Kit Schwester is twenty-two years old and lives in America. She grew up in Germany with a brother, a sister, and her parents. After graduating early from school, Kit went to a college in Germany where they recommended that she go to a bigger college in America. She went, despite the disapproval of her parents. She now works as a police/detective.
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May. 13, 2008
My Story [Part 1] --
Here's a new story that I'm working on. Feedback would be great because I'm trying to decide if I should pursue this story or not.
“So, what's going on today?” a woman walked into the police station of the small town, Vistaff. Long, wavy, chestnut brown hair fell down her back as she flopped down into a chair and started shuffling through papers.
“Ah, Kit. You're here,” a tall man with dark hair rose from the table that he had been sitting at. “We got a call this morning, it looks like there's been a kidnapping.” Kit looked up. “Really? I thought that you said it was boring in this town Dan! You call that boring?”
Dan smiled a little, “Well, I should have said that it is usually boring. This hasn't happened for years. In fact, it hasn't happened at all while I've been here,” he picked up some papers and started fiddling through them. “Here's the what information we could find, it really isn't much.”
Kit got up and walked over to look over his shoulder. “Bethany Jackson, age eighteen, works at High Ridge Stables, estimated kidnapping time six thirty... was on a horse ride? Who would go on a ride that early?”
Dan chuckled. “People that are crazy about horses don't mind the time I guess. Ashley, the owner of the stables, said that she goes on rides at that time every day. Something about being alone with God or something,” he shrugged.
“So you've been to the scene?” Kit questioned.
“Well, we've been to the stables but we haven't done any looking around on the paths. I thought you'd like to be there.”
“Well you thought right! Are we going now?”
“We? I need to stay here and hold down the fort. You can go, there are some of our other people there still.”
“Great!” Kit grabbed her coat and ran out of the door, excited to be on something already. She had been at this police station for only a couple of weeks, though this wasn't the first time she had worked as a police. It had taken a while for her to get to where she was now, it had been something she had dreamed of pretty much all of her life. She had always been bolder than her sister and not nearly as boy-crazy. Kit rolled her eyes as she remembered overhearing her parents talking about her.
“What is wrong with that girl?” her mother asked, exasperated.
“I don't know. Maybe she'll grow out of it,” her father had been at least a little more laid back about the affair.
“But what if she doesn't?” her mother worried again. “What if she never goes out and finds someone? What will happen to her when we're gone? I think you should talk to her.”
“Why don't we give her a little more time? She may not need our urging.”
“Fine and I hope you're right. I guess it wouldn't do any good to talk to her anyway, she's as stubborn as a mule.”
Her father had chuckled. “That she is.”
Kit frowned. Her father had ended up talking to her once, her mother more than once, and her sister constantly would point out boys wherever they went. She wondered at how she had survived it all. Of course her brother liked her more because she didn't follow the usual silly ways of the girls in their neighborhood, and she got along well with him. Her sister and she were so different though that they never had a very close relationship.
She pushed aside the memories for a moment to turn onto a small gravel road that wound its way up the side of a hill. Her mother would never had approved of her bouncing along over a dusty road. Her mother wouldn't, and didn't, approve of anything that she had done. She wanted her to settle down and have kids, not run off to some college in America and become a police detective. She shook her head, as if to scatter the memories like autumn leaves before the wind. Her car came to a stop in front of the stables. There were a few policemen still there, and a few other people. Pushing her half grown bangs away from her face, she stepped out of the car and started towards the knot of people.
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May. 8, 2008
My Story [Part 2] --
“Heya Kit,” a tall brown-haired man waved as she neared them.
“Hey Jeremy,” Kit smiled and glanced around at the buildings. “Is the owner here?”
A short, brown haired woman stepped forward. “That'd be me,” she offered a hand. “I'm Ashley Carroway.”
Kit shook her hand. “Kit Schwester. Daniel sent me to have a look around, mostly at the riding trails.”
Ashley nodded. “Right. Well the trails are down that way, they branch off in quite a few different ways. Beth wrote in the log book that she was taking the red trail. It's marked by a red ribbon.”
“And the horse? It didn't come back?”
“No. I noticed that he wasn't in his stall and that is Beth's horse so I figured that she had gone out with him. The problem was that she was usually back by then. So I went to check the log, I thought maybe she had headed out late and I saw that she had left, as usual, at six thirty.”
“What does the horse look like?”
Ashley motioned for her to follow. “There's a picture of him in the stables.”
As they walked to the main building, Kit looked curiously around at everything. She had never really like horses all that much and so had never been to a stables. Now that she was at one she wanted to get as much information as she could from the experience.
The stable smelled of fresh straw on the inside, and one could hear quiet crunching as the horses ate their hay.
“There, that's Joseph.” Ashley pointed to a picture on the wall of a horse. It had a unique coat, that was for sure. White with black spots, outlined with brown and with grey speckles. “She named him Joseph after the Joseph in the Bible.”
Kit blinked and looked at Ashley. “What?”
“You know, the Joseph with the multi-colored coat that got sold by his brothers?”
Kit shook her head. “No idea what you're talking about,” she turned back to study the picture.
Ashley seemed a little taken aback, but she said nothing more about it. “Did you want to see the paths?”
“Yeah,” Kit stepped away from the picture. “I don't generally care for horses, but that is one nice looking horse. Are there many with that coloring?”
“Nope, that's the first one I've seen with those markings, and I've been around horses for a while.”
Kit glanced at the picture again and then followed Ashley out. Ashley led her to a well worn path that led off towards a patch of wooded land and then pointed. “There's the main path. Follow it down and just keep on it 'till you see another path jutting off that is marked with a red ribbon. That is the path she took.”
“Okay, thanks,” Kit thanked Ashley before setting off down the path. She hadn't gone far when she heard, “Hey, wait up!” She turned around to see Jeremy running towards her.
“What do you think you're doing?” he demanded.
“Dan said that I could check out the path.”
“By yourself? You don't know if kidnappers might still be lurking in there. I'm coming with you.”
“Don't think I can take care of myself huh?” Kit giggled. “Fine, I don't care if you come or go but let's get moving whatever we do.”
“What do you think you're going to find?” Jeremy quired as they entered the woods.
“Well, we could see where exactly she was kidnapped. Luckily for us it rained not too long ago so the mud should have some hints. Like how many people there might have been and just other little things.”
“Ah, I see,” Jeremy stuck his hands in his pockets and strode along beside Kit, looking as serious as he could. He was twenty and had just finished his police training. He and Kit hadn't spent much time together but they were already better friends than Kit had been with any other guy. Kit thought him the only guy that was tolerable to be around for any length of time, most of the time men got on her nerves, but he was different.
The woods were quiet, broken now and then by the song of a bird. The path was very clear and large. The ground was smooth, or it would have been if it weren't muddy. There were hoof prints very clearly marked on the ground and Kit kept her eyes on them as they walked. They swerved off after a little while and when Kit looked up she saw that they entered a path marked with a red ribbon. Without a word she kept after the hoof prints. This path had thicker growth around it and Kit kept her wits about her as they made their way deeper and deeper into the woods. The hoof prints began getting farther apart, Kit knew that the horse had been running. Jeremy had noticed too, though as soon as he did he started looking around more, making sure that nothing would sneak up on them. The prints came to an abrupt halt and were trampled over with shoes, more than one tread too. It looked like there had been a bit of a struggle, but then the prints led off of the path. Kit dove into the underbrush, looking cautiously around before looking back at the tracks. They led away, horse prints and three different shoe treads. The shoes were large, definitely that of a man, and one set had sunk farther into the soft ground than the others. Kit pointed at this set.
“See that? What do you notice that is different about those?”
