“She was one of the first people I really made friends with when I came back to Howling. I taught her to bake.”
Katie was exhaustedwhen she finally made it back to the houseboat. She and Jake had talked about everything. Her life in LA, the shooting, Jessie. Finally, when she’d finished, he’d driven her back. His parting words had been to call him if she felt like a drink.
Pulling on her exercise clothes and sneakers, she went out for a long run, deciding to try out Cubby’s trick of exhausting herself. After a swim in the lake, she headed back into town and bought a few supplies, none of which included alcohol. The faces of the locals, young and old, were somber, which told Katie news of Jilly’s death had reached all corners of her hometown. The grocery store where she’d worked was shut, so Katie made for the general store. Gathering what she needed, she paid a sad-faced Mac and then headed for the Hoot, where Buster hugged her hard for a solid two minutes.
“I’m okay, Buster. How you doing?”
“Jilly used to come in here and ask me things about baking, stuff she wanted to impress Branna with.”
“I’m sorry.” Katie patted his shoulder as he released her. “Can I get a coffee, chicken pie, and a piece of that cake.” She pointed to the rich gooey-looking chocolate one.
“Coming right up,” Buster said, sounding even more growly than normal.
Katie headed for the sheriff’s office when she left Buster. She may have been angry with Cubby personally, but what he was going through and would continue to go through as the sheriff with a murder now on his hands, was going to be hell. So she was going in there to see him, because she knew just what that felt like, and he needed support right now. She’d offer him some in a purely professional capacity.
Brady, Rick, and Tank all acknowledged her briefly, their faces serious, before returning to whatever it was they were doing.
“I can’t believe it, Katie.”
“I know, Rona, I can’t take it in either.”
Rona had been the sheriff’s administrator for years; she knew everyone and everything, and like Buster and the rest of the Howling residents, news of Jilly’s death and how it had happened had hit hard.
“I just need to see Cubby for a minute, I won’t be long.”
“Go right on in. He hasn’t come out since he told the Lees about their girl.”
The blind on his door was closed, so she tapped once, opened the door, then entered.
“Katie, I’m busy right now.”
His face was closed, eyes cool blue.
“I know, and I’m sorry you had to go tell the Lees. How did it go?”
“They were devastated and disbelieving. Anger will come next, along with the heart-wrenching sorrow.”
She placed the coffee before him, then the chicken cheesy-crust pie and big piece of chocolate cake. “Eat, you’ll feel better.”
“Thanks, but food is not going to make this go away, Katie, or solve it.”
She knew his anger was because of the circumstances and let it roll off her.
“Sure, but if you don’t eat you won’t be able to work 24-7.”
His sigh was loud. “Hell of a day.” He popped the lid on the coffee and took a large mouthful. “I didn’t thank you for your work out there, so thanks.”
She waved his words away. “I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes by interfering, since I know you have this, Cubby. But if you need me for anything in a purely advisory capacity, you only have to ask.”
He looked at her over the rim of his cup and she couldn’t read a damn thing in his expression.
“I may take you up on that. The boys are heading out soon; we need to track Jilly’s movements before she went into the trails.”
He’d finished the pie in four bites and started on the cake.
“Someone will know something; often you just need to give their memory a nudge.”
He nodded.
