Page 40 of Her Last Whisper
“Great. The best way to keep records is to keep computer files of screen grabs for documentation. Keep me updated when any movement or interaction happens from these people.”
“Easy enough,” she said, taking the paper from Katie and making some notes.
“Don’t hesitate to text or call me with any questions.”
“Will do,” she said and turned to leave. “Bye.”
“Bye, Denise,” Katie and McGaven said in unison.
Katie felt like she was in control of the investigation and had a direction and definite plan. “Okay,” she said. “Ready to continue to disseminate everything we have so far?”
McGaven sat at the computer and said, “Bring it on.”
Twenty-Four
Monday 1845 hours
After fading in and out of uneasy sleep, Tess tried to open her eyes. Everything was dark, but she thought she could detect some light in her peripheral—there was a sticky blindfold tied around her head. Licking her dry lips and taking several deep breaths, her head cleared.
She jerked her arms and legs before realizing her limbs were restrained, fully extended like a starfish. Her wrists and ankles burned from the ropes cutting into them every time she moved. She could tell that she was on a firm bed from the pressure beneath her and that there was a small pillow under her head. Her legs were cold as she realized that she didn’t have her pants on—only her undergarments. A fact that frightened her all the more.
“Where am I?” she demanded. “Is anyone here?” Her voice became more hysterical as she spoke. “Who are you? Please say something to me.”
Silence.
“Why am I here?” She began to cry as her anger turned to misery. “Why…”
Tess quieted her crying and strained to listen. Someone was in the room with her. She couldn’t hear them, but the air around her felt heavy with someone else’s breath. She took a sharp inhale and caught a hint of an exotic flower—lilac or gardenia, no, it was jasmine. She breathed deeply but the scent seemed to dissipate as quickly as it had appeared.
“Who’s there?” she asked again. “I know someone is there? Say something,” raising her voice louder with each plea.
She tried to quiet her own breathing, to listen carefully above the sound of her pounding heart. Her skin prickled as if someone lightly touched her.
“Who’s there?”
Finally, she heard someone quietly shush her.
“What are you saying? Who are you?” Her voice wavered in alarm as her worst fears were realized. Someone was standing next to her—waiting and watching.
She felt weight next to her on the bed and jerked herself away. She felt hot breath on the side of her face and the extra weight pressing down against the mattress as they leaned in close.
“Please… Please let me go…” she wheezed.
The silence finally broke and a man whispered with a low and deep voice, “I want you to tell me thetruth…”
Twenty-Five
Monday evening
Katie went home exhausted. Every muscle and joint screamed with fatigue. She and McGaven had gone through every single piece of information that had been generated on Amanda Payton’s investigation and Katie’s mind was spinning as she left the department. She was moving forward with a plan and most of the next steps were dependent upon the results of forensics. It was too soon to feel good about the progress of the case, but tomorrow was another day.
It was going to be an early morning and a very long day for her. With a twinge of guilt, she played with Cisco in the garden for a little while longer than usual, knowing he would be cooped up in the house for most of the next day. He seemed to sense her concerns and took extra advantage of running around the yard, barking, and retrieving his favorite ball.
Every time Katie took time to walk around the large acreage, she couldn’t help but think of her parents and the wonderful times they’d had at the house as she grew up. She and her dad would play hide and seek for hours, especially in the summertime. It was one of Katie’s favorite games. Anything to stay outside just a little bit longer.
She watched Cisco trail something, nose down on the ground, as he made his way to the farthest perimeter of their land. Then he grew bored, losing the scent, and began zigzagging across the yard with a large stick in his mouth.
Katie slowly began to unwind from the day—if she was going to make it as a detective she was going to have to learn how to shut off and relax. She breathed in the outdoors and her muscles and the tension headache slowly began to release its grip on her body.
