by Robin Mahle
A few of those sample pills Dr. Reyes had given her once would be a godsend right now. Valium; that would quiet the memories. Katie understood now, at least to an extent, why her father turned to alcohol in the years after her abduction. Right now, she would do just about anything to make the pain go away.
It wasn’t until Katie heard the car treading over the gravel driveway at her parents’ house that she jolted back from the depths of her mind’s eye.
Marshall drove slowly until he reached the top of the circular drive and finally stopped. It was pitch black outside except for the single light that burned under the porch and the moths swarmed around it. The stars were veiled by the black, thunderous clouds that were about to spill over and drench the Earth at any moment. The smell of the imminent rain was calming. She hadn’t seen any rain in months.
“Come on, let’s get you inside before the rain pummels us.” Marshall draped Katie’s sweater around her shoulders.
Her mother was standing on the porch, holding the screen door open for them. “Looks like there’s going to be a big storm tonight. Can I get you two anything?”
“No thank you, Mrs. Reid,” Marshall replied.
One minor thought had escaped Katie today, insignificant by comparison, but nonetheless, just now dawning on her. This was the first time Marshall had met her parents in person. They’d spoken on the phone before, but had never actually met.
“I’m fine, Mom, thanks.”
“Your father’s gone to bed, honey. It’s been a long day and he just couldn’t hold out.”
“I understand. I know it’s late.” Before she even sat down, Katie turned on the television, flicking around for any news about Sam, almost dismissing her mother. If the news wasn’t out yet, it would be soon, especially once they found out she was Katie’s best friend. It wouldn’t take long to make the connection.
“Detective Avery, will you be staying with us tonight?” Deborah followed him into the family room.
He looked to Katie for an answer.
“Of course he is, Mom. The weather’s getting bad and I don’t want him to drive back to the hotel.”
Scarborough and his team had set up shop at the Victorian. There weren’t many places in Rio Dell, so they went to Fortuna, the next town over. This part of Northern California had lots of small towns and communities. It was nice to visit, but not much fun as a teenager looking to get into trouble as she and Sam often had.
“Okay then. I’ll get some blankets and a pillow. I’m afraid you’ll have to sleep on the couch. The guest room is piled high with boxes of Katie’s things.”
“That’ll be fine, Mrs. Reid. Thank you.”
“Please, call me Deborah.” She went upstairs, only to reappear minutes later, arms full of bedding.
“Just set it down here, Mom. I’ll make it up for him when he’s ready.”
“Okay, honey.” Deborah gave Katie a kiss, the kind mothers give when their kids have scraped knees or bruised elbows.
“Good night, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. Try and get some rest.”
Rest? She had hardly slept in days and the words were soon lost as Katie caught sight of headlights passing by the window. “Patrol?” She looked at Marshall.
“Yeah. Looks like the second shift is just getting started.”
How did I get here? She wanted to go outside and scream at the top of her lungs as the heavy drops began to fall from the sky. But her body ached, her head ached and, worst of all, her heart ached. “I can’t do this anymore, Marshall.” Her voice was jagged, fracturing her words. This was not the first time she’d said as much, but this time, the words came with a certainty she hadn’t expressed before.
“Are you telling me you’re ready to go with the FBI?” He laid a blanket across her legs, which were covered with only a lightweight cotton skirt.
“Protective custody? Like witness protection?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“But doesn’t that mean I have to change my name? Start my life over? I don’t want to do that.”
“Well, I think this is a little different, and it wouldn’t be forever; just until we find him. Once he’s caught, he’ll be put away for life, maybe even get the death penalty, all things being what they are here in this state. Then you can get on with your life.”
“But that would mean I wouldn’t see you, or my parents, or anyone I know.”
“No, you wouldn’t, not in the short term.”
That wasn’t the solution she was looking for, but what choice was there?
“They could assign you a protection detail, but that’s pretty much what I am. Although if it were the FBI, you’d probably have more people assigned than just me.”
“I’m so scared, Marshall. I don’t know what to do.”
“You and your family are safe here; that much I know. Let’s talk to Scarborough tomorrow and see what your options are.” He situated himself next to her on the couch, resting his arm on the back cushion until he lowered it behind her neck and gently pulled her closer. A moment later, he leaned in, parting his lips just enough to let her know what was about to happen.
He was going to kiss her. For the first time, it wouldn’t be the other way around. Katie inched forward to meet his lips. They were warm and soft, no hesitation behind them.
His movements were slow and measured, his embrace grew firmer with each breath he drew. She felt the heat rise between them, surrounding her with enough warmth that she no longer needed the blanket.
He gently laid her down on the couch. The weight of his body pressed against hers. She melded into him.
“We should stop,” he whispered.
“I don’t want to stop.”
Their lips almost touched again; he stopped and slowly took to his feet.
Katie’s eyes flickered with the imminent fear of rejection. But instead, he extended his hand, wanting her to take hold of it. He lifted her off the couch with ease and grace, as if she’d floated up.
“We should go upstairs to your room.”
