All the Shiny Things: A Kate Reid Novel (Kate Reid Series Book 1) (25 page)

“Hey.” Marshall stopped and turned her square in front of him. “They’ll be okay, I promise,” Marshall said.

He wasn’t one for breaking promises, but even he couldn’t control what she had unleashed.

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As soon as they arrived back in the bullpen, Captain Hearn called them into his office. A veteran of the first Gulf War, Hearn had a reputation for a lack of tolerance for the media or anything that distracted his officers from doing their job. His military-style leadership meant he expected a level of dignity and honor from those under his charge. This included the utmost level of professionalism as the rule when dealing with the unruly press. But for whatever reason, he’d developed a soft spot for Katie and he handled them, for the most part, protecting Katie from the bulk of the onslaught. Maybe it was because he had a daughter; maybe it was because that was just what he did for one of his own.

“Have a seat. I need to talk to both of you.”

The ensuing looks exchanged between Katie and Marshall signaled that this wasn’t going to be good.

“Katie, I think you’ve been doing a great job since you came to work for us. But, with everything that’s going on, I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to continue with your fieldwork.” He immediately held up his hand, pre-empting any comments from either of them. “You need to understand that you have drawn a lot of attention since coming forward. Even before you both came to me with this, you’d been working on it without my knowledge. That’s something that Detective Avery should have realized was going to be a problem with me.” A stern look shot out in Marshall’s direction.

“For whatever reason, this Channel 9 reporter seems to have it in for you, Katie. He’s not going to go away and he will find out that you two were working on this case long before it became public. I have no doubt he’s going to drag Chief Wilson, your parents, your friends, and everyone you’ve been in contact with over the past six months into this.”

“I don’t get why the hell this guy…” Marshall started. He leaned forward on his chair, suggesting this was an important point he was about to make.

But Captain Hearn only held up his hand again. “It doesn’t matter what his motives are, Avery. He’s going to get his story. He’s going to question your doctor too, Katie. Not to mention that we have no idea if, or when, the man we’re after is going to make contact with you again. I can’t risk it.”

“Aguilar can’t dispute what happened to me.” Katie interjected, glossing over his last point.

“Of course not, but he can and will try to discredit how you came to identify your abductor.” The captain seemed to be growing weary of the conversation. “And what happens when he learns this man might be connected with other cases? That we could be dealing with a serial killer? How much mercy do you think he’ll show you or the other families who might be involved? Look, I don’t give a shit about this guy. What matters is that you cannot continue to be exposed in the field and I’m pulling you out.”

Katie stood up, looked Hearn in the eye, and tried to think of one reason why she shouldn’t be pulled, but none came to her. He was right. The threat was real not only from the man who took her, but from the media as well. “Fine; may I go now?” Almost immediately, she turned to leave, not waiting to be dismissed.

“There’s one more thing, Katie,” the captain started. “I strongly suggest we place you in protective custody.”

Whipped back around, she looked at Marshall in astonishment.

“Wait a minute; I thought we discussed this, captain?” Marshall asked.

They both knew that protective custody meant some crap shack in the middle of nowhere. No contact with anyone and no way she’d be able to continue to be involved in the investigation.

“She needs to stay low, Marshall. This isn’t some random kidnapping case for you two to solve. There’s a possible killer out there, looking for her. We aren’t going to take this lightly. You, of all people, should understand what’s at risk here.”

“Where are they going to send her?” Marshall asked.

Katie’s irritation grew at his concession to this arrangement.

“I can’t tell you that. There’s a high probability that the FBI is going to get involved with this case. That happens and you can rest assured they’re going to take her far away from here.”

“Why would the FBI get involved?” Katie asked.

“Multiple jurisdictions, suspected serial killer; they’ll get involved if there’s evidence this asshole was involved in the other disappearances that happened the summer you were taken. They’ll get their Behavioral Unit involved. We’ll be pushed out to pasture.”

“I’m assuming you must have some reason to think there’s a connection, captain?” Katie asked.

“I’ve had some interesting discussions with Chief Wilson. We’ll know more when we meet with him day after tomorrow.”

