[Kate Reid 01.0 - 03.0] Unbound

by Robin Mahle

  Katie rested her head on a pillow tucked in the corner of the sofa. The smell reminded her of him. Everything in there was a reminder.

  Sleep could not take hold and now she watched the sun rise in the morning sky. Wave after wave of heartache and grief consumed her through the night, mind and body. Even the knock on the door didn’t break the grip that the pain held on her heart.

  The sound came again. This time, she shifted her head slowly toward the door, for a moment believing it was Marshall and that he’d just misplaced his keys.

  “Katie? It’s me, Nick.”

  Her eyes blinked. It was not Marshall. He was never coming home again. She rose from the couch, her legs aching from having been in the same position most of the night. Pulling the door open, she then walked back to the sofa.

  Nick didn’t look much better than Katie. “How you doin’? Have you eaten anything?”

  Katie shook her head.

  He walked to the couch and sat down next to her. “We did it, Katie. We know everyone who was involved. Hayden Jennings, the man who killed the woman in Virginia, told us where to find the others. The local authorities, the Feds; we’re all out rounding up the remaining suspects. According to Jennings, Shalot and Branson were each vying for position and Shalot had grown more and more extreme, recruiting others in the process. It’s over now, Katie.”

  None of this meant anything to her. Not anymore. His words rolled off of her with ease. Shalot was dead. Another person Marshall had to protect her from, only this time it had cost him his life. That was all that mattered. She turned to Nick. “You think I care about any of this?”

  Nick lowered his head. He seemed to think this news would help. “Marshall took out the worst of them. He got Shalot. That should matter to you.”

  “You would’ve caught Jennings anyway and he would have told you what you needed to get Shalot. Marshall died for nothing because he thought Shalot would go free and come after me. Don’t you see that?” She turned away. “I can’t do this, Nick. I don’t want to be around anyone right now.”

  “I don’t believe he died for nothing. I believe Marshall did what he thought he had to do to protect you.”

  “Maybe you should tell that to his mother and brother?” Katie knew it was the grief talking, but she didn’t care and was directing her anger toward Nick.

  “I’m sorry to have bothered you. I’ll leave you in peace.” Nick moved toward the door. “Please let me know if I can help with arrangements.” The click of the latch sounded as he walked out.

  Katie lifted herself off of the sofa and shuffled down the hall to their bedroom. She stood in the doorway, staring at the bed that they had shared. It didn’t seem long, in the grand scheme of things, not nearly long enough. She’d been with Spencer much longer. But Marshall was different. He’d unlocked something inside her that she didn’t know existed. He’d forever changed her path in life. She felt lost now as she scanned the empty room. His side of the bed still tousled from the restless night he’d had. The last night she’d shared with him.

  Katie sat on his side of the bed, lifting his pillow to her face. It smelled like him, his cologne and hair gel. A corner of her mouth raised as she recalled his morning styling routine.

  Placing the pillow back down, Katie pulled out the top drawer of his nightstand. Inside was a Tom Clancy book. He wasn’t much of a reader, but he did enjoy it when time allowed. She pushed it to the side; some loose change was beneath it. Further back was the remote for the TV, but it was the box in the far back corner of the drawer that caught her attention.

  She wrapped her thumb and forefinger around it and retrieved the box. Her brow creased as she worked to figure out what it was. The top raised with ease, and inside was a smaller box. There was no guessing as to the contents it held. It was navy blue velvet and shaped in a most familiar manner.

  Her heart dropped to her stomach as she raised the lid. Inside was a ring. Square cut diamond, gold band. It looked very old; vintage, they called it nowadays. Beautifully ornate. She slipped it on her ring finger. The fit was perfect.

  It was nearing their one-year anniversary. Not from the day they met, but from the day they moved in together. “He was going to propose.”

  The wave of grief that came this time felt like a tsunami.

  24

  THE SOUND OF her cell phone vibrating on the nightstand penetrated the sleep that had finally caught up with her. Light had not yet found its way into her bedroom and as she turned toward the sound, the digital clock confirmed that it was an hour that was barely considered morning. Five a.m. A full day had passed and she had hardly moved from that spot.

  The caller ID gave her pause as to whether to answer. Condolences were not something she could bear to hear right now, considering she’d found peace in her dreams. That peace was gone now.

  “Hello.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about Marshall. Is there anything I can do for you, Katie?”

  “Why are you calling so early, Marc?” Acknowledging his comment would only bring more tears.

  “I—I wanted to tell you that we’re running the story this morning. The Feds confirmed only hours ago that the Highway Hunter was—well, you already know. National news has picked it up, but I wanted to say that I would be anchoring it on the six a.m. news. Katie, I just can’t believe what happened and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

  Katie remained silent. What was there to say? It was a national story, she knew that. Marshall would be called a hero. She knew that too. But no one would know that he died because he needed to protect her—again. Neither Nick nor Captain Hearn would let word get out that Marshall was at Shalot’s for any reason other than because he found evidence missed the first time around. They would not say he broke in. They would not say he felt Shalot would come after Katie. They would not say that San Diego Police Department veteran Detective Marshall Avery died because of Katie Reid.

