Pretty Broken Dolls: An absolutely gripping crime thriller packed with mystery and suspense (Detective Katie Scott Book 6)

by Jennifer Chase

  “Put your hands up!” she said. “Put them where I can see them!”

  The decoy obliged and put his hands in the air.

  “Turn around and put your hands on your head!”

  The decoy hesitated.

  “Do it now!”

  He slowly turned around and raised his hands, placing them on the back of his head.

  Katie walked forward assertively, approaching the decoy. She patted him down and then placed one handcuff on his right hand and then he turned and began struggling with her. He pushed her hard and Katie hit the ground.

  “Cisco!” she yelled. “Fass!” she commanded in German, meaning “bite”.

  The cruiser’s back door popped open and instantly a black blur flew out of the car and was attached to the decoy’s arm, taking him to the ground.

  Katie climbed to her feet, watching Cisco.

  “Okay,” said the decoy, and stopped moving.

  “Cisco, aus!” she yelled, ordering him to release his bite.

  Cisco did so immediately, relaxing his jaws, and sitting to await the next order, but still barking incessantly, never taking his eyes from the decoy.

  Katie approached the decoy to secure the other handcuff and he grabbed her forcefully.

  Cisco immediately jumped into action again.

  “Aus!” Katie yelled and the dog let go. “Platz.” Cisco instantly lay down.

  There were a few claps and whispers from the audience due to Cisco’s impressive skills of releasing the bad guy in record time.

  Katie secured the other handcuff and escorted the decoy to the police car as Cisco obediently walked to heel at her side.

  Lizzy and John whooped and hollered. “Good boy, Cisco!”

  Katie laughed, feeling a bit winded due to the adrenalin pumping through her body. Taking the cuffs off the decoy, she said, “That was great.”

  “Hey, sorry about shoving you so hard. I’m used to big guys.”

  “No problem. Made it more real.”

  The decoy went back to the exercise location as Katie snatched up Cisco’s leash. They walked back to the main area.

  “Great job,” said Sergeant Hardy. To the rest of the group, he advised: “You could learn something from Detective Scott. Great call-off.”

  Lizzy hurried to Katie. “Wow, you haven’t lost your touch. Cisco is spot on.”

  “Thanks,” she said smiling. Katie loved the work.

  “Okay, I’m totally impressed,” said John. “That was awesome.”

  “Thank you. It’s a lot of fun, that’s for sure. These dogs are all amazing.”

  Katie went back to her Jeep to give Cisco a rest and spent the next half hour chatting with Lizzy and John, waiting for her turn at the tracking and trailing exercise. She saw a different side to John from the professional forensic scientist side and found out that he was really funny and charming. She still didn’t know if Lizzy and John were going to try to make a long-distance relationship work, which made her think about Chad—wondering what he was doing at that exact moment. They had been playing phone tag, leaving text messages and voicemails but never quite connecting.

  Katie had secured Cisco in a lightweight harness and a fifteen-foot leash so that she could have control of him as they moved through the forest for the tracking exercise. She waited for the green light from Sergeant Hardy. This particular exercise wasn’t a spectator one, which left Lizzy and John to wait at the parking lot until Cisco found the bad guy.

  “All ready, Scott?” said Hardy.

  Katie focused her attention ahead. The trail wasn’t like what she was used to. It was narrow and places were cluttered with low brush and downed tree branches. It was cooler in the dense trees as she gathered her thoughts.

  “Cisco, such,” she said.

  Cisco took the lead, keeping his nose down. Every once in a while he would stop and catch some scent in the air.

  As the dog led Katie slightly downhill, she navigated the forest as best she could so that she could keep Cisco’s pace. It was tricky as branches scraped by her legs. She found herself in a bob and weave move every few feet, keeping small branches and pine needles from slapping her face.

  Cisco slowed until he completely stopped. His ears up, he scrutinized the forest as he caught wind of something airborne and unnatural. The scent made him growl—low and guttural.

  Katie stopped. She too listened but the only sound she heard was the slight breeze weaving through the trees. There were no birds chirping and nothing sounded in the underbrush. Goosebumps rose on her arms. Taking Cisco’s lead, she felt something was wrong. There were no footsteps behind her of the sergeant or any other officer following.

  “Cisco, what is it?” she whispered.

  Two consecutive gunshots exploded just above their heads. After two seconds, two more gunshots sounded. It echoed all around them.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Saturday 1145 hours

  Shooting wasn’t a part of the K9 training exercise.

  Katie instinctively lunged forward, grabbing Cisco’s collar and guiding him down—they hid in a small ravine, hopefully out of sight as a potential target. She stayed still—listening. There were no footsteps or crunching noises that would indicate someone walking. Who was shooting? A hunter? She didn’t think so. She waited for the next round of gunfire.

  Luckily, she had her cell phone in her pocket and she had turned it to vibrate. She called Lizzy. It rang twice before her friend answered.

  “Lizzy,” whispered Katie.

  “Katie, are you alright? What’s going on? Everyone heard the shots and are responding.” Her voice was winded and concerned.