Jeremy knelt down quickly, clearly eager to show that he was just as good at tracking as Kit. “Um... this one has little squiggly marks instead of dots on the tread!” He looked up eagerly.
Kit nodded and knelt beside him. “Yes, what is something else?”
Jeremy studied the prints and then shook his head. “I don't know,” he said, looking abashed.
“They've sunk into the ground more than the others.”
“Oh! So he must be fatter!”
Kit fought the urge to laugh as she shook her head. “That could be true, but what is more likely is that he's carrying the kidnapped girl. I don't see any footprints that could be a girls either.”
Jeremy's shoulders sagged. “Oh.”
“It takes a while to get good at tracking,” Kit tried to comfort him. “They don't focus much on that subject at the training center you went to. I was at the same one for a little bit, and it just takes practice,” she patted him on the back and stood up. “Look on the bright side, you had the sense not to stomp all over the tracks.”
Jeremy chuckled. “I guess so. But everyone knows not to mess up clues.”
“Come on, let's see how far these tracks lead.”
They followed the tracks only for a moment or two more, for they ended up disappeared into thick grass.
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Apr. 28, 2008
My Story [Part 3] --
They were about to head back when Kit saw something on the grass. She walked over and inspected it carefully without touching it. It was a red handkerchief. There wasn't anything interesting about it but Kit dug a plastic bag out of her pocket. She picked it up and then tied a secure knot before stuffing it into her pocket. “Well, we'll see what it has for us back at headquarters. See anything else?”
Jeremy scanned the area and then shook his head. “Nope, nothing out of the ordinary.”
Kit nodded. “That's it, there isn't anything else so we'll head back,” she started back to the path and soon they were on their way back to the stables. They were halfway there when Kit got that strange feeling that people get when they're being watched. She glanced sideways at the brush on the side of the trail, but didn't slow her pace. She didn't want there to be any signs that she had noticed whatever or whoever it was. Nothing looked out of the ordinary but the feeling didn't go away. She looked over at Jeremy, curious to see if he had noticed anything. She could tell that he had for he wasn't loping along at his usual carefree pace, he kept jumping at every sound and gawking into the woods. He saw Kit looking at him and started to say something. Kit raised a finger to her lips and nodded. “I know,” she whispered as she stopped to listen. Someone was definitely there, she knew it, and they didn't want to be seen. She loosened the strap on her gun, making sure it would come out quickly and easily when she wanted it. A twig snapped and Kit dove towards the noise.
There was a rustling noise as a shadow started barreling away. It was a man, tall and thickly built but it wasn't bright enough to see anything else. “Stop!” Kit called, running for the retreating form.
Jeremy was close behind her, breathing hard with excitement. They ran for a while but the shadow soon disappeared, it had had a head start and was much faster than either of them.
Kit stopped and let out an annoyed breath. Looking back at Jeremy, who was clearly disappointed, she said, “Well, that's that. He didn't want to be caught, that's for sure. The sooner we get back to report the better,” with that she began wading through the bracken again.
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Apr. 24, 2008
My Story [Part 4] --
Together Jeremy and Kit made their way back to the stables, where Ashley was grooming a horse. Kit walked up slowly, looking somewhat nervously at the horse. She halted when she was still a few yards away.
“Oh,” Ashley glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her. “Find what you needed?”
Kit shrugged. “Found a little but not much that will help us.”
“You can come closer you know, this is one of the sweetest horses here,” she smiled and patted the great beast's shoulder.
Yeah, I've heard that before. Kit smiled back at Ashley and walked closer, determined not to look afraid. Fear was a weakness, something that she couldn't have. She forced herself to stand next to Ashley, which was right next to the horse.
“This is Zach. He's a big baby,” Ashley played with Zach's mane. “Maybe sometime you could come out and ride with us.”
Kit let out a nervous laugh. “Nah, I don't think so. I just...” she struggled to think of a good excuse. “I just am really busy with work and all,” she finished lamely.
“Ah,” Ashley looked as if she knew the real reason but changed the subject as she untied Zach. “So what kinds of things did you find? I always thought that it was neat the way some people can just go out, look at the ground, and tell all sorts of things,” Ashley spoke as she led Zach to the pasture gate.
Kit walked next to her, keeping as far away from the horse as possible without raising questions. “Well, we found that there were three kidnappers, that the girl had been carried away from the scene, and that the horse had been led away too. I'm guessing that Bethany saw the people or suspected something because there was a stretch where the horse was running, and where they stopped it looked like there had been a struggle. Then all of them went off into the brush. We found a handkerchief too,” Kit patted her pocket. “Did Bethany use an handkerchief?”
Ashley opened the gate and let Zach trot out to the other horses. Once she had closed the gate she looked at Kit and shook her head as she leaned against the fence. “Not that I know of.”
Jeremy came up suddenly from behind Kit. “Then maybe one of the kidnappers had a cold!” He grinned before turning to Kit. “Just got a call from base, Dan says that as soon as we're done to head back.”
“Alright then,” Kit glanced at Ashley. “You may want to keep an eye out, be extra careful and all that, we saw someone on the way back here. He got away but it seems pretty strange for him to be hanging around when that had just happened. I'd suggest that you don't go riding in the woods for a little, and I don't believe it would be a good idea for anyone to go out alone anywhere. Besides that, there isn't really anything else interesting so I'll be heading out. Good day.”
Ashley walked with Kit halfway to her car before forking off for her house. Kit sighed as she got into her car and slammed the door. “Well, this is more than I expected. Nothing like boring this, it's perfect,” she smiled contentedly, glad to have something for her active brain to work on for a while.
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Apr. 22, 2008
My Story [Part 5] --
After her full day, Kit was glad to retire to her apartment. It wasn't very large, one room served for her bedroom, kitchen, and living room. Against one wall was shoved her bed, which could fold up into a couch. She had a desk against the opposite wall, on it sat her computer and near the desk was a smaller table that held a small television. Next to her television there was a carefully stacked pile of movies. Her whole room was tidy and clean, for she hated anything to be out of order.
She let out an exhausted sigh as she flopped down onto her bed with a sandwich, grabbed the remote control, and started flipping through channels. It only took a few minutes for her to find that there wasn't anything worth watching on TV and so she stretched herself out on the bed to stare at the ceiling. There wasn't anything amazing about it really, it was white and bumpy, but she enjoyed staring at it and trying to find pictures like others tried to find in clouds. She had already found a bear and a tree, but tonight she wasn't feeling very creative, she had been racking her brain all day and was finding it to be rather annoying that she couldn't untangle much of what was going on. Dan had told her not to worry about it, that the first day usually didn't yield too much, but she couldn't help but be irritated. She had always had a quick mind and most of the time she could puzzle things out pretty quickly.
After lying still for a moment she felt better. Her hand groped for a book that she always kept next to her bed, and at length she found it. It was a thick book, the front proclaimed it to be “The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes”, one of her favorite things to read. She loved how Holmes could always figure things out that seemed impossible to, and she always felt a glow of satisfaction whenever she was able to figure out some of the mysteries too. Her mind was soon wholly emerged in the tale, she was no longer laying on her bed, she was there with Holmes, trying to put the pieces together.
A ray of sunlight filtered through the blinds of Kit's window, revealing her sleeping peacefully on her bed, a book lying open on her chest. All was quite except for the sweet song of the finch just outside the window. It was just at the peek of its song when a loud and insistent beeping broke in, startling the creature and sending it fluttering away. The alarm clock blared for a few moments before Kit's eyes half opened and a growl escaped her. She slapped her hand down on the clock, pressing the button and turning it off. She blinked dully at the book that lay on her, one of the pages bent and rumpled. She was a little confused about how it had gotten there, but then she quickly picked it up and smoothed down the page, grumbling to herself. “Good Kit, go to sleep in the middle of reading and just about ruin your book. Good one.” She book the book back where it belonged with care and stumped into the kitchen for something to eat.
