by Robin Mahle
Katie wondered if Susan had given him a heads up on the issue. She quietly knocked on Richard’s partially opened office door.
“Come in, Kate.”
He rarely called her “Kate.” This was not going to be easy. She approached the chair opposite his desk.
Richard sat patiently with his hands folded.
“I just spoke with Susan regarding the Thompson case,” Katie began.
“Yes. I heard. Have you come to resign your position in my department?” His cool tone brought the room temperature down a few degrees.
“No, of course not; that’s not my intention at all, Richard. I was just hoping that we might be able to get a short-term replacement for me? Just until the case is over.”
“You realize that could be a year from now? Did you not see this coming? They’ve been short-handed for so long, I’m not surprised they’ve asked you to take on a bigger role. Look Katie, I can’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed, but I think we may need to find a permanent replacement for you.”
Katie opened her mouth, but Richard stopped her.
“I can see how much this new position means to you. I haven’t seen that look in quite a while, working for me.”
She glanced down, feeling guilty at his remarks.
“You’re the type of person who enjoys a challenge and I respect that, very much in fact. You’ve done a lot of good for me here in this department, but you need more and I’m afraid I don’t have much more to give. Your options here are limited. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I guess I was just hoping it would be a little bit later than this.” Richard paused and took a deep breath. “If you can tie up any loose ends with Jennifer early next week, I’ll start looking for your replacement. I think she’ll be able to handle the workload for a while and I’ll make sure she’s rewarded for her extra efforts. So, go on now. No need to get sentimental. You’re only down on the second floor, after all. And, if you don’t mind, I’ll have a word with Jennifer about all this.”
Katie smiled at Richard. “Thank you so much. It has been an absolute pleasure working for you. You’ve taught me so much.”
“All right, all right; like I said, no need to get all mushy on me. Just go back to work and I’ll catch up with you on Monday. So, if I don’t see you, have a good weekend.”
Katie nodded and took her leave. She wondered how Spencer would react to the news. She supposed as long as it didn’t interfere with their wedding, he would probably be on board. For now, she needed to get back to work. Her reports had to be finished on time, not to mention she didn’t want to be late for her appointment with Dr. Reyes.
The day continued with no urgent calls from Detective Avery, which was slightly disappointing. She did, however, manage to submit her weekly reports a half an hour early and now it was time to pack up and head out for the day. One last check of her e-mail; there was nothing important, so she shut her computer down.
Looking at her watch, she noticed it was already 5:15 and she would need to hurry to make 6:00. Friday traffic was less than pleasant. The highways were usually jam-packed with weekend tourists heading to the beach. The opposite was generally true of San Diego residents heading for Las Vegas for the weekend. So, either direction would be a nightmare.
“Ah, you made it,” the doctor said as Katie walked into the lobby. Her receptionist was already gone. It was ten past six.
“I’m so sorry, Dr. Reyes. Traffic was terrible.”
“No problem. You’re my last appointment of the day. Come on back.” The doctor waved Katie in and pointed to the reclining chair. “Have a seat.”
Katie wasn’t sure how productive this was going to be. Her mind was still on the Thompson case, but she knew this nightmare wasn’t over yet.
Dr. Reyes began with her relaxation techniques. “Now, go ahead and lie back, Katie. We’ll get started with the breathing. Slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.”
Katie closed her eyes and began the breathing.
Dr. Reyes reclined the chair so Katie would be lying almost flat. “We’re going to start where we usually start and that is at a good place for you in your mind; a place that makes you happy and content. From there, I’ll start my countdown and you’ll feel yourself sinking farther and farther into the chair and becoming more and more relaxed.”
Katie was already beginning to feel calm and relaxed. Dr. Reyes began her countdown.
“I’m going to start my countdown. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six….”
Katie’s body felt heavier and heavier as the numbers got smaller. Dr. Reyes’ voice began drifting off into the distance. The image Katie conjured in her mind was of the garden at the beautiful hotel she and Spencer had visited for Sam’s wedding. Soon, Dr. Reyes’ voice disappeared and Katie was alone in the garden. She wore a flowing yellow spring dress that brushed gently against her calves as she walked along the path. The roses were in full bloom and she stopped to smell each one. As she continued down the stone path, the smell of roses began to fade, replaced by another, familiar scent. It was the very faint, lightly perfumed scent of a tree. Katie knew right away what kind of tree. A redwood.
The scent became stronger as she was transported to a cold, dark, and damp place. Her blindfold was tight around her head. He shoved her into the darkness. She stumbled, then managed to get up when the door closed. Extending her hand, she felt around for the cot. Katie knew this place. He kept her down here most of the time, only letting her out to use the restroom. The tight scarf was beginning to make her head ache, so her tiny fingers made their way to the back where they worked on loosening the knot. Pulling and tugging, she managed to slip her fingers between her head and the scarf, edging it down to her neck. He lowered it around her neck whenever she went inside the bathroom, but down here, in the dark, well, that was a blindfold in and of itself.
