JENNA PRACTICALLY DISLOCATED her right shoulder trying to roll the gate to the impound lot closed. By the time she had secured it firmly in place, it felt as if every ligament had been ripped from its moorings.
Gingerly working the joint around, she grabbed the chain and wrapped it around the stationary pole. It was her own fault for chasing off the tow truck driver who had delivered the broken-down Toyota to the empty lot. Even though he had exhibited a nasty habit of hocking his phlegm as he spoke, the guy had been a good foot taller than her. More important, he had the build of a gym rat. Had she simply asked for help, she would already be on her way home.
Another bad decision to add to the growing tally. Since the incident with Delford, it felt as if she had done nothing but lie to everyone, including herself. The truth was she had never actually killed someone before and the reality of it had knocked her for a loop.
It wasn’t like she regretted what had happened that night. The guy had been a scumbag. She had said as much to the Port Angeles therapist Tony had required her to see. While the woman had cleared Jenna to return to duty, she had done nothing to stop the late-night vigils she’d begun keeping at her son’s bedroom door. Hour after hour, she had stood watching him sleep, wondering the same thing. Am I worthy to be his Mom? Would he be better off with a different family who could keep him safe?
Donning the uniform again had done little to alleviate the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. If anything, it made her feel she needed to go out of her way to prove she deserved to be wearing it. Tonight, was a perfect example. As menial a task as it was to check the vehicle into impound, she could not bring herself to accept the least bit of help.
Pursing her lips, she pushed the ends of the padlock together with all her might. The shackle slammed home into the lock bar with a loud click.
Her eyes registered the blood before her nerves registered the pain. A small section of skin on the inside of her palm had gotten caught in the lock. Blood welled to the surface. As it began to pour, the pain lit up her hand and raced up her arm to her elbow.
Casting an explicative into the empty night air, she turned around and headed toward her patrol car. By the time she opened the driver’s side door blood was dripping freely from her hand. Trying to staunch a growing anger already disproportionate to the problem, she rifled through the car, searching the stash of wipes she kept in the center console. Discovering it had been raided by her colleagues, who hadn’t even bothered to remove the empty package, she swore again.
Resigning herself to the prospect of a messy ride back to the sheriff’s office, she started the ignition. The headlights blazed through the night, pointing directly across to the neighboring property. Beyond their reach, a single security light mounted near the roof of the coroner’s lab shone onto the rear yard where Mildred’s car was parked.
Anxious for the chance to save what was left of her uniform, Jenna drove over and parked alongside the coroner’s vehicle. Thick droplets of blood slipped between her clenched fist as she walked to the door.
Reaching for the doorbell, she detected the faint smell of smoke. With more than a bit of jealousy, she imagined one of the nearby residents settling in to enjoy a cozy evening by the fire. The thought was a reminder of the flagrant holes in Jenna’s life—holes she was unlikely to ever fill in Eagle’s Nest.
After two full minutes, irritation began to get the better of her. She drummed on the bell once again. As her gaze fell away from the button, she noticed an odd shadow between the door and the frame.
She reached out with her left hand and seized the handle. The door swung open easily. Muted light spilled through the open doorway, limiting her view of the room beyond.
Something sharp and uncomfortable awakened in her gut. Mildred would not leave the door open at any hour, let alone at night. Equally indifferent to the potential damage to her uniform, she hastily wiped her bleeding hand against her thigh and reached for her gun.
“Mildred?” The name echoed beyond the door.
Hoping the coroner was merely out of earshot, she called out again.
Silence.
Jenna took a step inside and flipped the nearby light switch. The body on the floor drew her gaze like a magnet. Noting the crimson corona around the fallen form, she rushed across the chamber. Dropping to the coroner’s side, Jenna was immediately overwhelmed by the coppery scent of blood.
Grabbing her radio, she called for an ambulance. As she spoke, an icy cold realization dawned. The smell of smoke inside the building was much stronger than it had been outside.
