by Robin Mahle
She wasn’t quite prepared, but she was available since calling in to work, so might as well go. “Yeah, I can make that. Thanks very much. Goodbye.”
By the time Katie looked at her watch, it was already 4:00 and she’d been able to kill a couple of hours running errands. It was time to go to Dr. Reyes’ office.
She arrived at the office and she was directed into see the doctor.
“Hi, Dr. Reyes, thanks for fitting me in today,” Katie said.
“Not at all; I’m glad you were able to fill in the cancellation. Now, please, have a seat, Kate. Why don’t you tell me how your trip went?”
Katie took a deep breath and began to explain the events of the weekend.
The doctor seemed a little taken aback by the news. It was as if she thought the dreams were a fabrication of nothing other than stress. No one seemed to think this could have actually happened, not even Katie.
“I think we ought to focus on helping you to heal, Kate. Now that we know the dreams seemed to stem from deeply buried memories, we should explore ways to overcome the trauma.”
“I was actually thinking that I’d like to continue the hypnotherapy.”
“But, you know all there is to know. Why continue reliving the past memories?”
“Because I don’t believe I know all there is to know. I feel like there may be more for me to discover.”
“Like what, exactly?”
“I just feel as though I need to know what happened to me, Dr. Reyes. I don’t know anything other than the fact that I was found in the Redwoods. My dreams showed I was being held captive and there has to be more.” Katie paused, making sure she was clear on this last point. “I need to know what happened to me, doctor. I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I find out.”
“I see. Well, Katie, it’s hard to say if the hypnotherapy will reveal anything more than it already has. There may be some memories buried too deep. I will help you, even though I don’t believe this is what’s best for you. But, if after a few more sessions, we don’t discover anything new, will you be content to begin the healing process?”
“I suppose so, yes.”
“Okay then. Let’s get started.”
In a process that had become all too familiar, Katie began her session. It wasn’t long before she found herself in the mist of the shadowy forest once again. Running for her life; running from her captor.
After what felt like only about five minutes, Katie heard Dr. Reyes’ voice in the distance.
“Katie, wake up.”
Katie was transported from the edge of the forest floor back to the couch in the doctor’s office.
“How do you feel?” Dr. Reyes asked.
“Like I was watching a movie, of sorts. It was me, but I knew what was going to happen.”
“I’m not surprised. Now that you understand the cause of the dreams, they may just fade away on their own, but you were dealing with some frightening things. However, I don’t believe we learned anything new today, do you?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Katie resigned herself to the fact that the doctor may be right.
9
THE DAY HAD proven to be disappointing and Katie felt that she was no closer to getting to the truth. Even her research at the library revealed little more than she already knew. Still, there was more to learn, but she had no idea how to go about it.
At the dinner table, the topic of conversation revolved around everything but Katie’s whereabouts for the day. She had the feeling that Spencer was just biding his time, waiting for her to give up and accept what had happened.
Katie wanted to give him the time he needed, but she’d seen a side in him he’d never shown before. He was afraid for her and afraid for their future. That fear, however, could prove to be more detrimental than facing the unknown.
Spencer kissed her good night as they lay in bed together. When he turned to sleep, with his back to her, Katie sensed he was slipping away. She raised her hand to caress his shoulder, letting him know that she was still there. An all too brief moment found him returning the gesture, resting his hand on top of hers, until it slipped away.
When sleep finally caught up to her, the disruption came in the form of new dreams. Katie found herself not as a child running from a giant, but as a woman, searching for something intangible. Looking behind every door, devouring any piece of information she could acquire. But in the end, she remained empty-handed; finding herself in an empty room, sitting on a chair. On the other side of the wall, the gentle sound of children’s laughter echoed through. The laughter became louder, almost haunting.
Katie leapt from the chair and ran to the door. The laughter soon quieted and the children sobbed. A chill fell on the room as she approached. The handle would not turn, but there was no lock that she could see. The children began knocking on the door, softly, at first, then louder. They were trying to get in, but she couldn’t pull it open. With great force, what felt like a hand plunged into her gut and ripped her away. The alarm clock sounded.
* * *
Last night meant something, but Katie couldn’t put her finger on it. She’d driven into work knowing this wasn’t over and it would never be until she discovered the truth. If therapy wouldn’t reveal any more answers, then she would have to talk to the experts; the ones who dealt with investigating these types of crimes.
Her work at the Advocacy Group provided many avenues to different divisions within the organization. One such avenue was the Victim’s Assistance department. Cases were assigned to that division in circumstances where Child Protective Services had been involved. It was there to assist the victims and act as a liaison between the police and the community. Katie had never worked with anyone directly in that department, but word often traveled around when they received extreme abuse cases. Sometimes, in cases where a child had disappeared, the advocates would speak with the victim’s relatives, teachers, etc. They often worked alongside the detectives who were assigned to investigate.