A sliver of light penetrated the cracks in the cellar door and cast a dim glow onto the ground. It was barely enough by which to see. Katie made her way to the cot and sat down. She no longer cried for her mother, knowing she wasn’t coming. Katie began quietly singing a song she’d learned in school just a few days before. Swaying back and forth, knees tucked up to her chest, Katie sang. Her voice was dry and hoarse. The small cup sitting on a crate next to the cot was empty. Her daily allowance of water was exhausted.
As Katie hummed, she heard a thud on the floor above. It shook the floor and rattled the walls. It wasn’t until that moment Katie spotted a twinkle out of the corner of her eye. This small shiny object sat on a shelf on the other side of the room. She stood up and tiptoed toward it and reached for the object that now lay against her small hand. It was a necklace with a heart pendant on the end.
Footsteps could be heard again and Katie quickly ran back to her cot. She sat quietly, waiting for him to come back down the stairs. He didn’t leave her for very long.
A voice in the distance became louder.
“Katie, I’m counting back up again… six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Katie?”
She could hear the doctor, but could not respond.
“Katie? You should be back with me now. Can you hear me?” Dr. Reyes grabbed her arm. “Wake up, Kate.”
The touch finally brought her back to the present. She opened her eyes and saw a slightly panicked Dr. Reyes leaning over her.
“I’m okay, I’m awake.”
Dr. Reyes sighed with relief. “You had me a little concerned. Do you remember the room you were in?”
“Only a little; it seemed too much like a dream. The other memories seemed to come back with a vengeance, but I felt like I was hovering over myself, watching myself as a little girl. Why was this time so different?”
“I can only speculate that your emotions were detached from that moment. It may have been your mind’s way of protecting you and separating yourself from the situation. I believe it was probably for your own good.”
“It was very strange. I don’t know if I really learned anything more.” Katie r
ested her head back onto the chair. “I don’t know, doc, maybe you were right; you and Spencer both. If my subconscious could recall my abductor’s face or reveal any physical characteristics, it would have done so by now. That was just so surreal, whereas the other sessions felt like they’d happened yesterday.”
“Some memories are buried too deep, Katie. Those are the ones that aren’t meant to come to light.”
7
Saturday morning, Katie sat on the balcony of the apartment and raised a steaming cup of coffee to her lips while she read the book given to her by Detective Avery. It was filled with several case studies and information on tracking down cold homicides, disappearances, and serial murders.
She was taken aback by the sheer volume of information; software programs that tracked credit card use, national crime databases, and of course, DNA evidence. And that was only in the first couple of chapters. While daunting to read, Katie remained completely fascinated. So much so, that she hadn’t noticed Spencer in the kitchen, banging coffee mugs together, still half-asleep. She heard his footsteps approach from behind.
“Good morning.” Her eyes never left the book’s page.
He grunted and sat down next to her. “How long have you been up?”
“I don’t know. I lost track of time.” She paused to find the clock. “Oh wow, it’s ten? I can’t believe you slept in so late.”
“Well, I didn’t get in until midnight. The team was given some last minute evidence by the prosecution. We were supposed to be beyond the discovery period, but they keep handing things over whenever they damn well feel like it.” Spencer glanced at her book as he sipped on his coffee. “What’s that you’re reading?”
“Oh, this was lent to me by the detective working on the Thompson case. I had expressed some interest in learning more about the field and he shared this with me. Since I’m going to be working for Susan from now on, I thought I’d better get a feel for this stuff.”
Spencer squinted and reached for the cover of the book. “Cold Case Research. I didn’t realize you were working on a cold case. I thought the Thompson case was an ongoing investigation.”
“It is. Detective Avery had this on his bookshelf when I went to the station the other day. I glanced at the back cover while I was waiting for him to sign some documents and he said I could borrow it, if I was interested.” That little lie had come all too easily for her.
Spencer looked out over the balcony. The breeze was teetering on the edge of feeling warm, but the sky was still overcast. Their “ocean view” apartment revealed just a sliver of blue water between several buildings that were far off in the distance.
Nevertheless, Katie watched as Spencer looked on. She knew what he was thinking, but didn’t say as much. He was getting tired of the whole thing. She believed he wished it hadn’t happened even more than she had. But there would be no going back now. Katie found something she was truly passionate about in her new job. And if in the course of her employment she might discover the truth about her past, she wasn’t about to let Spencer or anyone sway her otherwise.
Spencer placed his mug on the table. “You know what? I think we could use some downtime. Why don’t we catch a movie and maybe go for a walk on the beach? It’s beautiful out today and I could use a break.”
“Absolutely. I’d love that.” Katie gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’ll go jump in the shower.”
The over-crowded Pacific Beach wasn’t surprising. It was spring break for the schools, after all. That didn’t matter to Katie, though. They had enjoyed a movie and a long lunch, followed by a few drinks at the Green Flash, a local favorite. The sun would be setting soon and it had been far too long since the two of them watched the sunset over the ocean. Spencer was right, a break was indeed what they both needed.
Now, Katie held her flip-flops in her hand as they walked along the shore, digging her toes in the wet sand. The water was still cold as it washed over her feet along the way.
