Redwood Violet

by Robin Mahle

  “Hi, Katie.”

  There was no reason for the awkwardness that followed, but it was there, nonetheless, and everyone seemed affected. Katie felt as though she was staring at two different chapters in her life. Before the dreams and after.

  “Kate, you okay?” Marshall asked.

  “Yeah, of course. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Marshall continued on his way, extending a polite nod to Spencer.

  “Did I interrupt something?”

  “No. What are you doing here?” They hadn’t spoken since Saturday night and he’d already cleared out his things. She was angry with herself, more than anything, but was projecting it onto him.

  “Can I come in?”

  Katie stepped aside and let him in.

  “I heard they charged the guy who killed Isabelle Thompson and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you were working on that. Is that why Detective Avery was here?”

  A loaded question, if there ever was one. Katie was surprised he still believed there was something going on between the two of them. “No. Why are you here?” she asked again, trying unsuccessfully, not to sound defensive.

  “I left a few of my law books in the office and I wanted to pick them up, if that’s all right.”

  “Sure, yeah, feel free.” She sat down at the dining table as Spencer collected his books. Feeling awkward and hurt, she didn’t really know what to say and only watched him walk around the apartment as if he was in a stranger’s home.

  He placed the books on the table and sat down next to her, taking hold of her hand. “I miss you, Katie.”

  “I miss you too, Spencer.” The sincerity in those words was very real.

  “How have the dreams been over the past few days? I mean, I figured you’d be under a lot of stress with everything that’s been going on.”

  “I haven’t been losing too much sleep, thankfully, but I appreciate you asking.” That probably didn’t come out right, judging by the look on his face. “Where are you staying?” Changing the topic would allow her to avoid having to tell him about the letter, the existence of which she wasn’t sure whether or not to reveal to him, but it hung heavy in her mind.

  “With Kevin. I’ll probably start looking for a place soon, maybe after the firm removes my temporary status. I’m sure he doesn’t want me hanging around too long. And, after the team won this last case, it’s looking pretty good that I’ll get my permanent salary and benefits.”

  “I’m sure you won’t have any problems there. You’re very good at what you do.”

  “Thanks. Of course, I thought I’d be looking for a house with you, not another apartment.” Spencer gripped her hand more firmly. “Please, Katie, can we just get back to where we were?”

  “I don’t think I can be who you want me to be anymore. Too much has happened.” She was still vacillating about the letter. It would only serve to prove his point that she should have just let it go. Now there was the possibility that she could be in real danger.

  “No, it hasn’t. It isn’t too late. We can still move on.” He pleaded.

  “That’s the problem, Spencer. You want me to move on and I can’t. I’m a different person. How can I not be? I know you want to protect me and that’s why you want me to let it go, but I can’t and I won’t. Especially after what happened to Isabelle. I saw the look in that monster’s eyes. He took pleasure in her pain. I can’t let him get away with that.”

  Spencer sat back in the chair and dropped his shoulders. “I’m afraid something will happen to you, Katie.”

  “Something already has. That’s what you refuse to see.”

  He cast his eyes away from her.

  “Look at me, Spencer.”

  With reluctance, he did as she asked and returned her gaze.

  “I was kidnapped. I was raped. By all rights, I should be dead. It’s only by the grace of God that I don’t remember the worst of it.”

  “We can get you counseling to help you deal with it. Why do think you can find this man and catch him when the police haven’t been able to for more than twenty years?”

  “Because I have to.” That was it. She knew it was really over; his face revealed as much. The resolve she felt frightened the hell of her. It must have terrified Spencer.

  He stood up and kissed her on the forehead. “Goodbye, Katie. I’ll never stop loving you, no matter what.” He retrieved the books from the table and approached the door. It seemed as though he was waiting just another millisecond, maybe hoping she’d reconsider. The door then opened a moment later and Spencer Harris walked out of Katie’s life for good this time. There wasn’t a shadow of a doubt.

  20

  THE MISSING GIRL from McCloud was a dead end. Nearly three months had passed and there was no new information from the chief or from their research. Marshall continued with his new case involving the abduction of a five-year-old boy from La Jolla. The high-profile investigation brought with it a lot of media attention. The family was wealthy and had hired private detectives to work in conjunction with the SDPD. This made life difficult for Detective Avery.

  Katie was with the SDPD now—only in a civilian role—but it was a start and she had transferred a couple of weeks ago at Marshall’s recommendation. She had to pass an exam, but she was now part of the department that collected and analyzed crime scene evidence. It also allowed her an opportunity to continue working with Marshall and gave him a chance to take her under his wing.

  However, progress on her search was at a standstill and was growing colder by the minute. She felt like they had lost the momentum they had at the discovery of the letter to the chief. There was nothing left for them to do, so she buried herself in her work.

  “Kate? You ready to head out? I want you to come with me to the Whittaker house. We’re gonna meet with Callahan and the parents. They want updates.”

  Callahan was the private detective. He seemed to be more interested in the media than in solving the case, but Detective Avery was asked by his captain to stay on the guy’s good side. He didn’t want any bad press for the department.