The house was old with stairs that creaked at each step. The rain and occasional thunder seemed to drown them out, but Katie didn’t worry about waking her parents; she didn’t worry what they might think. Her only thoughts were of him. Being with him was the only thing she wanted, the only thing she had wanted for a long time, but never truly realized just how much until now.
She was certain he was trying to convince himself that this wasn’t the right time, as he had expressed before. But after today, everything had changed and it would never be the same again. Neither one of them would ever be the same.
The storm passed and a few rays of light broke through the remaining clouds and into Katie’s old bedroom. Her eyes strained to open, but she rubbed the sleep from them and clearer vision came to her. She glanced around the room. At first, she’d forgotten where she was. Was it Marshall’s place, her apartment? No, she was back home, in the same bed she’d slept in for most of her teenage years. It was the same bed she now recalled having shared with Marshall the night before, but he was no longer there.
She caressed the pillow that remained formed to the shape of his head. Had he even been there the entire night? There must have been a reason why he was absent from her now. Maybe he didn’t want her parents to know he’d slept with her. In the light of day, that probably was the best thing.
She stepped out of bed and reached for her robe. The clock showed seven thirty. It felt much later. And it didn’t take long for her thoughts to drift back to Sam. No sooner had the memory been put to rest for the night, than it rushed back in a deluge. This nightmare was far from over.
Katie descended the stairs to the sound of several voices drifting up to meet her. She slowed her pace in order to listen before anyone caught sight of her. Peering around the banister, she saw Marshall, Agent Scarborough, Chief Wilson, and her parents.
I can’t go down there now, she thought, and trotted back up before
anyone noticed her.
The house was still buzzing with activity when Katie attempted to make an appearance again. This time, at least she was dressed.
“Katie, you’re up,” Deborah said. “How are you feeling? We didn’t want to wake you.”
“I’m okay, Mom. What’s everyone doing here?” She stood at the bottom of the steps; the last one to the party.
It was Marshall who finally took his eyes off of whatever it was he was studying with Agent Scarborough to see Katie. Scarborough hardly took any notice. “Good morning, Kate. We thought it best not to disturb you. Did you sleep well?” The manner in which he viewed her was markedly different from the day before.
Last night did happen. “Yes, thank you. What’s going on?”
Marshall looked at Deborah as if asking permission to speak. She acknowledged his unspoken request; all the while, Katie witnessed the odd exchange. “Kate, news is out about Sam. We’re doing damage control now. Chief Wilson is preparing a statement and we’ll be holding a press conference at 10:30 this morning.”
“Oh God—I can’t.” She recoiled, clutching her stomach.
“It’s okay. No one expects you to talk to the media. There’s no need for it. The chief just needs to convey that we are handling it and we’re pursuing any and all leads to find the suspect,” Marshall continued.
“So, you’re not telling them that we already know who murdered Sam?” They all knew damn well who did it.
“We don’t know anything for sure yet, but we aren’t going to let the media draw their own conclusions either. There is no way we’re going to tell them that he’s been in contact with you. We can’t; it’ll jeopardize everything we’ve been working toward. And we don’t have forensics back yet, so there is absolutely nothing tying Sam’s murder to your case.”
“Right. It’s just that she was my best friend and this was his sick way of getting to me.” She pulled back, regretting how that sounded. They were doing this to protect her and the investigation; not to try to diminish what happened. “I’m sorry. I know you’re doing what’s best here. I guess the last thing we need is the media feeding into his plan; to get them thinking that no one in this town is safe if they come in contact with me in any way.”
“Right now, all we know is that Sam was the victim of a random act of violence and until we know more, that’s all we’ll be sharing at this conference. That’s why Chief Wilson is going to run the show. No one needs to know of the FBI’s involvement. She was found within the town limits, so it’s expected that he would be heading up the investigation.”
“Yeah. I get it. When are we going to know more? What does forensics have right now?” Katie asked. By this time, she was already hovering over Marshall and Scarborough, trying to figure out what they were reading.
“Agent Scarborough has set up shop at the vacant warehouse where her car was found.”
“They found her car? When?” Katie asked.
“Jarrod said she was headed to meet a client in Fortuna. Somewhere between Rohnerville and Fortuna is where she went missing. We found several calls on her cell from the client when she didn’t show up. She’d left her phone in the car. That was around 10 a.m. Her office called her cell around 1:00 and then several calls from Jarrod showed up between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. That’s when he called Chief Wilson.” Marshall motioned to the chief.
“But you didn’t get the call until the following afternoon,” Katie replied.
“I wasn’t aware of the connection between you and Samantha, at least, not at first. I knew of her, but didn’t know her new last name, so when Jarrod put the missing persons call in, I treated it like any other case. When I sent out my officer along the route she would have taken and he found her car at that warehouse off the highway, he called it in. He also found her cell phone and searched her recent calls. Your name came up on the list,” Wilson said.
“I called her a few days ago, maybe a week; I don’t know.”
“As soon as he realized, Chief called me,” Marshall replied.