May 11
The acrid stench of smoke seemed to permeate every square inch of the building but was most severe in the lab where the fire had originated. Two freestanding, battery-powered work lights illuminated the room where Kate and Tony stood side-by-side surveying the damage.
Three of the room’s four walls were completely charred. The row of shelves and the counter mounted to the far wall had been almost entirely burned away. The Port Angeles Fire Chief had just walked out of the lab, leaving them to ruminate in silence on the preliminary result of his investigation.
The older man had pointed out the remains of the compromised space heater and the power strip which had been used to start the blaze. He had also detailed how the fire monitoring system had been bypassed, how the fire suppression system had been deactivated, and how the security system had been hacked. In over two and half decades of arson investigation, he’d never seen anything as sophisticated as what had occurred the night before.
“This is all my fault,” Kate said in a hushed tone.
Tony shrugged. He’d arrived when the blaze was still burning and had watched the fire department put it out. When the last embers were out and the building had been deemed safe to reenter, Tony had called to apprise her of what had transpired.
News of the fire had hit her like a fistful of brass knuckles. She had raced from the cottage with her stomach in knots.
Still smoldering over her decision to confront Cruthers without a warning phone call, the sheriff braced his hands on his hips. “I would try to make you feel better by arguing, but this was no coincidence. The lab was targeted by a sophisticated adversary.”
Kate’s voice was husky. “I never should have pushed Cruthers so hard yesterday. If it wasn’t for me, Mildred would be sculpting right now instead of …”
Noting the pained expression on her face, he crossed the distance between them coming to stand within a foot of her. She readied herself for the lecture she knew she deserved, but the sound of footsteps in the hall froze his lips.
Jenna Wheaton appeared in the doorway. Her haggard expression morphed into something more pointed as she studied the lack of personal space between the room’s other inhabitants.
Reading the deputy’s face, Kate took two steps back.
Tony shifted his gaze to the new arrival. “How’s your hand?”
She waved the comment away with the bandaged appendage. “It’s fine. I heard from the hospital. Mildred is out of surgery.”
“She’s going to be okay?” The hope in his tone was mirrored on his face.
Jenna winced. “They don’t know. She’s in critical care. They said the next twenty-four hours will tell.”
He nodded. “Thanks to you she has a fighting chance.”
“I told you, it was purely accidental.”
“You may have saved her life,” Kate said.
The deputy stared at the other woman, trying to divine the motive behind her words.
Watching the odd exchange, Tony stepped into the silence. “Go home, Wheaton. Your shift should have ended …” He checked his watch. “Six hours ago.”
She looked from Tony to Kate and back again. “I guess I could use a shower.”
“We’re all gonna need a shower to get this smell off.” Deputy Nolan adjusted his glasses as he made his way into the room. “Shit, that asshole could have burned down the entire forest! Do you guys have any ideas who did this?”
The question had been directed at Kate, but Tony fielded it. “We’re working on it. What would help is if you could hold off getting back to Port Angeles long enough to make sure Deputy Wheaton gets home okay.”
Wheaton crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m perfectly capable of driving myself home, Sheriff.”
Nolan’s gaze shifted to Kate. He studied her for a long moment during the awkward silence. When he finally looked at Wheaton, his expression shifted dramatically. “Hey, Wheaton, it’s no big deal. Besides, I still owe you for the time you helped us with traffic control for that head-on, remember?”
Casting one last rueful glance at her boss, Wheaton headed for the exit.
Tony called out as she reached the threshold. “And Wheaton?”
Her weary eyes found his once again. “Yes?”
“We’re glad to have you back. And I’m grateful to have you on my team.”
A hint of emotion flashed in the woman’s eyes before she nodded and turned away. Kate waited until the sound of both deputies’ footsteps disappeared down the hall before turning back to Tony.
“That meant a lot to her.”
“I meant what I said to her as much as what I’m about to say to you. Going to see Cruthers without talking to me first was a dumbass move. But this …” he gestured to the mess around them, “… was not your fault.”
She took a step back. “You just admitted I provoked him. If I hadn’t told him about the open-source DNA, he would never have targeted Mildred.”
