Ch. 9: Paper Trail
"Get some sleep?"
Walt greeted Vic when she walked into the kitchen mostly dressed for work. Her uniform shirt was only halfway buttoned and he could see the black thermal shirt she wore under it. Both shirts were untucked and she wasn't wearing her boots just yet.
"Yeah."
"Coffee will be ready in a minute."
Vic nodded.
"Alright. I'll…"
She looked down at her sock clad feet.
"…get my boots."
She left him in the kitchen. From where he stood at the counter he could hear her in the living room. Walt finished with the coffee and poured them both a cup. He added sugar to Vic's and set it on the counter. Walt lifted a mug of black coffee to his mouth when he heard her.
"Walt."
Walt carried his cup into the living room. He found Vic standing at the desk with her eyes focused on the surface. He knew without being told what she was looking at. When she heard him, she lifted her eyes to meet his.
"What is this?"
Walt walked over slowly. He set his mug down.
"A note."
Vic reached out for it, but Walt stopped her with a hand on her wrist.
"Don't. I've already touched it and we need to have it fingerprinted."
Vic returned her eyes to the paper.
"What does it say?"
The words were still clear in his mind.
"Looking forward to seeing you. Envelope is postmarked Salt Lake City."
"Utah. Again."
"Yep."
Vic pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
"When did it come?"
"Yesterday."
"Why didn't you say something?"
She was rapid firing the questions.
"You got home late and it didn't seem like the time. I was going to have you take it in and have it checked."
He saw the motion of her throat as she swallowed.
"Shit."
Vic whispered out the word. She turned away from the desk and pushed her feet into the boots that she originally came into the room for. She bent down to tug them on straight. Once they were on, she walked back into the kitchen where he heard her rustling around. She came back with a determined gait. She had gotten a quart sized bag. Vic lay it down on the desk. She walked over to where her coat hung on the wall and dug in the pockets, coming out with a pair of the gloves that she always carried at work.
She pulled them on and picked up the note. Vic read it for herself and turned the paper around so that she could look at both sides. Next, she examined the envelope in the same manner. Her brow furrowed as she slipped both into the plastic bag. Vic sealed the bag and held it up.
"I'll have it checked for prints and saliva."
Vic slid the clear plastic bag in with her laptop and pulled off the gloves. She walked back into the kitchen where she tossed the gloves in the trash. Walt joined her as she picked up her cooling cup of coffee and took a sip.
"They're escalating."
Walt didn't like that word or the idea that it was true.
"Maybe."
Her brows went up.
"Maybe? This note doesn't feel like that to you?"
"There haven't been any threats made."
Vic rolled her eyes in a move that he fully expected.
"Subtle, aren't they? They're basically saying we know where you live without saying it."
She set her mug on the counter and finished buttoning her shirt. Once she was done, she tucked her shirts in. The uniform shirt she wore was wrinkled and he honestly wondered if she fished it off the floor. It wasn't all that uncommon. Vic always dressed for work in a hurry and it was obvious. She was the opposite of Cady in that way. His daughter always looked as though she'd just ironed her uniform. That just wasn't who Vic was. Not that he had any room to talk. He almost never even wore any type of official uniform and relied on his badge to announce his role as Sheriff.
"You could've called me."
Walt's snapped back into the moment.
"What?"
"About the note. You could've called me at work."
"Don't you have enough going on?"
"Apparently not."
"You couldn't have done anything about it anyway. I didn't see it until I got home from eating with you and Cady. It was too late to do anything about it."
She seemed to accept that and finished off her coffee. Vic placed her mug in the empty sink.
"I should go."
"Still early."
She dismissed his response.
"Sooner we get started, the sooner we're done."
He knew that wasn't necessarily true in her line of work. But, she seemed antsy and was probably looking for a way to release the pent up energy that was coursing through her. She got that way. Nothing about Vic was still or quiet. She was a creature of perpetual motion. Even when the movements were contained, they were there.
"I'll call you when I find out something."
