Kathryn did her best to dry her tears and slow her breathing. She looked into Nick’s eyes.
“Hell of a nightmare, huh?” He kissed her forehead.
“Yeah, it was.” She kissed his bare chest covered with her tears.
“Wanna talk about it now?” Nick whispered and ran his hand through her hair.
“It really was stupid,” Kathryn mumbled. “I was being chased by someone. I ran into a white room to hide, but Mr. Waters was there. When I tried to leave, James was standing in my way saying crazy girls needed to stay in padded cells. Then I noticed that’s where I was, and James and Mr. Waters were laughing at me from outside the locked door.” She pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed.
Nick scooted next to her. “That’s not so unusual. That Waters guy and James hurt you more than anyone in your life. After our long talk last night, it drummed up the past. You’ll be okay.”
“I think I’m going crazy, maybe,” she murmured.
“No, you were maybe a little crazy when you faced the hell in your life, but you didn’t go insane you went sane. Sure, you’re quirky, odd, and prefer your whipped cream on the dessert, but we’re all that way except maybe for the whipped cream.”
He grinned at her and she felt safe with him. Secure that he understood her quirks and her past and wouldn’t leave her.
“Nick, you’re the sweetest man I know.” She turned and threw her arms around him.
“Just sweet? What about handsome, sexy, fantastic in bed?” He winked at her.
“All of the above,” she said. “And more.”
They lay back on the pillows and fell asleep in each other’s arms. Kathryn pushed the nightmare to the back of her mind.
~ * ~
The alarm woke Kathryn, and she reached for the other side of the bed. It was empty. She could hear whistling coming from the direction of the kitchen.
Either Nick’s making breakfast, or he’s eating the last of the chocolate cake for breakfast. I think I smell bacon. Maybe it’s breakfast. I should take a shower, but then Nick would hear and join me and most likely burn breakfast. I’ll just lay here for a bit. I need to figure out why I had that nightmare last night. I refuse to believe the notion that I’m a murderer. Last night I was a bit panicked. I also know it isn’t my conscience. If it were, I’d feel guilty. I don’t. I do feel for that poor woman. Losing a loved one is never easy, but he was scum. Maybe she didn’t know about him. Then of course she felt horrible thinking he was her wonderful big brother. Better to lose him now before he commits worse crimes, breaks the family’s hearts, and goes to prison. What would that woman do then? He’d never survive prison. She’d end up suffering anyway. She’ll get over it eventually. I did her a favor. I’m not a murderer. I perform a service. I’m an executioner. It’s what I do, and I do it well. There are children out there like Connor and Leah. What person wouldn’t kill for their child, niece or nephew, little brother or sister? Why wait until the children are hurt? Take care of the problem before it becomes a problem like preventative maintenance. That’s what I do. I prevent suffering and heartache for children. If people want to call me a murder let them. I know who and what I am. Right now I’m hungry.
Kathryn wandered into the kitchen to find Nick making bacon and pancakes in his boxer shorts. She wasn't sure what looked more delectable, Nick or the breakfast.
“Good morning,” she said. “After everything I ate last night, I shouldn’t be hungry, but I am. It smells delish.”
“Have a seat lovely lady,” Nick replied. “Breakfast is served. For some reason, I’m hungry, too.”
“Maybe my nightmare caused us both to work up an appetite in our sleep. I’m really sorry about that,” she did her best to look innocent and smile. He could never know what her nightmare truly entailed.
“We all have bad dreams. I’m glad I was here to help when you woke up.” He smiled and set a plate in front of her.
“Me, too,” she said as she poured boysenberry syrup on her pancakes.
~ * ~
The phone rang. Nick jumped up and looked at the Caller ID.
“It says, ‘Pam,’” he said.
“It’s my sister. Hand me the phone,” she reached out her hand. She pressed the ‘Talk” button.
“Hi Pam. You’re calling before work. Everything okay?”
She listened and said to Nick. “Turn on the TV news, please.”
