All the Shiny Things: A Kate Reid Novel (Kate Reid Series Book 1) (16 page)

“You see this one?” Marshall pointed to a box that appeared to have yellowed with age. “Case number 04-245195; a homicide from 2004; unsolved. These boxes will sit here until the case is closed because there is no statute of limitations on murder. Now, if you’ve got a good investigating officer, he’ll ensure the destruction of evidence once a case has reached its statute, like a burglary. Here in California, kidnapping, arson, and even embezzlement have no statute either, which is why our storage rooms are bursting at the seams.”

They continued down toward the back of the warehouse. Katie was fascinated by the inner-workings of the department and listened willingly.

“DNA evidence is something altogether different; it’s handled very carefully and kept indefinitely or at least until the convicted inmate has exhausted all appeals and then sometimes even after that.

“You see why the Rio Dell chief is carefully considering his options right now as it relates to your case? He’s right to be concerned about resources. It would take an officer years to identify and clear out old evidence. You’re asking him to go back and pull case files that God knows where they ended up, if they are even legible at this point, and to reopen an investigation based on some dreams or memories you had.”

Katie began to reconsider whether or not Detective Avery was really on her side. He was certainly doing his best to discourage her at the moment. “Don’t you think it’s worth some time and money to capture a murderer?” Her defenses were high and she realized that probably came out a little harsher than she had intended.

“I’m only trying to point out the complexity of the situation, Kate. You need to be fully aware of what you’re asking of the chief and of yourself. You dig into this further and you could risk everything you’ve worked for. Trust me on this; I know how obsessions begin and how they usually end.”

His reality check hit her hard and she had no further line of defense.

“Looks like you can go back to your office on Monday. I’m sure you’re tired of being stuck in this place anyway.” Marshall seemed to sense her growing antipathy and changed the subject.

“Actually, I have really learned a lot this week and I appreciate you giving me a chance to see how things work on this side. I mean that. And, well, I get your meaning, too.”

Marshall brushed it off and put his arm around her shoulder in a big brother sort of way. “So, are you ready to come work for me, then?”

Katie couldn’t tell if he was serious or not, but after everything she had learned this week, admittedly, the idea was intriguing. “Sure; you just need to convince Susan to let me go. They’ve been shorthanded for so long, I’m not sure she’s gonna give up the help willingly.”

“You never know. How about we go and grab a drink? I think we’ve earned it.”

“Okay, why not?” Katie reached for her cell phone. “I just need to let Spencer know I’ll be home late. I’m sure he’s busy working on his case anyway. He’s due to go to trial next week.”

When she looked at her phone, there had been three missed calls and two messages. Two were from Spencer and one was from area code 707.

“That’s a call from back home,” she said. “It must be from Chief Wilson.”

They both stopped in their tracks while Katie began listening to the message.

“Katie, this is Chief Wilson with Rio Dell PD. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you, but I had to get several people involved with the issue we discussed last week, including the Humboldt District Attorney’s office. After reviewing your case files and the information I received from you, it has been decided that there is not enough for us to go on and we cannot reopen the investigation. I am truly sorry, Katie, but if you need anything from me, I am glad to help out where I can. And, if at any time you can provide further details into the case, please let me know and we will re-evaluate your request. Goodbye, Ms. Reid, and I wish you the best of luck.”

Katie felt completely deflated; her heart sank at the news.

“What is it?” Marshall asked.

Her voice trembled as she struggled to keep it together. “They’re not going to reopen the investigation.”

“Did he say why?”

She looked up at him. “They said I didn’t have enough for them to go on.”

“I am sorry, Kate. Listen, I’m sure you’d like to go home and discuss this with your fiancé. I’ll buy you a beer another time.”

“No.” She continued walking. “I could use one now. I can’t handle talking to Spencer about it now because, to be honest, he’ll be more than happy they’re gonna let this thing go, but I need some time to process it. I’ll send him a text and tell him about it later tonight.”

“Okay. I’ll take you down to Paddy’s. It’s as good a place as any to forget your troubles.”

Paddy’s was a hole-in-the-wall Irish pub that many on the police force frequented. It was near the station; quick and easy to get to.

“I’ll have a bourbon and whatever the lady wants.” Marshall gestured to Katie.

“Make that two, please,” she replied.

The bartender grabbed the bottle and placed two shot glasses in front of them.

“I didn’t realize you were a bourbon-drinking kind of girl, Kate,” He said.

“I am tonight.” She downed her shot without hesitation.

Marshall appeared more than a little surprised by this. “Okay, well, maybe you should reel it in a little and tell me what happened with the police chief. What exactly did he say? Why the no-go on the investigation?”

“The DA said they didn’t have enough new evidence to open it back up.”

“So, they didn’t think they could link the cases based on that necklace you saw in your dream? Marshall threw back his shot and motioned to the bartender for two more.

“It wasn’t a dream. It happened. I remembered it.” Katie closed her eyes, knowing she was jumping down his throat for no reason. He wasn’t the enemy here. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t much, I know, but I thought it might be enough.” Katie paused as the bartender placed another shot in front of them. “It was the same necklace I had seen in a picture of a victim from another kidnapping. She was from Arcata and disappeared around the same time as I did.”

“Yeah, I’m familiar with the other cases. I, um, saw them mentioned in your file.”

She figured he already knew and didn’t fault him for it. “It’s okay. I know you were trying to help. Anyway, I told the chief that maybe that was enough to establish a link between the cases and they could open it up based on that.”

