Redwood Violet

by Robin Mahle

  “Have you already seen this?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  His refusal to offer further details was a cause for concern, but still, Katie waited patiently as the file loaded on the computer screen.

  “Okay, what we’re looking at is the summary from forensics. They were able to pull a good sample of DNA off the victim’s sweater. The results were cross-matched in CODIS, but nothing came up, no match.” Marshall was now looking Katie squarely in the eyes, ensuring she’d heard him correctly. “There was no match, Kate. I’m sorry.”

  Her breath became labored as she struggled to keep her emotions intact. “So that’s it? No match means we don’t have a suspect? There’s no place else to look?”

  “We don’t have a suspect. But, what this does mean is that they’ve entered the information into CODIS, so if another sample is cross-referenced down the road and a match is found, they’ll be able to connect the cases. That’s a good thing.”

  “That’s a good thing, but not for me.”

  “It was a long shot, Kate. You knew that going in.”

  “I did. I guess I just thought I had some sort of connection with her. All the dreams and the memories; everything that I’ve been through in the past six months boiled down to seeing this little girl on the news. I know it was a long shot, but I was banking on it.

  “Everything I’ve done has been for nothing. Finding out my parents lied to me my entire life, remembering this horrible event that happened to me when I was a kid, thinking I was crazy because of all the nightmares. For God’s sake, I lost my fiancé over this. Why did I survive, if not to find this asshole?”

  “Kate, the important thing here is that you’re helping other victims now. That is the purpose of your having survived something so unimaginably horrible. I did say that this would be a long road to hoe. He showed his hand by sending that letter to the chief. He’s not done. I promise you that. We just have to be patient.” Marshall tried to comfort her, but she resisted.

  Katie walked out, her anger consuming her beyond the point of consolation. Marshall may have thought the two of them were alike, but she hadn’t anywhere near his level of patience. Of course, she had been the victim, not him.

  * * *

  In the days that followed, Katie’s nightmares returned with a vengeance, but they now were about Isabelle Thompson, Jennifer Chase, and the others whom she could not save. She was losing her sense of self, the one thing of which she had always maintained control, until she had discovered the truth of her past.

  Marshall hadn’t called her; she expected as much and knew it was his way of giving her time to deal with this latest blow. However, she discovered later on in the week that he had taken the liberty of contacting Sam, a fact that Sam revealed during their conversation.

  “Do you want me to come see you? I can be on the next plane,” Sam said.

  “No. I’ll be fine. I just need to get my head around this. I know Marshall’s right; I just don’t know if I can sit back and wait.”

  “But there’s nothing else for you to do, Katie. Maybe you should go back to Dr. Reyes and continue with the counseling, especially since the nightmares have been so bad.”

  “I don’t know if it’ll do any good. I feel like I’ve lost everything.”

  “You will get through this, Kate. You’re stronger than you think. I can’t say I’m not a little relieved you’re taking a step back from pursuing the man who tried to kill you. It’s not something I can even hope to understand because it wasn’t me who went through what you did. I just want you to be safe.”

  “I know, Sam. Thank you. It’s getting late; I’ve got a lot of work to do in the morning, so I’m going to call it a night. I’m glad you phoned, although I wish Marshall hadn’t worried you.”

  “He was concerned. You know, I’m glad you have a friend like him down there for you. I wish it could be me, but there’s a reason certain people come into our lives. He is supposed to be there for you now. I believe that very much.”

  “You might be right about that. Listen, you know I love you and I’ll be okay. I’ll plan on coming to see you around the holidays. I’m going to stay with my parents. It’s been a long time since I’ve been home for Christmas. Good night, Sam.”

  * * *

  Katie was working on the Whittaker file when Marshall appeared at her desk on Friday morning.

  “Knock, knock. Can I come in?”

  Her desk was in a cubicle in the west part of the station. Knocking was unnecessary, but she knew Marshall was trying to be respectful of her space. Besides, the sight of him brought a glow to Katie’s face. She missed him and it had been a long and difficult week without his shoulder to lean on.

  “You bet.” She waved him in. “It’s great to see you.”

  Marshall sat on the corner of her desk. “So how’s your friend Sam doing?”

  Katie smiled. “Thank you for that, by the way. It had been too long since we’d spoken. I didn’t want to worry her.”

  “There are some things you shouldn’t try to handle on your own, Kate. I thought you could use a friend. I hope I didn’t cross a line.”

  “No, you didn’t. I’m sorry I shut down like that. You’ve been there every step of the way and I didn’t handle things very well.”

  “I’ve had my share of bad days, so let’s just chalk it up to that. So anyway, I came by to tell you we have to turn over the Whittaker files to the FBI. Turns out, they are dealing with a kidnapping. The boy is being held for ransom in Mexico. I think they suspected that was the case all along and only got us involved to keep the tourists from panicking about traveling there. The father had some business dealings and unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon practice in Mexico right now; taking rich people’s kids for ransom.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Yeah; this’ll end well if the FBI gets involved. That’s why they’re taking over the investigation from here.”

  “Okay. I’ll finish up what I’ve got and bring everything to you later today. I’m glad the boy is alive, for once.”

