by Robin Mahle
Spencer brought two large plates of spaghetti to the table while Katie took the bread out of the oven.
“Let me get that for you,” Spencer said, taking the breadbasket from her. “You feel like opening a bottle?”
“Sure. You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Katie was beginning to feel that things were getting back to normal between Spencer and her. They sat down to a pleasant meal where the conversation flowed as freely as the wine.
“That was wonderful, Katie. But, I thought you were hungry; you hardly touched your plate.”
“Are you kidding me? Did you see how much you piled on? You’d have thought I was eating for two, which I’m not, so don’t freak out. Besides, I’m supposed to be picking out a dress soon, if you’ll recall. But, I enjoyed dinner too, thank you.”
“It was nice to be cooking together, you know. It’s been a while.”
Katie reached for Spencer’s hand. “I know. You know what else would be nice?” She placed her napkin on the table and rose from her chair. “How about I go run us a hot bath?”
Spencer keenly raised an eyebrow. “Should I bring the wine?”
“Meet me in the tub in ten minutes, and yes, bring the wine.” Katie winked as she sauntered into the bedroom.
* * *
The sheets were soaked in sweat along with her clothing when she was abruptly awakened. The dream varied little, except that Katie could remember she had been in a dark room and remembered calling for her mother.
Spencer was still sound asleep when she glanced over at him. A sudden wave of nausea overcame her as she placed her hand over her mouth and ran into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. Hunched over the seat, she began to cry and wondered when it would end. Her mind was fighting to expel the memories along with her body’s attempt to expel the excess of wine.
After such a wonderful evening, Katie thought she was doing better, but it was clear the therapy treatments would need to continue. It wasn’t enough that she was working to discover the identity of her abductor; everything that had happened to her would have to come to light for the nightmare to truly be over.
* * *
Katie phoned Dr. Reyes to schedule an appointment. It was early morning, but she had the doctor’s cell phone number and was able to reach her. She explained what had happened and Dr. Reyes worked to get her in. It couldn’t be tonight. She and Spencer were to approve the wedding invitations and she wasn’t about to let him down again by rescheduling. Dr. Reyes could schedule Katie for Friday after work. That would have to do.
“Spencer, I’ve got to leave for work. I’ll meet you at the printer’s, right?” Katie shouted into the bathroom.
“Yeah; six o’clock. Don’t forget! Have a good day. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
* * *
A small package awaited on Katie’s desk when she’d arrived to work. She picked it up, searching for a name on it. In the top corner was a SDPD stamp.
Inside the brown paper wrapping was a book, a textbook on researching cold cases. When she opened the cover, a note fell out.
“This might help you with whatever it is you’re working on.” It was signed, Marshall Avery.
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who could read people. She opened up her e-mail and began drafting a message to him.
“Thank you so much for the resource book. I guess I wasn’t very good at hiding my agenda. I’ll return it once I have finished reading it. I’m sure it will be a great tool to aid in my research. Thanks again, Katie.”
She walked into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and on her return, Detective Avery had already sent a reply.
“No problem, Katie. If you need anything or I can be of assistance, outside of the Thompson case, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I am happy to help and enjoy sharing what I’ve learned over the years. Have a good day, Marshall.”
Katie was pleased to have made a friend in the department. It would certainly prove beneficial in her continuing efforts to learn about her past. She looked forward to reading the book and hoped it would help.
But for now, she would have to get back to work on the Thompson case along with other duties that she could not afford to let down. “Jennifer,” she called on the intercom, “can you remind me that I need to leave on time tonight? Spencer and I have an appointment at six and I don’t want to be late.” Even though they were on different floors now, Jennifer could be counted on, no matter what. She was a good friend and colleague and Katie was planning on asking her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, at their lunch scheduled for next week.
“Yeah, of course. Is it wedding stuff? I love wedding stuff!”
Jennifer was only slightly younger than Katie, but she never seemed to stay in a relationship longer than a season of Grey’s Anatomy. She seemed to be living vicariously through Katie during the planning of the wedding.
“We’re going to see how the invitations turned out, so, yes, it’s wedding stuff.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure you don’t miss it.”
* * *
The day seemed to have flown at break-neck speed. When Katie finally had a chance to look at her watch, it was almost five o’clock. She hadn’t forgotten about the appointment at the printers, but still had some time to finish a few things before heading out.
“Kate,” Jennifer called in on the speaker. “Don’t forget you have to leave on time tonight.”
“Thank you for reminding me!”
Just as Katie was packing up for the day, Spencer sent her a text message. “You’re still planning on being there at 6:00, right?”
“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it. C U soon,” she replied and headed out the door.
* * *
Traffic was awful, but Katie managed to get to the printers right at 6:00, as promised. In fact, she was the first to arrive, although Spencer wasn’t far behind. She spotted his car pull into the parking lot as she walked to the entrance of the building.
“Oh good, you made it on time,” she said mockingly.