A container of yogurt and a piece of toast was procured but as she sat down at her desk the phone rang. Kit reached over and picked it up. “Hello?”
“Kit?” it was Dan.
“No,” Kit smiled faintly as she started to pull her toast apart and mix it into her yogurt. “Its her mother.”
“Ha ha. Listen Kit, I just got word that they need my help down at the other office in Glenton. I'll need you to be here to keep an eye on things while I'm gone.”
Kit spooned some of the yogurt and toast mixture into her mouth and munched it slowly. “How long will you be gone?”
“Just a day or two.”
“When do I need to be in?”
“Like now, I want to leave as soon as possible.”
“Okay, I'm on my way,” Kit hung the phone up and ran to the bathroom to brush her hair. Some days she was very happy to have long hair, but other days she felt like taking the scissors to it herself. This was one of those days. She ripped through her hair hastily, ignoring her scalp's complaints, muttering to herself in her home language as she did so. Ack, Sie sind so ein Schmerz manchmal! She was soon on her way to the door though, grabbing for her half-eaten breakfast and strapping on her gun as she went.
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Apr. 22, 2008
My Story [Part 6] --
“What is that?” Was the incredulous question that met Kit's ears as she sat down at the police station with her breakfast. She twisted in her chair to see Jeremy contemplating her yogurt mixture with a look of disgust.
“Yogurt with toast in it,” she replied simply, stirring up and beginning to eat.
Jeremy sat down at his desk next to hers, still looking at her breakfast but with more of a curious look now. “Where'd you get that idea?”
“This is how my family would always eat our yogurt and toast,” she looked up with a mischievous smile as she asked, “Where'd you Americans get the idea of mixing granola and yogurt?”
Jeremy grinned, “I see your point. What else do you eat that is different from our food?”
Kit scraped the last of the yogurt out of the bowl and set it to the side. “We ate plenty of stuff that is different from your food but we need to get to work,” she began picking through the papers on her desk. Jeremy was fun to talk to, but it could also be a little annoying when she was trying to work. She was serious about her work and once she started on something she didn't like to be interrupted with anything, sometimes even going without a meal or two. Jeremy on the other hand liked having diversions and thought that everyone else felt the same way. There were some other policemen that felt the same way, but then there were some like Kit, who would get downright angry with Jeremy and his chatter. Kit wasn't the kind to vent her feelings very much, she kept them locked up, figuring that it was better that way.
Jeremy took her hint and kept quiet for a while. He glanced up every now and then from his work to see Kit studiously reading a report, or scratching something down on a piece of paper. Kit was glad for this, and soon forgot him completely when she remembered that she still needed to write a report about her check of the kidnapping scene. She pulled her laptop out of its drawer and began tapping away at a great pace on the keys.
"Visited the crime scene at High Ridge Stables on the Red Trail. Talked to Ashley Carroway. Found tracks of Bethany Jackson's horse, tracks of three men, signs of a struggle, and then tracks leading off of the right side of the trail."
Why did things like this have to happen? Yes, she enjoyed solving things like this but why would someone kidnap a girl? What made people like that? Kit sighed as she kept typing.
"The tracks led to an area of grass and there they were lost. Found a red handkerchief. On the way back a man was sighted in a black pullover. He was pursued but got away."
So they don't do it for enjoyment do they? They must live in constant fear of being discovered. But if that is true then why?
Kit put her head in her hands and let out a shaky breath. It was one of those days, she felt bothered by what was going on in the world. She wanted answers not only to the questions that her case raised but to why these things even needed to happen. Next the question of what she was here for entered her mind. How many times had she grappled with that question? Too many for her to count, that was certain. I'm here to help people out. She reminded herself again, trying to make herself believe that that was her purpose, but not quite succeeding. An overwhelming wave of emptiness washed over her. She didn't have anyone here, this wasn't even her country, and she felt lonely despite the fellow workers around her. This is my county now. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw shut. But is this all that I'm here for? There has to be something more right?
Kit started violently as she felt a tap on her shoulder. Jeremy was standing next to her with a puzzled expression on his face as he held out the phone. “Um, it's Sadie Carroway from High Ridge Stables.”
“Oh, thanks Jeremy,” she took the phone and pressed it against her ear, shoving her thoughts away for a while. “Kit Schwester.”
“Hey Kit,” Sadie's voice sounded nervous over the phone. “Could you come over? We had some things stolen and I saw a man run out of the stables when I was going out earlier to feed the horses.”
“Really? What did he look like?” Kit asked excitedly, wondering if it was the same person that she and Jeremy had seen at the trail.
“Well, it was hard to tell. He had a black hoodie on.”
“Was he tall? Stocky?”
“Yeah, have you seen him?”
“He just might be the same guy we saw snooping around by the trail yesterday.”
“Ah, well are you coming over?”
“Of course, I'll be there in a few,” Kit hung up the phone and walked over to a man whose sandy colored head was bent over a paper. “Sam.”
The man looked up. “Eh? What?”
“I just got from High Ridge Stables and I need to head over there. Could you just keep an eye on things until I get back?”
Sam shrugged and bent over his paper again. “Sure.”
Kit ignored his gruff manner, he was always like that and she had learned not to mind it.
At the stables again she stepped out of her warm car into a chilly mist. She zipped her jacket up as she walked to the house. It was a pleasant looking little country house, white and two stories tall. She heard a low growl as she ascended the porch steps and she looked up to see a medium sized, black dog. It's brown eyes watched her every move and at first she wasn't sure if she should continue forward or not. She wasn't too keen on any kind of animal, but wasn't afraid of any but horses. When her brother had moved out of the house he had gotten a fine hunting dog. Bud and Kit had gotten along pretty well and she had learned a lot about dogs from him. Seeing that the black dog was no longer growling, Kit extended a fist cautiously towards the dog for it to sniff. He leaned forward and snuffed her hand for a moment and then he licked it, thumping his tail a little. She patted him with a smile. “All bark no bite eh?” Kit chuckled before going to the door and ringing the doorbell. As she waited the dog came over and pressed its cold nose against her hand. She allowed it to shove its head under her hand and began scratching it. The curtain of the window next to the door moved a little and then Kit heard the lock on the door being undone. Sadie appeared as the door opened with a smile on her face.
“Glad you came,” she glanced down at her dog. “His name is Bosco.”
“He's a nice dog,” Kit smiled for a moment before turning serious. “So what was stolen?”
“A saddle and a pair of boots. I know it seems like nothing but they both belong to one of the girls that work here. Also, the picture of her horse was stolen.”
Kit leaned back on the balls of her feet. “I see. Did the man have gloves on?”
Sadie nodded.
“Yeah, I figured they would. May I see the barn?”
“Sure,” Sadie reached in and locked her door before leading the way to the barn. Bosco got up and trotted next to her and Kit came up on her other side. They were about halfway to the barn when they turned around at the sound of a car pulling up.
Sadie relaxed a little. “That's Annette Woodworth. She's the one that had her stuff stolen. I called her to let her know and she said that she would be coming over.”
Kit watched as a girl emerged from the car. Her brown hair was pulled back in a tight braid and freckles decked her face. Her mouth curled into a smiled as she approached them. “Hiya! You must be Kit, Ashley told me about you. I'm Annette,” she extended a hand which Kit shook.
“Yes, I'm Kit. I understand that you are the one who had your things stolen.”
“Mhm,” Annette frowned. “It's a shame really because I was given that saddle by my father who had gotten it from his father. It is a family tradition, but since there weren't any boys in our family I got it.”
“Well, I'll definitely do my best to see that you get it back,” Kit started towards the barn again. “Have you had any arguments with anyone?”