  “Thank you, Marc. And thank you for telling me. It’s okay. I’ll be okay. I need to go now. Goodbye.” She turned to her side, the side where she would normally find Marshall sleeping.

  It was only a matter of time before Nick would call, or show up at her door. He would shield her from the press, not letting it be known that she had been involved in the case. That Edward Shalot had developed an obsession with her and that was why he was here in San Diego. None of that would ever come to light.

  The darkness still surrounded her and now it had found its way inside her once again. But the worst had yet to pass. Captain Hearn would have already called Marshall’s mother and brother. She still hadn’t met either one of them. His brother, Kyle, four years his junior, had moved back to Chicago where he lived with his wife and two girls. His mother, Vivian, had moved in with her sister in Florida two years ago. Both were retired and living in St. Petersburg.

  There was still so much to Marshall that she had yet to uncover. He rarely spoke of his family and she didn’t even know why.

  Katie took a deep breath and pulled herself out of the bed. There were things that needed to be done. She had to find the strength to do them.

  Her arrival at the station set off an outpouring of sympathies, making it difficult for Katie to keep it together. She found her way into the captain’s office as quickly as possible.

  “Katie? You didn’t have to come in today.” He moved toward her for an embrace.

  She couldn’t let him hold her; it would bring too much to the surface and so she pulled away quickly. “I need to collect his things, captain—from his office. He’s got so many books and things. I just need to bring them home.”

  “Katie, sit down—please.” Hearn moved back to sit behind his desk. “I informed Marshall’s mother late yesterday. She’s coming in today. I’ve already made arrangements to pick her up from the airport. I told her you were resting at home and that I would ensure you were made aware of her arrival. I hadn’t realized you two had never met.”

  “No. Not yet.” She twisted the ring
on her finger that was intended as an engagement present.

  “Well, Marshall was a very guarded man, Katie. You know that perhaps better than I.” Hearn took pause. “Listen, I’m working on the press release this morning. Marshall will receive the Category I Protocol.”

  This was law enforcement’s funeral protocol for full, military-style honors reserved for those killed in the line of duty. It was a major public event that would draw thousands to pay their respects.

  “This is in accordance with his mother’s wishes as well,” Hearn continued.

  “Of course.” Katie wasn’t his next of kin, not officially, and so they would defer to his mother on these matters.

  “There’s one other thing. Agent Scarborough is busy briefing the local authorities in the other jurisdictions where the victims were found. He’s got his hands full at the moment, but asked that I ensure your name is kept out of the media as much as possible, which I agree is the right course of action. But I want you to be prepared. There will be the inevitable connection with Marshall to your case last year. All of that will come to light once again. There’s only so much I can do to squelch that, I’m afraid.”

  It seemed there was no escaping her past. Katie would forever be labeled “the girl who got away.” Now, greater attention would be thrust on her again. Her boyfriend, the man who killed her abductor, was gunned down in the line of duty. There was no doubt the book offers would come flooding in once again. The thought of reliving everything, dealing with this loss, the attention; it was too much for her. It was too much for anyone.

  “Agent Scarborough did mention he would be returning here for the service, along with his team. But I suspect you’ll hear from him sooner than that. He holds you with great regard, Katie.”

  “Thank you, sir. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to pack up Marshall’s things now.” Katie stood up and turned toward the door. “When is his mother scheduled to arrive?”

  Hearn glanced at his watch. “She should be here in a couple of hours.”

  “Okay.” Katie disappeared behind the door.

  She waited with Captain Hearn at the airport and tried to think of what to say to Vivian. The woman had lost her son and it seemed impossible for her to imagine what that must be like. But then, she had lost a child; a child that would never have come to be, but a child nonetheless. It was only now that the full impact of that loss was coming to surface. Along with so much pain she had already suffered and was continuing to suffer, this was one more thing.

  Stop. Katie reminded herself that this wasn’t about her, not right now. This was about Marshall’s mother. Her thoughts turned to her own mother, whom she hadn’t yet told. It had hardly been a day yet and so many things still needed to be done. She would need her parents now and was grateful to still have them. They were all she had left in this world.

  A woman who appeared to be lost in the distance caught Katie’s eye. She’d seen pictures of Vivian, of course, even if those pictures were somewhat dated. She still recognized the small woman who had begun her approach.

  “That’s her.” Katie raised a hand and stepped toward the woman. She had managed to catch her attention.

  The captain followed closely behind. “Mrs. Avery.” He reached for her small suitcase. “Let me get that for you. I’m Captain Hearn.”

  She smiled at the captain, but quickly turned her gaze to Katie. “Kate.” She moved in for an embrace. “How are you, sweetheart? I’m so sorry we have to meet like this.” Vivian’s lips quivered, but only for a moment as she seemed to quickly regain composure.

  “I’m okay, Mrs. Avery. I’m glad to meet you.” Katie held on to the woman who was a few inches shorter and a little full around the middle. Still, she was very beautiful; her hair, short, tapered at the neck, fully grey, no attempt to conceal it. Her face was heavily lined, those lines only enhancing her caring eyes. Katie noticed the pink tint and mild swelling still visible in them from hours of shedding tears.

