Page 22 of Little Girls Sleeping
The sun had completely disappeared and the air turned cooler with a brisk whipping breeze. Katie realized that she hadn’t had anything substantial to eat for hours and was starving. They kept walking, and finally she saw the beginning of the trails and the area where she had parked her Jeep.
Her cell phone rang. She had completely forgotten to check who had called her after her fall.
“Hello?” she said.
“Where have you been?” demanded her uncle with some authority to his voice.
“I’m not one of your suspects in interrogation,” she replied smartly.
“Cute.”
“I’ve been hiking with Cisco. Just needed some quiet time on my day off.” She tried to sound upbeat.
“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.
Katie just wanted to take a long, hot bath, nurse her wounds, and figure out what to do about the Chelsea case.
“Um, nothing really,” she replied.
“Good. Be at my house around 1900 hours; no later than 1930.”
“Well…” Katie stammered.
“We’ll see you then. Dress nice. Bye.”
The call disconnected.
“Great,” said Katie as she returned the cell phone to her pocket. She had a few hours to get home, shower, and make herself look presentable.
She opened the driver’s door to the Jeep. Cisco obediently jumped in, circling a few times before making himself comfortable in the passenger’s seat.
Katie felt defeated as she slung her backpack into the car and took off her holstered gun. She looked around at the vast area one last time and wondered if she would ever find out what had happened to the little girl.
Where are you, Chelsea?
Fourteen
Katie stood in front of her full-length mirror with a white towel wrapped around her body. She carefully dabbed more antibacterial ointment on the scrapes on her arms, sides, and neck, then appraised her appearance. It was as good as it was going to get.
She decided to wear her hair down and around her shoulders, slightly curled, to hide some of the scratches. The evening lighting should help to disguise them further. However, her muscles had seized up as the afternoon progressed, so that even getting up out of a chair made her groan. It would take a couple of days for her body to heal and get back to normal. In the meantime, she kept moving.
It took her another fifteen minutes to choose a simple navy dress and lightweight lace jacket. She had lost some weight while she was away, but the dress still fit. Slipping into low- heeled shoes, she was ready to go.
As she walked to the door, Cisco cut in front of her with eager eyes and a wagging tail.
“Sorry, Cisco, I’m flying solo on this one.” She leaned down and gave him a kiss. “I won’t be gone long,” she reassured him.
As she drove to her uncle’s house, her thoughts weren’t on the dinner party, but rather on Chelsea—as usual. She couldn’t seem to think about anything else. She was aware that she didn’t want to become downright obsessed with the case, but it didn’t stop her mulling over all the theories of what might have happened and who was responsible.
She knew, though, that her time, thoughts, and searching wouldn’t mean anything unless she found a major piece of evidence—or the body.
She rounded a sharp curve on the familiar winding road and drove a ways further until she came to a driveway with an ornate black wrought-iron gate that was conveniently open. A pretty design of twisted vines and flowers adorned the top of the gateway. The beautiful property was situated on ten sprawling acres: a large Tudor-style home with a Californian architecture influence. As she drove slowly up the long, paved driveway, she saw more than a dozen parked cars and realized too late that it was a welcome-home party for her.
She definitely wasn’t in the mood, but there was no turning back now.
A huge banner took up most of the front entrance, with red, white, and blue decorations, including balloons and glittery gold stars, softly swinging in the wind. It stated boldly:Welcome Home Katie. The evening had all the hallmarks of her Aunt Claire’s event-planning skills. She rejoiced in the opportunity to throw parties and make people feel special.
Katie parked in an available space at the side of the property, then took a deep breath and headed to the open front door, trying to keep a relaxed and positive attitude. Breathing deeply and relaxing her aching neck helped temporarily as she crossed the threshold into the beautiful house.