The noticeable silence was broken when Spencer cut his foot on a large shell that was shattered and protruded only slightly from the sand.
“Oh no, are you okay? Let’s go sit down and take a look at that.”
Spencer put his arm around Katie’s neck and hobbled as they walked toward the wall along the boardwalk.
“I’m okay. Just let me look.” He pushed her hand away and began feeling around for any remaining shards of broken shell lodged in his skin.
“Do you want me to get a Band-Aid?”
“No, I’ll be fine. It’s not that bad.” His tone softened at her concern.
The silence lingered once again until Spencer finally came out with it. He was never quiet for long and Katie sensed he wanted to get something off his chest.
“Do you still want to get married, Katie?”
“What? Of course I do. Why would you say something like that?”
“I just feel like I’m losing you.” His eyes did not hold onto her gaze, only the ocean’s mesmerizing shifts.
“You’re not losing me, Spencer, I swear it. It’s just that I’m not the same person I was a couple of months ago. You expect me to just go on with my life as if nothing ever happened.”
“I don’t, Katie. I really don’t. I guess the thing that gets to me is that I can’t help you. I can’t make it go away. I mean, here you are doing a different job, one that seems, quite frankly, a little dangerous. You’re reading up on cold cases. What am I supposed to do? We’re getting married in a few months and it’s like I have to constantly remind you of that fact.”
Katie took his hand. “You don’t have to remind me we’re getting married. I want nothing more than to marry you. But I’ll admit, this thing has thrown a wrench into the works. I know I haven’t been focused. I’m still having the dreams and I don’t sleep well. My sessions with Dr. Reyes aren’t progressing as I had hoped and the one ray of sunshine I see is that I’m really excited about my work.”
“The one ray of sunshine?”
“You know what I mean.” Katie turned away toward the setting sun. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. Katie, what are we going to do?” His desperation could not be ignored.
“You’re going to let me resolve this in my own way and in my own time. The wedding will take care of itself. We have a great planner and when she needs us to make decisions, I’ll make sure I take the time to do so. I won’t let you down. We are getting married and things will get back to normal. We will get through this.”
“I hope so.” Spencer stood up to test the pain in his foot. “Come on. I can walk now. Let’s go enjoy this sunset.” He reached for Katie’s hand.
She gladly offered it.
Fifty unread emails awaited Katie when she arrived for work on Monday morning. What did people do all weekend, send useless emails? But there was one that stood out. It was from Detective Avery. He was confirming that Katie would be available to come along and interview the surrounding neighbors of the Thompson home.
Farther down was an email from Susan. She needed to see Katie as soon as she got in.
“Good morning, Susan. You wanted to see me?”
“Good morning. Yes. Please come in and have a seat.”
Katie sat down, impatiently waiting for her to begin.
“I got a call from Detective Avery early this morning. Based on the leads he received late last week, he has asked that you accompany him on interviews in Isabelle’s neighborhood. They’ve already spoken with many of these people, but whatever new information he’s gotten his hands on, requires further inquiries. He didn’t go into much more detail than that. I expect he’ll fill you in when you meet him at the station at 9:00.”
Katie leapt out of her seat. “Okay. I’ll get my things and head out in a few minutes.”
“You’ve got a little time, Kate. Relax. And, don’t worry, you won’t be asking any questions. You’re just there to take notes.”
“Thank you, Susan.” Katie struggled not to break out into a s
print back to her office. She immediately sent a reply to the detective indicating confirmation of her arrival.
The drive was longer than expected but then it was still rush hour. The only solace was that it allowed Katie to find calm from her eagerness, feeling as though she was at a crossroads in her life and this event would carry her on her chosen path.
On arrival at the station, Katie sat in the row of chairs across from the front desk, waiting for Detective Avery. Next to her sat what appeared to be a homeless man and a woman, or rather, girl who looked like she’d been in a fight. Katie felt outside of her comfort zone. Her privileged life rarely exposed her to criminals and it would take some getting used to.
“Kate? Are you ready to go?” The detective appeared from around the corner.
“Yes.” She rose from her chair and quick-stepped to catch up with him.
He walked almost as fast as he spoke and was obviously in a hurry. “Okay,” he began. “We’ve talked to most of these people already, but we’re going to make another visit.”
Katie reached a near-jogging pace to keep up while listening intently.
“I have to warn you, we will be interviewing Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders. These are the most likely to re-offend. Level 2 offenders often abuse the trust of their victims and are in a position of power, or have committed long-term abuse. Level 3 are generally more violent and have more predatory characteristics. They seek out their victims.”
The idea reared its head that perhaps Katie had ventured far outside her wheelhouse.
“Kate, you okay?”
She nodded.
They arrived at his car and he opened the passenger door for her. “Listen, I know this is new for you and you’re probably freaking out a little, but don’t. I’ll be doing the questioning and we won’t be going inside the homes. I just need you to take down the responses. These people are used to it. Every time we get a case like this, we have to question the sex offenders in the area.”
“It sounds like they’re still dangerous. How can they live in normal neighborhoods and communities? Shouldn’t they all live together somewhere else?”