Katie was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“You know… a surprise?” he emphasized.
“Uncle Wayne, I’m not ten anymore. What is it?”
He smiled, and the lines crinkling around his eyes gave him a concerned, fatherly look. “I cannot begin to understand what you’ve been through, Katie. I know it was the toughest thing you could ever experience.” He paused a moment before continuing. “So that’s why I did everything I could to make this happen. I hoped it would be done before you came home. And as the good Lord is my witness, it is.”
“Now you’ve really got me thinking…”
“C’mon,” he ordered.
As they rounded a corner, passing several sedans and trucks, Katie saw her familiar black Jeep Wrangler. Inside, jumping from window to window and barking with pure joy, was a large black German shepherd.
She dropped her backpack, ran to the car, and opened the door. “Cisco!” she exclaimed, choking back tears. The dog whined, spun around several times, then licked her for several minutes, before repeating the whole process again. His joy was clearly evident.
“I don’t understand,” Katie said, looking at her uncle teary-eyed. “How did you get him home so quickly? I thought I was going to have to fight for months to have him released to me.”
“I got started when you first told us that you were making arrangements to come home. I know about all the red tape and politics involved with the military. Cisco had already had two tours, so I just made a few calls, and then a few more, and the next thing you know, I received a phone call to pick him up at the military naval base in Concord.”
“How? Why would they? Never mind. Thank you so much for bringing this guy home. He saved countless people, including me,” she explained, still hugging the dog.
Wayne opened the back of the Jeep to load Katie’s luggage. “Let’s just say a friend of a friend knows someone in the White House administration. And it helps that they are all dog lovers,” he laughed.
“I guess you’ll never tell me the real details, but that’s okay, because this is the best surprise I could ever hope to receive.”
Her uncle shrugged his shoulders, grinning. “C’mon, get in. I’m driving. You just sit back and relax.”
* * *
The drive to Pine Valley took more than an hour and a half. Katie gave her uncle some updates at first, but otherwise the ride was mostly a quiet one. The excitement of having Cisco home made Katie the happiest she thought she could be under the circumstances. Optimism crept in and she anticipated that things could get back to normal—maybe even better.
After an hour, she drifted off to sleep and allowed the gentle motion of the road to keep her relaxed and comfortable.
“Hey,” her uncle said gently. “Wake up, Katie, we’re here.” He had parked next to his large white SUV.
Katie opened her eyes to see her familiar yellow house with its white trim. It always made her smile and reminisce about all the memories of growing up. It reminded her of long summer days and the many good times she had had with her friends and family.
Heavy breathing and several licks accosted the side of her face as Cisco seemed to pick up on her enthusiasm.
“Yeah, buddy, this is your home too,” Katie said. “Sorry, Uncle Wayne, I really conked out.”
“No apologies necessary. You’ll need a few days to rest up and get back on Pacific Standard Time.” Her uncle grabbed her bags out of the Jeep. “Oh,” he said, and stopped.
“What?”
“Actually, I have a bit of bad news.”
“What?” Katie repeated, this time with trepidation.
They walked up to the porch, and her uncle paused before inserting the key in the lock. “Last year we had some record rainfall, and…”
Dread overwhelmed Katie. “And?”
“Well, your house sprung a leak—actually, several leaks—in the roof. Before I checked on it that week, there’d already been a fair amount of water damage. I know you haven’t had time to address home repairs, and I’ve been so busy…”
Katie’s thoughts went to her things: her parents’ furniture, the photographs, and her huge collection of crime and forensic books. “How bad?” she asked.
“Well, we’ve fixed everything and salvaged what we could.” He opened the door.
To Katie’s surprise, most of the furniture, except a couple of pieces, still sat in the usual places. The smell of fresh paint lingered in the air. She noticed a few new things: some throw rugs and artwork.
“There are still some things drying out at home, and other things being professionally restored,” her uncle said. “The good news is that the roof is completely fixed. It should last you a good ten to fifteen years.”
Cisco ran around the living room, sliding on the newly refinished wooden floors, then headed to the kitchen. Within seconds, she heard him noisily lapping up water.
“Well…” she managed to say. “What about—”
He finished her sentence. “Your books?”
Katie nodded, holding her breath.
“Believe it or not, most didn’t get a drop of water on them.”
She heard herself let out a sigh of relief.
Her uncle led the way to the kitchen. “We did do some updates,” he explained, “and got you a new refrigerator and stove. Basically updated them into this century. And you’ll love this, a safe area for Cisco to run and play. A bunch of the guys pitched in to help.”
Katie went to the glass doors and saw that there was a huge dog enclosure. “Wow, that’s really nice.” She turned to her uncle. “Thank you, Uncle Wayne, for everything.”
“It’s our pleasure. Claire stocked up the fridge with some things you can just put in the oven, and some of that girlie food you like—fruits, veggies, and some kind of weird seeds.” Motioning to a large basket on the counter, he added, “And she packed some soaps, lotions, toothpaste, and other stuff so you wouldn’t have to immediately go to the store.”
