by Robin Mahle
“I know you do. I think he’ll let you do what you need to do to get closure on this.”
“Before we go home, I’d like to say goodbye to Jarrod and thank him for what he did.”
“That’s a good idea, although I can’t say I agree with him letting you go like that. But you’re so damn stubborn, I probably couldn’t have stopped you anyway.”
Katie leaned in and kissed his lips, which were dry and chapped, but that didn’t bother her. “I think I’ll go back to my parents for a few hours and come back this evening. They say you’ll be able to leave tomorrow, based on the tests they ran today, so that’s good news.”
“That’s what they say, but Scarborough needs me for another few days while they wrap up the investigation. Do you want to stay?”
“Of course. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
The next morning found Katie aching after an uncomfortable night on the hospital’s pullout bed in Marshall’s room. She pulled back her hair, twisting it into a bun, mindful to pull her bangs over the stitches and splashed some water on her face. She went down to the cafeteria to get breakfast. On her return, Marshall was awake and was no longer alone.
“Agent Scarborough? You’re here early,” Katie said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were coming or I would have brought you some coffee as well.”
“Don’t worry about it. I wanted to come by before heading back out to the site.”
“How’d it go yesterday?” She handed Marshall his coffee.
“We’re still searching, but I think that’ll be winding down soon. We discovered a pattern to his burial locations and I think we may be on the verge of finding all of his victims.”
“How many?” Marshall asked.
“Six in total; so far.”
“God, that’s less than we thought, at least,” Katie said.
“Yes. We’ll need to identify the remains, but preliminary forensics suggest that a couple of the bodies had been there for quite some time, longer than the others taken when you were abducted, Katie.”
“So he’d been active well before 1989,” Marshall replied.
“Looks like it. We’ll know more in a few days. There was one other thing I came here for.” Scarborough looked to Katie. “We have identified one of the bodies found a few days ago. It was Ashley Davies.”
Katie lost her breath for a moment.
“I was wondering if you’d like to take a trip with me to talk to the parents today.”
Katie looked to Marshall for his approval, although she didn’t need it. He would have no objection. “Yes, I’d like to go with you, please.”
“Okay, we’ll have to stop at the station and pick up a few things, then we can head out. You ready to go now?”
She raised a finger to pause and then cut away to the restroom to fix herself up. Her heart raced with fear and sadness and excitement; everything was balled up in her chest. She felt like this was her chance to gain the forgiveness from the parents whose children didn’t make it home. It was that need that drove her to obsession. The guilt was overwhelming at times, but this was her chance to find some relief. “Okay, let’s go.” She snatched her bag and tossed it over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Marshall agreed and instinctively glanced at Scarborough.
“It’ll be fine,” he replied to the question Marshall didn’t need to ask.
Katie waited patiently in the lobby of the Rio Dell station while Agent Scarborough spoke with members of his team. There was protocol to be followed and so the coordination was a necessary task.
After several more minutes, Scarborough emerged, briefcase in hand. “Okay, let’s go.” He held open the lobby door for Katie as she led the way to his car.
She was grateful to have had a chance to eat a small breakfast. Her nerves were on edge and an empty stomach would make matters worse. She’d met with the Davies family before, but now she would be meeting them to bring closure; after all these years, they would get peace.
They headed northwest on Highway 101, the Redwood Highway, back toward Arcata.
“The necklace?” Katie asked.
“It’s in the case.” Scarborough didn’t take his eyes off the road and continued along the quiet highway. “Katie, I’d like to ask you something.”
“Yes?”
“I was talking with my supervisor back at the station.”
Katie knew of this man and had seen him a few times, but he never approached her. She waited for Scarborough to elaborate.
“Handling this job requires a certain type of person.” He glanced at her for just a moment, then returned his gaze to the road ahead. “You’ve been vital to this investigation and everyone knows that. We’re all convinced that if you hadn’t pursued this to the extent that you did, well, Hendrickson might have remained free for the rest of his life.”
“And my best friend would still be alive,” she interrupted.
“But the fact remains that you were the one who brought him down and Wilson, who, honestly, got what he deserved. So, in my opinion, you brought down two very bad men.”
“If it hadn’t been for Marshall’s support, I don’t think I’d be here now. He kept me from falling apart many times, Nick.”
“He’s a good man, Katie, that much is obvious. But, going back to being that certain type of person. Well, I’ve got to say, you’re just about as close to that type as anyone I’ve come across in a long time. My supervisor tends to agree. A little impulsive, bordering on careless, but that can be reeled in with the right training.”
“What are you saying, Nick?” She was beginning to suspect where this was headed.
“We’d like to have you come work for us in the Washington field office of the BAU, with me.” Scarborough looked at her for a reaction.
Surprised by the invitation, she measured her response. “Don’t you need to have a degree or something?”
“Well, I understand you have a BA in Social Sciences from UCSD.”
“Why am I surprised you know this about me?”
He grinned. “The recruiting process means you’d have to go through training at Quantico, then specialized training geared toward work in the BAU. It’d take a couple of years and mentoring, but Katie, I’m telling you, this is who you are. I read the file about everything you did to get here.”