“Nope, I'm not in the habit of running around arguing with people,” Annette grinned.
Kit was a bit surprise by Annette's lighthearted chatter, she had expected to find a frightened or at least annoyed girl wondering what was going on. This wasn't anything like what she had expected.
“Would you like to see Chester?” Annette broke into Kit's thoughts.
“Chester?” Kit raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, he's my horse. I came here to give him a good brushing and maybe ride him around the indoor arena.”
“Uh, sure. But I thought you said your saddle was gone?”
Annette shrugged. “It is true that I prefer a saddle, but I like riding bareback about as much, though I don't trust the rascal not to try something out of the arena,” she chuckled.
In the barn, Sadie pointed to a saddle rack that had a space on it. “That's where Annette's saddle was, and her boots were right under it. Chester's picture used to be on the corner of the board there.”
Kit did a quick check for fingerprints but found none. When she straightened Annette put her head to the side. “Find anything?”
Kit shook her head. “No, not a thing.”
Annette frowned a little but then suggested that Kit come see her horse. “He's really handsome and loves company,” she urged.
Kit finally gave in and followed Annette as she walked down a long aisle of stalls. “He's in that stall,” Annette pointed but kept moving. “I'm going to get him a treat real quick though. Feel free to pet him though, he's the sweetest horse ever.”
Kit walked up to the stall door and looked in. There stood a tall bright reddish brown horse with a neat white blaze running down his face. He looked like a Chester. She went closer to get a better look at something that caught her eye. What was that on his nose? There were two red dots right on the tip of his nose. He came forward and pressed his nose against the bars of his stall, obviously trying to get Kit to pet him. She reached a very unsure hand out to rub his forehead but her hand ran down to his nose after a moment to gently touch the two red spots. “Annette?”
“Yuppers!” Annette came up with two treats in her hand.
“What is this?” Kit pointed to the two marks on Chester's nose.
Annette reached out quickly to examine it, gasped, and then shot off running without saying a word. Kit was stunned and wondered what to do. Fortunately she didn't have to decide because both Annette and Sadie came running back, Annette carrying a first air box. “What's going on?” Kit asked, stepping back to make room for the frantic Annette.
Sadie, who had been examining Chester's nose, looked nervous also. “He must have gotten bit by a snake, and a poisonous one at that since there are only two holes.”
Kit watched Annette as she wiped a wet rag over Chester's nose. “Wouldn't it be sore though? Or puffed up?” Kit mused.
Sadie shrugged. “Not if it just happened, though I would think it would be tender. He seems to be enjoying having his nose scrubbed though.”
Annette stopped washing all of a sudden. Her back was towards Kit, so she couldn't see her face, but she was shaking. Sadie stepped forward and put a hand over Annette's shoulder but then she seemed to freeze too. Kit, by this time, was getting pretty curious, and so she moved a little to the side to see what they were looking at. For a moment Kit couldn't see anything that would make them act like that, then she blinked and stared at Chester's nose. There was nothing there! Her brow furrowed and she walked up to Annette, who was giggling as she held the washcloth.
“It was just marker,” Sadie explained for Annette, who was wholly unable to speak as she began to laugh.
“Marker?” Kit echoed. “But who would put marker on a horse?”
“Someone who wants to frighten someone else by making them think that their horse has been bitten,” Sadie was more serious than Annette. “But who and why? This is Annette's horse, only Annette's things were taken...”
Kit shook her head an frowned. “Someone definitely wants to shake her up.”
Annette took a deep breath to control herself, though her face still showed that she thought the situation very funny. “Well they aren't doing a very good job are they? Just look at me! They're making me shake from laughing!” She started giggling again as she got the grooming things out and started to brush Chester.
Kit and Sadie didn't seem as amused as they walked to the front of the barn.
“I don't like it,” Sadie hugged herself.
“Nor I,” Kit looked back at Annette. “I don't think she should be out here alone. Kidnappers have been known to stalk people before kidnapping them and I don't want another kidnapping to occur.”
Sadie nodded. “I'll be sure that she isn't,” she promised.
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Apr. 18, 2008
My Story [Part 7] --
“I don't like it,” Sadie hugged herself.
“Nor I,” Kit looked back at Annette. “I don't think she should be out here alone. Kidnappers have been known to stalk people before kidnapping them and I don't want another kidnapping to occur.”
Sadie nodded. “I'll be sure that she isn't,” she promised. “And I'll pray too.”
Kit let a small smile come to her lips as she nodded her head a little, looking confused. “Yeah, um,” she let out a nervous laugh. “Whatever makes you feel better,” she clasped her hands behind her back and looked out into the woods, scuffing her feet on the ground slightly.
Sadie looked curiously at Kit. “Have you ever prayed?”
Kit shook her head, a shadow of the earlier smile coming back. “Nah, just isn't my thing.”
“Do you have any beliefs?”
“I believe in myself.”
Sadie frowned. “Don't you believe in something else?”
Kit studied Sadie from the corner of her eye as she slowly replied, “No.”
“How can you be a police, putting your life on the line, and not know what would happen if you did died?”
Kit looked away for a moment then turned to face Sadie. “I need to go, there's a lot of things that I need to get done,” she started towards her car briskly, calling over her shoulder as she went, “Just call if anything else happens.”
Kit got shakily into her car and slammed the door shut. Sadie was still standing at the door of the barn, watching Kit with a strange expression on her face. Kit ignored her and pulled out of the driveway. As she drove down the gravel road she passed a car. Glancing over at the driver out of habit she found that she couldn't see the the person's face. A hat was pulled low over it, but brownish blond hair could easily be seen flowing down over her shoulders. She didn't look much older than Kit, maybe even a little younger. Kit slowed a little and looked over her shoulder to see the car pull up to the stables and Sadie wave to the girl as she got out. Kit returned her attention to the road and her thoughts turned to what Sadie had been saying. She hadn't felt so uncomfortable in a while, she had felt like a turtle out of its shell.
Kit gripped the steering wheel tighter and took a deep breath, looking around for something to distract herself with. A sign on the side of the road announced McDonalds iced coffee and she turned into the drive through. Coffee was something that always seemed to cheer her up, though she could never have more than a cup a day or else she'd be bouncing off the walls. Once she had gotten her coffee she started off for the station, sipping her drink. Her mind was now on the it, how she would like it to have a little more sugar and how it was a bit too weak. She set it in the cup holder, planning to add sugar to it as soon as she had parked, for she always kept sugar packets in her glove box for such occasions.
As soon as she had finished touching up the coffee she pushed her seat back and took her time sipping it, her eyes half closed in contentment. She allowed her mind to wander to the Sherlock Holmes story she had fallen asleep in the middle of the night before. He was trying to figure out how a girl had mysteriously died. She kept hearing a strange whistling noise at night and then one night her sister had heard a scream and as the girl lay dying she said something about a speckled band. Then some time later her sister moved into the same room that her sister had been in and began hearing the same whistles. Terrified, she had come to Mr. Holmes, and now he had to figure out what was going on.
A loud pounding on the window brought her back to reality, almost causing her to drop of coffee. She sat up quickly and stared out of it at Jeremy. She rolled the window down and looked at him quizzically. “What?”
Jeremy grinned. “Just wanted to see you jump, and also thought I should let you know that Dan called and said he's on his way back. Didn't think you'd want to be caught loafing around.”
Kit got out of the car and frowned. “I wasn't loafing. I was taking a break, resting the brain. It helps to figure things out easier,” she lost her frown as she spoke and ended with giving Jeremy a friendly shove as she trotted back into the station.
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Mar. 31, 2008
My Story [Part 8] --
At the end of the day Jeremy approached Kit, looking a little nervous. He came up in front of her with his hands behind his back, shifting his weight back and forth. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again, as if he didn't know what to say.