Katie laughed and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she repeated softly.
“That reminds me. Art gallery and lunch next week?” he asked.
“Oh, of course. I look forward to it.”
Katie and her uncle had an ongoing arrangement to enjoy a gallery and have lunch together at least once a month—just the two of them. It had long been their way of spending time together.
Wayne headed to the front door. “Sorry I have to run, but I want you to report to me at headquarters at 0730 hours sharp on Monday. We’re going to keep you busy until you decide what you want to do. Nothing better than hard work…”
He gave a quick wave before he got into his SUV.
Cisco sat in his standard heel position next to Katie’s left thigh, with his ears perked forward and his gaze targeted, actively searching for anything out of the ordinary.
Katie continued to stare out the window until her uncle’s vehicle disappeared down the driveway.
Then she rubbed Cisco’s head, scratched his ears, and sighed.
She was alone again.
Two
Every time I close my eyes, I see what people can do to one another—the destruction, the ugliness, the terror, the deep sadness—and when I wake, I know I will always carry those images with me. It’s a part of who I am.
Katie drove her Jeep faster than the speed limit, the familiar buildings and roadways racing by her windows. At the last possible moment, she swerved away from the main road and took the more scenic route to the sheriff’s headquarters to allow more time to get her thoughts together. She knew there would be tons of questions fired at her about the army, and she wasn’t sure how she wanted to answer them.
After sleeping for a few days, she was looking forward to working with people again in a civilian setting. Police administrative work, even if it was only filing, was just a diversion for now; she didn’t want to make any big decisions yet. In truth, she didn’t know if she would return to Sacramento PD. She wanted to wait until she had more o
f a relaxed focus. Staying neutral and on autopilot sounded like a perfect option—at least for now.
As her car raced around a tight corner lined by trees, she almost careened into a large blue pickup truck blocking half the roadway with its front end facing down toward the ravine. Swerving to miss the truck’s bumper, she came to a complete stop before easing her vehicle to a safe area a little ways up the road. Her first thought was that someone had crashed and was unconscious. She needed to make sure no other cars repeated her maneuver.
She grabbed several flares and quickly ignited them, then placed them strategically along the roadside to alert oncoming drivers to the accident. She checked her cell phone, but there was only a weak signal.
“Hey! Are you okay?” she yelled. She moved closer to the truck but couldn’t see anyone inside. Confused, she carefully stepped around the vehicle; there was no sign of the driver or any passengers.
She opened the driver’s door and peered inside. The keys were in the ignition, with two other ordinary house keys dangling from the keychain. There was a man’s leather jacket lying on the seat. Overall, it was a tidy vehicle. She didn’t notice anything unusual, like blood, or alcohol containers; nothing to indicate what might have happened.
“Where are you?” she said quietly to herself.
“Are you talking to me?” responded a man’s voice from behind her.
Katie turned to find a sandy-haired man with intense blue eyes and a tanned, muscular build watching her with amusement. It was the unmistakable smiling face of Chad Ferguson. He had left town before she had.
Slightly embarrassed, she said, “Oh, hi. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Just who were you expecting?” he asked, still smiling.
“You don’t seem surprised to see me,” she said.
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“The sheriff.”
Katie gathered her wits. Of course her uncle would have told people she was back. “Is this your truck?”
“Yep.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“This big brown-and-white dog—probably some type of St Bernard or mountain dog—ran out in front of me. I swerved to miss him and got stuck. I went to see if I could catch him and make sure he wasn’t injured, but he was long gone. Little bastard.”
“Did you call a tow?” she asked.
“Tried.”
“No cell signal?”
“No, they won’t be available for more than two hours—big wreck over on the 99.”
Katie walked back towards her Jeep. “Well, do you want me to tow you out?” she said over her shoulder—almost as an afterthought.
“If I had to choose… yes.”
“Got chains?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“Make sure no one else comes barreling around the corner while I get my Jeep hooked up.”
Chad jogged around the corner as Katie moved her Jeep into place. She took the chain from the truck bed and hitched the pickup to the Jeep, then climbed back into the driver’s seat.
Chad gave her a dramatic thumbs-up sign.
She eased the Jeep into four-wheel drive and hit the gas pedal. At first the car didn’t move, so she pressed the accelerator harder. The engine whined, and then suddenly she was able to pull the truck onto the roadway. She put her car in park and jumped out, but Chad had already unhitched the chains.
“Bravo,” he said. “Quite impressive for a little Jeep. I have the bigger version at home.”
“Yeah, it may be small, but it’s definitely strong.”
Chad moved closer and said casually, “So you haven’t asked me what I’m doing back in town.”
“I figured it’s your business,” she said coyly, though she was surprised that he had come back.
“Well, the forestry department needed some volunteer firefighters. And you know me.”
Katie laughed. “Yes, I sure do. Not much has changed, I see. Always the guy ready to help in any type of situation.”
