Chapter Eight
Kate didn’t sleep well and was up at five A.M. The case, watching her daughter’s first experience with death, all were playing inside her mind. The only bright spot was that she had time to get a run in before they went after breakfast. Kate slipped a jogging suit on and put on a pair of running shoes. As a last note she put the shoulder holster on and slipped a jacket on to conceal it.
Kate loved running in the early morning. It was cool and she didn’t spend the day wiping sweat off after every step. The air was crisp, it was quiet and she got to see a lot of sunrises. She ran through the neighborhood and at parks that had trails on the outside perimeters where she could be seen from the street. She knew the paperboys who were finishing their last deliveries. She could smell bakeries in the distance getting their morning fare ready for the customers who would soon be filling the small tables they had both inside and outside of their shops.
Kate was aware of her surroundings. No one knew better than her the dangers that lurked for a woman running alone. She figured with her military training and the Glock she carried under her jacket she was as prepared as she could be. She felt that the morning was the best time for a run. Criminals didn’t get up that early. She knew that wasn’t true but it was the inside joke she told herself.
Sean knew she ran regularly but didn’t worry about her, he was actually more afraid for whoever tried to attack her. She had seen a couple of men, while on her run, that drew her attention and she watched them closely if she ran past them. It had become common knowledge in the neighborhood who she was and of her military background. Megan had told her that was why she didn’t have any boyfriends, it was a matter of fear.
Kate finished her run without any mishap and came in to grab a quick shower before getting Megan up to take breakfast to Addison’s family. Kate was surprised to see Megan was already up taking a shower when she walked in the door. Megan got up on her own, that was a new milestone. Kate would write about that in her journal, except she didn’t keep one. She did file it away in her memory. Kate believed that anyone who raised a daughter all the way to adulthood without killing them, deserved some kind of medal.
Kate went in to take her own shower and was thankful she had demanded two bathrooms when she was house shopping. The two bathrooms were a great benefit all the way around. Having only one water heater was the big bottleneck now. The water started warm but the chill started in less than three minutes. Kate’s quick showers in the military and the almost lack of them in Afghanistan, made a lack of hot water seem like nothing. Hot water was usually not an issue because she was up well before Megan was.
Kate planned on getting her and Megan breakfast when she got breakfast for Addison’s family so she didn’t have to spend any time cooking. She did have coffee ready, courtesy of an automatic timer. When Kate finished her shower, fixed her hair, put on makeup, dressed and went to Megan’s room, Megan was sitting on her bed waiting. The bed was yet to be made, but that was a normal condition that Kate didn’t bother addressing anymore.
Kate asked, “Are you ready to go take breakfast to your friend?”
Megan replied, “Yes, I really want to do this for Addison’s family.”
Both the breakfast burritos and the doughnuts were available via drive through and neither line had more than three cars in front of them. When they arrived at Addison’s house it was like Kate had expected. It was crowded with a few family members talking about making a breakfast run. The sight of the trays filled with breakfast food drew applause as Kate brought the trays inside.
One of the family members that Kate didn’t know, which was most of them except Addison and her dad, walked over to congratulate Kate for good thinking.
He said, “That was brilliant to think of breakfast when no one else has.”
Kate replied, “I have been in your shoes before and I remember the only thing lacking was breakfast.”
Addison spotted Kate and Megan from a distance and quickly made her way past the other family members to embrace Megan like the great friend that she was.”
The teary eyed teen through a quivering bottom lip said, “Thanks to both of you for coming and for the breakfast.”
Megan replied, “It was my mom’s idea to bring breakfast.”
Addison’s father, Thomas, joined the group and extended a welcome and thanks for the breakfast. Tom said, “I thought I was going to have to cook breakfast and that was a sight no one wants to see.”
Kate knew that Thomas O’Brien was only joking and to the contrary she very much thought a man cooking breakfast for a woman was very sexy. It was the one thing her ex did that she really appreciated. Of course, lying and cheating were the other things he did and they completely negated the breakfast cooking. Kate thought Thomas was an attractive man, even though she had little interest in men at this stage in her life. Her ex left a bitter taste in her mouth that would be hard to remove.
Kate gave both Thomas and Addison a hug while expressing her sympathy for their loss. Their previous tears are still very evident on their faces. It was clear that it would be some time before Thomas would be ready to enter the dating arena and to be completely honest, being in a family with two teenage daughters scared the living shit out of him. He would rather be thrown into the cage of a lion, with only a whip and a chair. It was a sentiment shared by Kate.
Thomas invited both women to stay and visit with the family.
Kate responded, “I have to get to the station for work, but Megan can stay if someone will take her home later, she rode with me here. I am sure she wants to be around to support Addison.”
Thomas replied, “Of course we will make sure she gets home and thanks to both of you. I guess you are working on that homicide I have been seeing on the news. Any progress on that?”
Kate answered, “In the words of our captain, the investigation is still ongoing and we will save public comment until we have more information available. That means we are interviewing all of the usual suspects and checking their alibis.”
Megan interrupted, “I told mom it was the husband, but he has solid alibis. He has enough money to hire it though.”
Kate smiled and repeated, “The investigation is still ongoing and we will save public comment until we have more information available.”
Thomas responded, “I would say you are a cautious woman and wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag even if you knew the answer.”
Kate replied, “I don’t have the luxury of speculation, I work in a world where I can only say what I can prove. You and your family have more important things going on besides my homicide.”
Thomas responded, “We do indeed, but an occasional diversion is welcome.”
Kate said, “I understand. I know it has been hard on the whole family. If there is anything else I can do just let me know.”
Thomas could tell that Kate’s remarks were genuine. She didn’t appear to have a phony bone in her body. He thanked her again and watched as she walked to her car and headed back to the station. She had stopped to pick up one of the breakfast burritos she left for the family and ate it while chugging her coffee on the drive into the station.
Kate’s morning had been a busy one already, almost busy enough to make her forget the note and key that had been found in Linda Mile’s locker at the gym. Kate would inquire with Linda’s family if they knew if she had a safety deposit box anywhere.
Kate suspected that no one knew about this key. She was thinking that it was a secret that only Linda knew about. Whatever treasures it held were for her only. Kate talked to Richard Miles first and just as she suspected there was no knowledge of any safety deposit box.
When Kate talked to Linda’s sister it became clear that she may know something. She was vague when giving her answers but essentially said she didn’t think there was a safety deposit box and seemed to be waiting for Kate to tell her there was.
Kate’s main idea for questioning the family was more to test the responses, than to garner any real evidence. Experience told her she would probably not get any information from her questions.