Walt nodded and trailed her towards the door. Along the way she gathered up her holster, badge, and cuffs, slipping them on her belt. At the door, she turned to him and took a breath. It seemed like she'd woken up more fidgety than usual this morning. The nervous energy was getting to him. She pulled on her jacket.
"I'll talk to you later."
She tossed the words at him.
Walt's hand closed around her upper arm and pulled her to him. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and released her. It wasn't something he did everyday and he could see that the move caught her somewhat off guard. Her eyes lingered on his face searching for something she either couldn't find or chose not to address.
"See you."
The words left him low and Vic's chin tipped down a little. He was still standing there when the door closed behind her.
xxx
"Is there a reason you didn't tell me about this?"
There was no keeping it from Cady once she utilized work resources. Well…she could've tried, but that would run the risk of it all blowing up in her face. It made more sense to simply answer truthfully when Cady inquired about what was going on.
Vic told Cady about the phone calls and now the note that came in the mail. She didn't go into detail about her own work so far. In that moment Cady reminded her so much of Walt that it was almost funny.
Almost.
Cady stood behind her desk with her hands on her hips and her face set in a frown.
"It was just phone calls."
"Repeated phone calls from the same numbers."
Cady elaborated and Vic sighed.
"They were just phone calls, Cady. There's nothing legal you can do about that. It's not like anyone was making threats. They were just…calls with no one talking. Why make an issue out of it?"
"Because of this."
She gestured at the bag on her desk.
"I just found out about the note this morning. Look…"
Vic paused.
"…even this isn't a threat. If I was a normal person who didn't work here and someone brought this in to us…what would we do? Nothing. We would tell them that there was nothing truly illegal going on. Calling someone isn't against the law. Sending someone a note isn't against the law."
Cady's faced eased up a bit and Vic could see the concession on her face.
"Fair enough. Have you looked into the numbers?"
"Yes. They are all coming from the same area in Utah. But…we can't nail down who is making them. At first…we just thought it was a prank. Honestly, it still could be."
"I know. But…this is an awful lot of work for a prank."
"I know. Which is why I'm getting these checked out. I doubt we'll find out anything, but we have to try."
Cady considered her for a long moment.
"This doesn't scare you at all?"
Vic gave her a humorless smile. The truth was that Cady had no idea about some of the things that she had been through in her life and her career. This was disconcerting, but it didn't elicit fear. Not the kind of fear she had felt from different situations.
By comparison, this was child's play.
"No. It doesn't scare me. I've…"
She had no desire to get into certain aspects of her life with Cady. There was no reason to wade into all the shit that happened in Philly. Not to mention Ed Gorski following her to Wyoming or the nausea inducing fear that Chance Gilbert created in her once upon a time.
"No."
Vic didn't offer up any explanation and Cady was quiet for a stretch.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
Vic shook her head with resolve.
"No. There's no reason to dredge up the past."
"Unless it has something to do with this."
"It doesn't."
"Do you know that for sure?"
"I guess not. But…I don't think it does."
Cady seemed to accept that.
"I still wish you told me earlier."
Vic breathed out a laugh.
"We've had bigger fish to fry lately. You know…a murder case."
"I know. Do what you need to do. But…please…keep me updated. I know dad won't so there's no point in asking."
She wasn't wrong about that. Vic nodded.
"Sure."
She meant it. Mostly. Her inclination, like Walt, was to keep her cards close to her chest. She wasn't stupid, though. And, she wasn't a rookie when it came to shit like this. They might need Cady down the road, or the department. They were really one in the same now.
That was a new dynamic. Especially for Walt who was now on the outside looking in.
She just couldn't promise how much information she would share. That might depend.
The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the closed door. The knob turned and the door opened up a bit. Ruby leaned in.
"Sorry to interrupt, Cady. I thought you might want this."
She opened the door farther and held up an envelope. Vic turned and Cady's attention shifted noticeably.
"Is that from Dr. Weston?"
Ruby nodded.
"Autopsy testing."
