by Mahle, Robin
“Knock, knock.” A weary-looking FBI agent was standing at the door.
Oh, thank God. “Agent Scarborough, please come in.” Before she let him say a word, she pounced on him, begging for answers. “I need to know; they wouldn’t tell me anything. Is Marshall alive?” Her heart raced with anticipation.
“Yes, Katie. He’s alive, but he’s still in surgery.”
“Still in surgery? I’ve been out for hours. Nick, what happened to him?”
“He was shot in the chest, just below his heart. That’s the good news.”
At this point in the conversation, all she cared about was hearing the words, “He’s alive.”
“But, Hendrickson used hollow point bullets, meaning that there are several fragments still in his chest. It damaged a lot of tissue, which unfortunately, is exactly what it’s supposed to do. The doctors are working very hard to repair that damage.”
“But I got shot too. Why am I not in as bad a shape?”
“It was dark in that cellar, Katie. The situation escalated too quickly and Hendrickson didn’t shoot you. I did.”
“Oh.” This was new information for which she was unprepared.
“I’m so sorry, Katie. It was my bullet and you were caught in the crossfire. Hendrickson had his gun on you, then just pointed it at Marshall and started shooting. When we returned fire, he pulled you directly in front of him, using you as a shield. I think that was his intent all along, to have one of us, ideally Marshall, be the one to kill you, not him. He figured that would cause the most pain, I guess. He was a sick son of a bitch.
“Anyway, I thought I had a clear shot, but he moved you too fast and my bullet struck your side. Fortunately, it was a clean hit and went straight through you. Thank God. I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Katie.”
“You saved my life, Nick. It would have ended very badly for me if you hadn’t shown up when you did. I know I’d be dead right now.”
“Thank you. I tell you what, though; you’re a hell of a tough lady. He gave you quite a beating.” Scarborough took her hand.
“Hendrickson is dead, right?” She needed confirmation.
“Yes. We got him. He won’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.”
Her eyes started to tear up at the thought of what he’d done. She raised her other hand to her face, touching the stitches on her temple. “Should leave a nice scar, huh?” Her voice quivered as the tears fell.
Scarborough handed her a tissue, but said nothing, only continued to offer his hand until she was ready to let it go.
A few minutes later, she took a deep breath, ready to speak once again. “When will we know more about how Marshall is doing? Did they tell you when he’d be out of surgery?”
“No. I don’t know much right now, but I’ll go find someone and get an update. Will you be okay?”
“Yes. I just need to know what’s happening with him. I can’t lose him, Nick. I can’t.”
“I’ll see what I can find out.” Agent Scarborough turned to leave.
She was alone for just a few minutes when Deborah and John stepped in the room.
“Oh God, Katie look at you!” Deborah broke down.
“I’m okay, Mom.”
“We didn’t know what the hell was happening for two days. They just kept telling us they had all their resources out looking for you,” John said. “They should be sued! Leaving you alone at that hospital when there was a goddamn killer after you.”
“Dad, please. It’s over now and I’m going to be fine.”
“Thank God, you’re all right,” Deborah continued.
“It’s over, Mom. It’s really over. He’s dead.”
Deborah erupted into tears as John took hold of her. He took Katie’s hand, struggling to hold back his own tears.
It was as if they’d both finally been released of the terrible secret they forced themselves to keep; a secret that almost destroyed their family.
“I’m sorry to interrupt.” A doctor stood at the door next to Scarborough.
Katie gently wiped her face with a tissue. “No, it’s fine. Please come in, doctor. Can you tell me what’s going on with Marshall Avery?”
“I’m Dr. Ross, the cardiothoracic surgeon here at St. Joe’s. I understand you both are Ms. Reid’s parents?”
“Yes,” John replied. “Nice to meet you, doctor.”
“Very nice to meet you.”
“Dr. Ross,” Katie interrupted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but please, I need to know what’s happening with Marshall.”
“Of course. I am sorry. Agent Scarborough suggested I come in and tell you myself. Detective Avery is out of surgery and recovering in ICU. The surgery was successful, but it’s going to be a while before he stabilizes. He’s suffered a great deal of trauma to the tissue in his chest. If the bullet had fractured any closer to his heart, I’d be in here telling you a much different story.”
“But, he’ll be okay?” Katie asked.
“As of right now, we are cautiously optimistic. We’ll know more in a few hours. Now, Mr. and Mrs. Reid, it is still very important that Katie rests, so if you can, please see to it that she does.”
“Of course, doctor, and thank you,” John replied.
“Agent Scarborough, can I have a word with you outside?”
Dr. Ross and Scarborough left the room and Katie was once again alone with her parents. But she wondered if Dr. Ross was telling her everything.
“Is there anything we can do for you right now, sweetheart?” Deborah asked.
“I wouldn’t mind some water. My throat is so dry. And maybe a toothbrush?”
“Of course. Your father can get some water for you and stop by the nurses’ station. I’m sure they’ll have toothbrushes there.” Deborah looked at John, who did not hesitate to take heed of his wife’s wishes.