“But you’ve changed,” he said seriously.
Katie didn’t answer and averted her gaze, feeling conspicuous and remembering the close relationship they had once shared.
“You have the determination and confidence to take on the world,” Chad said. “I admire that.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“What you did in Afghanistan took guts and heroism. Don’t let anyone take that from you. You stepped up and followed a dream.”
Katie smiled. “Well, I’m on my way to the SO. I’m filling in with some clerical work—for now.” She walked to her Jeep and got in. “It was nice seeing you.”
“Oh you’ll be seeing me again, Katie Scott, and maybe I’ll repay the favor,” he replied.
As Katie drove away, she couldn’t resist glancing in her rear-view mirror, watching Chad climb into his pickup. Nothing had changed about him. His charm and good looks were his obvious attributes, but he had been a true friend to Katie, in every sense of the word. Throughout her childhood she could tell him anything—her dreams, fears, and anything else that came to mind. He was a part of her life that she’d thought was gone forever, the last person she’d expected to see back in town. Usually, once people left Pine Valley, they moved on to new things and never looked back. Chad had returned, and it changed everything.
Three
Katie found a parking spot at the administration building for the sheriff’s office and cut the engine. She was still thinking about her chance encounter with Chad. She gazed into the mirror and was surprised to see makeup on her face. She had spent extra time applying mascara and eyeliner, and made many mistakes before she felt she looked decent. At this point, she felt more comfortable with an AR-15 in her hand than a mascara wand.
She opened her car door and stepped out. She was dressed in dark slacks and a crisp white blouse. She hadn’t been quite sure what she should wear, but casual professional was a good selection and she was relieved that her old clothes still fit. She had dropped about eight pounds since she had been away.
Initiating the locking alarm for the car, she hurried to the main entrance.
She arrived in the administration lobby of the sheriff’s department on time. The building housed the dispatchers, records clerks, accounting, and other miscellaneous functions—including the sheriff, undersheriff, and lieutenants. The detective division and forensics were located in an adjacent building.
Katie walked up to the young red-headed receptionist behind the glass. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Katie Scott, here to see the sheriff.”
“Of course, Ms. Scott, the sheriff said you were coming in. Welcome back,” the girl said with a genuine smile. She moved from the window and came out a door. “Please, this way.”
Katie followed her down a couple of narrow hallways until she reached the sheriff’s office. The girl motioned for her to enter and then politely left.
Katie saw that her uncle was dressed in his usual uniform instead of a business suit. As he finished up a phone call, she gazed at photographs and various ribbons and medals won for all types of law-enforcement events. The photo situated in the middle was the image of Katie herself graduating from the police academy.
She stopped and stared at one particular photograph. It showed a smiling couple with a five-year-old girl. It stung her seeing her parents and how happy they had all been together. It had only needed a horrible storm on a fateful night to take them away from her forever. If only they hadn’t rushed home, but had spent the night somewhere along the way, things might have been different.
“You look rested,” stated the sheriff.
Katie turned to face him. “I feel pretty good. Eating a lot,” she laughed.
“Are you and Cisco getting into a routine yet?”
“Definitely. There are no words to thank you, and your special friends, for bringing him home.”
Sheriff Scott moved around the desk to face her. “Well, I have to use my political power once in a while.�
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“So where do you want me? I’m ready to work; just point me in the right direction.”
The sheriff picked up the phone. “Denise, you have time to show Katie around now? Great.” He hung up. “She’ll be right in. We’re short on administrative staff; two of our records clerks are on maternity leave. So if you know your ABCs, you can file, and if you know your way around a keyboard, you can enter data. It’s actually really helping us out.”
“Sounds good. Glad to help.”
An attractive brunette with a pixie haircut poked her head around the doorway. “Katie? I’m Denise Ashton, the supervisor for the records division. It’s nice to meet you.” She moved inside the office and shook Katie’s hand. She was dressed in a snug business suit and wore high heels.
“Nice to meet you too.”
“Have fun,” the sheriff said as the women left the room. He was already engrossed in paperwork.
Katie followed Denise down the narrow hallway, bypassing two doors until they came to a large room with several desks. There were three women working there, two entering data on computers, and one on the radio giving information to officers.
“This is the warrants area, where we receive all warrant checks from every police department in the county,” Denise said. She led Katie through to another large room. “And this is where the other part of the records division is located.” She motioned to one side. “Here, searches are conducted for current investigations: suspects’ backgrounds, prison records, owners of vehicles, and so on. It’s also where we enter all daily information from patrols and investigations, and collate everything from the department for the crime data that goes to the State Department of Justice and the Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics.” She walked through to a smaller room, “All filing for the last twelve months is located here, and anything before that is in the vault.”
“Vault?” Katie asked.
“Not a real vault,” Denise laughed. “We just like to call it that.”
Katie spotted three more women. They were lost in their repetitive work and didn’t seem to have any interest in meeting her.
Little Girls Sleeping: An absolutely gripping crime thriller Page 2