Kit eyed him suspiciously, being at a loss for words just wasn't him. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. “What're you up to?”
“I, uh,” Jeremy looked at his feet. “I was wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner or something.”
Kit's eyes widened in surprise but a grin started to pull at her lips. “Nah, I don't like restaurants.”
Jeremy looked at her, surprised, but then suggested, “Maybe I could make you dinner then?”
Kit had heard of Jeremy's cooking, she had seen it herself. He had brought her a plate of cookies once. They had been quite burnt. “How about I make you dinner? You seemed interested in German food earlier so maybe I could show you some of our stuff?”
Jeremy grinned, showing not a little relief at her offer. “That sounds great,” he quickly agreed.
“How about tomorrow? Six?”
“Sounds great. See ya then!” Jeremy strode off, clearly pleased with his success.
Kit watched him leave with a smile and then shook her head as she got into her car.
The next day passed uneventfully and Kit hurried home after work to start dinner. She had had trouble adjusting to the idea of making a large dinner, as Jeremy was doubtless used to like most Americans. She had been brought up having large lunches and small dinners, and had continued that way of eating when she moved.
Kit pulled some potatoes out of the cabinet and started slicing, tossing the slices into a large pot of water as she went. Carrots, cabbage, and turnips followed, along with a few spices. She left it to simmer while she chopped cooked beef to throw in too. A glance at the clock told her that she had an hour before she could expect Jeremy to arrive, plenty of time to finish the meal. In the refrigerator lay a cheesecake, something she had mastered thanks to her mother. Her first had been a failure, but after more practice she had gotten the hang of it.
At six fifteen a know sounded at the door. Kit opened it with a playful smile. “You're late.”
Jeremy smiled back at her. “Sorry about that, but I had to stop by the store to grab these,” he proffered a bouquet of flowers.
“Thanks,” Kit took the flowers and sniffed them. She turned quickly around to hide a disgusted face as she wrinkled her nose. The flowers, instead of having the sweet scent that she had expected, held a rather displeasing fishy aroma.
“Do you like them?” Jeremy's worried voice sounded, clearly telling Kit that this was no joke.
“Y... yes,” she turned to flash him a quick smile. “Please come in, I'll just put these in a vase right quick.”
Jeremy seemed satisfied with her reply as he walked in. He looked around the room curiously and then sniffed the air. “Mmm... that smells good! What is it?”
Kit set the flowers in a cup of water as she replied, “Stew. Where did you get these flowers?”
“At the gas station down the road. It was the closest place and I was running late."
“Ah, just wondering,” Kit set the flowers on the counter.
Jeremy walked over and grinned as he sniffed at the flowers. He jumped back, covering his nose as he did so. "The flowers! They smell like, like,"
"Fish," Kit offered helpfully.
"Yeah!" Jeremy rubbed his nose. "See if I get flowers there again! I'm sorry, I didn't mean for them to smell like that."
Kit shook her head. "That's okay," she motioned to the futon, with she had pulled up into a couch. “You can sit down, dinner'll be done in a minute.” Jeremy nodded and flopped onto the futon, watching Kit as she stirred the stew and then lifted the spoon to her mouth experimentally. “Perfect,” she whispered to herself.
Soon she and Jeremy were sitting comfortably on the futon with large bowls of stew. She had pulled out a bag of her homemade rolls and she dug in now hungrily. Jeremy stirred his stew carefully and then tasted it cautiously. He finished the spoonful and then smacked his lips.
“It tastes as good as it smells, that's for sure!”
“You sounds pretty surprised,” Kit looked at him mischievously.
Jeremy jumped a little. “No! No, that's not what I meant!” He looked genuinely distressed for a moment before he saw that it was a joke. “Okay, haha, very funny,” he frowned and poked at his stew.
“Well I'm glad you like it because I don't have anything else prepared and people that don't eat their dinner don't get dessert,” she grinned.
“Dessert! Now that's just great! What is it?”
“It's a surprise.”
“Aw,” Jeremy sighed and leaned back. “Oh well, I'll just enjoy this for now then. What's in it?”
“Well, some carrots, potatoes, turnips, cabbage,” Kit stopped as Jeremy sat quickly up and stared at his bowl.
“Cabbage?! Turnips?! How, how did you get them to taste so good? My grandma always made me stuff like that and I never liked it,” he tried another bite of the stew. “I can't even taste it!”
Kit shrugged. “How should I know what your grandmother did wrong? Then again, some people just aren't as good at cooking as I am,” she laughed merrily and Jeremy joined her.
“So,” Jeremy asked as Kit sliced the cheesecake. “What do you do for fun around here?”
“Well, I like to read mostly,” Kit nodded towards her pile of books. “And then I watch movies sometimes too,” she wiped the pieces of cheesecake off of the knife she had been using and licked her finger off. She set a piece of cake on two plates and handed one to Jeremy, who started eating right away.
“Mmm... cheesecake is one of my favorites,” he said as he took his first bite.
Kit nodded. “I can tell. So what do you do for fun?”
“Mess around on the computer, draw, listen to music. I like to work on electronics sometimes too.”
“That's neat. I liked to draw once, I kinda got out of it when I started working though.”
For a while nothing was said as the savored the sweetness of the cheesecake, and when they had finished they just sat, wondering what to talk about.
“So...” Jeremy made an attempt to start some conversation. “How is your family?”
“They're fine,” Kit chuckled. “And yours?”
“Good. They're good. Um... have you done anymore on the kidnapping?”
Kit shook her head. “No, I haven't heard anything from Sadie and I can't come up with any conclusions with more clues.”
Jeremy nodded. “Well I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. What do you,” he was cut off as his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, frowning as he did so. “Hello... yeah.... no... what? Oh... mhm... no I... fine,” he hung up, grumbling. “I have to go, Dan's case has had a development and he wants me to go with him to get more experience.”
Kit rose and shook his hand. “Well I'll see you tomorrow then. Have fun.”
Jeremy nodded and shuffled over to the door. “Yeah, g'bye. We'll have to get together again, this was fun.”
Kit nodded. “Yes it was. Bye!”
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Mar. 29, 2008
My Story [Part 9] --
Ring... ring... ring... ring! Kit moaned and cracked open an eye as her phone rang insistently. She groped for the phone, yawning wide before answering it. She recognized Dan's voice and she sat up to keep from going back to sleep.
“Kit? Are you there?”
“Yeah I'm here.”
“You sound as if you've been asleep,” Dan's voice sounded puzzled.
“Well yeah, that's what I usually do at six in the morning.”
She heard a chuckle. “Well Sadie just called and you'd better be heading up to the stables.”
“Now?” Kit got up, afraid she would resume the sleep the had been so abruptly interrupted if she sat on the soft futon a moment longer. “What happened?”
“Sadie'll fill you in when you get there but hurry, don't fall back asleep.”
“I won't I won't, bye.”
Kit stumbled into the bathroom to splash some water on her face. This invigorated her and she finished dressing with much more enthusiasm. She put some coffee on while she ate a piece of toast and an apple. As soon as her coffee was done she poured it into her thermos and hurried out of her room.
Outside the sky was just beginning to turn pink on the horizon, but she didn't notice as she started for High Ridge Stables once again. There were four cars parked near the barn, one she recognized as Jeremy's, and another she was pretty sure was Annette's. The strong coffee was now working on her, she no longer felt half asleep, she was fully awake and ready for the day. She hopped out of the car and followed low voices to inside the barn. There she saw Jeremy and Sadie talking softly. She could also see Annette grooming her horse and a couple other girls doing the same. Sadie had noticed Kit by this time and she came over quickly.