“Look, I appreciate it, but I’ve got to piece my life back together first. For the past nine, ten months, I’ve been living and breathing this nightmare. I’m not sure what I’m going to do now that it’s over.”
“Come work for us.”
“I don’t know; I’d need some time to think about it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m honored, but I really need to sort out my life, fix myself.”
“We can help you. No one can go through what you’ve been through and not be damaged. The point is to fix the damage and keep the drive. Look, this probably isn’t the best time to talk to you about it, but I wanted to see where you were at, what your plans were, and get a chance to present this to you without anyone else around.”
“You mean without Marshall around?”
“I’m inviting you to start a career, one that you were made for. I just thought it’d be best to present it to you when you weren’t looking for someone else’s approval.” Scarborough sighed. “I saw how you looked at Avery back there. Seeking his approval; wondering if he thought it was a good idea for you to come along with me this morning. Now I’m not saying that’s what he expects. My guess is, he doesn’t. But that’s how you are when you’re around him. You are much tougher than you know, Katie Reid.”
They made a right turn onto the quiet street. The third house on the left; that was the one. She remembered it from a few weeks ago. Was it only a few weeks? It felt like months had passed.
“Okay, we’re here. Now there are a couple of things I’d like to mention. First of all, I’ll address them initially. Once I’ve had a chance to ease them into the conversation, I’ll let you say what you want to say and ret
urn their daughter’s belongings to them, okay?”
She tipped her head in agreement and stepped out of the car.
The cool breeze made goose bumps rise on her arms. Katie took a deep breath, breathing the clean pine-scented air. She began to shiver, but wasn’t sure if it was from the cold morning air or nerves. Her stomach tightened into knots. The only thing that calmed her down was closing her eyes and envisioning the moment she would hand them their daughter’s necklace.
Scarborough stood on the front porch, waiting for Katie to approach. “Are you okay?”
A smile of acknowledgement briefly appeared when she joined him, but soon faded as they waited.
The door opened before he could knock. In this small town, when a black SUV pulled into the drive, it was obvious that person wasn’t from the neighborhood.
“Mrs. Davies? Agent Scarborough with the FBI. We met before?”
“Of course, agent. Please come in.”
Nick turned to Katie, placed his arm against her back, and led her in ahead of him.
“Ms. Reid, nice to see you again. What happened to your face, dear?” Mrs. Davies asked.
“Oh, nothing. I’m fine.” Katie wondered if they hadn’t known what happened. That she’d been kidnapped by Hendrickson. Maybe after all these years, they just didn’t bother listening to all the terrible news on television, that they’d heard enough in their lifetime. She didn’t bother to explain the marks on her face.
“I believe my office contacted you, Mrs. Davies?”
“Yes, sir. They said you were coming down. Please, follow me. Mr. Davies is in the other room.”
The smell of the house reminded Katie of Sam’s parents’ home; warm vanilla, so wonderfully inviting. She swallowed hard against the lump that was rising in her throat.
Mrs. Davies led them into the family room where her husband sat perched at the edge of his armchair, holding a folded up newspaper. Had he known about Hendrickson? When Katie greeted him, she realized he had.
A forlorn but compassionate smile lifted his hollowed cheeks. It was clear that Ashley had her father’s looks. Katie imagined what he must have looked like as a younger man, when his daughter was still alive. From the pictures she had seen, Ashley had similar facial features: high cheekbones, wide-set eyes resting above a narrow, but slightly bulbous nose. Seeing through his now middle-aged features, he was once a very handsome man. Ashley would have turned into a beautiful woman.
Although devastating for both of the parents, Katie thought it might have been even more so for Mr. Davies. She remembered how her own father reacted when she was returned. It was often the mothers of lost children who were the ones who gained the most sympathy, but she believed it might be the fathers who bore the heaviest burden. Are all children not raised to believe their fathers are their protectors? Katie would still have to work to mend her relationship with her father, but she was lucky to have that chance.
“Ms. Reid, it’s very nice to see you again,” Mr. Davies started. “I’m so very sorry for what has happened to you, yet again.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davies, but I am fine now.”
“I’m sure you are.” He looked at Scarborough. “Agent Scarborough, nice to see you as well. Please, both of you come and have a seat.”
Katie and Nick sat down, once again, on the floral printed sofa. Mrs. Davies had expected them and set out a basket of fresh pastries and muffins. Coffee and juice flanked either side of the basket.
“Mr. Davies, I don’t know if my office filled you in on the purpose of our visit, but I’m guessing you are aware that we have eliminated the person responsible for the abduction and murder of your daughter, Ashley.”
“Yes, sir, we are aware of the circumstances surrounding our daughter’s murderer.” He looked directly and knowingly at Katie. “I’d like to thank you, Ms. Reid, for all you’ve done to help find the man who took our little girl. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by we haven’t prayed for this outcome. Mrs. Davies and I are religious people.” He cleared his throat. “But we’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”
“Of course you have, sir,” Nick replied. He placed the briefcase on his lap and opened it.
