She nodded once. “You’re Don?” He wasn’t what she’d pictured in the slightest.
“Yep. Hop in, and I’ll get ya away from here.” Don sauntered around his vehicle and opened the passenger door with a flourish. He smoothed what was left of his once blond hair and turned a genuine smile toward Katie. “Time’s a-wastin’”
Gino, still on the phone, waved to Don through the window.
Halfway to Don’s jeep, Katie stopped, spun around, and ran back to her truck. Don and Gino both frowned as they watched her.
Katie pulled out a book and held it up triumphantly. “Can’t leave without one of these!”
Don talked non-stop as he drove, “We got two restaurants here in this section of town; Tipsy McQue’s, a sports bar with good food, and Joe’s Shack which isn’t much to look at but will make ya think you’ve died and gone to bar-b-que heaven.”
He kept the monologue rolling as they drove another block. “If you need food or supplies, the General Store’s the place to go. Skinny Tom will take care of you.”
Katie nodded, taking in the old-fashioned main street with its wooden buildings and brick sidewalks. It was a completely different picture from the business area near the highway. Katie’s head turned to watch window displays as they cruised past something called The Blue-Sky Market.
“It’s a quiet little town, isn’t it?”
“This time of year, it slows down, but it’s busy as all get out March through August. During the summer, every cabin, campsite, and motel are booked solid. Tourists come here to get away from the bigger city feel of Brunswick, or the resorts further down in Florida.”
Katie tried to image it but couldn’t.
“We need to stop by my office to fill out the paperwork.” Don pointed toward a small Building. Connelly Rentals was neatly lettered above the front door. Window boxes tumbled over with pansies, and a bench held a place on the sidewalk.
After filling out a receipt and accepting Katie’s hundred-dollar payment, Don handed her change and a one-page map of the town. “Since you’re gonna be here a few days, figure you need to know the area.” He circled the wooded area outside of town. “Your cabin’s back here along Fancy Bluff Creek. Nice and secluded.” Remembering she was alone, Don turned and asked, “Are you gonna be all right out there by yourself?”
Katie smiled at him. “I’m getting used to being alone.”
It was an odd statement, but Don didn’t ask questions. He’d talk to Maggie about it later.
“Anyway, there’s a path here.” Don made another circle on the map. “It takes you into town without having to walk the road all the way back.”
Map in hand, they headed back to the Jeep, and Don turned onto a side road. Katie, who’d never been in the woods, was amazed by the canopy of trees growing thicker as they drove. The cabin was the last in a row of five and boasted one large room.
Don unlocked the door, showing her inside. “Couch opens into a bed.” He opened a closet showing her the linens. “The kitchen is functional, but there’s no heat out here in the woods. You get cold, you light yourself a fire.” He pointed toward the stone fireplace. “There are logs on the porch and matches in the kitchen.”
Katie nodded. The cabin was roomier than the motel rooms she’d been staying in, which was positive. She carried in her suitcase and waved to Don as he drove away.
Checking her phone, Katie was surprised to see it was only a little after 2 p.m. Her stomach grumbled, and she found half a breakfast bar in her purse. She nibbled it as she wandered the area around the cabin. The rocks and mud made short work of her flip-flops, and she changed into her new hiking boots.
Standing in reverence of the trees, she marveled at their size, the silence. She followed Fancy Bluff Creek—a tiny spit of water near the cabin which grew wider the further she walked. Pausing beside the bank, the seriousness of her situation hit home. She hadn’t gone far enough. Jack would find her. What the hell am I gonna do now?
Chapter 44
Late in the afternoon, after a lengthy lunch, Darrow and Hopkins consolidated the notes from the whiteboard and met with each officer involved in the investigation. Near the end of the day, they consulted with Chief Greer and laid out the evidence.
Greer considered the data, rubbing his chin as he read the report. “I agree. There’s no crime here. We’ll do a press conference tomorrow. Call Mr. Werner. Give the guy some time to come to grips with the findings.”