“I'm glad you're here. I came out at five thirty to groom my horse and I nearly ran right into some guy who was right inside the barn door! He made as if he were going to try and catch me but Bosco went crashing into him. Bosco gave him a bite on the leg and the guy took off! I must say it shook me up,” Sadie leaned against the wall and let out a sigh.
Kit took a deep breath. This was definitely turning into something interesting. She was about to start asking the usual, “did you see what he looked like” questions but then something struck her. “Do you usually go out so early?”
Sadie smiled a little and shook her head. “No, and that's something else. Annette is the one that is usually here really early. She was a little late today because her alarm clock decided not to go off.”
Kit looked over at Annette as she fed Chester and chatted with one of the other girls. “Could you make out anything about the man?”
“Well, he was short, white-skinned, and had brown eyes. I couldn't see anything else though,” she followed Kit's gaze. “She was a little shaken at first but she's recovered her spirits again. Nothing keeps her down for long.”
Kit nodded. “I can tell. How many people come here to work?”
“Oh about twelve come here. Some just work, some stable their horses.”
The door creaked and Kit turned to see a girl slip in. She recognized her as the same girl she had seen driving to the stables yesterday. Her hair was loose and hung past her shoulders to the middle of her back and she had the same hat pulled down low over her face. She didn't look up at Kit when she walked over to Sadie and held out a piece of paper.
“Sadie, this is for you.” Her voice was soft, Kit barely caught her words. It didn't help that she didn't look one full in the face either, she would raised her head and met Sadie's eyes for a moment and then she dropped her eyes again.
Sadie didn't seem surprised at her behavior, and spoke as briskly as ever as she took the paper, “Thanks Haley. Who is it from?”
“I don't know,” Haley shook her head. “It was a man.”
“What did he look like?” Kit pressed into the conversation eagerly, hoping for a clue.
Haley turned her head a little to study Kit. As she did, Kit caught sight of her eyes and was taken aback by the deep sorrow that lingered there. Haley noticed Kit's study of her face and lowered her head quickly, hiding her eyes behind the brim of her hat. “He was tall and had a jacket on with the hood up. He left it on Sadie's car and ran. I though I should bring it in since the wind is picking up,” she still spoke with a softness that made her voice hard to catch, but Kit was able to make out her words.
Sadie, who had unfolded the paper, now held it up for Kit to see. “What do you think of that?”
Kit read the single line that was scrawled across the crumpled paper.
“Look in the woods.”
Kit shook her head. “Well, I guess we have a clue. Me and Jeremy will go out and have a look around.”
“Alright, be careful though.”
“You too. See you in a few,” Kit walked out of the barn with Jeremy close behind her.
“So what do you think is going on?” He questioned.
“No idea but hopefully we'll get a clue in the woods.”
They struck the main trail and before long Kit was aware of someone following their progress from the shelter of the brush.
A whisper drifted to her ears. “Over here,” it coaxed.
Kit loosed her gun and Jeremy followed her example as they approached the tree line cautiously. Kit heard the person moving away and she plunged into the the trees, knowing that it was better to be there than on the path now being able to see into the woods. Here she could see better, even though the brush was thick. A crunching of dead leaves and twigs was heard ahead of them.
“Jeremy,” Kit whispered. “You watch the read, make sure no one sneaks up on us.”
Jeremy nodded and they moved forward. The air seemed to grow stuffy as they pressed farther and farther into the woods. Kit drew up in an abrupt halt as the noise ahead of them stopped and a new noise started up to their right. She hesitated, not sure if she should see if she could find the person that had been making the first noise or pursue the new one. She was well aware that following the noises was doing what whoever it was wanted, but she felt it would be worth it. She finally made up her mind and went after the new noise. They seemed to be gaining on this one, unlike the other that had kept ahead. The branch of a nearby tree whipped around as though it had been pulled down and then let up suddenly. Kit slipped her gun out of the holster and made her way around a tree that had a huge trunk, motioning to Jeremy to go around the other side. She carefully looked around it and to her disappointment saw nothing. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she felt something tug at her hair from behind her. She whirled around, and came face to face with...
“A horse?” Kit couldn't help but say it. It looked familiar too, that multicolored coat could only be Bethany's horse, Joseph. He had all of his tack on, which surprised Kit not a little. She let out a sigh, but still felt far from comfortable with the large creature nosing at her. She stepped back, only to have the horse follow right after her.
By this time Jeremy had come around to see what was taking her so long and he looked just as bewildered as Kit upon seeing the horse. “What is it doing out here?” He wondered out loud, walking up to it and taking a hold of the bridle.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Kit put her gun back into its place and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “It is definitely Bethany's horse though, I'd recognize those markings anywhere.”
“Sure is a friendly critter,” Jeremy rubbed Joseph's nose and then led it up to Kit. “Jump on, you can ride back to the stables!”
Kit shook her head. “No, I... it might be hurt you know. It shouldn't be ridden until it gets checked over.”
“That's true. Good thing you thought of that,” Jeremy patted the horse.
Kit looked at them for a moment and then led the way back to the stable.
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Mar. 13, 2008
My Story [Part 10] --
“Joseph! You found Joseph!” Sadie ran up to Kit and Jeremy. “Where was he?”
“In the woods,” Kit watched as Sadie took the reigns and patted Joseph on his shoulder. She led him up to the barn, tied him to the hitching post, and expertly began running her hand over him.
“Well,” Sadie remarked. “He isn't hurt or anything, and he isn't very muddy. He looks as if he has been groomed recently in fact.”
The other workers had stopped their work to look at Joseph, he was obviously a popular horse at the stables for all of the girls looked happy at his return. Haley was the only one that went on with her work without ceremony, though she had given the horse a good look when he came up.
“What's this?” Sadie drew an envelope from where it had been hanging partly out of the saddlebag.
Kit trotted over, ignoring the horse as she looked over Sadie's shoulder to see “Annette” written on the front of the envelope.
“Annette?” Sadie called. Her reply was the energetic girl bouncing over.
“What's up?” Annette asked before taking the envelope that Sadie held out to her. She looked at it quizzically, then tore it open. She drew out a paper that looked like the one Sadie had gotten earlier and read it. Her eyebrows knitted together and she looked up at Sadie. “It says, 'Come to the large oak by the creek tomorrow morning at seven if you want to know where your friend is. Come alone.'”
Sadie stiffened. “Well, they certainly don't give up easily do they?”
Kit shook her head. “They usually don't.”
“So should I go or not?” Annette folded the paper back up and put it in the envelope. “I mean if I get information then that's good right?”
Sadie shook her head. “Kidnappers aren't known for telling the truth, they're probably just trying to get you away from everyone,” she looked at Kit. “You agree?”
Kit crossed her arms as she stared off at the horizon. “Actually, maybe she should.”
“What?!” Sadie exclaimed incredulously. “You can't think that that is a good idea!”
Kit's eyes focused on Sadie. “Do you know the place that they appointed to be the meeting place?”
“Yes,” Sadie admitted.
“Does it have much brush around it?”
“A little, but the little it has is really thick.”
Kit smiled. “That'd be perfect! Annette can go to the oak while I and some other police hide in the brush! Then if the kidnappers look like their going to do something we can pop out and nab 'em!”
Sadie looked skeptical. “They'd most likely know that we are there.”
“That's the chance we'll have to take. Look, either she doesn't go or she doesn't go. If she doesn't then we gain nothing. If she does go I wouldn't advise her to go alone because it is obvious she had been targeted. If we hide in the trees and no one shows up because they spot us how much worse are we off? At least we would know that we tried. What do you think of the plan Annette?”
Annette had been listening in grave silence but now she broke into a grin. “Sounds exciting! I'm all for it!”