  Katie grabbed her file and notebook and walked into Marshall’s office. As they were about to leave, his phone rang.

  “Detective Avery,” he answered. “Yeah, Dave, how are ya?” Marshall glanced at Katie.

  She had no idea who Dave was, but felt a little concerned about the look he gave her.

  “Okay, yeah. I’d appreciate that, Dave; thanks very much. Get back with me when you know more. Okay, bye.

  “That was Dave Larson from the Eureka P.D. He’s the guy I asked to look into Jennifer Chase’s file?”

  “Yeah, of course; did they find her? Is she alive?” Katie never stopped thinking about that little girl who reminded her so much of herself. Even though they believed it was a dead end, her heart leaped at the possibility that they may have found her alive.

  “They don’t know, Kate. Larson called to tell me that they found a sweater a few miles from the girl’s house. It was the one she wore the day she was abducted.”

  “They know it was hers?” Excitement turned to dread. Finding articles of clothing was never a good thing, if one expected the victim to be alive. She’d been around Detective Avery enough to know that much by now.

  “The parents confirmed it. He called to tell me they’re gonna run forensics and let me know the results. It’ll take a few days.”

  “Then they’ll enter it in CODIS to find a match, right?”

  “You’re getting the hang of this stuff, Kate. Yeah, they’ll cross-reference to see if anything comes up. Don’t hold your breath, though. This girl might look like you, but that doesn’t mean whoever took her is the same person that took you. Right now, I’m just looking for some sort of connection; anything that we can run on.”

  Katie tried to hide her disappointment and made a valiant attempt, but she could see he wasn’t buying it.

  “I know this has been a long road that hasn’t led us very far, but we have to remain
diligent. You know what they don’t do in the cop shows? They don’t show you that it can take months and years to solve a case. It’s not glamorous and only occasionally is it exciting. Mostly, it’s long hours, sifting through mountains of profiles, interviews, evidence. You know that. You caught a glimpse of that helping me with Johansen. But, we will get there in the end. I’m not giving up and I know you won’t either. Let’s just sit tight for a few days and see what Larson comes up with.”

  Katie wondered how he did it; how he stayed so positive. In the face of all the evil that surrounded his daily life, how could he manage that sort of clarity? She supposed that was what made him such a good detective. However, it also made her wonder about his personal life. They never spoke about it much and in the time they’d known each other, she had never seen him with a woman. He never mentioned if he had a girlfriend. Only now did Katie realize how selfish she must seem to him. He knew everything about her and she knew virtually nothing about him.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry; it’s not at all like TV. If it was, you’d be dressed in an Armani suit and driving an SUV.”

  “Hey, you gotta problem with my polo shirt and khakis? And I happen to like my Camaro, thank you very much. I had to wait a long time to get my pick of a car like this. That drug dealer didn’t want to give it up. Grab your stuff; we’ve got to go meet Mr. Private Detective.”

  A little comic relief was a welcomed change. Katie couldn’t remember the last time she took pleasure in much of anything in the past six months. Her thoughts turned to Sam, and how she enjoyed their last visit. It was under dreadful circumstances, but Sam helped her to forget; for a while.

  * * *

  Marshall and Katie walked down the front steps of the palatial Whittaker estate, which overlooked the ocean. The meeting lasted more than an hour and several news stations’ vans were still parked out on the lawn. This sort of crime didn’t discriminate. Here was one of the wealthiest families in southern California and they couldn’t protect their child any more than the parents of the McCloud girl could.

  “So what was the point of that meeting?” Katie asked.

  “You got me. I think it just gave Callahan an excuse to get in front of the cameras again. I wonder when he’ll realize this case isn’t about him; it’s about that little boy.”

  “Those poor parents. Did you see the mother? She looked like she hadn’t slept in days.” Katie said. “I don’t know how she manages to keep it together.”

  “She’s doing what she has to do to get her kid back.” Marshall checked the time on his watch. “I’m thinking it’s getting too late to head back to the station. You wanna go and grab a beer?”

  “Sure, why not.”

  It had been a long time since they’d done anything social together. After Isabelle’s case went to trial, Detective Avery had to prepare to be called to the stand. Katie had helped him to ensure that the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. All of this left little time to work on finding him, but Marshall did what he could and it was proving to be more of a challenge than even he suspected it would be. Neither of them had given up, not yet anyway. So, she was glad for an opportunity to go and hang out with him and not think about it for a while.

  * * *

  They arrived at the sports bar near the courthouse. It seemed that was where most of the cops hung out when they were waiting for their cases to be heard in court. Katie was still very new to the scene and only recognized a few of the guys they bumped into as they looked for a table. It was slow, but then again, it was a Wednesday afternoon and probably a little too early for a beer, but in this line of work, you take a break when you can. She’d put in a lot of late nights working on Marshall’s cases. They both had.

  “Can I ask you something?” Katie asked, sipping on her light beer.

  “Shoot.”

  “In the time we’ve known each other, you’ve never mentioned a girlfriend or wife or anything. Do you have either one of those things?”

  “Why? You want to ask me out or something?”