This was where Katie needed to be, assigned to just such a case. Her credentials in that area were weak and she doubted an assignment like that would be given to her, but if she could convince Richard, maybe she could assist in some way.
Katie walked into her office and several people asked how she was feeling. It had slipped her mind that she’d called in sick yesterday.
“Hi, Kate. Welcome back,” Jennifer began. “Glad to see you’re feeling better. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much.”
“Good to know. Thanks, Jen.” Katie put her purse down and turned on her computer. “Have you seen Richard yet this morning?”
“No, not yet, but I’ve been in the kitchen getting coffee.” Jennifer swirled the spoon in her cup and flashed her kind smile. If one were to look up the girl next door in the dictionary, a picture of Jennifer would be there, shoulder-length blonde hair, fair skin and big round eyes. About as wholesome as one could be.
“I’ll go have a look in his office.”
“Is everything all right, Kate?”
“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to ask him about working on a case for the Victim’s Assistance program.”
“Oh, well that would be in a different department, wouldn’t it?”
“I’ve been thinking about venturing into some different areas. You know, broaden my horizons a little.”
Jennifer creased her brow, seemingly unconvinced of Katie’s motives, but didn’t continue to question her.
Richard had always been a reasonable boss and rarely said no to Katie’s requests. However, this would be the first time she’d ask to work in another department, albeit, only temporary.
He was modest and kind; exactly the type of person one would expect to hold a middle management position in an organization that advocated for children, though he had no children of his own. Richard and his wife of twenty years were unable to conceive and after several years of trying to adopt, his wife became ill and died of pancreatic cancer two years ago.
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br /> “Knock, knock.” Katie leaned in the opened doorway of Richard’s office.
“Good morning, Katie. Welcome back. Feeling better today?”
A slight twinge of guilt passed through her as she smiled in return. “Yes, thank you. I was wondering if you had a minute. I’d like to ask you something.”
“Sure, come on in. Close the door, if you need to.”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” She took her seat opposite Richard’s desk. “I’d like to see if there is any chance I might be assigned to a case in the Victim’s Assistance program. I was interested in possibly doing some work for them.”
“I see. Does that mean you don’t want to work for me anymore?”
“No, of course not; it would only be temporary. I’d like to gain some experience in other areas, get involved with the community on a more direct basis, rather than the research work and fundraising. It seems interesting.”
Katie thought her answer was a little vague, even bordering on suspicious.
“Okay, well, I’d have to call down there to see what they’ve got and if they need any help.”
Katie felt his eyes prying her for some deeper insight, instead, she remained casual, not wanting to divulge her true reasons.
“So it would just be the one case?” Richard asked.
“Yes. I’d like to gain as much experience here as I can. I’m not really sure where I’d like to eventually end up, but I definitely want to stay with the Advocacy Group, and adding a few extra responsibilities to my resume might be a good idea.”
“All right then; I’ll give Susan down there a buzz and see what they can do for you.”
Katie was relieved he’s agreed so quickly. Of course, it would ultimately be up to that department, but this was the first step. “Thank you so much, Richard. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, but how am I supposed to fill your shoes if they need you for a month or more?”
This was something that hadn’t really occurred to Katie. “I can handle most of my duties, but maybe I could talk to Jennifer to see if she could help with a few things.”
“Okay. If Susan can use you, you’ll still have to stay afloat on this end, whether that means having Jennifer help out is up to you and her.”
“Thanks again, Richard. You have no idea how much I appreciate the opportunity.”
“Don’t get too excited. I haven’t asked her yet.”
Katie feared she might be taking on too much, but with Jennifer on her side, it would work. She would owe her big, but it would work.
* * *
By mid-day, Katie received an e-mail from Richard. He’d sent her Susan’s response to the request.
“We would be grateful for Ms. Reid’s assistance on the Isabelle Thompson case. There are several moving parts to this one and we are short staffed. The work will be difficult, given the subject matter, but if you feel she is capable of handling herself then I would welcome her addition to the staff.”
Above this was a reply from Richard to Katie.
“They’ve agreed, Katie. Good luck and I would like to sit down with you and Jennifer in the morning to figure out our workload.”
Katie was excited and terrified. If nothing else, she had just been given an opportunity to help with something that mattered. But, in the end, what mattered to her was learning everything she could about investigations, and working with the police department would be a good start.
* * *
Katie wiped her hands on the dish towel and tossed it onto the counter. The meal was prepared and she’d hoped she was to. “Spencer, dinner’s ready.”
“Smells great, Katie. What’s the special occasion?” He emerged from the den.
It was no secret she was not the cook of the house and takeout seemed to be a better fit for their busy schedules anyway, but tonight would require explanation of her new work assignment. Dinner was intended to soften the blow.
Katie brought out the plates of somewhat questionable looking pasta and salad. Her repertoire of meals amounted to only a handful of items and even then it would be hit or miss.
