Page 87 of Little Girls Sleeping
“What do you mean? You’re partnered with her.” The sheriff turned to face him directly.
“Yes, sir. We were supposed to meet here half an hour ago. I wouldn’t trouble you, but I think something may be wrong.”
Sheriff Scott took a step back to assess what he had heard. It was obvious that he was on his way somewhere important, but this new situation involved a fellow law-enforcement officer, not to mention his niece, at potential risk.
“Sheriff… Sheriff!” Chad hurried into the room, breathless and looking concerned. “It’s Katie,” he gasped. “I can’t find her. I went by her place. Her Jeep is there and Cisco is in the house.”
“Take it easy,” said the sheriff. “What makes you so concerned?”
“Early this morning, we went up to the graveyard crime-scene area. She wanted to check it out again, but she wouldn’t tell me any more than that. I just went along for the ride.”
McGaven pushed into the conversation, “Where did you meet her? I talked to her more than an hour ago and she was almost home.”
Chad caught his breath and took a step backward. “We met at Highland Park. I drove her to the area, and then we came back and I dropped her off at the park.”
A few deputies had gathered in the background, listening to the conversation.
“Why did you go to her house?” asked the sheriff.
“She seemed down after she received that call from McGaven, so I wanted to stop by to see how she was doing.”
“I’m not going to stand around debating any longer,” said Sheriff Scott. He turned to McGaven. “Try calling her again, and keep calling her on the way to her house.”
Two police cars and Chad’s truck arrived at Katie’s house. The three vehicles blocked the driveway behind her Jeep. The property was quiet and there didn’t seem to be anyone around; nothing looked out of place.
Cisco began barking, and Sheriff Scott immediately got out of his unmarked police vehicle. “McGaven, any luck?”
“No, still no answer,” the deputy stated with a worried look on his face.
“Check the perimeter,” the sheriff ordered. “Chad, come with me.”
While McGaven took off to search the grounds and the exterior of the house, Sheriff Scott and Chad ran to the porch, their footsteps pounding on the steps. The sheriff hammered on the front door, causing Cisco to bark even louder. “It’s okay, Cisco,” yelled the sheriff. “Katie! Katie, you home?” He looked to the left and right. “Katie!” he yelled again.
Nothing.
Peering in the window next to the front door, he couldn’t see anyone inside, and the interior didn’t look to be disturbed.
McGaven appeared. “Clear,” he said breathlessly.
“What do we do now?” asked Chad.
The sheriff glanced up at the front camera and saw that the lens had been covered by some kind of spray paint or adhesive. He immediately reached into his pocket, retrieved a set of keys and inserted one of them into the new lock.
Click.
He waited a moment before he turned the knob and pushed the door open. The alarm went off, waiting for the code to be punched in. The sheriff’s jaw clenched. “Cisco, take it easy, boy.” He pushed the door open another few inches, and was greeted by a dark nose breathing deeply, followed by canine grumbles. “Easy, boy,” the sheriff coaxed as he pushed the door wide, stepping inside and hitting the four-digit code.
Cisco ran around the living room and then moved to the large window. He stood up on his hind legs and pounded his paws against the glass.
“Where’s Katie?” the sheriff urged the dog.
McGaven disappeared down the hallway calling out Katie’s name. He returned almost immediately, shaking his head.
The sheriff looked around. “Her briefcase and keys aren’t here,” he said.
McGaven ran out the door, followed closely by Cisco. He opened the unlocked Jeep, where he saw Katie’s briefcase on the passenger seat and her keys still in the ignition. He grabbed them up, then returned to the house, where he put the items on the kitchen counter. The three men were quiet for a moment; all of them trying to figure out where Katie was and what could have happened to her.
“Where was the last place you and Katie visited?” the sheriff asked McGaven.