“Look, what if Kate stays with me, at my place, at least until we know more? She’ll be safe there; you know that,” Marshall said.

Relief passed through her at the thought that he was on her side again; that she wouldn’t be whisked away to some remote location, unable to contact anyone, especially Marshall. He’d been with her practically every day since the last nightmare; sleeping on her couch almost every night. Some nights, they’d stay at his apartment because it was closer to the station, but her place was bigger. She sometimes felt a little awkward at his place, like they were just a little too close. Although so much had happened since he rejected her kiss that night, she still felt embarrassed. He’d never said a word about it.

“I don’t want her at her apartment anymore, Avery,” the captain started. “He knows where she lives and I don’t care if you’re there or not. I’m not okay with that.”

“Understood, captain. She’ll stay with me at my place until we figure out what we’re doing with the FBI.”

“From this point on, Katie, you’re to stay close to Avery. Go back to your apartment and pack enough stuff to get you through a week or so. We’ll have a better idea what to do with you then. She’s your responsibility, Avery. You understand that?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Captain Hearn went back to his computer without saying another word; his actions a clear sign they had been dismissed.

Marshall’s office wasn’t far, but it seemed like miles as they walked the halls together once again. She was either going to have to stay with him or be moved to a secure location, period. He opened his office door to let her in and, just for a moment, she noticed a hint of regret on his face.

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” Katie asked.

His back turned to the door; he looked left down the hall, then right, stepped inside and finally closed it. “We’ve been hanging out for the past month anyway. So, now it’s official. Nothing changes.” His matter-of-fact tone was off-putting, to say the least.

“Except I can’t go back to my place any more. I guess that’s not so bad; a lot of memories there that I don’t mind leaving behind.” In a fleeting moment of nostalgia, her thoughts turned to Spencer and the safe and happy life they had shared. Sitting on their balcony, watching the sunsets, the Sunday mornings spent lazing around in bed till noon; these were things she was better off forgetting. That Katie was long gone now.

“Well, let’s get a few things wrapped up here and we’ll head out to get your stuff.”

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Waking up in
Marshall’s small apartment on Day One left her feeling out of sorts, but now, Day Two left Katie feeling downright ambivalent. Now that her place was out of the question, where did she belong? She had become a transient; just another unexpected result of her new reality. What was worse was that Marshall had been burdened by her. Not that he would see it that way, but it was how she felt.

Her overnight bag and a larger suitcase had been stacked against the wall along the entryway. Katie rose from the pullout sofa and retrieved the bag. When she unzipped it, the scent of her apartment spilled out; its salty odor reminded her of the beach and brought a smile to her face. The toiletry bag was on top. Katie grabbed it and went into the bathroom. The apartment had only one, but with two doors; one that led to the hall and one that led to Marshall’s room. She quietly locked the door that led to Marshall’s room, not wanting to wake him. He, of course, had offered up his room, but she refused.

She hadn’t slept well, given the new living arrangements, and decided she couldn’t lie in that bed any longer. The hour was still far too early. So early, in fact, that the streetlamps in front of the building were still burning.

Marshall’s place was in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, a highly coveted area because of its proximity to businesses, nightlife, and attractions. But for Marshall, it was just close to the station. She once asked him if he had purchased the place before or after he broke up with his fiancée. She wanted to know if they had shared a life there, but phrased the question in such a way as to inquire only as a strictly financial curiosity. Katie was pretty confident he saw through the ruse. Nevertheless, he answered truthfully, as he always did with her. Yes, they had chosen the place together and shared it for a brief time until she left; well before the housing bubble when a cop could still afford such a place.

By the time she finished her shower, Marshall was sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking coffee and eating a slightly burned piece of toast, staring at a rather large textbook that lay out before him.

“You want some breakfast?” he asked, holding up the overcooked toast.

“No thanks. I’m fine. I’ll just get myself some coffee.” She already knew where everything was and grabbed a mug from the cabinet next to the sink.

“You okay about seeing Chief Wilson today?” he asked.

“Yeah; I just keep getting that same old feeling like we’re running around in circles again.”

“It’s different this time, Kate. We have a lot more information than we did six weeks ago. I think it’s a good idea for the chief to bring all the files down and officially reopen this case. Frankly, this should have happened months ago, but his hands were tied.”