A few minutes later, Scarborough returned. “Dr. Ross said he’d keep us updated as much as possible on Marshall’s condition, but did warn that it is touch and go right now. They had a hard time stopping the bleeding.”
“I understand. I’m just grateful he’s alive,” Katie replied. “Mom, could you give me and Agent Scarborough a couple of minutes?”
“Certainly. I’ll go see what’s keeping your dad. He probably stopped at the gift shop.”
“Thanks.” Katie waited for Deborah to leave, then looked at Scarborough. “I know where he buried them.”
He leaned in to Katie. Her voice was still hoarse and difficult to hear.
“He burned down his parents’ cabin.”
“Yeah, we know about that already,” Scarborough replied.
“They’re on that property; most of them, anyway. He said it was the best way to keep them from being discovered. No one knew about the cabin.”
“What about the Portland girl, found on that trail?”
“He got her after he moved to Oregon City. Nick, he killed a lot more than we thought. When he held me at the warehouse, he had a wooden box. Inside the box was a bunch of jewelry. They belonged to his victims.”
“Jesus Christ,” Scarborough replied.
“There must have been at least ten pieces of jewelry in that box. Including the pendant I remembered.”
“Marshall found the necklace. You put it under that chair, didn’t you?”
Katie nodded.
“That’s what kept us going. He knew you were still alive. Of course, turning the phone on was the real kicker, but when he found that necklace, well, let’s just say I never saw that much hope in any man’s eyes before.”
“We need to find those children, Nick; give their parents some closure. I don’t know if we’ll find them all, but it’s a start. And maybe we’ll find more evidence linking him to other disappearances.”
“We’ll get on it now, Katie. I promise.”
“I want to help. I want to be there to tell the parents that their children will finally be able to rest and so will they.”
“Let’s just take one step at a time. You need to get better f
irst. But, in the meantime, we’ll search the property; that much I can do. And Katie, Marshall’s gonna be fine.”
“Thank you. One more thing, Nick. Did anyone else get hurt back there?”
“No. Marshall put Hendrickson down pretty quickly, even after he got his shot off.”
“What’s going to happen now? I mean, with Wilson’s wife and the department?”
“They questioned her, but she didn’t know anything. The last she’d seen Hendrickson was when her daughter was just a toddler. Wilson went to great lengths to keep his brother’s activities a secret. So far as I know, she has a sister in Washington and I guess she’ll be taking care of her and Wilson’s daughter for a while. As for the Rio Dell Police Department, the FBI will finalize its investigation, finish talking to the rest of Wilson’s staff, and close the case. Everyone’s in shock over all this. No one thought he was capable of helping a serial killer, not even me.”
“Well, we don’t know what we’re capable of until faced with a situation, do we? I think he believed he could control him forever.”
“None of this is your fault, Katie. You were the one responsible for his capture. Those families will be grateful to you. You did a hell of a job playing detective. Ever thought of being one?”
Katie snickered with what little energy she had. “Marshall said the exact same thing to me not too long ago.”
“You should give it some thought. Of course, we’re always looking for good recruits, too.” Scarborough squeezed her hand one last time. “I’ll check in on you later.”
29
The nurse checked in on Katie several times in the night; taking her vital signs and changing the bandage from the gunshot wound that still oozed blood. She never really allowed Katie to rest as the other nurse had been so adamant about earlier.
“How are you doing this morning, Katie?” the nurse asked.
“Sore.” The swelling in her face must have reduced somewhat because she was able to see clearly out of both eyes again.
“That nausea all gone now?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” The nurse was quiet for a moment as she watched the clock, counting Katie’s pulse. “You’re looking better,” she continued. “I was just told by Dr. Ross that if you’d like to see Detective Avery in a bit, you can.”
A rush of elation gave rise in her, the likes of which she hadn’t felt in months. He made it. He was still alive. “Yes, please; I need to see him.”
“Okay, then. Let me go and get you a wheelchair. I’d like you to start trying to stand on your own anyway. Later, we’ll have you up and walking around.”
The nurse returned with a wheelchair. She helped Katie swing her legs to the side of the bed and both Deborah and the nurse raised her to a seated position.
Her side throbbed wildly at the change of position and Katie felt woozy, but it soon passed. Nothing would stop her from seeing Marshall. She carefully put her weight down on one leg, holding Deborah’s arm for balance. The nurse positioned the chair so as to ease her into it.
Katie was steady on her feet for only a moment when she grabbed the arm of the nurse, who helped her down into the chair. They headed for the door. “Wait. Can I just take a look in a mirror first?” Her face had been badly beaten by Hendrickson and she had no idea what she looked like now. She prayed the swelling had gone down enough so that she at least was recognizable.
The nurse pulled out a hand mirror from one of the drawers in the bathroom and handed it to Katie. “Here you go.”
Katie held it to her face. She was taken aback by the severity of the bruising. The swelling in her left eye had reduced, but the once red and puffy contusions were now much larger and had turned purple. The stitches were dressed as were the other cuts that crisscrossed her face.