  Katie could hear voices yelling back and forth.

  “We’re fine. We tucked down in a small ravine… but…”

  “But what?”

  “It’s unclear if the shots were meant for us or not. They seemed to be aimed high.”

  “Did you see anyone?”

  “No, but the shots came from the west.”

  “I’ll tell them. About how far are you?”

  “We’re about a quarter of a mile down.”

  “Okay. Stay there until they tell you it’s safe.”

  “Okay.”

  The phone call ended.

  Katie waited.

  Cisco’s rhythmic panting reminded her of all the stressful situations they had encountered together. She and Cisco usually took point to get through rough terrain infested with insurgents and heavily set explosive traps. She thought back to the tiny spaces they had to hide from the enemy fire as bullets pummeled too close for comfort. The battle-torn towns that had once been thriving little communities, where the enemy could be hiding around every corner, waiting to attack.

  Her heart pounded, making her feel dizzy. In an instant, her arms and legs felt weakened. She perspired underneath her jacket even though it was cool and comfortable outside. She thought that she caught a whiff of ejected gunfire, but knew that it wasn’t real. Consciously slowing her breath helped lessen her symptoms. She was concentrating so hard on listening for signs that someone was sneaking up to ambush her that she wasn’t sure if her mind was playing tricks on her.

  But then Katie heard real voices coming. The sound of cops communicating and clearing areas as they slowly made their way to her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Of everything that she had been anticipating today, an active shooter in the forest wasn’t one of them.

  She waited another fifteen minutes—which felt more like an hour—until she heard the word.

  “Scott, it’s clear!” yelled one of the officers.

  Katie slowly crawled up to the makeshift trail with Cisco beside her. She stood up and saw three officers approach.

  “You okay?” said one of them.

  “Yes, we’re fine.”

  “Go ahead and walk back to the parking lot. It’s been cleared for your safety.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she hiked back.

  After Katie returned to the main area, Lizzy
and John met up with her.

  “Are you okay?” they both asked in unison.

  “Yes. We’re fine. A bit unnerving.” She was shaky but held strong.

  Sergeant Hardy approached. “Detective Scott, we’re going to need your statement before you go.”

  “Of course.” She looked at Lizzy and John. “I’ll be right back.”

  Katie followed the sergeant.

  “I’m afraid that I’m not going to be much help. I didn’t see or hear anything except the shots.”

  “You said the shots came from the west.”

  “Yes, but they seemed to be high in the trees.”

  “Anything else?” he said. She could tell that he was annoyed that she couldn’t help or provide any other information.

  “It’s just… it seems to me that they were just trying to scare me—not kill me. Otherwise, I would be dead.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Saturday 1330 hours

  Katie was due to meet with her Uncle Wayne. They would usually meet for lunch once a month to catch up without the backdrop of the sheriff’s department. They typically would go to a restaurant or an art exhibit, but today had decided to have a nice quiet lunch at her uncle’s condo. Katie knew that the transition of moving into a condo from the home he had shared with his late wife was something that took getting used to. It was nice to take some time and enjoy the views.

  She stood on the balcony and waited for her uncle to finish preparing the meal. More than anything, she needed family and something to distract her from the current events. It was the healthy thing to do. She had waited to tell him about the incident at K9 training.

  Cisco had found a comfortable place on the couch inside and seemed content after a morning of training.

  Katie stared out at the eighteen-hole golf course beside her uncle’s condo. The view from the balcony was beautiful, with the golf course spread beneath it and the countryside and trees around it.

  At first, when her uncle decided to sell his big house in the country after his wife was murdered, Katie didn’t know if this type of setting would make him happy. But looking around, she felt now that it seemed to fit him.

  Uncle Wayne’s three-bedroom condo was spacious, with plenty of room for his hobbies, guests, and any comfort he would need. He could entertain if he wanted and it simplified his life, which was what he needed.

  “Okay,” he said as he carried out two plates and two bowls.

  “Oh wow,” said Katie. She eyed the gooey grilled-cheese sandwiches and bowls of vegetable soup, and sat down at the small bistro table. “This was always my favorite when I was a kid—actually, it still is.” She laughed.

  Taking his seat across from his niece, the sheriff said, “I know you’ve had a full week and it just seemed like the right meal to have today.”

  “Uncle Wayne, you always know how to make me feel better.”

  “It’s tough sometimes at work because I want to be your uncle when certain things happen, but I’m the sheriff and that’s the way I have to act.”

  “I know.”

  “I get the feeling you have something either to tell me or ask me.”

  Katie took a bite of the sandwich. “Yum, just as I remembered it.”

  Her uncle eyed her seriously, waiting for an answer.

  “It’s this…” she began and stopped.

  “Is it work or Chad?”

  “Actually, it’s both, but let’s start with work because I’m not ready to talk about Chad yet.” She stirred her soup and paused. “I don’t understand this case.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, it’s a bit unorthodox, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I don’t know about that. Departments and agencies overlap and help each other all the time—especially with high-profile and serial cases.”

