of his usually chill demeanor.

“Thank you all for coming down,” said Jack.

“There really wasn’t much of a choice,” said Katie.

“Please let me explain.” Turning to Katie, he said, “I apologize for the theatrics and not fully trusting all of you. I can see you are a great team. I did a little digging of my own and your Pine Valley case solve rate of one hundred percent is quite impressive.”

“We’re not here so you can tell us what we already know,” she said.

Jack looked at all of them. “I’ve misjudged you.”

“Where is the chief?” said McGaven. “Who are you protecting?”

“I told Katie I don’t know where the chief is.”

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” said McGaven.

“If I were in your shoes, I would think the same thing,” said Clark.

“What kind of game are you both playing?” said McGaven.

“Look, I will answer your questions,” said Clark. “I lost contact with the chief not long after the bodies were found at the hospital. And I’ve been looking for him ever since. When the storm hit yesterday I was going to be stranded, so I called Jack and he put me up until the storm passes.”

Katie watched the officer as he began to explain himself. She didn’t completely believe him. “Why didn’t you answer our calls and text messages?”

“I’m sure you know the cell phone signals have been intermittent.”

“Yes, but we were still able to make calls and access the internet.”

“Here, look at my phone,” he said, showing that he didn’t have a signal.

“Better yet,” said McGaven, “why didn’t you just knock on the door upstairs and update us?”

“I thought I could find the chief and find out what’s going on. I know you all were conducting interviews and working the case.”

“I think this is a bad idea,” said McGaven to Katie and John.

“We were pulled into this investigation because your police force didn’t have the experience to conduct such an investigation,” she said. “I agree with my partner. This is a bad idea. We need know the truth and everything you know.”

“That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you,” said Jack.

“No, I’ve only heard bits and pieces. I have not heard what I believe to be the truth,” she said. “Let’s go.” She leaned toward John and spoke in a low voice. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re right, but I also think you need to interrogate them to get any information that will help,” said John.

Katie stopped at the staircase and looked to both men. “They’re lying.”

“You have the experience to know the truth and the lies,” said John. “Use it.”

They were put in a tough spot and had no backup until Sheriff Scott released the reinforcements to help them.

“Gav?” she said.

“I have doubts about this, but I have your back.”

Katie took control of the situation and had everyone seated around a dining table.

She didn’t want to give Jack and Clark any of what she and her partners had found out or suspected.

Her attitude was that of a police detective interrogator until they felt certain the vet and officer weren’t part of everything that had been going on since Katie had arrived at Echo Forest.

Cisco paced around the room until he found his spot at Katie’s feet. She liked having Cisco near her—it kept her grounded and focused. The dog could read her emotions well.

Katie took point in the interviews, which was what she did well. McGaven and John watched the men as they answered her questions.

“Do you know why the chief is missing?” she began.

Clark looked down for a moment. “I have some ideas.”

“Like? ”

“For the past six months or so, he’s been different.”

“Different how?”

Katie watched Clark. He appeared calm and was even-toned.

“Secretive. Paranoid. And that wasn’t like him.”

“Not at all,” said Jack. He got up from the table. McGaven and John watched him closely.

“Did he know more information about the murders than he was saying?” asked Katie.

“I don’t know. If he did, he didn’t tell me.”

“Where is Officer Banning?”

“He had a family emergency in Arizona and left shortly after the murders started.”

“Didn’t that seem like convenient timing?”

“I don’t know…well, maybe.”

Katie leaned back in her chair. There was something about Clark that made her want to believe him—but something was also off. “How long have you worked as an Echo Forest police officer?”

“I transferred from Redding about a year ago.”

That surprised Katie, but she didn’t show it. Merely glancing at McGaven, he seemed to pause at that too. “Why?” she said.

“Why come here? I got tired of my superiors in Redding. I wanted something more laid-back, where you feel like you’re a part of a real community—not the notion of us and them.”

Jack brought fresh coffee and mugs to the table. “It looks like it’s going to be a long night, or morning, however you look at it.”

Clark was the first to pour himself a cup and the others followed suit, taking their first sips.

“You do understand what an uncomfortable position we’ve been put in?” said Katie. “It’s like we’re rogue officers but we’re here to help you.”

“I understand…what…you’re saying…” Clark appeared as if he was going to get sick.

“You okay?” said Katie. Her voice sounded strange in her own head.

She looked to McGaven and John and they were rubbing their foreheads…

The room spun in a nauseating motion…Everything around her faded away…

Katie managed to pick up her mug and throw it across the room where it hit a wall, shattering.