Cady came around her desk as Ruby passed the envelope to Vic and left. Ruby pulled the door closed behind her as Vic flipped open the tab and pulled out the papers inside. Cady joined her and peered in and down at the papers as Vic looked over and flipped through them.
"There were no drugs or alcohol in her system."
"At all?"
"Nothing. There was…"
Vic paused and glanced over at Cady.
"There was DNA under her fingernails."
It was the biggest break they'd gotten so far. It was impossible not to feel adrenaline start pumping through her system. This could be it. This could be the most significant piece of evidence and what actually led them to the person who committed this crime. There would still be some legwork for them to do, but they would no longer be stumbling blindly with little to go on.
"Male?"
"Yep."
Vic passed the results to Cady who looked down at them. Vic waited for Cady to look back up.
"This is what will convict the asshole when we find him."
There was a slight look of disappointment on Cady's face.
"No fingerprints."
"No."
"You don't seem surprised."
"I'm not. Fingerprints would be great. But, the DNA is good, too. We've just got to find who it belongs to."
It was more complicated than that, of course. There was still a great deal of work to do on this case. But, she didn't want Cady to feel any more frustrated than she already did. Vic wasn't a particularly optimistic person herself.
"Don't…get all bogged down in what we didn't find, Cady. This…"
She held up the papers that Cady passed back to her.
"…is going to help us solve this case."
xxx
Walt decided to the Red Pony for lunch. He wasn't sure if he would see Henry there or not. He didn't really expect to. So, he was a somewhat surprised to his friend behind the bar when he pushed through the saloon doors into the bar.
"Are you here for lunch?"
Walt nodded as he set his hat brim up on the bar and took a seat.
"Yep."
"Do you want a menu?"
Walt shook his.
"No thanks. Just…whatever you have on hand."
Henry gave him an amused look.
"Beer while you wait?"
"Um…just bring it with the food."
Henry nodded and set out working on the food. It only took Walt a minute to realize his lunch was going to be fish. He watched as Henry moved around behind the bar as well as in and out of the kitchen. The fish was fried and was going to be served with fries. The smell reached Walt and his stomach rumbled.
"Hey!"
He recognized the voice before he saw her. Lily Bader was removing her coat and taking a seat beside him.
"Hey."
"Having lunch?"
"Yep."
Henry approached and smiled.
"What can I get for you?"
She smiled at Henry.
"That fish smells good. And…a glass of water."
"Sure."
Henry provided the water and started on a second plate that mirrored Walt's.
"Busy today?"
Henry placed Walt's food in front of him along with a Ranier.
"Not really. Just hungry."
She smiled. Walt noted that she was as impeccably dressed as every other time he saw her with not a hair out of place. Her face was flushed from the cold outside the bar.
"I suppose retirement has freed up a good deal of your time."
Walt started to eat.
"I stay busy."
She continued to watch him.
"I'm sure you do. You never were one to sit still. Unless you were reading. Do you still enjoy it?"
"Yep."
"You're not much for conversation, Walt. I suppose you never were."
Henry brought Lily and plate and looked between the two of them. Walt knew the look he saw on Henry's face and he knew that there would be questions about this later on.
"Is Vic working?"
"Yeah, she's got a big case right now."
"A murder."
It wasn't a question. Walt looked over.
"How do you know that?"
"The newspaper. It's a good way to know what's going on in the world."
Walt had stopped reading the paper years ago. It was one of the more effective ways to insulate himself while he was in office. He found that reporters were less interested in the actual truth and more concerned with sensationalism. He supposed there was more money in making things what they weren't. For his money, they frequently dealt in things that were not true.
"I don't read the paper."
"That surprises me. You were always such a well informed man."
"Newspapers don't always tell the truth. They inject so called facts that haven't been verified."
"I guess your perspective is different from the average person. That is understandable."
Walt made no comment and continued to eat.
"Are they close to solving it?"
"That's not my business."
The statement wasn't entirely true. He obviously knew more about the case than anyone outside the Sheriff's Department. He had even been partially involved thanks to his and Vic's talking to a potential witness and their trip to the river.