  Katie stared at her uncle, trying to decipher if he was keeping something back from her. She tried to explain from another angle. “Why would the state need help from us—me, especially? I mean, they have so many people at their disposal, including use of the FBI profilers.”

  “I think it’s important that we can help. So if we can, then we do. I would have never agreed to take on these cases if I thought there was something not right.”

  Katie wasn’t completely reassured but she couldn’t back up her uneasiness with anything concrete. She decided not to push the issue. “Thanks, Uncle Wayne. I love being able to talk to you.”

  “Me too. I love you, Katie.”

  Katie smiled and tried to enjoy the rest of her visit. The conversation made her feel a little better but it still didn’t make her job any easier.

  Katie feared for what was going to happen next, so she told her uncle about the incident at the K9 training center before he heard it from someone else.

  He listened intently, not interrupting, allowing Katie to finish.

  “My take is that the shots have something to do with our case, like a warning.”

  The sheriff hesitated. “I agree. And…”

  “And what?” she said softly, knowing what he was going to say.

  “And, it seems that your K9 connection with all these cases should be at the top of your list. You need to keep yourself safe, otherwise I will assign an officer to you.”

  “You don’t need to do that. I’m fine. I have Cisco and my house has a top-of-the-line security system.”

  “I will decide if you need more security or not. I don’t want you alone investigating without McGaven. Understood?”

  Katie was about to protest but then, “Fine.”

  “I mean it, Katie. The more you tell me about these cases, the more I think you need to take extra precautions.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Sunday 0545 hours

  That night was terrible for Katie as far as rest was concerned. She had tossed and turned, jolted awake continually by imagined sounds and terrible memories coming back. And then the insomnia set in, where she couldn’t get back to sleep. She missed Chad terribly. It was like a part of her was gone. He had been the one constant in her life ever since she was in the fourth grade—no one knew her like he did.

  Katie decided to get up to write in her journal before the sun rose to take her mind off things. Her psychologist told her to put pen to paper if something was bothering her—so she did. It had been helpful in the past and it had become easier the more she did it.

  Cisco pushed his wet nose at her journal, giving her his usual German shepherd whine.

  “Let me finish, Cisco,” she giggled, scratching him behind his ears.

  The dog padded around the living room and quickly came back to pester Katie.

  “Okay, okay. We’ll go on a run.”

  Cisco barked in agreement, bounding around the room in circles.

  Katie grabbed a light high-protein breakfast and changed into her running clothes and an all-weather windbreaker.

  Heading for the door, she said, “C’mon, Cisco, let’s go!”

  They drove to her favorite hiking and running area at Break Ridge. It would be near deserted on a chilly Sunday morning, unlike in a month or so’s time, when there would be more visitors. She needed to grab as much fresh air as she could and let her mind take a break from thinking about killers. It would energize her brain and she would be more alert to dive back into the investigation again.

  Katie parked just adjacent to the entrance and was the only vehicle in the parking area. She adjusted her running pants to accommodate a small Beretta pistol in her ankle holster. Since she was alone and several miles away from any home or business, Katie liked to be prepared. She preferred to take out any unnecessary complications that could arise.

  She slipped her cell phone into her pocket along with her car key. Taking Cisco’s leash, she wound it around her waist and secured the clasp in case she needed it. After a few stretches, she was ready to go.

  “You ready, Cisco?”

  Three loud barks was his answer. He was a black blur as he spun around and h
eaded to the entrance, indicated by two large pine trees and a small sign saying “River Ridge.”

  Katie began her run at the top of the hill and slowly warmed up with a light jog as she increased her speed.

  Cisco always knew what to do. He kept up with her ambitious pace: occasionally wandering off the trail, but never for too long, he would then bound back up on the path next to her with his tongue hanging out. He kept a watchful eye for anything out of the ordinary—his main job was to make sure that Katie was safe.

  As Katie ran down the path, she steadied her breath and enjoyed the fresh morning aroma of pine and the crisp morning air. There was nothing better. Finally, her muscles eased and her mind softened, as she connected with the beautiful scenery. Even Cisco seemed to be more relaxed.

  Katie noticed that in many places the ground was spongy and was holding water from previous storms, although it wasn’t yet muddy.

  She climbed up to a lookout, slowing her pace a bit to catch her breath. Jogging on the spot, she stayed to admire her surroundings and to appreciate everything that the area had to offer. Sometimes, when she was so focused on a case, she forgot to take a second to be in the moment and enjoy the world around her.

  The wind picked up, whipping through the trees. The breeze seemed to switch directions, first blasting her face and then pushing against her back.

  Katie realized that a storm was on the way from the change in temperature and the fast-moving clouds. She didn’t want to get soaked and have a wet dog in the car, so she decided to turn around and retrace her steps back to the entrance. She had been running for a solid twenty-five minutes at a good pace.

  The air temperature dropped further as Katie slowed her pace for the cool down, making her shiver. A strange noise reverberated from above—a low boom and then a sputtering sound. She thought at first it was some kind of thunder, but it wasn’t like anything she had heard before. Her instincts told her to leave.