  “They don’t all end up gone forever, Kate; it just seems like that sometimes. I’ve got to head back. Give me a buzz when you’re heading down.” Marshall began to walk away, but stopped short. “I’m glad you’re doing better.”

  * * *

  Dusk was giving way to the night when Katie opened the door to her apartment. The fall nights were getting cold now, even by San Diego standards. She tossed her coat on the back of the dining chair. The mail had been strewn across the table along with her bag and keys. Sifting through the barrage of junk mail, Katie spotted an envelope with no return address. The child-like handwriting sent a bolt of adrenaline through her as she read the name. She slowly pulled the letter towards her in order to be sure she was reading it clearly. It was addressed to “Little Katie Reid.”

  Suddenly doubtful if she was alone, Katie surveyed the dimly lit room. Instinctively she twisted her body towards the front door, ensuring it had been relocked. Her index finger slid under the flap of the envelope, gently pulling it apart. No, this can’t be from him. It’s not possible. He doesn’t know where I live. She carefully removed the paper tucked inside, unfolding the top, then the bottom.

  “Dear little Katie,

  I wonder how much you remember of the wonderful time we spent together those many years ago. Do you recall how much fun we had; just you and me? I do. I remember your shiny brown hair, so long and soft, and your sweet, tender lips. I knew you were frightened; that’s why I tried to comfort you. It was a shame you left me, little Katie. I had such big plans for us.

  “Although I suppose now that you’re engaged, for which congratulations are in order, you’ve made plans of your own. Tell me, Katie, does he make you feel the way I did? You were so young and unspoiled. Does he know he wasn’t your first?”

  She trembled as she read the words. Nothing her dreams had unearthed prepared her for the reality of his existence.

  “Oh Katie, why did y
ou start digging around the past? See, I knew that could be a problem down the road. Even when I read those articles saying you couldn’t remember what happened, I always wondered if it’d ever come back to you; all those wonderful things we did together. I must admit though, I was a little surprised when I read that you met with Chief Wilson. He was only a detective then, but incompetent just the same. Of course, the press didn’t name you, just calling you a ‘victim,’ but you and I both know you were the only one who got away.

  I was angry at first, but then I found another to take your place; and then another. But, I digress. Let me just say this; you should have left the past alone, little Katie Reid.”

  The letter slipped from her hands and glided to the floor. She stood immobilized, frozen by the echo of his words swirling around her head. Once again, he had control over her, but she would not give in.

  Katie snatched her cell phone from the dining table. “Marshall? Marshall, he sent me a letter.”

  “What? Who?”

  She waited a moment for him to comprehend what she was saying.

  “Oh my God; are you sure, Kate?”

  “Yes.” She was the calm one this time.

  “How did he find you? I don’t understand.”

  “My wedding announcement; he must have seen it. He found the article in the San Diego U-T. It couldn’t have been that hard to find me.”

  “I’m coming over right now.”

  Before she could respond, he hung up. It didn’t matter; the important thing was that he was coming. She was angry, frightened, and about a million other emotions coursed through her body.

  It took nearly thirty minutes before Marshall arrived. Katie was still sitting in the dining room chair, staring at the letter.

  He pounded on the door. “Katie? It’s Marshall. Open the door.”

  She slowly rose from the chair and walked towards the door, calmly and quietly.

  Katie turned the handle and slowly opened it. He rushed in and grabbed her by the shoulders.

  “Are you okay?”

  She only nodded.

  Marshall saw the letter on the table. “I wonder if we can get prints. What did you do with the envelope, Kate?”

  She pointed to the floor.

  “Come here and sit down,” he said. “This was mailed yesterday according to the postmark. It had to have come from here in California to arrive so quickly. How could he know where you live?”

  “He found my wedding announcement and figured I must live in San Diego. How hard can it be to find someone’s address? You can find just about anything on the Internet. He only had to search my name. Damn it, I had completely forgotten about it.”

  “You’re right. Jesus, I wish you’d told me about the announcement.”

  “I’m sorry, Marshall. It slipped my mind. Do you think I wanted him to find me?”

  “No, of course not.” His frustration had clearly gotten the best of him. “It’s okay, Kate; You’ll be safe, I’ll make sure of that. I think we need to call Chief Wilson.” Marshall glanced at his watch. “He’s probably gone for the day, but I’m sure the station will patch me through to his cell.”

  “Chief, this is Detective Avery in San Diego. Fine sir, thank you. Chief, I’m here at the home of Kate Reid; she has just received a letter from her abductor. It seems as though he was able to find her location as a result of a wedding announcement that was published back in April of this year.

  “Yes, sir. He made reference to the previous letter sent to your station. It is the same guy…. She’s all right. I’m going to stay with her for now, but I think it’s imperative we take a serious look at reopening the investigation. Although no direct threat was made, a vague warning was mentioned. I think he plans on contacting her again….