Katie passed the little path Don had mentioned and remembered she needed supplies. She headed back to the cabin to take inventory. Thankfully, the cabin had dishes, cookware and utensils. There was a microwave but no coffee maker, and she frowned. With a list forming in her head, she followed the trail toward town.
A bell over the door announced her arrival at the General Store. A fifty-something man with sparse hair and a rail-thin body looked up and waved. Skinny Tom, Katie told herself and smiled. She picked out sandwich supplies, breakfast bars, a liter of Diet Coke, and a tiny jar of instant coffee. At the counter, a flashlight caught her eye, and she tossed it in the basket, too.
“A stranger in town attracts attention,” Skinny Tom quirked an eyebrow as he rang up her purchases.
“I’m staying in one of the Connelly cabins,” Katie answered his unspoken question.
“Are ya now?” He waited, hoping for more information.
Katie remained silent.
"Well, then that'll be $26.95"
Katie paid the bill, pocketed the nickle, and high-tailed it out of the store. She had no idea if Savannah news channels reached this far.
At 4:30 p.m., Jack rushed into the police station.
Whether by design, or long-ingrained habit, Darrow and Hopkins took turns sharing information with Jack.
“There’ll be a press conference tomorrow. We wanted you to hear the facts first,”
“Jack, there’s no foul play where Katie is concerned.”
“We’ve followed her route from Friday to Sunday.”
“We can’t find anything suspicious.” Darrow offered Jack a look of apology. “It appears Katie left on her own.”
Jack pushed up and out of his chair. “No way! She wouldn’t do that.”
“She called the cab.”
“She checked herself into a motel.”
“She voluntarily left the area."
Jack’s ears turned red. “How do you know that?"
Darrow shrugged.
“You’d rather she be safe, right?” Hopkins stood and leaned a hip on the corner of the desk. The silent threat calmed Jack down.
Darrow smoothed the tension, “Nothing wrong with a grown woman leaving.”
Jack sat back in his chair. “I don’t believe it. Can I get a copy of the report?”
“Because you're the one who reported her missing as next of kin, and since there’s no crime, you can. But, I have to warn you, it will take weeks to get through our system. That's expedited. Trust me. You can probably get a summary report in three or four days. How's that sound?"
Jack gave a terse nod.
"Alright, we’ll give you a call.”
Both Darrow and Hopkins watched with satisfaction as Jack stormed out of the office.
Katie made her way back to the cabin, jumping at shadows and animal noises. The woods were beautiful but also an unknown entity. She’d never been so alone in her life. She locked the cabin door, closed the drapes, and forced herself to calm down. She rubbed her arms, marginally aware the temperature was dropping.
Jack parked the car and was headed toward their house when Mrs. Donahue called out from her own front porch. “Oh, Jack, there you are. I’m so worried about Katie. Have you heard anything?” She wrung her hands, waiting for his reply.
He swallowed his first response, which was to tell her it was none of her fucking business. He gave a small shrug.”Not yet.” He wasn’t about to give her any details.
He stood in the foyer, picturing Katie. He saw her messy purse by the door, her
coming out of the kitchen to greet him. “Where are you, Katie?” He asked the empty kitchen. His stomach growled, but he ignored it, pouring a whiskey and Coke instead.
Jack polished off three drinks, the rest of the lunchmeat in the fridge, and three small, limp carrots. He headed toward their bedroom to change his clothes, replaying Officer Darrow’s snide voice from earlier. It appears Katie left on her own.”
Standing in their closet, Jack stripped off his tie. As he did so, his sadness ebbed, and anger rushed in to fill the void. “Bitch!” he roared, only to have his tortured voice bounce back at him from the small space. He fingered her shirts and sweaters, moving hangers first left then right. “You liked your silly nursery rhyme. How about this one?” Jack softly sang, “Come out, Come out, wherever you are.”
He then systematically tore and shred every article of her clothing. He sat laughing among the ruins and finished his drink.
