The Watcher (40 page)

The department’s role in the Bigler County Butcher case was finally wrapped up, and all files and evidence handed off to the feds. No one said the words aloud, but Kate suspected everyone was glad McClelland’s death saved the government a trial.

Marconi’s body hadn’t been found, but the forensics team speculated it’d been destroyed by Joseph McClelland in the room where his grandfather had slaughtered the animals he hunted. They’d found traces of lye mixed with household bleach and animal blood. The FBI forensics capabilities were more sophisticated than the state and county resources, and Kate believed they’d eventually find indisputable trace evidence linking Marconi to the isolated farmhouse.

Bauer was receiving a commendation. It was a good shooting, and he’d been cleared in the death of Joseph McClelland, a.k.a. the Bigler County Butcher, a.k.a. John Smith, a.k.a. more aliases than they’d thought possible.

Kate had studied as many of McClelland’s medical files as she could get her hands on. As a physician, she was curious about how McClelland’s physicality affected him psycho-sexually, but she realized there were no simple answers.

The killer had kept a small journal detailing the deaths of the two girls killed in Bigler County. Kate had gotten only a brief glimpse of the notebook before the feds confiscated it, but she saw the word “pretties” scrawled over and over throughout the pages.

Dozens of pictures recovered from the house pointed to a history that confirmed Kate’s original theories about the case. Joseph McClelland’s history, a litany of psychological and sexual abuse and abandonment, came to light after hours of interviews with teachers, neighbors, and other locals.

McClelland’s body underwent a complete autopsy examination, the results of which the federal government kept secret. Rather like an X-Files episode, Kate thought darkly.

The board of supervisors instated Slater as the interim sheriff of Bigler County. He told Kate he’d finish out Marconi’s term, but he didn’t know where his plans would lead after that.

She couldn’t forget the look on his face when he’d held her tightly in the blasphemy that was the basement slaughtering room. She shuddered to think that they’d nearly lost each other. She’d never seen him so vulnerable, and it flashed through her mind that losing her would’ve sent him into a serious tailspin. The idea frightened her more than it pleased her.

She and Slater had walked on eggshells since the kidnapping. After their release from the hospital, he spent every night, all night, at her apartment, ignoring the sometimes curious, sometimes sly glances they received at the precinct.

Kate’s wounds were less severe than Slater’s because she’d deflected the killing thrust of the knife. She’d healed quickly although an ugly scar would run from her left shoulder to the middle of her back. Slater required dozens of stitches to close the gaping wound to his side, and the healing was complicated by the break in one rib and the hairline fracture to another as the knife blade’s tip plunged into his body.

With time, both of them healed physically. Emotionally their recovery was more complicated.

Slater behaved as if he were afraid Kate would disappear if he let her out of his sight. But he didn’t talk about the time she’d spent with Joseph McClelland and didn’t ask her any questions about her hours in the slaughtering room.

He never spoke of a future with her. He seemed preoccupied with the past and the present, but didn’t talk about what lay ahead for the two of them. That worried her. She didn’t know what was going on in his head and couldn’t tell if he were giving her space, or withdrawing from her.

Concerning Joseph McClelland, Kate had mixed emotions. She hated the man because he’d murdered and tortured her sister and countless other girls. But for one moment, when she’d looked into his demented eyes, she’d understood everything about him, every terrible, unforgiving insult and pain he’d ever experienced.

She didn’t understand why some people suffered the most degrading indignities, but remained gentle and kind while others became monsters. She didn’t know if it were in their hardwiring or in their nurturing.

She was just glad the ordeal was over.

Tonight Slater lay on his back, one arm flung over his eyes, but Kate didn’t think he was sleeping. There was something about the shallowness of his breathing that made her believe he was as wide awake as she was, even at this late hour.

Kate snuggled up to his warm body and whispered gently in his ear. “Hey, Slater, are you awake?”

Silence, but she thought she detected a catch in his breathing. “Don’t make me tickle you, Slater.”

The muffled voice from under his arm was husky. “Don’t call me Slater, Myers.”

She wouldn’t really have tickled him. His wound was still tender, and she didn’t want to aggravate his recovery. Kate smiled, reaching her fingers slowly under the covers and beneath the waistband of his shorts. She felt his heartbeat increase beneath her ear.

Kate continued to move her hand downward. They hadn’t made love since the kidnapping. Slater acted like he was afraid she’d break if he touched her.

“I love you,” she said. “You don’t have to say it back. You don’t even have to feel it. I just want you to know.”

“Come here,” he said gruffly, pulling her on top of him.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” she cautioned, suddenly fearful he’d rip open the stitches.

“How can I injure myself on such a sweet, soft – ” He kissed the edge of her mouth. “Tasty morsel like you?”

Suddenly Slater flipped her over, cupping her face in his hands, kissing her lips and cheeks. “I love you, too,” he whispered into her hair.

In the early hours of the morning, Kate awoke to find Slater’s leg flung across her, one arm propping up his head as he stared into her sleeping face.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just want to look at you.”

“Hm, that’s nice. I must look delightful.”

“Kate,” he said suddenly, “I want to do something tomorrow.”

She hesitated. “What’s that?”

“I want to drive up to Preston, see where your family farm was, where it all began.”

“Why?” she asked, her eyes filling because she’d had the very same idea.

“That was a big part of your life, and I want to understand everything about you, your sister, your family. I want to see Kassie’s gravesite.”

“Yes,” Kate answered, “we need to put Kassie to rest. That’s a wonderful idea.”

She would put her nightmares to rest.

Kate snuggled close to Slater. Maybe one day they’d visit Max’s grave too.

Jo Lewis-Robertson, former high school English teacher, makes her home in northern California.