  “Let’s get you two back to the car. I’ll drop you at home.” Captain Hearn ushered the grieving women out of the terminal.

  “I’ll stop by in a few hours to see if either of you need anything.” Captain Hearn stepped toward the door of Katie and Marshall’s apartment.

  “Thank you, sir,” Katie replied.

  “You know, I haven’t been here since he first bought this place.” Vivian wandered around from room to room. “Of course, that was well before you came into his life.”

  “When he lived here with his fiancée.”

  “Yes. But I knew that would never last. Marshall was never the type to walk away, even if it was the best thing for him. Eventually, she did and then he met you.” Vivian moved to the dining chair where Katie was now sitting. “You were the best thing to ever happen to him; you know that, right? He always said that to me.”

  Katie hadn’t known how often Marshall had conversed with his mother. She was ashamed not to have known.

  “I suspect you had no idea that he and I often spoke of you. Marshall was a very private man, even with those whom he loved the most. My dear, you were everything to him. I’d never heard him speak of a woman the way he spoke of you. That was how I knew you were the one for him. It took him a while, but he finally found you.”

  Katie could feel her eyes begin to sting. She could not let herself break down in front of Vivian. She could not make this about her. Vivian had already lost a husband and now a son. She deserved strength.

  “I loved him very much, Mrs. Avery.” Katie raised her hand to wipe the tear that threatened to spill.

  “Oh.” Vivian leaned in and took hold of Katie’s hand. “I hadn’t realized he had already proposed. He said he was waiting for your anniversary in a few weeks.” She eyed the ring and ran her index finger over the diamond. “I never took this off, not for several years after Marshall’s father died. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

  She leaned back and smiled. “I offered to give it to him when he wanted to get engaged the first time, but he insisted that I keep it, that Dad had given it to me. But when he mentioned he was going to ask you to marry him last month, he asked if he could have it.”

  Katie had no idea of any of this. How could she have not known? “I want him back so much.” There was no point in trying to keep it inside. The emotions were too strong.

  “I know you do, dear.” Vivian grasped Katie’s hands inside hers. “So do I.”

  25

  THE STATION WAS quiet, except for a skeleton staff holding the place down. Most of the employees – officers, technicians, and administrative support – were still working their way home from the service.

  Marshall’s brother and his family had returned to their hotel with Vivian and her sister, Marshall’s aunt. They would stay another night, then return home to Chicago and Vivian to Florida. Her own parents had come down, but she’d asked them to wait for her at the apartment after the service. She needed to be alone, if only for a short while.

  It was over now. So many people had turned out to honor him. Katie couldn’t help but show a hint of a smile on a face that hadn’t done so in more than a week. She was proud, so proud of him, and he was loved by everyone in this department.

  She sat alone in his office. His personal effects were now gone. In fact, as she looked around, it didn’t feel like his office anymore.

  “Hey.” Gibbons leaned into the doorway. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.”

  “I didn’t expect to see you in here. Thought you’d be home by now,” Gibbons said.

  “I guess I’m not ready to let this office go just yet. I know the captain’s gonna put someone in here next week.”

  Gibbons dropped into the chair across from her. “How you holding up?”

  She managed a shrug of her shoulders.

  “Yeah,” Gibbons replied. “Nice of Agent Scarborough and his team to come, though. I haven’t seen him in a while. Did they already take off?”

  “No. He said he was
going to stop by the apartment and bring me dinner tonight. I think he’s heading out tomorrow, though. Still cleaning up from the case, I hear.”

  “You know, Avery was right about Shalot. From what Scarborough told me, he had recruited several people. They were already lining up their next five victims. Jennings, one of ‘the five,’ gave the Feds everything they needed. Branson’s going down and so is Hudson.”

  Katie turned away.

  “I’m sorry.” Gibbons seemed to pick up on the fact that this wasn’t the time. “You don’t need this right now. I was just…”

  “It’s okay. Really. There was nothing Marshall wouldn’t do to protect me or anyone else, for that matter. It was his job.”

  Gibbons nodded, his lips pressed tightly together. “You planning on finishing up your schooling?”

  He hadn’t intended to make her uncomfortable, she knew that, but she really wasn’t ready to talk about any of this stuff. Not now, hours after she had buried her fiancé.

  Katie twisted the ring again. It was becoming habit now. “I haven’t thought about it much, but I don’t think so. I’m not really sure what I’m going to do now.” It was the first time she’d actually admitted as much. What was she going to do now? Without Marshall by her side, without him guiding her, teaching her, loving her. She hated herself for ever wanting him to stop protecting her so much.

  “Well, I know he’d be damn proud if you decided to swear in. Work toward detective.”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.” Katie felt the familiar chills that came whenever her emotions were about to get the best of her. She took a deep breath.

  “I’m sorry, Katie. I got no business. It’s just… Well, maybe we can talk another time. I’ll let you be.”

  She watched him leave, a final turn to smile at her, and he was gone.

  Katie pushed around the food on her plate as she sat down for dinner with her parents back at the apartment.