Pretty Broken Dolls by Jennifer Chase

Chapter Two

Friday 1330 hours

Katie drove into her driveway and cut the engine, relieved that she had finished all the necessary paperwork for the week. She sat for a moment, gathering her thoughts. It surprised her that she wasn’t mad about the fact that she and McGaven didn’t get to finish out the Jared Stanton missing person and murder case after the body was found. Mr. and Mrs. Stanton were taken into custody not long after the body was discovered.

She sighed and leaned back against her seat. It saddened Katie that the daughter, Amy Stanton, would have to be thrown into the mess of losing her family; first her brother and then her parents, to whatever fate they faced. Closing her eyes, she could still see the photograph of Jared Stanton’s smiling face as he sat on his ATV—a time for fun and family now shattered and gone.

Katie stepped out of the car, pulling her jacket and briefcase with her. She hadn’t realized how tired she was; her arms and legs seemed barely able to carry her body up to her house.

She found a small white box sitting on the porch. There was no name on the front but she opened it, and inside was a beautiful tropical plant terrarium. She had loved terrariums ever since she was about ten years old. The only person besides her parents who knew that was Chad. The note simply read: I thought of you. With all my love, Chad.

“Aww…” she said, “I love you too.” Her heart was full and she couldn’t quit smiling. She picked it up and carried it to the front door.

She was met by the deep barks of Cisco.

Opening the door, a black blur bounded around her before she could get inside. Cisco, a black German shepherd, had been her army partner for two tours in Afghanistan. No matter how bad her day was, Cisco made everything better. They had been through more together than she had with any human, whether friend or family—it was a bond that could never be broken.

“Hey, buddy,” she said, dropping her jacket and briefcase on the kitchen counter. She carefully took the terrarium out of the box and set it down on the table. “I’m home early for once. What do you think of that? And the entire weekend.” She scratched behind his ears as she went to the refrigerator to retrieve a cold soda.

The moment Katie opened the back-door slider, Cisco jetted by her and bounded into the yard, making his usual rounds. Katie smiled as she watched the dog run around, taking time to check out every bush and tree. The air was still cool but there were signs around her yard indicating that spring wasn’t too far away. Birds were more active, weaving in and out of the trees. The acreage was greener, which would soon produce buds and then flowers.

Katie took a seat on her favorite porch swing, enjoying the moment. It was something that she hadn’t done in several months. As she looked around, she was reminded, as so often, of her parents, who had been killed in a car accident when she was a teenager, leaving her Uncle Wayne to raise her. This was her childhood home, and every inch of the house and yard held warm memories.

Cisco ran up and gave two playful barks before running after a low-flying bird.

Katie laughed. His antics always brought a smile to her face. Watching him play helped her to decompress from the day and her current investigation.

Her mind wandered to Chad, her thoughts filled with wedding plans and beginning their life together. It was difficult to believe that she was going to be a bride. How her life would change… Wouldn’t it?

Cisco, fully refreshed and relieved of the angst of being stuck inside, padded to her and easily jumped up onto the swing.

Katie petted the dog, but instead of relaxing, she found herself becoming edgy. It was unusual for her to have some time off and to find herself with no work to go to. Chad was working a forty-eight-hour shift at the fire department, and she wanted something to do.

Standing up, she said to the dog, “You want to go for a run?”

Cisco immediately jumped down and began his usual German shepherd whine in complete agreement.

Katie went inside to change her clothes. Running was something that helped her think and unwind, and that’s what she was going to do.