With the bottle of red wine already on the table, she poured Spencer a glass. “I was assigned to work on a case with the Victim’s Assistance program today.”
“Really? Were you moved to another department?”
“Not permanently, this is just a one-time thing. They’re understaffed and need some help.”
“That’s a little outside your wheelhouse, isn’t it? You generally stick to the admin side of things.”
Katie poured her wine and quickly took a sip as she prepared for the barrage of questions. “Yes, I do, but this is the Isabelle Thompson case and I thought that maybe I could help, so I volunteered.”
“That’s the girl who went missing, what, like a couple weeks ago? The Advocacy Group is working on that one?”
“The Victim’s Assistance program is, yes. They’re working with San Diego PD, since it involves community coordination. You know, talking to the kids at her school, the neighbors, that sort of thing. Jen is going to help with my regular duties, but I’m going to continue to keep as much of my responsibilities as I can in addition to assisting with the case. It’s an incredible opportunity, Spencer.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’re going to have much time to spend planning our wedding. I guess I thought you’d want to focus on that, you know, to help you get through everything, be a nice distraction for you.” He appeared deflated by this unexpected news.
“Spencer, I haven’t forgotten about our wedding. It’s not for eight more months. I think we have time. Your long hours don’t seem to be a problem and mine won’t be either. Look, you asked me to move on and that’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Don’t you see that?”
“Yes. I guess I just thought you’d move on in a different direction. Most women want to do all the wedding planning.”
Her frustration grew, but Katie remained calm and continued to try to persuade him. He had to see how important this was to her, and by default, how important his support would be. “Well most women planning a wedding probably didn’t just find out they had been abducted as a child.” She paused and took a deep, calming breath. “It’s only been a few days since I found out my entire life has been a lie. I’m asking for your support here.”
Katie pushed on. “Please understand that I do want to marry you and I do want to plan this wedding. But you have to let me do what I need to do to move on. We’ve agreed to continue the therapy and this is just another extension of my therapy. I need you to see that.”
His expression softened. “Okay, you’re right, Katie. I’m sorry. I’m trying to get through this as well and I should be more supportive. If you can handle working on a case in addition to everything else, then I have no right to question it.”
“Thank you, Spencer. This has changed me; who I thought I was and who I want to be, but it hasn’t changed how much I love you.”
“I just want you to be the same girl I fell in love with, Katie.”
* * *
Midnight drifted in quietly through the bedroom window. The half-moon was trapped behind the clouds but Katie could see its white light breaking through. She lay restlessly in bed, looking to that moon. The excitement of her new assignment devoured her thoughts, obstructing any hope of sleep. It was pointless to wait for the sun to rise, Katie would find a better use of this time.
She stepped into the hall and gently padded towards the den. The light from her laptop burned her eyes for a moment, but they soon adjusted. During the course of the hours she lay awake, the comprehension that Spencer wasn’t coming to terms as quickly as she’d like weighed heavily on her mind. Katie tried to understand. After all, this had hardly been easy for her either.
Spencer had a happy childhood with loving and caring parents. He escaped his youth without a single scar. Katie would have too if it weren’t for the man who destroyed her family. The anger for this faceless individual was mounting with eac
h passing day.
Katie opened the search engine and typed, “Pedophile Serial Killers.” The amount of information on the topic was vastly disturbing; the top result of the search, John Wayne Gacy. Probably the most notorious of child killers, Katie knew little on the subject, having only heard of his name. She didn’t know what she was looking for. Some idea maybe, of the person who took her? Some understanding of what sort of human being could hurt children? Whatever the reason, it served to fuel her desire to seek out her own captor.
10
KATIE AND JENNIFER sat in Richard’s office, reviewing the workload while Katie was to assist on the Thompson case. After the meeting, the women returned to their cubicles and Katie began gathering a few of her belongings. The move downstairs would take place in the coming hours.
“Why the sudden interest in victim assistance cases?” It seemed Jennifer had begun to wonder what Katie’s objective had been. She leaned on the cubicle wall, waiting for a reply.
“I guess I just want to be a little more hands-on, you know? Get involved in directly helping a victim. We do so much paperwork and fundraising and I know all that matters, but I want to see a more direct impact. I want to make a difference.”
For the first time, Katie felt her response was genuine; that she’d actually been able to identify a reason clearly. It may not have been the whole reason, but it certainly was part of it and was enough to make Jennifer understand.
“Well, good luck, Katie, and I mean that. I know it’s going to be a little more hectic around here, but honestly, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“I know that, Jen. Believe me, I won’t forget what you’re doing. It means more to me than you could know.”
* * *
Katie was asked to attend a meeting scheduled by the District Attorney’s office later today. She now stood in front of Susan’s office with a small box in her hands. “Where would you like me to sit?”