She answered Pam, “It’s my friend Nick. I’ll explain later. What am I looking for? Really? Hang on.”
Kathryn sat on the couch next to Nick and watched the news report about Greg’s death.
She spoke to Pam again. “That man was in the morgue, but he was in his apartment for two days before they found him. I didn’t recognize him as the guy from the park. Are you sure it’s him?”
She listened to Pam again. “No, I don’t get the alerts on my phone. I didn’t know you could do that. I’ll check the site you sent me. Interesting that they knew about him so soon. They must keep close tabs. Thanks for letting me know. Connor and Leah will be safer now and all the kids that play at the playground. I hear Leah yelling. What’s she saying? Saturday at the zoo? It sounds like a plan. I’ll call you. We both need to get to work. Hug the kids. Love you.”
She hung up the phone and let out a huge sigh.
Nick looked at her. “Did you and your sister know him?”
“No,” she shook her head. “One day at the park Pam thought she saw him and he was on a registered sex offender site. He was watching the kids too closely. She called the cops, and the guy left, but it terrified Pam. I guess he served time for having child porn.”
“Really. I guess it’s not a big loss then. People like that should be put away on an island in the middle of the ocean,” Nick said.
“That’s the guy you brought in. The one where Coyle hit on his sister. This news is only going to fuel her anger and make matters worse.” She stood. “We need to get ready for work. It might be a busy day.”
Chapter Fourteen
Nick’s cell rang. “Geez, its Coyle.” He placed the phone on the table and pressed the speaker button. “You’re on speaker, Joey. What’s up?”
“Oh, hi Nick, hi Kat.”
Kathryn mumbled an obscenity under her breath and sat back down.
“Listen guys, did you catch the news? The guy whose sister is causing all the trouble was some sort of pervert. Do you think that’ll work in my favor? Kat, tell Doc I didn’t do anything so bad. He was an awful person.”
Kathryn balled up her fists and spoke through her teeth, “I don’t care what he did. His sister was innocent and grieving. The hospital will still hang you out to dry if they sue. I’m not talking to Doc. You’ll get what you deserve, and my name is Kathryn.”
“Damn, Nick, take her back to bed. She sounds a bit testy this morning. Didn’t you make her happy enough?” He was laughing when Nick hung up on him.
“Sorry about that,” Nick said. “I shouldn’t have answered.”
“It’s not your fault, but I have to get ready, or I’ll be late. I’m off to shower.” She turned when he started to follow her. “If you follow me we’ll both be late. You can use the shower in the guest room.” She rushed down the hall.
They were both dressed and ready in record time. “You’re right,” Nick agreed. “Showering separately gets us ready quicker. I intend to make up for it tonight.”
“Tonight? My neighbors are going to think you moved in here.”
“Would that be so bad?” He quipped.
“We’ll talk,” she answered as she locked the door, and they hurried to their cars.
~ * ~
Kathryn was the first to arrive for work. She enjoyed the solitude of the morgue in the mornings. A quick check let her know they didn’t have any overnight arrivals, and all the cooler lockers were empty. She was alone with her thoughts.
She started a pot of coffee knowing Doc would be in soon and turned on her computer. She had just finished check
ing her files when Doc walked in the room.
“Good morning, Doc. How was your night? We don’t have anyone here, so I hope it was quiet.”
“Yes, it was. My wife and I were finally able to have a date night without interruption.” He flashed a satisfied smile.
“That’s good to hear. With all that has been going on, it’s nice you were able to enjoy an evening out.” She pushed back in her desk chair.
Doc walked toward his office, and Kathryn called after him. “Sir, do you have a few minutes to talk?”
He turned and said, “Always. Come on in my office.”
“Okay, I’ll bring you coffee.”
She placed the coffee on his desk and sat across the small room from him. She decided if she threw herself into the murders as a concerned sister and aunt, it might be the best way to keep her in the circle.
“What’s up?” Doc asked as he sipped his coffee.