“But they don’t have anything yet?” Katie said.
“No, nothing yet. Once this conference is over, I’m going to run out there with Scarborough and take a look. I want you to stay here. There’ll be an officer stationed out front and a patrol running every hour. You’ll be safe here.”
A part of her wanted to object, insist that she be involved. But how could she be? It would be too much for her to see Sam’s car. Had there been a struggle? Was there blood everywhere, or did he wait until he took her someplace else to murder her best friend? She couldn’t handle it and knew better than to try. “Okay. I’ll stay here.”
It was clear Marshall had expected pushback from her on this, but he said nothing more and continued on with Agent Scarborough.
The clock on the wall ticked away. Katie glanced up at it every few minutes, waiting for 10:30 to arrive. The house was empty now except for her and her parents. With only a few minutes left before the conference was to start, Katie turned on television. The TV station, which broadcast from Eureka, cut into its normal game show program to a podium set up in front of the Rio Dell police station. A crowd had gathered. Not just the media, but people who lived in the town. Everyone from Rio Dell knew Sam had grown up there. They also knew of her friendship with Katie. How were they going to convince these people that Katie’s abductor had nothing to do with Sam’s death?
Chief Wilson emerged from the lobby doors and stepped up to the podium. Marshall wasn’t there, nor was Agent Scarborough. She supposed a detective from San Diego would have no business being there, unless they suspected a connection. The media would surely pounce on that.
She listened as the chief began to describe Sam. How she was the victim of a horrendous crime and how they would find the one responsible.
“Rio Dell is a quiet and safe town. We will continue to make it so and this random act of violence should not deter people from going about their daily lives.”
But before he could finish, a reporter emerged, his mic dividing the herd right through the middle.
“Son of a bitch!” Katie yelled.
Her parents were in the room with her and were startled by her outburst.
“Is everything all right, Katie?” John asked.
“I can’t believe it! It’s that reporter from Channel 9 in San Diego. What the hell is he doing there?”
“Chief Wilson, isn’t it true that Samantha Hansen, formerly Fields, was a long-time friend of Katie Reid, whom you are assisting in another investigation with which she’s involved?”
And there it was. He had obviously done his research and was going to share it with the world.
“I’m sorry. And you are?” the chief asked.
“Marc Aguilar, Channel 9 News, San Diego. I believe you were in San Diego a week ago, working with the local PD on the Katie Reid case?”
“As of right now, Mr. Aguilar, these are two separate investigations, so if you’d like to let me finish…”
“Two separate investigations? Samantha Hansen was Ms. Reid’s closest friend. Don’t you find it the least bit suspicious that only weeks after Ms. Reid came forward with a description of her alleged abductor from more than twenty years ago that Samantha Hansen would be found, the victim of a ‘random act of violence?’”
Katie thought she saw him using air quotes on that last statement.
“Mr. Aguilar, if you’d like to inquire further, or if you have any information pertaining to the Reid case, I’d be happy to discuss it with you after this conference. In the meantime, I’d like to inform the people of Rio Dell that we are doing everything we can to find out what happened to Mrs. Hansen and you should all please respect the privacy of the family and let them grieve in peace. That’s all I have for now. Thank you.” The chief began to make his way back inside to throngs of reporters shouting questions at him about Katie. He only continued and ignored their demands.
A resounding feeling of loss and defeat overcame Katie as she fell to the
couch. This was all spiraling out of control. She looked at her parents and wondered if they would be next.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. This must all be so difficult for you. You have no idea how much I wish I could make it go away,” Deborah said.
As she so often had in the past, Deborah tried to find words to soothe her daughter, but none could mitigate the situation. It wouldn’t be long before the media would swoop down on the Reid house, knowing Katie was there. Her presence had now become all too obvious; the officer out front and a regular patrol trolling the neighborhood. These were not common sights in this small town.
The media was going to give her abductor, Sam’s killer, all the press he could ever want. It was the opportunity he must have been waiting for; broadcasting Katie’s every move, the location of her family. It would all be out in the open. Serial killers are opportunistic. There would be no safe place for any of them now.
Pandora’s Box had just been opened and no matter how hard she tried, Katie would not be able to close it. It was too late to turn back and it would ultimately be up to her to find him. There had to be a way to draw him out, something would have to give away his position or some evidence he left behind. She would not let him get away with murder again.
There would be time to mourn Sam’s death properly. But now, the best way for her to honor Sam was to find her killer.
19
“I need you to take me to the station, please,” Katie said to the officer standing guard outside the house.
“Ma’am, I’m not supposed to leave here, but I can call the station and see if they can send someone to pick you up.”
“Thank you; I’d appreciate that.”
Katie paced back and forth, peering through the front room curtains, waiting for a car to arrive.
“Honey, why don’t you sit down until they send someone?”
“I can’t. I just feel so useless right now. There has to be something I can do. That news conference was awful. It won’t be long before they all come here, Mom. I think I need to find another place to stay. Maybe a hotel; I don’t know.”