“Right.” Katie sipped her coffee, resting her elbows on the breakfast bar opposite Marshall.

“What’s that you’re reading?” She leaned in a little further.

“I’m just trying to get up to speed on ViCAP.”

“Sorry, what’s that?”

“It stands for Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. It’s another nationwide database that the FBI operates in an effort to link cases together that show similar signatures. It’s used to help identify serial killers.”

Those words still sent a shiver down her back, no matter how many times she’d heard them. “Do we have any signatures? If he is linked to those other kids’ disappearances and they haven’t been found, what signatures are we looking for?”

“There are quite a few we already know. But, I want to meet with the chief to see what else he discovered during his original investigation that he hasn’t already shared. He always suspected there was a link, so I want to know why.

“Damn, we’re gonna be late.” He glanced at his watch, took a final drink of coffee, and grabbed his keys.

She grabbed her bag and quickstepped to catch up, but he was already one foot out the door.

15

C
hief Robert Wilson
, from the Rio Dell PD, was already in the conference room; his files spread out across the table. Katie spotted Captain Hearn a few feet ahead and she and Marshall filed in behind him.

The conference room was large and well-appointed with the latest technology. Katie thought the chief might be envious of the sheer amount of money this police department had, given his lack of resources in his rural town. An enormous 75-inch flat-panel television hung on the wall and, just below it, resting on a credenza, was a slim notebook computer. On the cherry-stained oval table sat another laptop and three speakerphones that looked as though holographic images might suddenly appear and hover above them. Economic downturn be damned; this department had money.

“Katie, it’s very nice to see you again.” The chief extended his hand.

“Nice to see you again, Chief; although I wish it were under different circumstances.”

“Me too, Katie.”

With the requisite pleasantries exchanged, Captain Hearn took the lead.

“Thank you, Chief Wilson, for coming down to see us. I see you have the files we requested. Might we take a look?”

“The latest piece of evidence is this letter that I received a few months ago, back at my station in Rio Dell.” Chief Wilson pulled out the letter, which had been sealed in an evidence bag. “I immediately informed Ms. Reid and Detective Avery that this came to me and advised them to take caution in any further inquiries into this investigation. All was quiet until last month when Ms. Reid received a similar letter at her home. I’d like to see that letter, Katie.”

“Yes, we have that.” Katie looked at Marshall, who had the case file, and pulled out the sealed bag containing the letter. She glanced over at Captain Hearn, who was sifting through some of the documents the chief had brought with him. One of the items of particular concern was a photo of the girl from Portland. Captain Hearn began jotting down some notes.

“I think we should consider entering this case into ViCAP,” Captain Hearn said, still taking notes.

“There are clearly some similarities between Katie’s case and the others who went missing that same summer. If we can get the details down, we just might get a hit from another agency.”

“I’m sorry; I don’t know that much about ViCAP,” Katie said.

“If another jurisdiction or agency entered similar signature marks from an ongoing investigation, or cases that have gone cold, then we might be able to match up some of those marks.”

“I don’t know, captain,” the chief started. “I would doubt cases this old would have been entered into a system that most jurisdictions still aren’t very familiar with. I’ve never used it myself, but its widespread use among local authorities is still fairly uncommon and, from what I understand, the FBI is slow to provide assistance in utilizing it effectively. You may just be wasting valuable man hours here.”

“I respectfully disagree, Chief,” Marshall chimed in. “We need all the help we can get and it wouldn’t take long to get the data entered. We aren’t talking but maybe half a dozen markers to identify.”

“Respectfully, Detective Avery.” The chief’s tone was quickly changing. “I’ve been doing this a long time and I know every detail about this case, and I’m telling you, you’re wasting your time with ViCAP. We need to be focusing on leads from the hotline and, from what I understand, you’ve got some kind of lead on where this stationery was purchased. That’s current and relevant information we need to be running on. Not spending hours sifting through this file, trying to figure out if our guy preferred to rape little girls or little boys or how he might have disposed of the bodies.”