“I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but I think the chief was right. The problem with that, Kate, is that you saw the necklace first and then recalled a memory in which the necklace appeared.” Marshall swallowed the second shot and continued. “That’s a tough one. If you had remembered it first and then saw the same one on the little girl, you might have had something, albeit still pretty thin, in terms of real evidence to link the two.

“It would be all too easy for anyone to discredit that because of the fact it was in a memory recalled some twenty years later. I can see why the DA doesn’t really want to open that can of worms.”

Katie was disheartened by the way he laid out the facts. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair. She was the victim here.

“What do I have to do then?” The desperation in her voice was too difficult to hide. “You have no idea how many nights I’ve had these horrible dreams, remembering what happened. I wish to God that I hadn’t remembered any of it. I just want to get back to my old self. That’s what Spencer wants too; I know it. He wants to marry the sweet girl he met in college; the idealistic one who takes everything at face value. This person you see in front of you now? He doesn’t want her. She’s broken.”

“Kate, come on. I’m sure he doesn’t see you that way. Give the guy a break. He probably feels helpless about the whole thing. I know I would.”

Katie didn’t usually drink hard liquor, but she was grateful that the shots had begun to calm her nerves.

“Look, when this investigation is over, I’ll do some digging around without getting deep enough to be noticed. I have a few contacts here and there,” Marshall said.

Katie’s eyes lit up at the idea that he was on her side once again.

“Just think about what I said earlier. You can’t change what happened and you’ll have to come to terms with it if you want to be happy in your life with Spencer.”

Marshall’s contradictory advice only served to confuse her further. He was offering help, but then suggests just moving on. She didn’t know what to believe or why he seemed conflicted about the situation himself.

“It sounds like you speak from experience,” Katie replied.

“Maybe I do.” He tossed back yet another shot.

» » »

On her arrival home, a sober Katie opened the door of her apartment, and inside Spencer waited.

“How was your day?” His words came without his eyes ever leaving the television screen.

Katie leaned over the couch to kiss him, his irritation with her was impossible to ignore.

“You taste like whisky. That isn’t usually your kind of drink.”

“Yeah, well, it was a whisky kind of day.” She dropped her purse onto the kitchen counter.

“I could tell by your text. You and Detective Avery have a nice time?”

A not-so-vague accusation to be sure and in her present state of mind, she considered it unacceptable. “Really? Do you think there’s something going on between us?”

“No, I don’t. I’m sorry. I’m just not used to abrupt text messages saying you’ll see me later without any explanation.”

“Spencer. I’m the one who’s sorry.” Katie joined him on the couch. “As I was about to leave for the day, I checked my phone and saw a message from Chief Wilson. He told me they decided not to reopen the case. And then I figured you’d be working late and Marshall asked if he could buy me a beer because I helped him out all week.” Defeated, Katie continued. “I guess I figured I could use a drink after hearing Wilson’s message.”

“Katie, I had no idea.” Spencer embraced her and she relaxed in his arms. “So, what does that mean for us?”

She knew what he wanted to hear, but didn’t want to be coerced into saying it. “I don’t know,” she said, pulling away from the embrace. “It means things will go along as usual, I suppose. Isn’t that what you wanted? Good ol’ fun-loving Katie; eager to marry her lawyer-boyfriend?”

“Look, I know you’re upset right now, so why don’t we just calm down.”

“Come on, Spencer. Don’t pretend this isn’t exactly how you wanted it to play out. You wanted the whole thing to disappear so the number one priority in my life would be to plan our perfect little wedding.”

“Kate, don’t do this.”

“Do what? Be honest?” She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine.

“Feel like another drink, do you?” Spencer asked. If he wasn’t trying to pick a fight before, he most certainly was now.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I didn’t think that would be a problem for you. Not like, say, your other problems. Imagine, having a girlfriend who found out she had been held captive and violated when she was just a child.” She poured herself a generous glass of wine. “You know this case I’ve been working on? Well, they think they know who did it, a pedophile. The guy lived five blocks down from the victim and had already been in prison for assaulting other children. The sad thing about this case? They can’t prove it yet. They can’t find the girl and they have no physical evidence. He’s under arrest for something as minor as not registering a change of address because he’s a sex offender.

“If they don’t find her, or can’t get the proof they need, he’ll serve some time for the registration offense and then go scot-free. Scot-free, just like the bastard who took me and probably killed those other kids too.”

“Okay, Katie, that’s enough.” Spencer took the wine from her and grabbed hold of her again, this time, she couldn’t wrangle out of his grip.

She finally let go. Everything that had been building up inside her spilled over; the anger she felt toward her parents for lying, anger with the man to took her, and now anger at the police who won’t help her find him. The weight of her entire body was in Spencer’s arms now and he wasn’t letting go.

» » »

Katie woke up Saturday morning with a dry mouth and a pounding head. She and Spencer had been up most of the night talking about everything. It was exactly what they both needed.

Today, she would refocus her energies on the positive things in her life. Detective Avery was right; she would have to decide to live her life or to become paralyzed by the events of her past.

“Good morning, sweetie.” Spencer rolled over to find Katie sitting at the edge of their bed, gulping down water and some aspirin.

“You feeling all right?” he asked.

“Yeah, just a little headache.” She didn’t want to tell him her head felt like it was about to explode. It must have been the bourbon.

Katie slogged into the living room and turned on the TV. The news rambled on in the background while she made the coffee. It wasn’t until she heard the words, “Isabelle Thompson” that she rushed back in and stood in front of the screen.