Page 51 of The Whispering Girls (Detective Katie Scott #14)

FORTY-SEVEN

Katie and McGaven froze. Half expecting Jack, they weren’t going to drop their weapons under any circumstance, but there was something familiar about the person’s voice.

“Who’s there?” said Katie showing her hands. She couldn’t see who was talking to them—they seemed to be hidden in the trees but extremely close.

“Detective?” said the voice.

This time Katie knew she had heard the voice before. “Who are you?” she said with authority.

Emerging from the tree line behind the drainage ditch, a figure appeared, slight build, wearing a heavy winter coat, carrying a long gun, and when he came into view—it was Devin Bradley. Standing there staring at the detectives, he looked like a person who lived off the grid.

“Devin?” she said. “What are you doing here?” Katie didn’t feel threatened by him.

“I live over there,” he said and pointed behind him.

“We know that. ”

“I know you know,” he said and smiled a silly grin. “I have video of when you both visited.”

Suddenly, Katie felt exposed. She walked up to Devin with McGaven closely behind. “But what are you doing here?” she insisted.

“Just holing up during the storm like everybody else.” Devin kept his gun pointed down.

“That’s not what it looks like,” said McGaven.

“Is there something you’re not telling us?” she said.

Devin seemed hesitant. “I want you to know that I loved Theresa and I planned on asking her to marry me when she graduated from nursing school. I supported her going to nursing school. That’s all she talked about. I didn’t kill her or anyone else.”

Katie looked Devin straight in the eye and believed everything he was telling her. “Have you seen anybody around here today?”

“Uh…” he stammered.

“You need to tell us,” she said.

Devin stared down at the ground. “I thought that doc was going to kill that guy.”

“Dr. Jack Thomas?”

“Yeah.”

“Who was he going to kill?”

“I don’t know…honest, never saw him before.”

“What did he look like?”

He shrugged. “Kinda like one of you. You know…a cop. Short hair, dark, medium build.”

“And?”

“And I don’t know what else to tell you. But he did seem like he was drunk.”

Katie turned to McGaven. “He must’ve still been under the influence of the drug.”

“Drugged?” said Devin.

“We need to find our friend John immediately, and the doc and the chief.”

Devin turned and began to walk away.

“Hey, where are you going?” said McGaven.

“You know this is a hunting area by permission, right?” said Devin.

“Sure,” she said. “I guess.” Katie remembered the shots when they were at Devin’s cabin.

“I have video. All kinds and people you wouldn’t think, well, you know.”

“Is there a cabin or any other structures like that here?” she said.

“There’s more than that. Underground areas and an old graveyard. It’s cool. C’mon.”

Katie estimated the daylight remaining and when they could expect backup.

She thought about Cisco. He would be within distance if they needed him.

She didn’t believe Devin had anything to do with the murders, but there was still something they were missing.

That bothered Katie, when she almost knew, but couldn’t quite find it.

Katie knew they would learn more about the property and that’s exactly what they needed if they were going to find John. Otherwise they could be looking for hours or even days.

“Hurry,” said Devin. There was a type of childlike joy in his voice.

Katie wondered if he knew more about the Echo Forest since his parent had always lived here. If he knew more than what he was telling them.

The detectives followed him across a field.