“It’s about Mr. Hadden, the last murder victim. His murder was on the news this morning. Evidently, he was on a local sex predator registry. My sister called and told me he was the man we saw watching my niece and nephew in the park a few weeks back. Pam called the police, and he left the park, but it freaked her out. He was arrested for possession of child porn, and Pam is worried there’s someone worse out there. You know, someone who would kill him because of the porn. Maybe another child predator.” Kathryn pressed her lips together and interlaced her fingers in her lap.
“That’s interesting. I didn’t watch the news this morning. I’m sure Jackson has put two and two together. I’ll ask him next time I see him.” He sipped more coffee.
“Thanks, Doc. Pam is alone with Rob gone, and you’re the only person I trust to discuss this. It’s hard on her alone with the kids. All she has is me, and I’m not sure how much good I can be to her.”
“Listen to her and visit a lot. She’ll get through this. If she’s as strong as you, she’ll do fine.” He smiled at Kathryn, and she knew he thought the world of her as a person. It would help her find things out. She hated to use Doc. She admired him and learned a lot from him. He was a good man. She felt a bit guilty using him, but it served a purpose for the betterment of the town and keeping the streets safer.
She turned her head at the sound of the buzzer. She popped out of her chair. “I’ll get it.” She turned around and said, “Speak of the devil, it’s the good detective.”
Doc’s laughter caused her to laugh, and she had to keep from giggling when she opened the doors for the detective.
“Good morning, Detective Wayne. Doc’s in his office. Would you like some coffee?”
“That would be nice, Kathryn,” he replied.
She forced her face to fall and a frown to replace her smile. “Oh my, detective, there wasn’t another murder was there? People are getting nervous.”
He shook his head. “Just stopped by to chew the fat with an old friend.”
He was sitting across from Doc’s desk when she brought him his coffee. She excused herself and stayed close to the doorway cleaning the equipment quietly enough to hear their discussion without being noticed.
After several minutes of discussing family, mutual friends, and summer plans, Doc broached the subject.
“I heard that Mr. Hadden was on the news. Something about a record for possessing child porn.”
“Yeah, it’s true. All the victims are on the sex registry or should be. A couple got out of charges. The first one only had domestic violence on his record. It’s a pattern without a real pattern. It’s driving me a little crazy.”
“Hmm,” Kathryn heard Doc respond. “What about the bullets? Any leads?”
“Our tech gave us a couple of ideas on guns. All are old and not many around. Most owned by retired cops or gun collectors. I had some uniforms pick up the registered guns. They’re clean. A few are missing, but those belonged to retired cops who passed away and their families are looking through attics and basements for the guns. If they were packed away for years, they might not even shoot. My best bet is someone bought or stole an unregistered gun.”
Kathryn smiled knowing the detective was on one of the right tracks if she was also following that track. However, she twisted and turned the track to suit her needs and wants.
Interesting. I like his idea of a pattern without a pattern. Sure, I left a pattern. Same gun and registered sex offenders. I like Detective Wayne, and I know it’s his job to find out who took out those pedophiles, but I have to continue what I need to do. After all, they’re pedophiles. I hope he isn’t losing sleep over it. Where was he or someone like him when Mr. Waters prowled the world? Maybe he could have stopped him before he hurt little girls like me. If I could just face Mr. Waters and make him pay, I think I could be happy. I might be able to stop finding other men like him. Why did he have to die when I was just a teenager? I wasn’t old enough to do anything then. I am now. If anyone else acts like Mr. Waters, then they deserve to be executed. Four men are gone. Who knows how many children I saved?
Doc’s voice pulled Kathryn back to the conversation. “Why would someone be shooting them? Another pedophile or someone supplying them with images and video?”
Kathryn mentioned that there was a news report this morning. “Pam has two little ones and with Rob overseas, she’s scared someone is killing pedophiles and that person might be worse than the victims.”
“I’ve thought about that, too, and it’s possible. Everyone is offering up suggestions. I even have an annoying reporter following me thinking she’ll get a lead, as if she’s smarter than I am,” the detective laughed.
