Thats pretty disturbing, Kate said.
Do you think Allen would be up for it, though? Clarissa asked.
I dont know, Kate answered, trying to imagine Allen with a baby. They had been dating seriously ever since Kate and her new partner, DeMarco, had wrapped the serial case right here in Richmondthe same case that had taken Debbie Meades daughter. There had been no real talk of the future; they hadnt slept together yet and rarely got physical at all. She was enjoying her time with him, though, but the thought of bringing him into the grandmother part of her life made her uncomfortable.
Things still going well with you two? Clarissa asked.
I think so. The whole dating thing still seems weird to me. Im too old to date, you know?
Hell no, Jane said. Dont get me wrongI love my husband, my kids, and my life in general. But Id give anything to be back on that dating scene for just a while, you know? I miss it. Meeting new people, sharing firsts
Yeah, I guess that is pretty nice, Kate conceded. Allen finds the idea of dating strange, too. We have fun together but itsit gets sort of weird when things start leaning towards the romantic end of things.
Blah blah, Clarissa said. But do you think of him as your boyfriend?
Are we really having this conversation? Kate asked, starting to feel herself blushing a bit.
Yes, Clarissa said. Us old married ladies need to live vicariously through you.
And that also goes for your sort-of job, Jane said. Hows that going?
No calls for about two weeks, and the last one was just to help with some research. Sorry, girlsits not as adventurous as youre hoping it is.
So are you back to being retired? Clarissa asked.
Basically. Its complicated.
That comment ended the questioning as they delved back into local topicsupcoming movies, a music festival in town, construction on the interstate, and so on. But Kates mind had gotten snagged on the topic of work. It was comforting to know that the bureau was still considering her as a resource but she had been hoping for a more active role after she had tied things up with the last case. But so far, shed only heard from Deputy Director Duran a single time, and that was to get a performance review on DeMarco.
She knew how strange it seemed to her friends that she was still technically an active agent while also leaning into her role as a grandmother. Hell, it was strange to her as well. Throw in a slowly blossoming relationship with Allen and she supposed her life was quite interesting to them.
Honestly, she counted herself lucky. Shed be fifty-six years old at the end of the month and she knew that many women her age would be envious of the life she lived. She always told herself this when she felt the pressing need to be more active at work. And some days, it worked.
And as it just so happened, with her granddaughter coming to visit for the first time since her birth, today was one of those days.
***One thing that made it difficult to balance her new role as grandmother with her desire to get her hands deep into another case was trying to think like a grandmother. That afternoon, she left her house and walked down to some of the thrifty little shops in the Carytown district of Richmond. She felt like she had to get Michelle a gift to celebrate her first overnight stay at Grandmas house.
It was hard to push sidearms and suspects aside to focus on stuffed animals and onesies instead. But as she checked out a few shops, it became somewhat easier. She found that she actually enjoyed shopping for her granddaughter, even though she wasnt even two months old yet and would, honestly, not care about any gift she got. She found it hard not to snatch up every cute thing she found and buy it. After all, wasnt it the responsibility of a grandmother to spoil her grandchildren?
As she paid for her purchases at the third shop she visited, she received a text. She wasted no time in checking it. Over the last few weeks, shed had a small hope every time she got a call or a text, thinking it might Duran or someone else within the bureau. She mentally scolded herself when she was disappointed to find that it was not the bureau, but Allen. Once she got over the sting of not being called upon by the bureau again, she realized that she was happy to hear from himwas always happy to hear from him, in fact.
Allen, you have to help me, she joked as she answered the phone. Im shopping for Michelle and everything I see, I want to buy for her. Is that normal?
I dont know, Allen said. Neither of my sons have settled down and made me a grandpa yet.
Take it from me. Start saving up.
Allen chuckled, a sound that Kate was growing to like quite a bit. So tonights the big night, huh?
It is. And I know I raised a kid already and I know what to expect, but Im a little terrified.
Ah, youll be great. You want to talk terrifiedIm going out with my boys for drinks tonight. And I havent had more than two drinks in a single sitting in about five years.
Have fun with that.
I was wondering if you might want to get together tomorrow for dinner. We can share our survival stories of tonight.
Id like that. You want to come by my place at seven or so?
Sounds like a plan. You have fun tonight. Is little Michelle sleeping through the night yet?
I dont believe so.
Ouch, Allen said, and ended the call.
Kate pocketed her phone, juggling her bags of purchases as she did. She smiled in spite of herself. She was standing in the sunshine in her favorite part of town, having just gone shopping for a two-month-old granddaughter, whom she was babysitting tonight. Given the way her day was going, did she really want the bureau to call at all?
She was walking back to her homea three-block walk from where she had taken Allens callwhen she saw a little girl with a My Little Pony T-shirt. She was walking with her mother hand in hand, just a few feet ahead of her, traveling in their direction. She was five or six years old, her blonde hair up in a ponytail only a mothers care could create. She had blue eyes and a sharp end to her nose that looked rather pixie-like. And it was that feature that sent a spike of despair through Kates heart.
An image flashed through her mind, a little girl who looked almost identical to this one. But in this image, the little girl had dirt and grime on her face, and she was crying. The lights of police cars flashed behind her.
The image was so strong that it caused Kate to stop walking for a moment. She tore her eyes away from the girl, not wanting to appear creepy or strange. She clung to that image in her head and did her best to find the memory associated with it. It came to her gradually and when it did, it unrolled itself slowly, as if she were reading the case report.
Five-year-old girl, found three days after reported missing. Stored in a fishing cabin in Arkansas with the dead bodies of her parents. The parents were the fifth and sixth victims of a serial killer that had terrorized Arkansas for the better part of four monthsa killer Kate had eventually taken down, but only after he had claimed a total of nine people.
Kate was aware that she was suddenly standing as still as a statue on the street but couldnt seem to move. That case had haunted her for a while. So many dead ends, so many false leads. She had been running around in circles, unable to find the killer while he continued to add to his body count. God only knew what he had planned for that little girl.