Redwood Violet

by Robin Mahle

  “Okay.” Detective Avery walked away.

  16

  IT HAD BEEN two weeks since she’d asked Marshall to help with her case. He had access to databases, like CODIS and the national DNA database system. They were meeting for lunch today so he could fill Katie in on his progress. This wasn’t official police business; in fact, he had no authority whatsoever to work on a cold case in Humboldt County. They both knew what was at stake if it got out that he was involved.

  Nevertheless, Marshall kept his promise to help Katie and she knew he wouldn’t let her down.

  * * *

  Katie arrived at the restaurant and found Marshall already seated. It would be the first time they’d be served a meal that wasn’t contained in a red basket where they sat on a street bench or concrete step.

  He waved her over. There was no exchange of pleasantries as she sat down at the table; she wondered if that was a good thing or not.

  “I don’t know how much you know about CODIS,” Marshall began, straight to the point, “but it doesn’t just keep DNA profiles on convicted felons. When a missing person is reported, the relatives can provide their DNA to cross-reference in the event unidentified remains are found. The system runs periodic checks to compare the profiles. The same goes for crime scene DNA evidence. It’s entered into CODIS and cross-referenced with the profiles of known felons to find matches. This technology has advanced the field of forensics a great deal.”

  The waiter politely interrupted them by setting down two waters. “Are you two ready to order?” he asked.

  Marshall seemed very abrupt today and she wondered if he was under pressure on the Johansen case.

  “I’ll have the club sandwich and salad, please,” Katie said.

  Marshall opened up the menu again and pointed to the jalapeño burger and fries. “I’ll have that, thanks.”

  “Thank you and I’ll be back shortly with your meals.”

  Marshall watched the waiter leave. “As I was saying, unfortunately, DNA evidence wasn’t widely used until the mid-90’s, which doesn’t help us out much in your case. But what I was hoping to accomplish was determining if any unidentified remains had been entered into the system from within a hundred miles of the vicinity of your case and the other kidnappings.”

  “And was there a match?” she asked.

  “There were some unidentified remains entered from the Eureka area, so I had to confirm the age of those remains. We know we’re looking for young kids here, so if they were from an adult, we’d know that wasn’t going to work for us.

  “Eureka is obviously a larger city than Rio Dell, so there were quite a few missing persons in the National Database. So far, I haven’t found any that would match the ages of the children that disappeared around the same time you were abducted.”

  “So, we don’t have anything more to go on, now?”

  “Not necessarily, Kate. Are you still going to that doctor for the hypnotherapy?”

  “No. I stopped going a couple weeks ago. I just didn’t see that I was making any progress. It was getting to the point that reliving the events, as much as I knew of them anyway, was getting to be too much for me.”

  “And what about your dreams? Are you still having them?”

  “Sometimes, but they’re usually the same now. I’m running through the forest and he’s chasing me. I have to admit, they’re not as bad as they were, but yeah, I have them on occasion.”

  The waiter approached, once again, only this time with their food. He seemed to know better than to ask any further questions. “Enjoy your meal,” he said, quickly leaving.

  “What if we went back to where you were found?” Marshall continued. “Have you ever been back there?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I suppose it’s hard to say because I didn’t know about all this when I was growing up, but I imagine my parents wouldn’t take me back there.” Katie began stabbing her fork at the salad.

  “No, probably not,” Marshall replied.

  “How do you feel about revisiting the place? Do you think you could handle it?”

  She set her fork down and considered the proposition, while watching Marshall tear into his burger. She hadn’t seen him so agitated before and wanted to question it, but thought it might only irritate him more. Something was going on and he didn’t want her to know about it.

  “What are you hoping we’ll get out of it?” Katie asked.

  “I’m not sure, exactly. Maybe I’m getting way off base here, but what if going back helped you to remember more? It’s not unheard of, having victims revisit the scene to help them recall the events of the crime.”

  The thought of having to go there, to see it in real life, terrified Katie. But what if it was the only way to get answers? So far, they’d been hitting nothing but brick walls. This was either going to die on the vine, or she would have to take more drastic measures.

  “You won’t be alone. I’ll be there with you.”

  That comforted her, knowing she wouldn’t be alone, and helped confirm her decision. “I don’t know exactly where I was found. I’d have to contact Chief Wilson.”

  “I just don’t know what else I can do, Kate. No hits on CODIS, no hits on NamUs; I’m running out of options here; unless you want to stop? We don’t have to go any further. You can take comfort in the fact that you did what you could.”

  “No, I can’t. I can’t take comfort. I haven’t done all I can do. We need to go there. I’ll contact the chief. He offered to help, if I needed it.”

  “Okay, then.” This decision seemed to improve his mood a little. “I’ve got to get back to the office. I’m meeting with the DA later on the Johansen case. We think we’ve got what we need to prosecute. Let me know what you find out.”

  He opened his wallet, pulled out a couple of twenties, and dropped them on the table. “Sorry to eat and run, but I’m slammed right now. Catch up with you later?”

