Page 44 of Fight or Flight
Ilene’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, I do know who you are! The kids with magic power books, yes?”
Katherine smiled. “Yes.”
“The Blowing Rock library has a book club for kids. I was there dropping off a friend of mine, the head librarian, Sarah Waterman. We’d had a night out and drank too much. She left her car at Peckers. Not that it’s anyone’s business.” She looked at Doc, who had a wry smile on his face. “The library has posters of all your books in their book club room.”
“You two old gals need to stay away from that watering hole,” Doc piped in. “I’d hate to see you or Sarah get pulled over and charged with a DUI.”
Unsure of anything at the moment, Katherine smiled. “Sounds fun, Doc. You never told me about Blowing Rock’s watering hole.” Not that she had any intention of going there for any reason. She glanced at Tyler, and he winked at her.
“You’ve always had a way about you, Franklin. Sticking your nose in places where it doesn’t belong,” Ilene chided. “Now, Katherine, tell me about this break-in. And I’d like the truth this time around.”
Katherine told her the evening’s sequence of events. Her earlier actions that day had no bearing on that night’s break-in, so she kept the GWUP group and their conversations to herself.
“What about that girl from your Friendlink page?” Tyler interrupted. “Earlier, before the break-in, you were concerned about her. I think Ilene could help you with that, too. Find out if she’s really in some kind of danger.”
Darn!She should’ve asked Tyler to keep her concern for Karrie private. For all she knew, Karrie could be anyone from anywhere. Gathering herself, Katherine spoke. “I don’t see how it could be connected, Tyler. The girl I was telling you about lives in Texas. I doubt she had time for all this; and, she’s only sixteen, maybe younger. From what she said, she doesn’t have a very good home life.”
“Okay, hold up, Katherine. Fill me in. If you want my help, you need to be as honest as possible. When you finish, I’ll call the police,” Ilene stated.
Resigned, Katherine explained the whole Friendlink page for her readers. She told Ilene about Karrie’s emails and the phone call. Most importantly, she explained to Ilene all about the notebook with her book outline and notes and the plush animal, Duckie, and how the dogs had recently brought it inside.
“Did you piss anyone off? Maybe someone you’re not even aware of?” Ilene asked.
Katherine took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I don’t know. Doc, Tyler, and his friend Carson are the only people I’ve allowed inside. And now you.”
“What about the delivery people? No way you can live as you do without help. Groceries? Post office, FedEx? Are you friendly with them? Do you allow them inside?” The questions flew from Ilene’s mouth as she drilled Katherine. “Has anyone tried to force themselves inside? Force themselves on you?”
“No, nothing like that. They’ve never been inside. They leave my groceries and mail on the deck by the French doors.”
“It’s time to call the police. Get the place checked for prints, fibers, or anything out of place. We don’t want the locals to take your computer yet. I’ll want to go through it first,” said Ilene. She removed a cell phone from a pocket in her skin-hugging dress. How she’d managed to keep it hidden until now was a mystery. “I’ll use that room off the kitchen.”
Katherine knew she wasn’t asking her permission. Ilene was sharp. She crossed herTs and dotted herIs.
Katherine stayed in the dining room, giving Ilene some privacy. Suddenly, it struck her like a lightning bolt—she hadn’t felt the slightest inkling of panic since dinner, other than her heart rate was up a bit. Unwilling to overthink why this was the case, she sat silently with Doc and Tyler at the table.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked.
She nodded. “I am. Which is unusual, I’ll give you that. I’ve been alone for such a long time. Having people around seems to have a calming effect on me.” Had she wasted some of the best years of her life hiding for nothing?
“I guess I wasn’t enough,” Doc interjected, a grin on his face.
“Your mind isn’t focusing on your fear right now,” Tyler said. “It’s common enough. Your next challenge might be more difficult. Leaving your house.”
Katherine waited for the familiar body sensations of a panic attack but only felt her heartbeat increase a little more. The dry mouth, clammy hands, and dizziness stayed at bay. She wasn’t going to test herself anymore tonight. The person who’d walked right into her house could still be hiding outside. There were dozens of acres that she’d never explored; she’d be a sitting duck if her intruder was still out there.
Ilene returned to the dining room. “I spoke with Detective Davidson. I gave him the basic details. Ray said he’d be here in twenty minutes with a deputy from forensics. No sirens and no marked cars. He promised he’d be discreet,” Ilene said, her words succinct.
“Who’s the deputy?” Doc asked.
“It’s not who you’re thinking,” Ilene confirmed. “George Gonzalez, though I don’t know him.”
Katherine interrupted them. “Is there a problem with one deputy over another? If there is, call now and stop this investigation if you don’t trust him.”
“Tell her,” Ilene said to Doc.
“My ex-wife’s new husband works for the police department. He’s one of the state forensics guys. Comes from Asheville.”
Katherine realized she knew absolutely nothing about the personal lives of these three people. They were here to help her. That’s all she needed to know right now. “Should I hide my computer?” she asked Ilene.