“Bullshit. While you were in Bellevue yesterday, Mildred was in Seattle at the state’s CODIS lab. If Cruthers had the power to tap your phone and manipulate the FBI, it’s not unreasonable to assume he has been watching Mildred as well. It’s a safe bet he’s watching me too.”
She turned and started walking toward the open door.
“Where are you going?” He asked as he trailed behind her.
Kate stopped at the threshold. “I’m leaving.”
Something in the set of her jaw sparked a tightness around his eyes. “This building or Eagle’s Nest?”
“The entire state of Washington.”
He looked like he was about to protest but seemed to think better of it. His shoulders dropped a bit as he nodded.
“I’m going back to San Francisco to see Kevin. We need to find those girls. No more screwing around. We’ve got to find that door.” Before she knew it, she had reached out and grabbed his arm.
His eyes fell to her hand. When he looked back at her the corresponding wave of emotion was more than she could handle.
She let go and continued in a deliberate tone. “The only way this will work from here on out is if it looks like we’re giving up. Don’t mention a word of what happened here to Fuentes. Stay quiet and let it appear like you think it was a random accident.”
“You think he’s in on this?”
Kate thought back to the human auction in Seattle. “No. But I’ve been wrong about FBI agents before. Either way, Cruthers has long talons.” She thought back to the photos of ex-presidents, senators, and other world leaders she had seen in his office. “At this point we need to go completely quiet. Especially when it comes to your buddy, the county prosecutor.”
Wincing at the implication, Tony nodded anyway.
“I’ll leave town this afternoon. Pick up a disposable cell. I’ll get one, too.”
“Will you give me your new number before you leave?”
“No, I don’t want to take any more chances. Let them think this was my last straw.” She thought for a moment. “Start your morning with coffee at Beans of Mine tomorrow. Fiona will have my new number.”
“Okay, but … when do you think you’ll be back?”
The look in his eyes made it clear the question was about more than the case. Kate gave the only answer she could think of. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save those girls. I don’t have time to think about anything else.” She turned and hurried out of the building before he could press her any further.
*
The walnut dresser creaked as Kate tugged the bottom drawer open. She pulled out two pairs of jeans as the doorbell rang.
Placing the clothes on top of the dresser she crossed to the nightstand. Trusting Tony to abide by their agreement to let her leave Eagle’s Nest with no further interaction, Kate retrieved her Glock from the top drawer. She carefully made her way into the hall. Instead of continuing toward the front door, she slipped into the kitchen and through the back exit.
A pair of cotton leggings, a flimsy cotton T-shirt, and a pair of thin socks were no match for the biting cold, or the puddles from an early morning rainstorm. Ignoring the unpleasant sensations, she paused at the corner of the cottage.
Poking her head around the side of the house revealed no one in sight. Right shoulder skimming the wall of the house, she hurried along, with the Glock pointed toward the ground. The sudden sound of a voice brought her to a standstill.
“Yes, Jacob … I will … I wanted to drop this off with Kate before I go to the grocery. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
Kate risked a peek around the corner. Chloe stood at the doorstep waiting with a foil-covered baking dish in her hands. A blue Volvo was parked alongside Kate’s rental. No other vehicles or people were in sight.
Rolling her eyes skyward, Kate jogged back to the rear of the house. She had opened the door and was busy peeling her off her soggy socks when the doorbell rang again.
“I’m coming!” Kate called.
Arriving at the door, she paused to collect herself before yanking it open. “Chloe, what are you doing here?”
Chloe held up the dish. “I made scones … to let you know how much I appreciated your compassion during our session with Pastor Brian. I don’t expect you to make time for me today. I truly wanted to thank you.”
Compassion was not an attribute Kate would have thought she could feel for her mother. Yet, hearing her mother’s story had cut through the sizeable ramparts the woman had helped build around Kate’s heart.
Thinking about all she had learned about Chloe since coming to Washington, Kate was struck by one fact in particular. The addict she had known had been a recluse. But the sober version of Chloe was a veritable social butterfly.