"Is that hard for you?"
"What?"
"Suddenly not being involved but involved with someone who is."
Walt was quiet for a stretch as the question bounced around in his mind.
"It wasn't sudden. I decided to retire some time ago."
"That's not what I meant. It must be difficult for you to go from a position of power to…not."
He wasn't keen on the direction the conversation was going. He wasn't good at small talk as it was. Her prodding was pushing into things that he only talked about with a handful of people. Walt was not a man to broadcast his feelings to anyone who would listen. He'd always been that way to a degree. It was getting more true as he got older.
"Not really."
The look on her face told him that she was both disappointed in his lack of willingness to open up and that she didn't believe him. He wasn't overly concerned with either.
Walt finished his lunch and pushed the plate away for Henry to collect. He noticed that Henry hadn't interrupted them. Henry was observant, though, and would likely have been watching on and off. He was good at picking up on things. Walt figured that was part natural instinct and part having been a bartender.
Henry came over and collected the plate and empty beer can.
"Anything else?"
Walt shook his head. He hefted himself off the bar and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. Without Henry telling him exactly how much the food was, Walt passed him some bills. He came enough to know about how much he would owe. Henry rang up the meal and gave him his change.
"Thanks, Henry."
"Anytime."
Lily slid her plate away as well.
"That was delicious. Thank you."
She paid for her lunch with a credit card and Walt could see the look she was giving him while he watched Henry.
"I should go."
Her voice drew his attention. Lily rose and pulled on her coat.
"It was nice to talk to you."
"You too."
"I'll be in town a few more days. I hope to see you again."
Without waiting for a response, she left.
"Walt?"
Walt turned back to Henry who was still standing there.
"It's nothing, Henry."
"Maybe not for you. She was…flirting with you."
"She knows about Vic."
"That does not always matter. How does Vic feel about it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do. Walt, I know that you have not dated a lot of women. But, you are not stupid and you were the Sheriff. You know what jealousy is."
"Vic's not jealous."
"Okay."
He didn't like the way Henry said the word. With a sigh, he rose from his seat. Walt pulled on his coat and grabbed his hat.
"Thanks for lunch."
xxx
"Hey, Vic."
Vic looked up from where she sat at her desk as Ferg walked in. He came directly to her.
"What's up?"
"We may have something?"
Her eyes stayed on Ferg.
"What?"
He pulled a note from the pocket of the jacket he still wore and flipped it open.
"You all the door to door we've been doing?"
"Yeah."
"We might have finally hit on a useful tip."
"Okay."
She was waiting not so patiently waiting for him to get to the point. Ferg laid down the notepad open to page with some numbers scrawled on the top.
"We got a partial plate number on a truck that was in the area."
Vic gave him a skeptical look. Ferg kept going.
"Listen. We talked to a guy who lives on that road. He remembers stopping at the top of his driveway to get the mail and he saw a truck go by."
"He was getting his mail that late?"
"Says he works a weird shift. Anyway…he said the truck was going real slow and then sped up…then slowed down again. He thought it was odd so he walked out farther to see if they were looking for something or lost. Anyway, he saw the back of the truck and saw the plate. He could only remember a few of the numbers. But…"
Ferg tapped the notepad.
"…it was an Absaroka County plate."
"Do you have the model of the truck."
"Older model Dodge Ram. Silver and blue."
It wasn't exactly a smoking gun. It was something.
"Try and find that truck."
He nodded.
"I'm on it. Might take a while, though."
"Yeah. Just…do the best you can."
The door opened again and Vic looked over to see Lily Bader enter the office. She rose as the older woman scanned the room, saw her, and smiled.
"Hello."
Vic met her halfway across the room.
"Hey."
The word came out unsure.
"Can I help you?"
"I hope so. My car was keyed."
Vic eyed the woman.
"Keyed?"
"Yes, keyed. I…it's a rental. I think that I should file a report so the company doesn't give me a problem."
"Okay. That's…simple enough."
