Page 39 of Race to Save Her

“Hey, Cisco.” To her uncle she said, “Is everything okay?”

“I think I should be asking you that,” he said.

Katie closed the door and put down her things next to the sofa. “I’m fine.”

“I’ve known you your entire life—and I know there’s something bothering you.”

Katie went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, where she grabbed a bottle of cold water. She looked over to one of the living room tables where there was a small cat bed, which had the black cat curled up and fast asleep. She smiled. “Did you do this?”

“I came by earlier to check on Cisco. I had an hour, so I brought the cat to the vet’s to make sure she was okay and then picked her up a little bit ago.”

“That is the sweetest. So now I have a cat,” she said.

“A healthy cat, about a year old.”

“Cisco loves her.”

“What are you going to name her?” he said.

Katie thought about it and how the window was broken in the middle of the night. “I think we should call her… Midnight.”

“Sounds perfect,” said the sheriff. “Do you want something stronger than that,” he said, referring to her bottle of water.

“No.”

“C’mon, sit down.”

Katie sat next to her uncle, and Cisco took his place on the floor close to her. “Did McGaven call you?”

“No, why? Should he?”

“How do you always know when I need you?” she said.

“I don’t know…” he said softly. “But I guess I have to say it’s an instinct.”

Katie smiled. They sat quietly in each other’s company. Katie knew she would feel better talking to her uncle, but it was always difficult to begin.

The sheriff leaned close and hugged her. That was all it took to make her tear up.

Cisco stood up and faced her—he pushed his nose to her arm as if to say it’d be okay. Even Midnight stood up in her bed before she snuggled down again. Her uncle didn’t say anything, but provided support and let her decide when she needed to talk.

“I really don’t know what’s wrong,” she finally said.

“Is it this case?”

“No. At least I don’t think so.”

“I was contacted by Detective Stern about the shots fired.”

“He contacted you?”

“Of course. My officers were fired upon in his jurisdiction—he definitely did the right thing.”

Katie let out a sigh. “It wasn’t the first time Gav and I were shot at.”

Her uncle gave a solemn expression. “Unfortunately, it won’t be the last.”

“Does that worry you?” she said. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is add more to your already heavy load.”