“Yes, well, I did have a longer commute. Shall we go in?” He opened the door, allowing Katie to walk in as he followed closely behind.
“Hi there,” Katie greeted the receptionist. I’m Katie and this is my fiancé, Spencer. We’re here to view our invitation proofs.”
“Hello. I’ll call back to Maggie and she’ll get them for you,” the receptionist replied.
The two of them sat down, waiting for the lady with the proofs. There were samples of several beautiful invitations in a book on the lobby table. Katie began flipping through them to kill time.
The words were almost all the same. “Bobby and Suzy, together with their parents, request the honor of your presence.” Or “Please join Bobby and Suzy as they exchange vows in front of their friends and family.” This one had to be Katie’s favorite and only wished she had thought of it first. “After several years, Bobby has finally asked Suzy for her hand in marriage. Please join…..” Katie chuckled as she showed it to Spencer.
“Are you trying to say something?”
Katie continued to look through the book, wondering about married life. What would happen after the wedding, when they were expected to live a normal life? She wasn’t even sure what normal was. Her parents certainly weren’t shining examples of a happy marriage. Of course, now she understood why, but the fact remained; unexpected things, dreadful and painful things happen during the course of a marriage. How would she get through it when she was put to the test? Spencer’s parents remained happily married and so, of course, he seemed to have no reservations at all. But Katie was afraid; afraid of failing.
“Katie, Spencer?”
They both glanced up to see a woman holding a brown box.
“Why don’t you two come back with me and we’ll get started.”
Spencer led Katie towards the back office where Maggie was headed. She opened the box and pulled out the proofs.
“Oh my gosh; these
look beautiful,” Katie said, pulling one closer to get a better look.
“Spencer Jamison Harris and Katherine Grace Reid
Together with their parents
Request the honor of your presence…”
“They look amazing,” Spencer said.
Katie had chosen ivory and sage for the colors and she was thrilled with the result. “Yes, these will do, Maggie. Thank you.”
“Okay then. We’ll just need the remainder of the balance in order to go to print. It should take about two weeks.”
Katie was beginning to feel reassured about the wedding. Seeing the invitations made it real for the first time. She loved Spencer and was happy.
* * *
Friday morning had arrived and Katie reminded Spencer of her appointment with Dr. Reyes after work. It was supposed to be date night, but Spencer insisted she keep her appointment.
On her way in to work, Katie remembered the book from Detective Avery. She reached over onto the passenger seat, where her laptop bag rested. In the front pocket was the book, Researching the Cold Case: An Investigative Guide.
The thick textbook must have weighed a couple of pounds. She glanced briefly at the cover and then set it beside the bag. It would make for interesting reading over lunch later today.
The office was quiet when she arrived, which was fairly typical for a Friday. Many of the employees had flexible schedules and Fridays and Mondays tended to be slow. Katie put her bag on the lateral file cabinet behind her desk and then switched on her computer. Before she could sit down, her intercom buzzed in.
“Katie?”
“Yes?”
“Can you come into my office?”
It was Susan. It must be important because she would have sent an e-mail otherwise.
“Of course; I’ll be right in.” Katie grabbed a notebook and pen and joined Susan in her office.
“Good morning, Katie. I know you just got here and probably haven’t even gotten your coffee yet, but I’ve been on the phone with Detective Avery and the DA’s office.” Susan started clicking on her computer, appearing to look for something.
Katie’s interest was piqued as she waited for Susan to continue.
“Ah. Here it is.” Susan began reading from the screen. “The department has just received an anonymous tip regarding Isabelle Thompson. We will make every effort to exhaust this lead. As our resources will be stretched, we are asking everyone involved with the case to continue their due diligence and assist in any way as may be required by the department. We thank you in advance for your continued support. This e-mail was from Detective Avery. I don’t know what new information they’ve received, but we will continue to move things forward on our end. Now, if Detective Avery needs help with any of the data we’ve collected so far, I want you to be at his beck and call. Are you good with that?”
Katie was ecstatic. This was exactly what she wanted, to be more involved and work more closely with the detective. This was her opportunity to learn from him.
“Of course, yes. I’m more than happy to step in and help where I can.”
“Will this be a problem with Richard? It will likely mean less time in his department,” Susan said.
“I’ll talk with him about it this morning. I’m sure it will be fine.”
Katie wasn’t sure at all. In fact, she suspected it might be a problem. Jennifer could only handle so much.
“Great. I’ll let the detective know he can count on us. In the meantime, continue with compiling the week’s reports for submittal. They’re due by the end of today.”
“I will. Thank you, Susan.”
Katie returned to her office. She would have to let Richard know what was going on. That would be the tough part. She began to draft an e-mail, then thought better of it. This would require a conversation in person. Katie buzzed his office.
“Richard, do you have a minute?” she asked.
“I have a feeling I may already know what’s coming, but yes. Come on up.”
Katie wondered if Susan had given him a heads up on the issue. She quietly knocked on Richard’s partially opened office door.