Katie looked inside to find a small white box. Nick lifted it from the case and handed it to her. She knew what was inside.
“Mr. Davies, we were able to retrieve this from evidence and I have to tell you, sir, that this particular item was the one thing that made it possible for me to continue searching for the truth. For whatever reason, be it from God, or the souls of those taken from us, somehow the memory of this stayed with me, buried deep in my subconscious, but it was always there. And, it’s the reason I’m here today.” Katie handed the box to Mr. Davies.
He turned to his wife, his eyes growing red. She motioned for him to open it and so he lifted the box’s cover. Suddenly and without warning, years of anguish and grief rose to the surface, shaking the once-stoic man’s body. As he raised the silver chain from the soft white cotton on which it was cradled, the heart pendant gently swung from its center.
Mr. Davies’ hand quickly rose to his eyes, wiping them clear of the tears that had spilled over. Mrs. Davies took her husband’s hand from his face, her own tears falling down her cheeks and squeezed until her knuckles turned white.
“She’s home, honey. She’s home.”
Katie had to turn away, hardly able to control her own emotions, but when she glanced at Nick, his composure remained unaffected. Not hardened, but not moved. He wasn’t married and had no children, but that wasn’t the reason for his lack of emotion. Katie knew it must have been due to the years of facing parents or wives or husbands in this very same manner. Telling them they would never see their loved ones again, or in this case, handing over all that remained of them. This would be how she would learn to react over time, if she chose that life.
“Thank you, Ms. Reid, for returning this to us. I can’t tell you how much it means,” Mrs. Davies said.
“That necklace saved my life—your daughter saved my life.”
“We’d better be going and leave you two alone.” Nick pushed off the sofa and offered his hand to Katie to help her up. “The local police will be working with you from here on out, but if you need anything, please give me a call.” He handed Mrs. Davies his card.
“When will we be able to put her to rest, Agent Scarborough?” Mr. Davies asked.
“Soon, I’m sure. I’ll inform the local department that we’ve spoken and let them know to be in touch with you as soon as possible regarding the return of your daughter’s remains. Thank you both and I hope we’ve been able to help bring closure for you.”
Mr. Davies shook Nick’s hand, then turned to Katie. “May I give you a hug, Ms. Reid?”
Katie smiled and opened her arms.
“I know your heart is heavy,” he whispered. “But you need to live a good and happy life, Ms. Reid. It’s the only way we win.”
Katie sat in the car, her hands clasped in her lap. It was silent, save for the wind washing over the car as it rolled down the highway, disrupting the otherwise still surroundings.
“Are you okay?” Nick asked.
“Yeah.” She turned to him, unveiling a thin smile. “Nick, can I ask how you came to work for the FBI?”
A brief, knowing chuckle escaped him. “Nothing traumatic happened to me. I had a good childhood and my parents are still married.” He glanced at her. “Not all of us are here because of a need for answers. Sometimes you just grow up wanting to put away the bad guys. That was me. I was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, was a Cornhusker—that’s what those of us who went to University of Nebraska are called.”
“Yeah, I figured.” Katie was a little offended he assumed she knew nothing of college football. It may have been close to nothing, but that was beside the point.
“Then I decided to become a federal agent. I’m good at what I do, Katie. That’s how I know you’d make a good agent someday.”
“Do I have tim
e to think about it?” she asked.
“Of course. Hell, you could come to me in a year’s time and I wouldn’t have changed my mind about you. It’d be a waste of a year, but if that’s what it takes. Look, maybe you’re right. I’m sure taking some time away from this would be a good thing. But honestly, I don’t think that’s who you are. I think this is the stuff that makes you tick.”
The hospital soon revealed itself against the horizon. “What’s the next step?” she asked.
“With this case? We’ll continue identifying the remains, secure the site, remove any other evidence, and release it to the locals to condemn. We’ll contact the victim’s families, just like we did today and eventually, this case will finally be closed.”
“Will they need me for anything else or am I free to go back to San Diego?”
“I think you’ve done your part, but there may be a need to stay in contact. I’ll still be the agent in charge, so if I need you, I know where to find you. Does this mean you’re going home soon?”
“I don’t know yet. Marshall mentioned you need him for another few days. I may stay until we both can go home together.”
Marshall’s hospital room door was closed, so she gently knocked, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep. “Marshall, it’s me. Can I come in?”
“Yeah. Come on in.”
She opened the door and saw Marshall sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling his gown back up as the nurse held his chart, writing something down on it.
“Looks like you’ll be able to get out of here tomorrow, Mr. Avery,” the nurse said.
“No sweeter words have ever hit these ears,” Marshall replied.
His charm knew no bounds and Katie couldn’t help but smile. “Finally, I’ll be able to get a good night’s rest. No more sleeping on this couch.” She walked to Marshall, reached for the ties at the back, and tied the gown for him. Her hands brushed his shoulders and slid down his arms. She missed touching him, lying next to him, feeling his warm breath against her cheek. More than ever, she wanted to go home and just be with him.