Katie carted in the logs, dumping half of them in the fireplace. She’d never made a real fire as their fireplaces in the old house had been converted to gas. She located the matches and wadded up some paper towels and went to work. Ten minutes later, she wiped away frustrated tears. “Dammit!” The logs were too big and a little damp.
She scrounged the campground, looking for twigs, but the few sticks and leaves she found were wet from the earlier rain. Empty-handed, she tried again. The fireplace sputtered and smoked but never made a flame. She unzipped her suitcase and threw on extra clothing.
The light was fading, and she put her flashlight together and made up the couch-bed. She sat down to read, but her mind wouldn’t settle. Turning off the lamp, she lay looking at the ceiling and wondering if she could still salvage her plans.
With no city lights, the cabin sunk into impenetrable darkness, and her palms began to sweat. She tensed at the unfamiliar noises; rustling in the leaves outside, an owl taking flight. The flue to the fireplace expanded with a pop, and she screamed. She flicked on the lamp. “And that’s staying on,” she said out loud just to hear her own voice.
She clutched her flashlight under the blanket. If the electricity went out, she wanted to make damn sure she wasn’t sitting in the dark. Flicking the flashlight on and off, she chanted, “There was a crooked man,” Click. “who walked a crooked mile,” Click. “He found a crooked sixpence beside a crooked stile--”
She repeated the familiar song to herself until she fell into a restless sleep. Her fears and anxieties turned into hellish dreams of being chased and falling from a rocky cliff.
Chapter 45
Early Tuesday morning, Chief Greer stood on the steps to the Savannah police department and held a press conference. “Kathryn Werner’s disappearance is no longer being investigated as a kidnapping or a crime. The woman appears to have left the area of her own free will. There are no suspects, and we will be closing the case as such. If new information comes forward, we’ll review it at that time.”
Reporters interrupted one another as they shouted questions at Greer.
“Has your office heard from Kathryn?”
“What about the empty wallet?”
“Were there any calls on her cell phone?”
“How can you be sure Kathryn is okay?”
Greer repeated himself, “All evidence points to the fact Kathryn Werner left on her own. There is no evidence of foul play.” He turned and walked back into the building.
Katie read pieces and parts of the news while standing outside the General Store and using their guest Wi-Fi. Hurrying back to the cabin, she played out possible scenarios. On the one hand, it was good the police were out of the picture, but on the other, she worried about Jack. He’s been publically embarrassed, and he’d never give up so easily. And here I am, only seventy-five miles from home.
She walked the length of the creek and ended up sitting on the damp bank, watching the ripples. She replayed the last five days of running and trying to stay a step ahead of the police and Jack.
It had been frightening and nerve-wracking at times, but also full of new experiences and freedom. She closed her eyes and listened to the breeze sifting through the trees, allowing herself to remember why this new life was so important. As pictures of her life with Jack spun through her head, she watched the years pass and saw her world get smaller and darker. She stood up, announcing with more courage than she felt, “You’ve come this far, see it through.”
Jack spent a miserable morning at work. His co-workers issued him various apologies.
“Hey, man, so sorry.”
“I can’t believe Katie would leave.”
Jack grunted and closed his office door.
Aunt Susan called the office, “Oh, Jack. I saw the news. I can’t believe Katie would do such a thing.”
For once, Jack agreed with the old woman.
Katie needed to verify where she stood financially and walked back to the cabin, collecting sticks and twigs along the route. “I am damn well going to have a fire tonight.”
She deposited her kindling in the smoke-stained fireplace and dug through the overstuffed suitcase and myriad of bags until she located a legal pad. Dumping out her tote, even Katie was surprised by the amount of junk she’d accumulated in the last few days. She smoothed out the crumpled receipts, ready to do business. Starting at the beginning and wrote down $5754.28.
The minus column was significantly longer. Friday’s costs for the cab, Motel 6, fast food, and her purchases at Dollar General came to $279.21.
Saturday had been even more expensive as she’d purchased new clothes and supplies, rode the bus, bought food, and paid for two nights at the City Manor Motel. She subtracted another $449.99.