Kit was glad that at least one person liked her plan, but then again, Annette was bound to like anything. Still, she was looking forward to having some action and maybe catching the kidnappers. “I'll be going now since things have calmed down. I and some other police will be here at six tomorrow. I want to be able to get settled into our hiding place early. If you,” Kit turned to Sadie. “And someone else could walk Annette down to the oak tree and then head back to the stables that would be great. I don't want there to be any danger of something happening to her on the way.”
Sadie nodded. “I can do that. We just drop her off and go all the was back to the barn?”
“Yes, someone might shadow you to make sure that you go all the way back. Just act like you don't see them and continue with whatever you do when you get back.”
“Alright then. We'll see you tomorrow,” Sadie led Joseph to the pasture then turned to wave at Kit and Jeremy as they got into their cars.
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Mar. 11, 2008
My Story [Part 11] --
A blade of grass tickled Kit's arm as she lay on her belly behind a deep green bush. Nearby on either side of her were hidden other police, all waiting and hoping for something to come of this. She shifted her position a little, feeling the uncomfortable prick of a thistle against her leg. They had been waiting for nearly an hour, though it felt as though the sun would be setting soon. The arms on Kit's watch seemed to slow and stop completely, only the steady tick told her that it was indeed still working. She stared out at the place that had been appointed by the kidnappers as a meeting place. There was no mistake what tree they had been talking about, the oak that stood three yards from the creek was massive; the largest Kit had ever seen. The creek was pleasant enough, only a yard or two wide and quite shallow.
The sun had risen, its warm yellow rays falling down to the earth in a cloudless blue sky. It was so still that Kit could hear the babbling of the creek as the water danced and splashed across the smooth rocks that made up its bottom.
The swish and crunch of footsteps across dew laden grass caused Kit to turn her head. There was Sadie, closely followed by Annette and her friend Christopher. Kit had met him only that morning and found him to be a charming, smiling person; eager to talk but also eager to listen.
Now Christopher and Sadie were moving away, back to the path that they had come from. Annette walked around the tree and then leaned up against it, her back towards the woods. So she stood and Kit held her breath as she crossed her fingers and wished that something would happen. Ten minutes passed; nothing showed itself. Annette grew bored and took to gathering some of the smooth rocks in the creek. Ten more minutes and still nothing had happened. Kit looked down at her watch to double check the time. Maybe it had just been an idle joke, or maybe it hadn't been and the kidnappers had just known the police were there and didn't dare show their faces. At seven forty-five Kit sighed and sat up, not caring if she made noise. It wasn't any use now, the kidnappers weren't coming. She stood up and strode out to Annette, who had been amusing herself with braiding the thick grass.
“Well,” Kit looked around small clearing. “I guess we may as well head back, they aren't going to be coming today so there wouldn't be any use in hanging around.”
Annette bounced up and brushed off her jeans. “Oh well,” her sunny smile not showing any signs of dying. “Maybe they changed their minds or something.”
Kit shrugged. “Maybe, I feel more like they knew that we were here though, and that is why they decided not to come out.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Annette started off to the path and Kit followed. Kit was genuinely disappointed with the failure they had suffered. Had they been able to catch the men they would have come a long way in explaining things and would have come much closer to recovering the lost girl. Now they weren't any closer than they had been before, and Kit couldn't bear that thought. She and Annette walked in silence, but very different silences. Kit's was one of disappointment, Annette's was one of enjoyment. She was having fun with this, being the center of a mystery had seemed to make her day, it didn't scare her in the least. Kit was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Annette's footsteps slow and then halt altogether. She ran right into her. They nearly toppled over, Kit catching herself quickly and then reaching out to grab Annette's hand.
“I'm sorry about that,” Kit apologized with a blush. Fine example she was being of a police, making wrong guesses and then not watching where she was going.
“That's fine,” Annette smiled but didn't move forward. “I stopped because I thought I heard something over there,” she motioned to the woods on the left side of the path.
Kit listened intently for a moment. “Well I don't hear anything, maybe we scared it off when we ran into each other.”
Annette nodded. “Yeah, probably, but...” She was cut off as something could clearly be heard crashing towards them.
Kit had her gun out in a flash, pushing Annette behind her and taking aim at where the crashing was loudest. She was about to call out “Stop!”, when a man burst through the brush and skidded to a halt, panting hard. It took Kit a moment to recognize the sandy colored hair. “Sam?! What are you doing?” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she shakily put her gun away.
Sam eyed her, somewhat annoyed. “Well we found signs of someone snooping around near the creek. It looked like they were heading straight for the oak but then another pair of tracks ran out to meet them and they all turned back.”
Kit was all attention. “How many tracks? Were they all men?”
“There were two of them before the other came running up, and yes they were all men. What do you think, there are women kidnappers?”
Kit's eyes darkened at Sam's sarcastic reply. “Don't get smart with me. I was wondering if they had the girl with them. Since there were three kidnappers and Bethany wasn't with them when they were heading this way then we know that they left her somewhere. So they feel comfortable with leaving her alone, they are confident that she can't get away and that no one will rescue her if they leave her alone.”
Sam turned and stalked away, flinging over his shoulder the words, “The rest of the crew is heading back for the station, I'm off too so you're on your own.”
Kit's jaw clenched as she watched him go but she refrained from saying anything to him. “Come on, let's get back to the stable. We've been gone for long enough. They'll think that we've been kidnapped soon.”
Annette laughed and they kept on their way.
At the stable Kit meant to just drop Annette off and go, but Sadie had other plans.
“Kit!” She called as soon as they came into sight.
“Hi Sadie,” Kit smiled a little. “Annette's safe but nothing happened, but I guess you've probably already head that.”
“Yes, the other police gave me an update before they left,” she frowned and looked just as disappointed as Kit had looked for a moment, but then her face brightened again. “Won't you come up to the house? I know it isn't lunch time but maybe you can have a little tea or something.”
“Well,” Kit looked into Sadie's open face, unsure of what to do. She didn't particularly want to stay really, not after the last conversation they had had when they had last been alone. But she couldn't think of any good excuses to make without seeming rude. “Alright, but I can't stay for too long though.”
“Great! Let's go. Oh and Annette, Haley and Sophie are in the barn. I told them to keep an eye on you so don't think of trying to go off on your own again.”
Annette's shoulders sagged as she stumped off to the barn.
Sadie shook her head as she watched her go and then started briskly to the house. “She's too adventurous, and doesn't have the most common sense a girl can have. She tried to go on a ride yesterday by herself, made us all think she had been kidnapped.”
Kit nodded in reply to Sadie's talking. She wasn't one to speak easily with someone that she didn't know really well, and so was relieved that Sadie was fine with doing all the talking for now. On the porch Bosco was sunning himself. He looked almost dead but for his tail, which thumped on the floor as they passed.
As Kit stepped into the house she smelled the distinctive scent of cinnamon. It reminded her of her home in Germany, her mother always had some cinnamon simmering on the stove or some cinnamon sticks sitting in bowls around the house. She followed Sadie into the kitchen where she was offered a seat at a small table. The kitchen was white and shelves displayed several stoneware plates and bowls. It looked like an old country kitchen, very charming and cozy. Kit sat on a chair and enjoyed taking in the room as her hostess put some water on for tea.
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Mar. 10, 2008
My Story [Part 12] --
“So how long have you worked in the police force?” Sadie asked curiously.
“Oh, about two and a half years,” Kit smiled, remembering how long she had worked towards this dream that she was now living.
Sadie set some cookies on the table and then sat down in the chair opposite Kit. “Where did you grow up?”
Kit shrugged. “In a small town in Germany.”
“Oh really? Well that is neat. Why did you choose come over to America?”