  Katie nodded and he was gone. Now it would be up to her to take the next step.

  * * *

  Katie arrived back at the office and closed her door to call the chief. The last thing she wanted was word to get out about what she was doing.

  “Chief Wilson, this is Katie Reid. I was wondering if it would be possible to take a look at my case file?”

  “You know I don’t have much, Katie. If I did, we could have pursued your request. What is it that you’re looking for?”

  “I’d like to know the location of where they found me.”

  “Okay. Can I ask why? Our officers, including me, searched that area with a fine tooth comb.”

  He seemed to be on the defensive. She still needed him and couldn’t risk pushing him away. “I’m not implying there might still be evidence and I’m certain your officers did a good job. My thoughts were that if I revisited the area, maybe I might remember more details.”

  “I can see you’re not going to give up on this and I admire you for that. But, I’m concerned that you might only bring further pain to yourself and your family.”

  “I appreciate that concern, Chief, I really do. If I am able to uncover anything of relevance, believe me, you’ll be the first person I turn to.”

  “Well, I guess there’s not much I can do to sway you otherwise. Okay. I’ll have to get the file from archive and send something over to you. You got an e-mail address?”

  “Katherine dot Reid at agi dot com.” Her work e-mail was probably the safest in terms of security and it wasn’t one that Spencer had access to. No secrets, Katie.

  * * *

  On the drive home, Katie ran through her mind how she was going to tell Spencer about this. They’d been getting along pretty well this past week or so and any talk of her case had been practically nonexistent since the day they found Isabelle. He wasn’t likely to be accepting of her heading up north with Detective Avery to the place where the nightmares took her.

  Would he feel better if he went along? Either way, he wouldn’t be happy about it. The thought had crossed her m
ind not to tell him at all. Maybe that would be best for everyone, or maybe just best for her.

  Spencer could never really understand why she needed to do this; why she had to know the truth. But, lying about this would change their relationship forever. She had promised him and now was considering breaking that promise.

  What if, in the end, she went there and discovered nothing? Remembered nothing? Then all the arguments over it would have only served to put further strain on their relationship.

  She gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles and let out a scream, filled with all the anxiety, guilt, and pain that sat like a rock in the pit of her stomach.

  No, she thought. Until there was something solid, there was no point in getting him involved any further. He had enough on his plate and she had scarcely considered that up until now.

  * * *

  The front door of their apartment was opened just a crack and when Katie pushed it further, a beautiful candlelight dinner sparkled in the darkened room.

  “Wow! What’s this all about?”

  “I just thought a little celebration was in order for achieving my first win in court. Well, technically, it was the team that won, but I played a significant role.”

  “Oh my God, Spencer, congratulations!”

  She had been so wrapped up in her own work that she’d forgotten about his trial. He wasn’t part of the defense team, but was on the team that researched and drafted the court papers.

  “That is wonderful and definitely cause for celebration!” Katie was relieved by this welcomed turn of events. This reaffirmed her decision to withhold her intentions. She would not tell him about her plans; not now, when he was so happy.

  “So, tell me all about it!”

  Spencer pulled a chair out for her as she sat down at the table. Almost immediately, he began retelling the events of his day and looked happier than she’d seen him in a very long time. The candlelight cast a soft glow on his face and he appear young, almost as young as when they first met. His deep brown eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and he wore a smile that made her heart stop. Maybe it was just the boyish excitement that radiated from him, but she could have sworn he looked like a teenager.

  “Look at me, I’ve been talking for twenty minutes straight and haven’t even asked how your day was.”

  “It was fine. I went with Susan today on a new case. The police were questioning a child who had been abused and it’s required for victim advocates and CPS to monitor the questioning. It’s a way to protect the kids from any undue duress. But, the cops were really careful not to scare the kid in any way. They’re trained for that.”

  Spencer reached across the table and held her hand. “I’m really glad I can share this with you. You’ve had to put up with me studying to pass the bar and working long hours, and now I can finally see the fruits of my labor. It means a lot to me that you stuck it out, Katie.”

  She knew he was referring to their recent troubles as well. “What else would I do? I love you.”

  17

  FIRST THING AFTER arriving at work, Katie called Marshall. “I just got an e-mail from Chief Wilson. He gave me the location.”

  “Great. When are we leaving?” Marshall asked.

  “I was thinking maybe we could leave Friday after work and then get up early on Saturday to drive out there.”

  “I think that’ll work. Spencer’s okay with it?”

  “Yeah; he’s fine. He wanted to go, but his firm just won a big case and he’s going to have a lot of paperwork to finish up.”

  The silence on the other end made Katie think Marshall might be suspicious of her comment. The excuse was weak, but she glossed over it. “So, I’ll check on the flights and get back with you?”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Hey, Marshall… Are you sure you can do this with me? I know you’ve been slammed with the investigation. I just don’t want you to feel obligated, you know?”

  “I don’t; and yes, I can do this. It’s a day or two out my life. I think I can manage it. Besides, I said I would help you and this was my idea, remember? It’s what I want to do. Goodbye, Kate.”