Vic returned to her desk as Lily followed her. She sat down and pulled out a form. Over the next few minutes, Lily relayed the story of coming out of the Red Pony to find a key mark across the driver's side door of the rental car.
"I took some pictures I can send you."
"Sure."
She tapped in the number that Vic gave her and a handful of seconds later, Vic's phone pinged that she had a new message.
"Thanks."
"Thank you. I…don't remember things like this happening when I lived here before."
Vic signed the report with a quick movement of her hand and slid it over to Lily to look at and sign.
"Um…times change."
"I suppose it's nothing to you coming from an urban environment."
Vic met the woman's eyes briefly at the comment. It sounded…odd in her mind. Lily shook her head slightly.
"Well…anyway…thank you for your time. I appreciate it."
She stood and zipped up her coat.
"I don't miss the winters here. That's for sure."
"Maybe you should visit in the summer."
Lily made a noise in her throat.
"Maybe."
She started away, but paused. Lily turned back around to face Vic, who was still seated at her desk.
"Tell Walt I enjoyed seeing him today."
"He's in town?"
"Yes, we had lunch at the Red Pony. Thank you again."
Vic watched as the woman raised her hand in a quick wave and left the office.
Lunch.
He hadn't mentioned that. Of course, their morning had been taken up by her discovery of the note that came in the mail. Vic had tried not to form and opinion about a woman that she didn't know. She could admit that she was bad about that. The results weren't always good. But, in her few run-ins with Lily Bader, one had already cemented itself.
Vic didn't like her.
She couldn't put her finger on why exactly. Lily hadn't really done anything to her. She was pleasant enough. It was something else. Something under the surface. The way the woman kept showing up. It annoyed her in a way that was just beyond explanation.
Vic pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She had bigger things to worry about that some woman who felt the need to visit during the worst time of year. You would think being from here she would know what kind of punch the winters packed. Hell, there was no guarantee on flights during the winter months. If she had a job to get back to…
Vic blinked and shook her head.
She was doing exactly what she just told herself not to do. Lily Bader wasn't anyone to her. She had a case to solve and that was what really mattered.
xxx
"How was work?"
Walt was mildly surprised when Vic pulled up to the cabin at a fairly normal time and came inside. It made him wonder if there had been any progress made on the case. She closed the door and toed off her boots. Vic shucked off her jacket and draped it over the back of his desk chair without really paying attention. It was a habit now.
He liked that.
"It was okay."
Walt watched as she methodically shed her badge, cuffs, and holster. She set them on the desk and started to unbutton her duty shirt. As much as she joked with him about his being predictable, this was a routine that he was now familiar with. She didn't follow the exact same pattern every day. But, she wasn't all that far off.
She didn't take off her work shirt. She left it open so that the thermal shirt was visible and flopped down on the couch. Vic pulled up her socked feet and stretched them partially across the couch.
Walt moved to sit beside her. Vic drew her feet towards her to give him space. Once he was seated, he held his arms so that she could put her feet in his lap. She settled against the arm of the couch and watched as he started to press his fingers into the soles of her feet. Neither spoke as his fingers worked around her foot and to her ankle. Walt could see her relax as he his hand moved. That was his goal. To get her to relax. To make her comfortable. She did feel comfortable here. That much was obvious. That was the way he wanted it.
"Make any progress on the case?"
His hands stilled, but remained resting on the tops of her feet.
"Maybe. Working on something."
"You don't want to say."
"We have a partial plate number of a truck who was seen in the area. Might be nothing. Might be something. You know how that goes. Ferg is working on tracing the truck."
"Do you have a description?"
"Yeah."
"Hopefully that's a break for you."
"Yeah. Weston was also able to lift some DNA from our victim. So…if we find a suspect, we do have that."
That was the type of news they'd all been waiting for. DNA would be what helped secure a conviction if and when they made an arrest.
"That's…good news."
"It is."
Vic went quiet for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Your friend came into the office today."
He didn't know who she was talking about.
"My friend?"
"Lily Bader."