“When I was sixteen,” Kit folded her arms on the table. “I finished school and decided to go to college. My teacher said that I had good potential and told me there were some better colleges here. It took a while to convince my parents but they finally let me go. We had some relatives here that agreed to keep an eye on me and I bounced around to different colleges until I found one that suited me. Since I did so much bouncing I picked up on some things that the college I finally chose didn't teach,” Kit took the tea that was handed her and then asked. “So where did you grow up?”
A smile danced on Sadie's lips as she replied. “Right here; I grew up in this very house and when my parents died they left it to me, and so I've lived in it ever since.”
Kit looked around the kitchen, clearly surprised. “You have never lived anywhere else?”
Sadie shook her head, eyes dancing.
Kit leaned back in her chair, trying to imagine herself living in one place for so long. She shook her head and let out a little laugh, the very idea was amusing for Kit wasn't one to settle down. She was restless, always having to be on the move, unless she was in the middle of an interesting report; then she may have well been glued to her chair for how little she moved.
Sadie chuckled at Kit's reaction before handing her a small bowl of sugar. “I haven't sweetened it yet, so you might want this.”
Kit spooned some sugar into her cup and sipped it carefully. They sat in silence for a little while, enjoying each other's company but also not sure what to say next.
“So...” Kit glanced at the horses that raced across the walls. “Did you parents start the stables?”
“No, we always had horses but the stables were something I started after I inherited the property,” Sadie chose a cookie from the plate. “So have you had any experience with horses?”
Kit shifted on her seat uncomfortably. I've had enough that's for sure. Out loud she added, “A little, my uncle had horses for a while.”
Sadie brightened. “Really? Because I have a group ride scheduled for tomorrow, completely on the other side of the property than where the kidnapping happened and since there will be a lot of us it should be perfectly safe. You could join us! I was going to put you on Old Blue, he's an old horse and the gentlest we have, but since you have some experience then maybe you could ride Zach! You met him the first day you were here, he's just as gentle as Old Blue, but a little faster and... is something wrong?”
Since this new conversation had sprung up about horses Kit's stomach had started to clench, and as Sadie went on to say that she expected her to come on a ride with her she felt panic start to rise so high that she felt like screaming. Her face had gone pale and though she tried to keep a bold face on it her eyes also betrayed her. They told of fear and remembrance of something terrible, a memory that had been buried deep alive again. Kit closed her eyes tight as a feeling of nausea swept over her and as her mind replayed a scene that she had tried so hard to forget. The sudden jolt, the thud, and the scream that had haunted her for eleven years; a pain in her arm, frantic voices, and then darkness.
“Kit?”
Sadie's voice broke through the memories and they fled like shadows from light, but they still lurked, ready to pounce again if she didn't distract herself.
“Yeh, yeah,” Kit's eyes opened and she steadied herself on the table. She looked around to find Sadie at her side, looking into her face. “Could I use your restroom please?”
“Yes of course, it's the second door on the right down the hall.”
“Thanks,” Kit rose and walked steadily to the restroom, leaving Sadie looked on both curiously and worried.
It took Kit a few minutes, but she finally got control over herself again. After splashing some water on her face she came out looking much better.
Sadie rose to greet her as she came into the room. It was plain that she wanted to ask what that had been all about but she refrained from asking any questions, which Kit was grateful for. The subject was changed and after an enjoyable time Kit left for home. She still felt a little sick but she was trying to divert her mind to other things, something that she had gotten good at through the years. She was having some trouble keeping her mind occupied this time and so was relieved when her cell phone began playing a bouncy tune that usually made Kit smile. She picked it up and answered it without the smallest hint of a smile.
“Kit?” It was Dan.
“Mhm.”
“Where have you been?”
“Sadie invited me to have some tea when we finished," she spoke without the least spark of life.
“I take it your idea didn't work then?”
“No.”
“Well, sometimes that's how it is. Don't get discouraged, especially since we have some development.”
Kit brightened a little. “Really? What?”
“Come by the station and I'll give you an update.”
“I'm on my way.”
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Mar. 9, 2008
My Story [Part 13] --
Kit trotted into the police station, eager to learn what developments there had been. A quick glance showed her that Dan wasn't in the main work room, which didn't really surprise her because he often went out on calls. She slipped into her chair and flipped her laptop open, ready to write a report of what they had done and what had come of it. A few hours went by and only then did Dan appear. He motioned to Kit, telling her to meet him in his office. With one glance a person could see that he wasn't a neat man for his office, though spacious, seemed tiny because of the clutter, Kit was rather surprised that he never lost anything, but he could always find what he was looking for when he needed it. She took a seat and waited for Dan to finish scribbling something onto a piece of paper.
“Well,” Dan leaned back in his chair. “What do you think has happened?”
Kit shrugged. “I haven't the slightest!”
Dan leaned forward, setting his elbows on the desk. “Annette found something in her car; a piece of paper in an envelope saying, “You weren't alone.”
Kit shook her head. “They must have been watching, but still I can't see how they would have been able to see us without us seeing them. We had people in a wide perimeter around the area just watching for anything suspicious.”
“I'm sure you had everything worked out to the tee, but we'll have to try something more clever. Put your thinking cap on, I've heard what wonders you have worked so have at it!”
Kit blushed a little at the praise and rose to go, planning on an evening at home sipping tea and sitting on her bed until the late hours of the night, as she usually did when she was thinking.
“Wait a sec,” Dan looked up at her, fingertips pressed together. “Do you think that the people bugging this, uh...”
“Annette?” Kit helped him a little.
“Yes, Annette. I was wondering, do you think that the people bugging Annette are the same that kidnapped Bethany? Or do you think they are different people or, what?”
Kit paused. It hadn't seemed that there was much of a choice there, it seemed an awful coincidence that Beth would be kidnapped and then Annette would be bothered. But then, wouldn't the kidnappers have run once they had gotten one girl? Kit shook her head and had to admit, “I don't know for sure.”
Dan shrugged. “Just something you might want to keep in mind. You can go now,” and with that he busied himself with tapping away at his computer.
Kit stumped out to her car, Dan seemed to have such high expectations of her and she was worried sick about not being able to meet them. When she looked in her drivers window she noticed an envelope sitting on her seat. Her heart beat a little quicker as she pulled the door open and seized it with eager, but also slightly nervous, hands. She hesitated in opening it, afraid of what it might contain. She hadn't ever dreamed that she might become the prey, but now she was tearing the envelope open, pushing away the disturbing thoughts. The piece of paper that it contained was by no means sinister, in fact it wasn't paper at all; but a card. It had a colorful bouquet of flowers on the front and on the inside there was penned,
I would be much obliged if you would do me the honor of going out to eat with me tomorrow at six. Please call.
Sincerely,
Jeremy
Kit let out a short laugh, how could she have been so silly as to think that someone would be stalking her. All the same she made sure to lock all of her doors before finally taking off for her place. A date tomorrow? It sounded like a much needed diversion, and Kit knew that she would especially need one after tonight.
Kit crawled into her bed and propped herself up with a pillow after phoning Jeremy to give a favorable reply and also having him try to talk her ear off. It had been twenty minutes before she was able to get off of the phone and when she had gotten off she unplugged it, a custom that she always performed whenever she was about to go into deep thinking. People knew to call her cellphone if there was an emergency since she was out so much, in fact she spent so little time on her home phone that she often considered clearing it off of her desk completely.
But now wasn't the time to think about these things, she was now settled down with her pot of tea and of coffee next to her bed, ready to do some real thinking. Her eyes went half closed as she periodically sipped her steaming tea and thought.
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About the Crime
Kit is a policewoman/detective and is put on a case concerning the kidnapping of a girl. When another girl is threatened, she and her co-worker, Jeremy, work side by side to find a rather unexpected explanation of the disappearance.
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