  Her next call would be to Sam. She was going to have to ask her best friend to lie.

  “Katie, think about what you’re doing here,” Sam replied.

  “I have thought about it. It’s all I think about anymore, Sam. I just need to do everything in my power to find the truth.”

  “I understand that, Katie, I do, but lying to Spencer? This is not the way to handle it and you know it. Look, I’ll cover for you if he calls because I love you and you’re the nearest thing to a sister I have. But, I’m terrified you’re getting in over your head. I don’t know this Detective Avery and you don’t either.”

  “I trust him, Sam. He’s the only one who understands what this means to me. He doesn’t have an agenda. You’d like him; he’s a good man and a great cop. If anyone can help me, it’s him.”

  “That’s not true. I understand and I’m sure Spencer would if he knew. You’re not giving him a chance.”

  “I did in the beginning and I know he tried his best to step up and accept what happened, but ever since the chief said he wouldn’t reopen my case, Spencer’s expected me just to drop the whole thing. And, as far as he knows, I have.”

  “I don’t like this, Kate. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I won’t. We’re just going up to there to see if it jogs my memory at all. Chances are that it won’t. The therapy stopped working, so it’s really just a shot in the dark that this will. Then we’ll come home and that’ll be it. That’ll be the end of it.”

  “And what if you remember more than you want to?”

  “Then I’ll deal with it in my own way.”

  Katie knew she’d swayed her by the silence on the other end.

  “Fine. You better call me when you get into town. Do you want me to go with you to the redwoods, you know, as a precaution?”

  “Precaution? No, I’ll be fine. Like I said, I’m not going to hold my breath that anything will come of this, but I won’t know for sure until I get there. Detective Avery will be with me. He won’t let anything happen. I just need you to call me if Spencer contacts you. I doubt he will. He’ll try my cell first anyway. Look, it’s one day, then I’ll be back home.”

  “All right; you call me when it’s over too, got it? If I don’t hear from you by the end of the day on Saturday, I’m coming to find you.”

  Sam was genuinely concerned and Katie didn’t want to dismiss that. This was her best friend and she was asking something above and beyond anything she’d asked of her before.

  “Okay, okay. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you Friday night when we get in.”

  “You make sure Officer Friendly keeps his hands off of you, too!”

  “Please. That’s the last thing I have to worry about. The guy thinks of me like I’m his little sister. I’ll talk to you later, Sam. Bye.”

  * * *

  The airport was packed with travelers and Friday nights were the worst. Katie stood in line at security, keeping an eye out for Marshall. She hadn’t heard from him since his text at lunch confirming he would arrive around 5:30, giving them plenty of time before the flight that was scheduled to leave at 7:00.

  She glanced at her watch, 5:45 and no sign of him. Just as she approached the front of the line and was taking off her shoes, she heard an incoming text message. “Look behind you.” Katie looked back and saw Marshall waving his hand in the air. He was at the back of the line. She smiled, relieved that he had shown up. The man standing behind Katie pointed towards the TSA guard, who was asking her to step forward.

  After getting through security, she waited for Marshall at the gate. Their flight was about to board when he finally made it through.

  “Took you long enough,” Katie said.

  “Yeah, I know; I got held up at the station.”

  “Flight 2389 to Sacramento is now boarding.”

  “Looks l
ike I made it right on time.” Marshall grinned.

  It was going to be a long commute. Probably 10:00 before they would arrive in Trinidad. It was just south of there, along Highway 101, where she had been found.

  Katie sat in the window seat, watching the ground fall farther and farther away as the plane climbed higher. Flying hadn’t gotten any easier for her, though it had become more frequent as of late.

  “Can I ask what you said to Spencer about this weekend? I gathered you weren’t completely honest with him,” Marshall said.

  “I’ve already gotten enough grief from my friend Sam about this; I don’t need to hear it from you too.”

  “Sorry. I was just asking. It’s none of my business.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t snap at you like that. You’re the one who’s helping me. It’s just that I knew he wouldn’t want me to do this, so I told him I was visiting Sam for the weekend; that she was going to help me shop for a wedding dress.”

  Marshall groaned.

  “Yeah, I know. It was a shitty thing to do. But this has put a huge strain on our relationship and I just didn’t want to make matters worse. In the end, he would have grudgingly supported this, but honestly, I just didn’t want to fight about it anymore.”

  “Lying always makes things worse, Kate, no matter what the reason behind it. If it was me, I’d want to know. It doesn’t sound like you’ve given him enough credit. I can’t imagine what this must feel like for him; watching the love of his life go through what you’re going through and not be able to do anything about it. I’d want to be involved every step of the way,” Marshall replied.

  “Well, I’m not sure he would feel that way. He’s a good man, but I don’t think he expected such a test to our relationship. It has been hard for both of us.”

  “Let’s just hope we can end this thing for you, Kate. You both deserve to get on with your lives and be happy.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?”