The chief’s eyes widened as he realized his callous choice of words. “Jeez, Katie; I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say…”

“No, it’s fine. I’m wearing my big girl pants today. I can handle it.”

It wasn’t fine. And when Marshall looked to her for assurance that it was, her eyes told a completely different story. Still, she held it together even as memories of her captor’s hands touching her thighs flashed through her mind. Taking a deep breath, she refocused on the task at hand.

“We can discuss this another time, Chief, but I’m telling you, it is something this department will pursue,” Captain Hearn replied.

The chief appeared to be agitated, which surprised Katie. She had only ever seen him as a calm, rational man.

“On another note, we’d like to discuss setting up patrols around Kate’s family home. The constant presence of the media is a cause for concern and after discussing it with Captain Hearn, we are in agreement that we want to shield her family from it as much as we can, at least for the immediate future. Is that something your department can take care of, Chief?” Marshall asked.

In a slightly less inflammatory tone, Wilson replied, “That’s something we can agree on, detective. I’ll set it up immediately after we’ve finished here today. Katie, have your parents been informed of the situation?”

“I have spoken with them, yes. They are aware that the sketch has been made public. But to my knowledge, they haven’t been approached by any media. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

“Good. We’ll be sure and keep it that way. It hasn’t been made public that the suspect could be linked to other cases, but when it is, and it will be soon enough, the chief will need to step up patrols. If and when that time comes, we’re going to have to talk to those other families,” Captain Hearn said.

“That won’t be easy, captain. I doubt they want to hear from me again.” Wilson seemed hard pressed to continue. “Not after I let them down every time I had a lead that didn’t pan out. Most of these parents just want to let their kid rest in peace. They’ve come to terms with what happened.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Katie said. “It’s only a matter of time, like Captain Hearn said, before we have enough solid evidence. I believe they’d very much like to close the book on the past. I’ve lived with what this has done to my own family. And I made it home.”

“If it’s all right with you, Chief, I’d like to have my team scan your files into our system for reference. I plan on sending a couple of guys up to Oregon City to follow up on the paper lead. They’ll need to get up to speed on the case,” Captain Hearn said.

“Listen, I don’t know how much more help I can be here. I haven’t been contacted by him since this letter he sent months ago. I gotta be honest with you; I don’t know where to go from here.”

“I’m surprised to hear you say that,” Marshall started. “You put your soul into this case and now, forgive me if I’m wrong, but it seems you just want to give up. We
know
what he looks like now.”

“You know what he looked like twenty years ago, detective. I’m sorry to say, but apart from this minor lead you’ve got on the paper, you don’t have much else to go on.”

Marshall pushed the sketch across the table toward the chief. “This is what we’ve got. It’s been scanned in and adjusted by a software program that ages a person based on certain factors that we input. You can’t sit there and tell me we’ve got nothing. What is it about this case that gives you pause?” Marshall’s frustration had become obvious to everyone. “Can’t deal with the fact that you let the child killer get away? Is that it? We’re supposed to just give up because you did twenty years ago?”

“Detective Avery!” Katie said.

“It’s all right. I doubt Detective Avery has ever been forced to deal with the fact that he didn’t do his job; that he let a monster slip out from under him and then have it thrown back in his face twenty years later. You be sure and let me know what it feels like when your failures are thrust back in your direction. Then, maybe we can talk. My point is, detective, I’ve been down this road before. I’m just trying to save you the frustration that I’ve been dealing with for most of my career.”

“I think we’re forgetting one thing here,” Katie interrupted. “This isn’t about you or Detective Avery. This is about me and the other missing kids. I’d appreciate it if you both would put your egos aside and remember that.” Katie stood up, shoving her chair hard and, as it rolled back and hit the wall, she stormed out.

She was angry and had every right to be. Katie walked back to her desk with speed and purpose.

“Kate, hang on a minute,” Marshall said, jogging to catch up with her. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know what’s gotten into the chief. This is the first time I’ve seen him so defensive. It just caught me off guard, okay?”

“Neither one of you was there with me, sitting on that damn fold-out cot while I waited for that fucker to come down and put his hands on me. And now that I’ve come forward, put out this sketch of what I remember him to look like, you think he’s done with me? Because I sure as hell don’t. The letter will attest to that. So I’ve got to deal with you two pissing all around me; trying to prove that you’re each a better cop than the other.”

