Page 79 of The Whispering Girls

The snowfall had stopped momentarily and the air was clear but exceptionally cold. Snow had drifted into the corners of the patio and clustered into the branches of the trees. There was something quite magical about it—the scent, the view, and the feeling difficult to fully describe.

Katie stood in the quiet night alone, gathering her thoughts. She had never been in such a position before. Was the chief missing? Or was he at home waiting the storm out just as the others? What was with his cryptic phone call? Katie knew he was in trouble one way or the other.

The sketchy and unreliable cell signal and the storm for the next forty-eight hours made for an impossible situation. There wasn’t anyone they could turn to for advice. It was just the three of them—four if you included Jack. She needed reinforcements. These homicides were the tip of the iceberg; something was going to break.

Cisco returned to Katie, pushing his nose against her hand and then looking up at her with that curious gorgeous face.

“I know,” she said softly. “What are we going to do?”

A noise in the forest broke the silence. It was coming from the hiking trails. Or was it? Sounds were unpredictable and unnatural in Echo Forest, which made the exact identification of where they were actually coming from difficult. Katie knew she had heard the sound and so did Cisco. The dog froze, staring at the location the noise seemed to have come from. He resembled a statue, unmoving until there was a low growl and the fur along his backbone rippled.

“Cisco,bleib,” Katie said, making him stay in position. She retrieved her holstered gun and directed the flashlight accordingly.

As she walked toward the trail entrance, there was a flurry of sounds much too big for forest creatures. Most wild animals would stay hidden, out of sight, during the storm.

At the trail, Katie panned the flashlight beam. There were no more sounds. She thought for a moment she saw the outline of a person in the deep shadows, but then it was gone. It was unclear if her eyes were playing tricks on her or if it was wishful thinking—she wanted to get the killer off the streets.

Katie and Cisco returned to the lodge and shut out the storm. She began peeling the layers from her body and could instantly feel the warmth from the fireplace.

“Thought I was going to have to send out a search party. Did you find anything interesting?” said John with some sarcasm in his tone. His stare read anything but lighthearted as he looked up from the computer he was seated in front of.

“No. Everything is fine. Cisco just had a lot of smelling to do.”

“I see.”

“Where’s McGaven?”

“He went to crash out for a while.”

“Oh, good. He’s been through a lot.”

“We all have. You should get some rest.”

“I think I’m going to stay up for a while. I’ll check on Gav first.”

Katie walked to the suite her partner was staying in. She quietly opened the door where she was greeted by his soft snoring. The room was cool. He was lying on top of the comforter, so Katie found two warm blankets from the closet and covered him. She took one last look at her partner before shutting the door behind her.

John appeared to have been waiting for her in the living room.

“What’s up?” she said. She couldn’t meet his gaze.

“I may be the forensic supervisor, but I know a few things about people and investigations.”

“Of course. Your point?” she said, feeling found out. It took every ounce of strength to not show her emotions, but after the past few days it was becoming more and more difficult.

“Katie, how many cases have I seen you work? I know your motivation here.”

“And?” Katie knew John could almost read her mind when it pertained to investigations—it was unnerving at times. And she knew now that he knew, or at least suspected, that she was planning to get the answers she needed to solve this case no matter what.

“C’mon, Katie. You’re driven, but know you’re up against the weather, an injured partner, and a missing police force…not to mention what just happened at the hospital.”

As she watched John make his point, reciting the investigation checklist, which she already knew, he seemed to be more than annoyed. Katie had never seen him like this.

“You’re right.”

John kept serious eye contact on her.

“I do have an idea that might help the case,” she said.