  Katie smiled and a flush of pink filled her cheeks. “Be serious. You never talk about your personal life. You’ve read my file; you know everything there is to know about me and yet I know nothing about you. Have you ever been engaged, or married, or lived with a woman?”

  “Yes, no, and yes.” He finished off his beer and motioned the bartender for another.

  “Care to elaborate?” she asked.

  “Not exactly, but I’m guessing you’d like me to.”

  “Marshall, I’m being serious here.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. Okay, so I was engaged once, when I was about your age actually, so I guess it’s been about eight years or so. I met her in college. We moved in together after we graduated and then I went into the police academy. She wasn’t happy about my decision. She thought it would be too dangerous, being a cop.”

  “Doesn’t seem an unreasonable assumption,” Katie said.

  “No, not unreasonable. After I made it onto the force, she supported me. It was hard, but she kept herself busy with her work and I was busy with mine. She never really asked me about the job. I think she was afraid to know.” He had already started on his second beer now.

  This was probably the most uncomfortable Katie had ever seen him. His voice sounded tense and uneven.

  “A few years passed; she was getting anxious to get married and I loved her and wanted her to be happy, so we got engaged. By that time, I had been made a detective. My hours grew longer and my patience grew shorter. Not a good combination.” He took another swig. “You know, it’s funny; I actually see a lot of myself in you. We’ve gone down completely different paths in life and yet here we both are, looking for the same thing.”

  “I guess you’re right. So, what happened? Did you two just grow apart?”

  “No, nothing like that. I was working on a sexual assault case. That’s what I used to do before I moved to missing persons. We’d been working a case and followed up on a lead from an anonymous tip. We showed up at the suspect’s house. The place smelled like a damn meth lab.” Marshall looked away, appearing hesitant, but after a moment, he continued. “Long story, short, the guy had a knife on him and he took a swing at my leg after I got him to the ground. He just missed my femoral artery. It was the first and so far, God willing, the only injury I ever sustained on the job. But, it freaked her out. She insisted I quit and of course, I couldn’t do that. So, that was it. We were done.”

  Marshall hid his emotions exceptionally well, but not this time. Katie saw a glimpse that was similar to the look Spencer had given her on their last encounter. A hint of regret.

  “You loved her,” she said.

  “Yeah, well, that and three dollars will get you a cup of coffee. Besides, this job doesn’t exactly accommodate a healthy relationship. I’m always working; I hang out with the dregs of society. Present company excluded, of course. These are not appealing things to most women.”

  “I assume you have a family? You don’t talk about them either.”

  “What is this? Are you planning on writing a book? Maybe you should be a detective.”

  “Maybe I should.”

  “Maybe you should.” His green eyes pierced through her protective exterior with a fervent look that took her by surprise.

  “I can’t imagine where I’d be if you hadn’t come into my life, Marshall. I tried so hard to be the person Spencer wanted me to be. Then you gave me that book. You saw right through me. I don’t know how, but you did.”

  “I know what it means to need to find answers. I see so much of myself in you, it scares me sometimes.”

  “What answers are you still looking for, Marshall?”

  He grinned and shook his head. “See? You’re just like me.” He took the last mouthful of beer. “Well, I suppose you’d like to get home. I don’t have anything for you tomorrow, so that’ll give you time to catch up on your paperwork. I assume we’ll hear back from Larson by Friday or Monday. Either way, I�
��ll let you know.” Marshall threw a couple of tens on the bar. “I’ll drop you back off at the station to get your car.”

  The two-mile drive back was shrouded in silence. Katie didn’t ask anything more. She knew Marshall had reached his limit.

  “Thanks for the beer and the lift back.” Katie stepped out of his car.

  “No problem. Good night, Kate.”

  21

  THE EAGERLY ANTICIPATED call came in on Monday morning. Marshall’s contact at the Eureka PD had the forensics results on Jennifer Chase’s file. Katie believed the little girl from McCloud who looked so much like her as a kid had to get some sort of justice. And, if it just so happened that maybe they might get a suspect as a result, all the better.

  Her drive into work stretched into an eternity. Why was it that when one was in a hurry, delays hurled themselves from every direction? Her expectations grew dangerously high. Marshall already warned her not to get her hopes up. This was a shot in the dark that any connection at all could be established. The missing girl was similar in appearance and age and she had disappeared in similar fashion and location. But, the difference was that their cases were twenty-three years apart. Katie was pinning her hopes on a very slim chance. However, it was all she had to go on.

  If the suspect had DNA entered into CODIS for any previous conviction and that was cross-referenced for a match with Jennifer’s clothing, they would have an identity. They would then have to hope that the suspect was at least in his late forties to be connected to her. It was rare for a serial killer to be younger than twenty, although it was not impossible. There were so many variables and she struggled to maintain focus.

  Katie rushed into Marshall’s office. His face revealed nothing, but this was no surprise. He was a master at poker face; it was part of the job.

  “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was pretty bad.”

  “No problem, Kate. Have a seat.” Marshall turned his computer monitor so she could see it. He opened up an e-mail from Detective Larson. There were several files attached to the e-mail. Marshall opened the file labeled “Labs.”