“I know.” He shrugged. “I just thought he was on our side. That’s all.”

“He is on our side. He just doesn’t want you or the FBI taking over and trying to prove he screwed up the first time around. You can’t tell me you’d feel any different in his shoes.”

“All right. I got it. I’ll go back in there and make nice. Let him know he’s in charge. For now.”

“I need to talk to my parents. Tell them to get used to seeing patrols on their street. Thanks to me…again.”

Katie sat down at her desk. Since she was no longer allowed to conduct any fieldwork, she’d be entering the data that the rest of her team collected. It could be worse; they could have let her go altogether. Marshall, looking defeated, went back to the conference room to smooth things over.

She turned on her computer and opened her email. An urgent message from a sender she didn’t recognize popped up. In the subject line were the words
I’ll need my trinket back.

“What?” she whispered, double clicking her mouse to open the email. An image of the young girl from Arcata, Ashley Davies, stared back at her. The same picture she had first come across when all this started.
The necklace
? she wondered.

Her heart pounded against her chest as she looked around, wondering if she would find him staring at her from somewhere off in the corner. No one was paying any notice of her as they sat in their cubicles, clicking away on their keyboards
. First the letter to her apartment and now this? He knows where I work.
It had been almost a month since he sent the letter. Why now? Why here? She was scared and needed to find Marshall. Katie didn’t want to risk anyone else looking at the email, so she texted him to come back as quickly as he could.

A minute later, she caught sight of him walking at a brisk pace toward her desk.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, keeping his voice low enough so as not to raise suspicion.

“Look.” She pointed to her computer screen at the photo. “It’s him. He sent this. I don’t understand what he means by wanting his trinket back, but this is the girl whose necklace I saw in my flashbacks, remember?” She took to calling them flashbacks now since they were no longer simply nightmares. They were a reality she had come to accept as a part of who she had been and they had shaped who she was now.

“I remember,” Marshall said, staring at the screen. “How the hell did he get your email address? How does he know you work here?”

She shook her head. “He wants to find me.” A deep breath helped to slow her pulse. “I just don’t get why he’s telling me he wants it? Wants what? That necklace? I don’t have it. What the hell…” And then it came to her. “The necklace was on a stand on the other side of the room I was in. He took it from her.”

“It was his prize,” Marshall interrupted. “His signature.”

“Damn. Was I wearing some sort of jewelry when he took me? I don’t remember having a necklace on.”

“Could it have been another piece of jewelry? A ring, earrings?”

“Not a ring, I wouldn’t have had a ring at that age. Earrings? Maybe. I don’t really remember when my ears were pierced. I’d have to ask my mom.”

“Maybe he took a piece of jewelry—a trinket—from all his victims? Kate, do you remember seeing any other pieces besides the necklace?”

“No. We need to talk to the chief and take another look at the pictures from the other kids that went missing. Although the boy that had been taken from his bed—I doubt he had any jewelry on. That’s not to say it couldn’t have been some other trinket he found in the kid’s room, I suppose. Maybe we’ll find something there. If he had a habit of taking these shiny things, prizes or whatever, from his victims, he must want mine back; whatever it was. He apparently didn’t keep it. Maybe he waits until they’re dead before he takes the souvenirs. A prize for his all his hard work.”

“We need to show this to Chief Wilson and the captain. He’s getting too close, Kate. I think once they see this, they’re going to insist you go someplace safe. I don’t see how we’re going to keep the FBI out of this now. He damn near just admitted to taking this girl. I don’t
think
we’re dealing with a serial killer; I
know
we are.”

» » »

After dealing with
the IT department, the chief, and Captain Hearn, Katie had had enough. She was glad to be back at Marshall’s. The email rattled her hard, but she knew it could bring them one step closer to finding him. They were already working on tracing the email’s origins. It seemed unlikely, given the history of the killer’s methods, that he would have used a traceable IP address. Nevertheless, IT had their work cut out for them. Marshall was right about one thing: her abductor had just admitted to being the same man who killed Ashley Davies.