  “Thank you, sir. We will e-mail the letter to you now. Please let me know how you intend to proceed as soon as possible and we can coordinate with SDPD. He just crossed over into my jurisdiction now. …. Of course. I’ll speak with you tomorrow. Good night, Chief.” He turned to Katie. “He wants to show the letter to the DA. We still won’t have much evidence, but we have enough to reopen your file, he believes. Any threat of harm to another individual, whether known or unknown to the victim, is enough to warrant an investigation. You may get what you want after all, Kate.”

  “Did you read what he said about replacing me? There have been others, Marshall; we know that for a fact now. He’s hurt others the way he hurt me, only they didn’t escape.”

  “Yes, we can only hope he screwed up somewhere along the way and left an opening for us. I’m not entirely sure where we go from here, but we’ll know more after we hear back from the chief. I’d like to stay here with you tonight, Kate; I can sleep on the couch. I don’t feel right leaving you alone.”

  “Okay. I would appreciate it very much if you stayed here, thank you. Are you hungry? I can call for some pizza.”

  The perplexed look on his face seemed to require that she explain her need for food at such a time. “I’ve got to have some sort of distraction right now and food seems like a good idea.”

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

  “You still have to eat.”

  “Okay, okay. Get some pizza.”

  Katie ordered the food and they settled in for a long night of mindless television, though neither of them could think of much else except for what was to come.

  The silence that followed as they stared at the TV wasn’t awkward, but it was comforting because Katie knew she didn’t have to say anything. Marshall had an understanding of her that very few had.

  The quiet hours lingered on until she drifted off to sleep, curled up on the end of the couch. She roused only slightly when a blanket was gently placed over her.

  “There’s my little Katie.” The voice traveled to her ears, but she could not see from whose mouth it came. The tightly bound scarf around her eyes made sure of that. “You know, a lot of people are looking for you,” the voice continued.

  She screamed as loud as she could, but he only laughed. “Oh, Katie; you don’t think anyone can hear you, do you? I’ve got you far away from everyone.”

  “I want to go home, please. I want my mommy.” She felt a large hand brush the hair from her forehead.

  “I know, honey; soon. You’ll see your mommy soon. But first, I have lots of fun things planned for us. Do you like games, Katie?”

  She nodded her head.

  “Good. I have lots of games we can play together.”

  His weight lifted from the cot and she listened as his footsteps faded away. He was gone, for now. She pried the scarf down enough to catch a glimpse of her surroundings. The only thought she had was how upset her mother would be because she talked to the stranger. How many times did she tell her not to talk to strangers?

  Katie was hungry and thirsty. She saw a cup of water on the small table next to the bed. There wasn’t much in it, but it was enough for now.

  The footsteps were back and she quickly pulled the scarf back over her eyes.

  “You must be getting very hungry. You haven’t eaten in nearly two days, little Katie. Remember what I told you? You do something for me and I’ll give you some food. That’s how our little game works. I don’t want you struggling with me again, like yesterday.”

  “But you were hurting me,” she whispered.

  “Mmmm, don’t these pancakes smell good?” he said. “I’ve got a big glass of milk for you too.”

  The pain in her stomach worsened with the scent of the food, so this time, when he placed his hand on her thigh, she didn’t fight him.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” she cried.

  He slid her pants down around her ankles, then slowly felt his way up her thighs. Katie shook with fear as she squeezed her eyes shut behind the scarf. Terror ripped through her until she no longer had any control over her own body.

  “You stupid little bitch!” he yelled and jumped off the cot.

  That’s when she felt it. She had soiled herse
lf. Katie pulled down the scarf to see him hunched over in disgust, wiping his pants.

  “Grab the lamp, Katie,” a voice whispered as if coming from inside her head. She knew what to do as her body filled with strength far beyond that of a six-year-old. He rose just in time to see her swing the lamp. It struck him squarely on the side of his head. Blood poured from his temple as he stumbled back in pain.

  Katie reeled from the blow, almost falling back onto the cot, her tiny body thrown off balance. He was stumbling and now was her only chance. She could make it to the stairs before he regained his footing. She reached the bottom step and heard him lurching toward her. “Run,” the voice in her head whispered again.

  The door at the top of the stairs was stuck. He was only a few steps behind. She finally pulled it open with all the might she could muster.

  “You think you can get away from me?” he bellowed, laboring towards the final step. “I’ll find you, Katie. There’s no place for you to go. There’s no one around for miles.”

  It was so bright in the house; it must have been the morning sun. Katie looked left, then right, and spotted the front door. She had no shoes and no pants, but she ran as fast as she could.

  He was almost on top of her now, barely making it out the door ahead of him. Ahead of her were the woods. Looking behind her one last time, there he was. His bloodied face stared directly at her and he smiled. “I’ll catch you, Katie. You can’t get away from me.”

  Katie sat, bolt-up on the couch. She was out of breath and sweat poured from her brow.

  Marshall lurched towards her. “Are you okay, Kate? I’m sorry; I must have fallen asleep. Did you have another nightmare?”

  Katie looked at him with renewed vitality, grasping what had just happened.

  “Come on, Kate, talk to me. Are you okay?” he asked again.

  “I saw his face.”

  Marshall’s expression hardened instantly at her words. It occurred to both of them exactly what this meant.