“These are all wounds that will heal with time,” the nurse said, taking the mirror. “Come on now. Let’s go see Marshall.” She continued to push Katie through to the corridor and into the surgical recovery unit, where Katie had been just the day before.
Her face would heal, but she would never look the same. Hendrickson had left his mark on her, inside and out.
The automatic door opened wide, allowing the nurse to push Katie in and down the aisle between the rows of beds, some with pulled curtains, some empty. And then she saw him.
Marshall was hooked up to all sorts of machines. He had oxygen tubes in his nose and heart monitors stuck to his chest, beneath his gown, and looked to still be sleeping.
Katie was now beside his bed. “I don’t want to wake him,” she whispered to the nurse.
“He’s been in and out. Just give him a few minutes. I’m sure he’ll open his eyes. I’ll leave you here and come back to check on you.”
She couldn’t help but stare at him. From head to toe, she wanted to see the extent of what had happened to him.
“You’re starting to creep me out a little, babe.”
Startled by the sound of his voice, she gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh God, Marshall. I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“For all this; for getting shot, for risking your life—everything.”
“Shhh, stop now. Don’t you dare start blaming yourself for what Joseph Hendrickson did. For God’s sake, I thought I lost you. I should have never left your side. Look at what he did to you.” Marshall slowly raised his hand to her face, brushing it gently. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”
So much had happened, the extent of which was just beginning to sink in. “He’s dead now; that’s all that matters.” Katie reached for his other hand, which lay still over his stomach, and rested hers gently over top. “Have the doctors talked to you yet this morning?”
“They’ve been in and out most of the night and say I’m going to be fine, but it’ll take some time to recover. I suppose that goes for you too.”
“Scarborough told me what happened about me getting caught in the crossfire. He feels horrible about it.”
“I know. I heard him yelling at the paramedic that he’d shot you. It wasn’t his fault. Things got outta hand. It was so chaotic. I thought you were dead.”
“I thought the same thing about you. I’ve been so scared, Marshall. They weren’t even sure you would make it through the night.”
“Are you kidding? I wasn’t about to give up this collar.” A short, small burst of laughter escaped him, until he winced in pain. “We’re gonna be okay.”
» » »
Nearly ten days had passed and the hospital was finally about to let Katie go home. She was walking on her own and all of the bandages had been removed from her face, except for the one covering the stitches. She was starting to look like herself again.
“They’re letting me go home in a little bit.”
“That’s great news, Kate. I should be getting out of here in three or four more days, so I won’t be far behind you.”
“Scarborough and his team are at the Hendrickson place, or what’s left of it, anyway, excavating. They found two of the victims so far.” Katie said.
“Which ones?”
“The boy from McKinleyville and a girl they haven’t yet identified.”
“How many more?” Marshall asked.
“They don’t know yet. But, he’s picking me up and we’re going to head out there this afternoon.”
“You think that’s a good idea? You’re just being released from the hospital after major surgery. I’m not sure you should go, Kate, and I’m a little surprised Scarborough is letting you.”
“Letting me?” She didn’t mean to snap, but that was how she’d just come off.
“Sorry, but it’s true. I don’t want you to push yourself. It won’t be easy and you know it.”
“It won’t, I know. But, I asked him if I could be there. He had the box run through evidence, checking whatever was in there for other prints or hair or anything else that might help us find more victims. I’m going to return every piece of jewelry and the child it belonged to back to those pa
rents. I have to do this.”
“Kate, I know you do, but you need to take care of yourself first.”
She leaned over his bed, her arms bracing either side of him. “This is me taking care of myself.” Katie kissed him softly on the cheek. “I’ll be fine.” Rearing back up, she continued, “I’m going to come back down here every night to see you. Now that you’re in a regular room, they’ll let me stay the night.”
“Okay, but I’m going to tell Scarborough he’d better keep an eye on you, make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard.”
“What’s that you’re gonna tell me?” Scarborough asked, strolling in with his hands in his pockets and a haughty grin on his face.
“I was just telling Kate how you need to look after her. I’m not thrilled that you’re taking her out to the cabin.”
“Don’t worry, Avery. She’ll be fine. She’s just going to be observing, nothing more.” He turned toward Katie. “Ready to go?”
She nodded.
“Come on, then. Let’s get you checked out of this place.”
“I’ll be fine,” she reassured Marshall again, but his eyes conveyed concern beyond what he was expressing.
» » »
The burned down remains of the home where Hendrickson took his victims appeared in the distance. The hour-long journey hadn’t given her enough time to prepare for actually seeing the place again. A shell of what had once been the basement she recalled so clearly now was all that remained. Standing at the edge, looking into the blackened hole in the ground, Katie was immersed in visions of a daring escape from the man who was about to kill her, not once, but twice.
Scarborough approached quietly from behind, his shoes squelching in the mud where the water used to fight the fire had saturated the ground. He reached out toward her, resting a comforting hand atop her delicate, rounded shoulder. “This was where he kept you?”
A subtle nod was all she could manage in this moment.
“If this is too much, just…”
“No,” she interrupted. “I need to be here. I need to help you find the other children.”