“I watched you at the grave site. I observed how you studied everything, thoroughly, and there was a compassion about you, but… someone like me can tell when another has had the experience of seeing horror. I detect that in you.”
His words seemed to hang in the air. It was true, but Katie hated that she had weaknesses and that they could be seen if a person knew where to look. Being a good cop and competent detective meant that you never showed your vulnerabilities.
“Is there anything else you can tell me that would help the case?” she said.
“Do an ancestry background on the Collins family… beginning with Mr. Bruce Collins.”
This caught her attention. “Is he related to Meredith Collins?”
“Yes.” Buck stood up; he towered over Katie. “That’s all that I can tell you. I don’t know anything else.”
She half expected him to become aggressive, but hedisappeared for a few moments and then came back with her things. He gently laid her gun, phone, and GPS on a small table.
Katie hesitated to move.
“It’s okay, you can take them.”
She could see his eyes closely; they appeared to hold unbearable sadness. Realizing that her capture was him doing the right thing, it must’ve taken a lot of courage for him to bring her here and tell her what he knew.
Katie picked up her items judiciously, holstered her gun, and pocketed her cell and GPS. “Thank you.”
“I have to ask you one thing.” Buck picked up a narrow scarf. “You need to wear this while I take you back.”
Katie shook her head. “I don’t think…”
“It’s okay. I will lead you to where you were before.” He kept her gaze.
“Okay.” Katie had to take a leap of faith. What choice did she have?
Buck gently tied the scarf to hide Katie’s vision.
“How can I contact you?” she said.
“You can’t. But… if I need to get a message to you, I know how to find you.”
Those last words stuck in Katie’s mind as she was led, helplessly blindfolded. She tried to remember all her steps, but had a feeling they were going in circles; however, there was no way of knowing. Estimating the amount of time since they left the cabin, she guessed it to be fifteen to twenty minutes.
“You can find your way now. The partial moon will guide you,” said Buck.
Katie pulled off the blindfold and turned around. “But?—”
Buck was gone. There had been no footsteps. He had vanished like a ghost or as if he went to another dimension. She caught her breath and ran everything that had happened through her mind. She wasn’t going to forget any of it.
Katie suddenly heard voices calling her name.
She ran toward them. “I’m here!”
Katie had found her way back to McGaven and John and their worried expressions. She had told them her story, but they looked at her with concern and disbelief.
“For the last time. I’m fine.”
“We need to find this guy, Buck. Like that’s his real name,” said McGaven.
“I don’t think you will. He has made it virtually impossible.”
“How do you know he wasn’t the killer toying with you?” said John.
“I don’t think he was.”