Kate decided in a split second. “It’s cold outside. Why don’t you come in …” Retreating inside, she held the door open wide. “For a minute.”
Chloe lit up. “Oh, I really wasn’t expecting an invitation. But it would be nice to get warm for a minute. Thank you!”
She entered, placing the dish on the coffee table next to Kate’s laptop while her host shut and locked the door.
“Is it alright?” The older woman gestured to the loveseat.
“Yes.”
Kate took a seat in the chair opposite her mother. “You still haven’t told me how you found out where I’ve been staying.”
“You know Joyce Turndale …?”
Kate nodded at the mention of her landlord.
“Well, she is one of the faith ministers at the church. Earlier this morning, I remembered how she had been so thrilled when she had found someone to rent this cottage.”
She looked pointedly at the dated décor. “Joyce has never bothered to do anything to update this place. I figured anyone who would be willing to tolerate it at this time of year couldn’t be a regular tourist. So, I got curious and called her. She confirmed you’ve been renting from her for the past few weeks.”
Ignoring the implicit breach of privacy, Kate replied, “Funny you mention Joyce. I need to call her today.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Everything has been fine. I need to let her know my stay here is over. I’ll be catching an early morning flight out of SeaTac tomorrow. I’m staying in Tacoma so I won’t be late in the morning.”
Chloe’s face fell. “Oh.”
“Yes, I’ve stayed much longer than I anticipated. I need to get back to my life in the City.” Kate did not need to make any further explanation. Her mother was a Bay Area native. She understood the reference to “the City” meant San Francisco.
Chloe cast her gaze about as if she might stumble across the right response somewhere in the room. “Well, I had hoped we …” She stopped and stared Kate straight in the eyes. “Never mind. I understand. I hope you had a nice visit to Eagle’s Nest.”
“Thank you.” Kate stood.
Her mother rose and began to follow her daughter to the front door. On the way, her knee struck the corner of Kate’s laptop sending it sliding off the table and onto the floor. It bounced once before settling onto the thick shag carpet. The impact had popped open the lid, waking it from sleep mode.
“I’m so sorry!” Chloe plucked the computer off the floor. “If it’s broken, I’ll be happy to replace it. I cannot believe I did that!”
She stared down at the screen which displayed the last file Kate had opened. Celia’s bracelet was displayed in vivid detail …
Chloe passed the device to Kate. “It looks like it’s still working. But you should check to make sure it’s okay.”
Kate accepted the device, closing the lid and placing it back on the table. “I’m sure it’s fine. It wasn’t a long drop and this carpet might be ugly but it is pretty thick.”
“Okay. Well, you have my number. Please call me if you discover it isn’t working right. Or, if you ever want to talk again …”
Memories laden with some of her deepest and darkest emotions threatened to push Kate off course. Corralling her feelings, she succeeded in stopping the flow of all but the smallest ones through the floodgate.
“We did make progress the other night. I still don’t know what it means going forward but I was able to invite you into my house. That must count for something.”
“Yes, yes it does.” Looking as if she had just won the lottery, Chloe opened the door and walked onto the front porch. She turned and smiled back at her daughter. “Safe travels, Kate. And thank you for coming here.”
Kate nodded and was about to close the door when Chloe spoke again. “By the way, I love the orca bracelet.”
“Orca?”
“The shapes of the bracelet—on your laptop.”
“Those are orcas?” Kate thought of the odd-shaped medallions which had been carved from human bone. Now that Chloe had provided the context, Kate begrudgingly agreed they did resemble rudimentary carvings of one of the great local sea mammals.
“I think so. In fact, if it weren’t for the English inscription, I would have thought it came from the dig.”
Kate recalled the archaeological find Kevin had mentioned. “The find from the 1970s?”
Kate listened as Chloe elaborated. Fifteen minutes later, she bid her mother goodbye and hurried back into the house.
In the bedroom, she exchanged her leggings for jeans and finished packing. When she was done, she checked her watch again. Thanks to Chloe she was going to make a detour before starting out for Tacoma.