Page 80 of The Whispering Girls

“When were you going to let us in on it?”

“Actually, I wasn’t,” she said.

“You haven’t learned anything,” he said. “You’re not a one-woman army. This isn’t how police investigations work.”

“I… it’s because?—”

“No, you can’t just go out on your own without telling anyone. We have your back.”

“I know,” she said sitting down.

“Look, you know I’m your friend and I have your back no matter what—just as you do Gav’s.”

Katie had never had anyone from the department be so blunt with her, even McGaven trod lightly. “You’re right. You’re completely right.”

“We all care about you and what you’ve been through. We don’t want to see anything happen to you,” he said, sitting next to her.

“I do have a plan and I’ll understand if you don’t want to come with me,” she said.

“Go on.”

“As with anything, you need to start at the beginning. And…well…I want to go to the police station,” she said.

“You don’t think anyone will be there, do you?”

“I’m counting on it.”

Katie took Cisco and put him in McGaven’s suite. Immediately the dog took a comfortable spot in an overstuffed reading chair. She then left a note for Gav to say where she and John were going and when they left.

She watched McGaven comfortably sleep and wished she could take back everything about the hospital explosion. Shutting the door quietly, she planned her next move with John.

THIRTY-TWO

Saturday 0300 hours

Katie and John decided to take the Jeep. It was more reliable with four-wheel drive, and it was a smaller, narrower vehicle that could maneuver in tight places if necessary.

“You sure you know where the police station is?” said John.

“Yes. Gav and I drove by it a few times. And, by the way, it’s not a police station like you think…it’s more like a small place of business.” Katie wasn’t entirely sure that what they were doing was the right thing to do, but since the police force was missing something had to be done. She slowed her speed and skillfully maneuvered around large snowdrifts. “It’s down that alley.”

She then drove by.

“I thought you said we were going there?”

“On second thought, it would be easier and not to mention more legal if we had the keys.”

John smiled and nodded, knowing what she had in mind.

The roads were definitely more difficult to drive. There were times Katie had to veer off the main road and take shortcuts along sidewalk and parking areas, which had less snow. Asshe drove closer to the hospital, they saw a couple of emergency fire vehicles.

“Where is it?” she said.

The chief’s vehicle was gone.

“Wasn’t it parked out front?”

“Yes. Definitely.” Katie found a place where she could safely turn around and headed back to the station.