Sunday was the real whopper thanks to the truck and the deposit on an apartment she’d never see again. “I spent almost two-thousand dollars on Sunday!” Katie circled the new total and dropped her forehead into her hands.
She started to add up Monday’s expenses, then stopped abruptly. “This is stupid. All that matters is what I have left.” Crumbling the receipts, she threw them in the fireplace.
Counting cash, she shook her tote to find all the change. She had $2741.14. “God. It’s not going to last. I’m not going to make it.”
She called Ginos at 10 a.m. The news was bad.
“Sorry, Ms. Morrison. We’re gonna have to do the bearings, rotors, and brakes. I’m cutting expenses where I can, but it looks like it will come in around twelve-hundred.”
Katie groaned. “Any idea as to when you’ll be done?”
“Parts are still coming in. Hopefully, we’ll have ya up and runnin’ tomorrow afternoon, but you probably need to make plans ‘til Thursday morning. Sorry,” he said again.
Katie ended the call and flopped on the couch. By the time I leave here, I’ll be lucky if I have $1500. The cheapest studio apartment she’d found in White City was $500 a month with first and last month’s rent due at signing. If she stayed with her current plans, she’d have $500 to her name. It didn’t sound bad until she added in gas for the truck, food, a deposit on the apartment, and money for utility bills. She’d have to get a job immediately and then admitted renting an apartment might not be so easy until she had a job and a few paychecks to show for herself. Where do I live during that time? How much will it cost? Can I sleep in the truck? She scrubbed at her face for the hundredth time in two days. "I can't live like this. It's killing me!"
Unwilling to sit and worry, Katie headed back toward town. She bee-lined to the Blue-Sky Market and fell in love. There, the exotic smells, mixed with vibrant colors and a cacophony of sound, felt like conversation. Katie eagerly lapped up the interaction as it chased away her loneliness.
Although she could hardly afford to be an impulsive shopper, Katie couldn’t resist spending ten dollars on a silly, glass tree frog at Junkalicious. He caught her eye and made her feel better. For years she’d been unable to buy anything for herself without Jack first approving the purchase. Peering inside her bag, she smiled at her frog as she made her wa
y back to the street.
Spying Joe’s Shack--which was precisely that—Katie veered in that direction. She'd barely eaten in days, and her mouth watered as soon as she walked in the door. She eagerly ordered the “Joe Momma” special.
Katie didn’t know what else to do with her day and returned to the shopping area. She entered the first storefront she encountered. Hungry for human contact, she struck up a conversation with the man behind the counter. “Drift Away--it’s an imaginative name. I would have come in here based on the name, even if I hadn't seen the amazing bench in your window.” Katie fingered several carvings and crouched to get a better look.
Isaac grunted and kept working. Muddy brown eyes observed her through shaggy bangs.
“Are you the artist?”
Isaac grunted again.
“You’re talented. If I had more money, I’d buy the piece with the four branches you turned into rolling waves and surf.”
He permitted a small smile.
“It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?” She held out her hand to shake.
He ignored the gesture. “Isaac.” He watched her as she wandered through his store. She paused at what he considered his best pieces, which pleased him.
“See ya later, Isaac.” She waved goodbye and wandered further down the street. She stood on the sidewalk peering through the display window of the Crested Iris.
A red-headed lady opened the door. Wearing ripped jeans, and a flowered shirt, Katie guessed her to be around forty. The woman gestured Katie toward the door, “Come on in, you can see better from the inside.”
“Oh no,” Katie blushed and shoved her hands into her back jean pockets. “I’m just looking. Well, admiring.”
“You can look all ya like and smell all the flowers too. It’s allowed. I know the owner, Maggie.” She pointed to her chest, “Me. I’m the owner!” She belted out a boisterous laugh.
Unable to resist, Katie hurried through the open door and inhaled deeply. "Heaven will smell like this." Katie lifted a vase, watching the colors swirl. “Oh, this is beautiful.”
There Was a Crooked Man: A Psychological Thriller Page 22