The coffee slowly rolled down the barrier.

Katie tried to say something and stand up, but she passed out and dropped to the floor.

Two hours later

Katie felt a nudge and then a lick to her face.

She opened her eyes, trying to focus, she had a pounding headache.

Looking up, Cisco was standing over her.

His nose in her face. Her memory was foggy, but she remembered everything leading up to passing out.

With effort, she rolled to her side, where she saw McGaven lying face down on the floor eight feet away.

“Gav,” she barely muttered.

He didn’t move.

Katie pushed herself up into a sitting position as Cisco ran circles around her. She remembered firing questions at Clark. She grabbed the chair to pull herself up to a standing position. It was exhausting. She looked around and didn’t see any sign of Clark, Jack, or John.

She was too weak to call out, so after steadying herself she moved to her partner.

Dropping to her knees, she made sure McGaven was still breathing; he was, but very shallow.

He seemed to be still under from whatever was in their coffee.

Katie was angry that she had been drugged twice in one night.

She was going to get to the bottom of things. No matter what.

Katie stood up as her head cleared. She retrieved her gun, which was thankfully still in her boot holster. There was a sound of drawers opening and paperwork shuffling nearby. It was coming from one of the open doors. Making a hand gesture, she conveyed to Cisco to down and stay.

She readied her weapon and quietly inched her way toward the sound. Once she reached the doorway, she saw Officer Clark rummaging in Jack’s desk, pulling contents out of drawers and skimming through files. There were two bottles of water next to him.

“Stay right there,” she said. “Show me your hands.”

Clark froze and slowly turned his head toward Katie. “You don’t understand.”

“Don’t I?”

“I couldn’t say anything.”

“Of course not, you just fed me more lies and conjecture.” She moved closer, making sure he didn’t have immediate access to a weapon. “Where is Jack? Where is John? They’re both missing.”

“I’m going to reach into my pocket.”

“Stay right there!” When Katie yelled her head hurt worse than the worst hangover possible.

“Okay, let me stand up. In my back right pocket, pull out my wallet.”

Katie thought it might be a trick.

“I’m going to get up slowly.” Clark pushed back the chair and stood up, turning around facing away from her.

Katie approached, holding her ground and her weapon directed at him as she pulled the wallet. It revealed identification and an FBI badge. “FBI?” She was surprised. It was a legitimate badge.

She relaxed some as things began to fall into place and make more sense, but she was still a bit skeptical and didn’t want to fall prey to something unsuspecting. She lowered her weapon but didn’t holster it.

“Where’s the chief? ”

“I don’t know.”

“An educated guess?”

“I really don’t know. That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

“Convenient.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who I was sooner. I was under orders to keep my identity secret, even from you when you took over the investigations,” he said.

“You knew we were at a loss for information and hitting walls, not to mention someone tried to kill us. Isn’t that worth telling us the truth? Five people have been murdered.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

“I hate to tell you, sorry just isn’t good enough.” Katie had so many things running through her mind. “I need to check on my partner, he hasn’t woken up yet.” She eyed Clark one more time and then went to see McGaven.

“Ohh…my head,” said McGaven as he sat up. “What the hell?”

Kate dropped to her knees. “Hey, you okay?”

“What’s going on? Where is everybody?”

“Just sit a couple of minutes.”

He nodded.

Katie found some bottled waters that didn’t appear to be contaminated with anything foreign. She went back to her partner. “Here.”

“Thanks,” he said, immediately drinking.

Clark appeared. “I’ve searched the entire first floor. No one’s here.”

“Where’s Jack? Is he a person of interest? He obviously drugged us,” she said. “Is this some kind of criminal enterprise? You better start telling us the truth.”

“What’s up with him?” said McGaven looking at the officer.

Katie helped her partner to his feet, and Cisco came to investigate McGaven. Katie quickly explained what Clark had told her .

“What are we going to do now?” said McGaven.

“I would suggest that we hole up, for now, and get all the information we can,” said Clark. “And then wait for reinforcements.”

For the first time Katie was conflicted on what to do, but John was missing. He had obviously been taken against his will for leverage and insurance. It seemed that Jack had gone rogue. But why? At that moment, everything pointed to Jack as the killer.

“We need to go upstairs. It will be easier to control and defend…in case…” said Clark.

“What do you mean, in case?” she said.

“Of what?” said McGaven.

“You know the killer will be coming for us, right?”

Katie hated to agree with him, but nothing about this investigation had been typical. They had to prepare for anything and everything. She nodded reluctantly at the FBI agent. “Yes, I know.”