Page 37 of The Whispering Girls

Katie watched Devin walk back to the kitchen. She picked up the notebook.

“Hey,” said McGaven.

“Find out anything?” she said as they walked to the door.

“Some. But I’m afraid it’s mostly gossip.”

“A place to start.”

“What about you?” he said.

“C’mon, I’ll fill you in. But first, Cisco needs a break.”

“Ten-four.”

EIGHTEEN

Thursday 1535 hours

Katie and McGaven drove down the long road called Pine Cone Way. Devin Bradley’s cabin was farther than they had originally anticipated and that made Katie question his answers, motive, and opportunity. The detectives updated each other on what Devin and various residents had told each of them.

Cisco let out an anxious snort, pushing his wet nose toward the side of Katie’s face.

“Looks like a good place out here for Cisco to get some exercise,” said McGaven scrutinizing the landscape. There were wide open spaces with scattered trees, making it very quiet and private.

Katie nodded. She was still thinking about Devin and wondered if his descriptions of things that were missing from his place were a desperate attempt to keep suspicion away from him.

“Okay, you’ve been quiet all the way out here,” McGaven added, watching his partner. “Care to share?”

“Don’t you think it’s a little bit convenient that Devin toldme about those missing items? There’s no way to verify what he had or if it went missing.”

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a small cabin came into view. It wasn’t anything that would qualify as quaint or cozy—simply put, it was old and run-down. There was also a large barn structure that dwarfed the size of the cabin.

“That’s not quite what I had envisioned,” she said.

McGaven had been searching for the address, along with surrounding properties, and found out it was owned by Robert and Ida Bradley. “Appears that the thirty acres and two structures are owned by family, most likely Devin’s parents.”

Since Devin was back at the restaurant, the detectives knew that they most likely wouldn’t be interrupted. There weren’t any cars or trucks, in fact, no other type of vehicles in view. It would also be, as McGaven said, a good space for Cisco to run around in.

Katie pulled up thirty feet from the cabin. She quickly got out, followed closely by Cisco.

The afternoon air was moderate. It was quite comfortable for now, but there would be more cold fronts moving through in the next few days. For now, the slight breeze blew around the acreage.

Katie stood in front of the Jeep, carefully assessing the surrounding area. If she didn’t know better, it would seem as if they were out in the middle of nowhere a hundred miles away from civilization.

Cisco romped around smelling everything new. He was still never far from Katie and he usually faced her. His jet-black coat glistened in the sun, showing off his gorgeous fur as he moved.

“What’s up?” said McGaven.

“Just getting a feel for the place.”

“Seems familiar, doesn’t it?”

“It does, but we can’t search anything that’s not in plain view and where there’s an expectation of privacy.”

“Too bad,” said McGaven sarcastically. “What if the front door is open?” He raised his eyebrows.

“Seriously?” Katie turned to her partner; he rarely reacted to cases with cynicism. There was something about this town. And there was definitely a strange vibe where they were standing.