Right on cue, the elevator bell dinged and drew Kathryn’s attention away from Doc’s office. The reporter in the bright blue suit she watched on the morning news stepped off followed by a cameraman taking shots of the surrounding area.
Kathryn strode to the intercom and pressed the button. “May I help you?”
“Yes, I hope so,” the sing-song sweet voice of the reporter floated through the intercom. “I’d like some information about the murder victims. I’d like to speak to the coroner. Who are you, by the way?”
“I’m his assistant. The coroner’s in an important meeting and cannot be disturbed. As I said, I’m his assistant, but I can’t help you. Anything that happens in this morgue falls under the hospital’s patient privacy policy. You’ll have to direct your questions to our public relations department or ask the family in question.” Kathryn stared straight into the woman’s eyes.
The reporter took a step closer and her tone changed to hostile while her smile remained glued to her face. “Are you saying you refuse to answer to the public? There could be a murderer on the loose. I think the coroner would be of more help.”
“I’m sorry, but public relations is on the first floor. Dr. Graydor is busy, and you’re not allowed down here. If you don’t leave, I’ll call security.”
“He is not busy,” the reporter snapped. “He and Detective Wayne are standing behind you.”
Kathryn turned the intercom off and turned, “Sorry sir, I didn’t think you wanted to deal with them. Would you like to meet with her in the conference room on two?”
“Hell no, you did the right thing. Jackson and I are going back to my office. I’ll let you get rid of her; you’re doing a good job.” He smiled and turned toward his office.
Kathryn pushed the speaker button. “As I said, the coroner is busy. Leave, or I will call security.” She stared straight into the camera lens on the cameraman’s shoulder and lowered the blind. The last view of the reporter showed her face turning an odd shade of red under too much makeup.
Kathryn smiled as she turned to face applause from Detective Wayne. “Well done; I wish I could get rid of her that easily.”
“You shouldn’t have a problem,” Kathryn responded. “You are your own security. All you need is the intercom and window blind. Simple.”
“Take a break, Kathryn,” Doc said. “You deserve it.”
“Thanks, sir. I need to call P
am; I’m a little worried about her.” Kathryn said as she took the side door leading to the stairs hoping to avoid the obnoxious newswoman.
~ * ~
Kathryn took the steps to the second floor and entered the conference room she mentioned to Dr. Graydor. It was quieter than the break room, and she needed to let Pam know she didn’t have to worry. The last thing she wanted was anyone listening to her.
Pam’s office phone rang twice before she answered.
“Hi Pam. Are you doing okay?”
She listened to Pam’s worries and fears and then disclosed what she knew.
“Pam, listen to me. One of the detectives that questioned me before they sedated me after Brad died is friends with the coroner. He comes in quite frequently to discuss things with Dr. Graydor. Doc thought the way you did that Greg Haddon was killed by another pedophile. I didn’t tell you before, but we’ve had more of these killings. The detective thinks it might be a vigilante or a family getting some sort of revenge.”
Kathryn nodded as she listened to her sister.
“That’s what I’m saying. It seems the police are leaning toward the revenge or vigilante theory so please don’t think another man is out there causing more trouble than that Greg guy. He’s dead and can’t hurt the kids. Please don’t say anything to anyone about this. No one knows except Doc and the police. I just happened to overhear their conversation.”
Kathryn sat silently and listened to Pam again.
“Right, it’s confidential and I told you because I love and worry about you. You’re too tense. Breathe and stop worrying so much. I love you, too, and I’ll see you Saturday.”
Kathryn set her phone on the conference table and wiped a tear from her eye.
I can’t let Pam’s fears make me emotional at work. The time for tears is at home or in the car on the drive home. Take the advice you gave Pam. Breathe, Kathryn. Everything is fine.
She stood and slipped her phone back into her pocket. Stopping at the cafeteria to grab a French vanilla latte to take back with her, she headed to the morgue.
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