“Come in, Kate.”
He rarely called her “Kate.” This was not going to be easy. She approached the chair opposite his desk.
Richard sat patiently with his hands folded.
“I just spoke with Susan regarding the Thompson case,” Katie began.
“Yes. I heard. Have you come to resign your position in my department?” His cool tone brought the room temperature down a few degrees.
“No, of course not; that’s not my intention at all, Richard. I was just hoping that we might be able to get a short-term replacement for me? Just until the case is over.”
“You realize that could be a year from now? Did you not see this coming? They’ve been short-handed for so long, I’m not surprised they’ve asked you to take on a bigger role. Look Katie, I can’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed, but I think we may need to find a permanent replacement for you.”
Katie opened her mouth, but Richard stopped her.
“I can see how much this new position means to you. I haven’t seen that look in quite a while, working for me.”
She glanced down, feeling guilty at his remarks.
“You’re the type of person who enjoys a challenge and I respect that; very much in fact. You’ve done a lot of good for me here in this department, but you need more and I’m afraid I don’t have much more to give. Your options here are limited. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I guess I was just hoping it would be a little bit later than this.”
Richard paused and took a deep breath. “If you can tie up any loose ends with Jennifer early next week, I’ll start looking for your replacement. I think she’ll be able to handle the workload for a while and I’ll make sure she’s rewarded for her extra efforts. So, go on now. No need to get sentimental. You’re only down on the second floor, after all. And, if you don’t mind, I’ll have a word with Jennifer about all this.”
Katie graciously smiled at Richard. “Thank you so much. It has been an absolute pleasure working for you, Richard. You’ve taught me a great deal.”
“All right, all right; like I said, no need to get all mushy on me. Just go back to work and I’ll catch up with you on Monday. So, if I don’t see you, have a good weekend.”
Katie nodded her head and took her leave. She wondered how Spencer would react to the news. She supposed as long as it didn’t interfere with their wedding, he would probably be on board. For now, she needed to get back to work. Her reports had to be finished on time, not to mention she didn’t want to be late for her appointment with Dr. Reyes.
* * *
The day continued with no urgent calls from Detective Avery, which was slightly disappointing. She did, however, manage to submit her weekly reports a half an hour early and now it was time to pack up and head out for the day. One last check of her e-mail; there was nothing important, so she shut her computer down.
Looking at her watch, she noticed it was already 5:15 and she would need to hurry to make 6:00. Friday traffic was less than pleasant. The highways were usually jam-packed with weekend tourists heading to the beach. The opposite was generally true of San Diego residents heading for Las Vegas for the weekend. So, either direction would be a nightmare.
* * *
.
“Ah, you made it,” the doctor said as Katie walked into the lobby. Her receptionist was already gone. It was ten past six.
“I’m so sorry, Dr. Reyes. Traffic was terrible.”
“No problem. You’re my last appointment of the day. Come on back.” The doctor waved Katie in and pointed to the reclining chair. “Have a seat.”
Katie wasn’t sure how productive this was going to be. Her mind was still on the Thompson case, but after last night’s occurrence, she knew this nightmare wasn’t over yet.
Dr. Reyes began with her relaxation techniques. “Now, go ahead and lie back, Katie. We’ll get started with the
breathing. Slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.”
Katie closed her eyes and began the breathing.
Dr. Reyes reclined the chair so Katie would be lying almost flat. “We’re going to start where we usually start and that is at a good place for you in your mind; a place that makes you happy and content. From there, I’ll start my countdown and you’ll feel yourself sinking further and further into the chair and becoming more and more relaxed.”
Katie was already beginning to feel calm and relaxed. Dr. Reyes began her countdown.
“I’m going to start my countdown. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six….”
Katie’s body felt heavier and heavier as the numbers got smaller. Dr. Reyes’ voice began drifting off into the distance. The image Katie conjured in her mind was of the garden at the beautiful hotel she and Spencer had visited for Sam’s wedding. Soon, Dr. Reyes’ voice disappeared and Katie was alone in the garden. She wore a flowing yellow spring dress that brushed gently against her calves as she walked along the path. The roses were in full bloom and she stopped to smell each one. As she continued down the stone path, the smell of roses began to fade, replaced by another, familiar scent. It was the very faint, lightly perfumed scent of a tree. Katie knew right away what kind of tree. A redwood.
The scent became stronger as she was transported to a cold, dark, and damp place. Her blindfold was tight around her head. He shoved her into the darkness. She stumbled, then managed to get up when the door closed. Extending her hand, she felt around for the cot. Katie knew this place. He kept her down here most of the time, only letting her out to use the restroom. The tight scarf was beginning to make her head ache, so her tiny fingers made their way to the back where they worked on loosening the knot. Pulling and tugging, she managed to slip her fingers between her head and the scarf, edging it down to her neck. He lowered it around her neck whenever she went inside the bathroom, but down here, in the dark, well, that was a blindfold in and of itself.
