Page 4 of The Fragile Ones
“Maybe I can explain.” The mayor spoke up, noticing Katie’s and McGaven’s confused expressions. He was newly appointed, younger than any previous mayor, and extremely ambitious. “I’m familiar with Matt’s film work—which is extraordinary, I might add. They approached me because they want to film in our city and county areas for a new documentary—actually several areas around California. They want to explore how so many of these great cities and towns wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the early settlers, and the decisions they had made. Basically, separating facts from stories passed down—filming from a different angle. I think it’s fantastic because we have such rich history, and some unanswered questions from the past, which will make for great cinema and bring a lot of tourism to the area.”
“I’m sorry for interrupting, Mayor,” said Katie as politely as she could, thinking about her next cold case getting colder by the minute. “That sounds great but I don’t understand why McGaven and I are here?”
“Well,” Mayor Brown continued. “The production company has requested a guide to give them a tour of some of the more rural areas, especially those surrounding the sink holes and near the ghost town of Silo.”
Katie felt her nerves tingle and her stomach tighten, suddenly realizing where all this was going. The mayor kept talking, but she only heard white noise as her mind recalled previous events…
“So I thought, since you had worked the Chelsea Compton case, and of course are quite familiar with the area, you’d be the perfect person to show them around. I understand that the trails are a bit tricky to navigate, but you grew up here—it’s no problem for you.” He forced a politician’s smile. “What do you think?”
Katie only heard the name Chelsea Compton. Her heart had practically stopped. It was her first case after she had been discharged from the army. The experience had almost pushed her over the edge—even before she was promoted to detective. She could still see the delicate little body of ten-year-old Chelsea in a carefully crafted coffin with her arms wrapped around a teddy bear. She had moved on from all the experiences surrounding that particular investigation, especially the geological sink hole that had almost taken her life, and she didn’t want to go back. It was a harrowing experience that was a defining moment in her life that she didn’t want to repeat.
Sheriff Scott spoke up. “It would be a short tour to get them started, just something to help them scout some good locations and know where to stay away from. You have the most hiking experience of anyone I know. And quite frankly, we don’t have anyone else right now that I could send and feel confident about their abilities.”
Katie still didn’t answer. She looked from her uncle to the two men waiting expectantly for her response. “I don’t know what to say,” she said, hoarsely. “We have cold cases to process.”
“McGaven can hold down the fort. You can take a day or two to show these gentlemen around our great county,” said the sheriff, to Katie’s dismay.
How could Katie say no, with everyone staring intently at her, waiting for an answer?
“Of course,” she stuttered.
“Fantastic,” said the mayor. To the filmmakers, he said, “Katie is great and knows all the best spots and the best ways to get there. She can answer any questions you might have.”
“Thank you,” said the director, Matt, to Katie. “I promise we won’t take up any more of your time than absolutely necessary.”
Katie stood up, grabbing her briefcase. “I appreciate that. Well, I guess let’s meet here in the parking lot at 0800 tomorrow morning. That’s eight a.m. Wear hiking shoes and appropriate clothing—layers.” She smiled.
The director and assistant director both thanked her, as they also made to leave.
“Do you have four-wheel drive vehicles?” she asked.
“Yes, one, will we need another?” said Matt, scratching his neatly trimmed beard.
“Probably not, but it’s still a good idea in case you have any car troubles. You can rent one from Karl’s Rentals on Huntington Street if you need to,” she said.
“Thanks again, Detective,” he said.
As everyone filed out of the office, Sheriff Scott called Katie back. She waited until everyone had left and then shut the door and sighed.
Now with a softer tone, her uncle said, “I know this is about as appealing as going to the dentist for you, but it’s good PR and frankly we need it—I don’t need to remind you about previous incidents we’ve had here with the child murders and…the murder of your aunt Claire. Our beautiful county has been a little slow on the tourism and this will help.”
Katie sat down. “Yeah, well, I just hope that we don’t have everyone and their grandmother coming here to see the ‘sink holes’ or thinking we have some haunted ghost town to explore; that’s more than this small department can handle.”
“I know, I thought about that and we’ve been in contact with the proper county and state authorities to make sure that the fencing is properly maintained well beyond the geological dangers—and to keep a watchful eye on any erosion.”
Katie let out another sigh.
The sheriff laughed. “I know that look from when you were a teenager and you didn’t want to clean your room.”
Katie couldn’t help but smile, remembering all the good times with her uncle—even after the death of her parents. “This is totally different, and you know it.”
“Just think of it as a little break. You’ve closed all your cases so far—take a time out. Besides, you love the woods and hiking—so try to enjoy yourself. It’ll be over in a day, or two, tops.”
“I know you’re right, but you do realize that Mayor Brown is trying to appeal to the community, so he has to hit this one out of the park?”
“Maybe, but he’s a good man. A bit green, but he has the right ideas about Pine Valley and Sequoia County.”
Katie stood up to leave. “Do I need to write a report?”