She seemed to be popping up a lot.
"Oh."
"She came in to file a report. Her car was keyed."
"She have any idea who did it?"
"No. She was worried about the rental car company and damages."
"Make sense I guess."
She hadn't mentioned that when he saw her at the Red Pony. It could have happened later. Vic was watching him with an expression that was difficult to decipher. That unsettled him. Vic was generally easy for him to read. She did little to keep her emotions to herself where he was concerned these days. That was a hard fought battle early on, but they seemed to have crested the top of that particular mountain.
On both their parts.
"It happened at the Red Pony. She didn't tell you?"
Walt's brow furrowed.
"Why would she tell me?"
"Figured she might have mentioned it at lunch."
Her tone was off. Not angry. Not conversational. Was she testing the waters here? He was confused by that. As far as he knew he hadn't given her any reason to think there was a problem where Lily was concerned.
"Vic, is something wrong?"
"No."
She wasn't convincing.
"I didn't meet her for lunch. She showed up and ate at the same time."
"Okay."
Walt pressed his lips together.
"I'm telling you the truth."
"I believe you."
"So…why does it feel like you're mad at me?"
"I'm not. I just…"
Vic blew out a breath.
"…she keeps showing up, Walt. Here. There. At the office. You told me that the two of you were never really close. Is that the truth?"
"Are you accusing me of lying?"
"No, I'm asking you're a question. Sometimes…you withhold information if you think it's…in the best interest."
"Of who?"
He felt a twinge of anger. He didn't understand why she was questioning on this. Lily wasn't anyone to him. They hadn't ever been anything other than friends. Not even close friends.
"Us…I suppose. I know you don't like to rock the boat, Walt. If you were worried about how I might react…"
She left the thought unfinished. He understood the implication that she was making.
"We never dated. There wasn't anything like that between us."
He said it as matter of fact as he could. Getting mad would only stoke something in Vic that he would rather not.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
She could hear the question in his echo. Vic nodded.
"Okay. I believe you. I was just curious."
He studied her.
"Have you been worried about this all day?"
"I wasn't worried. And…you're free to have lunch with whoever you want."
She sounded like she meant it. Or, like she wanted to mean it. He wasn't entirely sure.
Walt flexed his fingers into her foot.
"It's okay to admit if you were jealous."
He was slightly teasing her in an attempt to lighten the mood. Her eyes narrowed.
"I wasn't jealous."
"Okay."
Vic rolled her eyes and pushed at him with her foot.
"Don't be a smartass. I uh…Cady know now. About the note. The letters. There wasn't any way to keep that from her once I involved work."
"No reason to keep it from her. What did she say?"
With their previous conversation, he hadn't even thought to ask her about that.
"She's worried."
"She shouldn't be. She had bigger things to worry about."
"That's what I told her. She doesn't always listen. I don't know where she gets that from."
She smiled at him when she said it and he felt a tightness in him loosen. She seemed more relaxed now that they had navigated an uncomfortable conversation without arguing. It felt like a triumph or sorts. They argued, of course. They'd always argued. At work and…other times. He wasn't always proud of that and was determined not to dwell on it now. There was no reason to. The past was the past. It needed to stay there and not affect where they were now.
"Penny for your thoughts."
Walt snapped back to the present moment.
"I'll give them to you for free."
She smiled again and he was struck by how beautiful she was when she was like this. Of course, she was attractive all the time. He didn't mean it that way. But, there were so many layers and facets to Vic. She was a complex person with complicated feelings. Walt knew a lot of people didn't realize that. She felt things deeply, though. Maybe more than anyone he knew.
"Then…why are you staring at me."
Walt blinked and shrugged.
"Are you hungry?"
"Is that what you were thinking about? Dinner?"
"No."
"What were you thinking about just now? And don't tell me nothing."
Walt felt heat in his throat. This was the part he wasn't good at. Talking. Sharing his feelings. He'd never been very good at it. Martha never pushed him. She accepted what he gave and seemed content with that.
Vic was entirely different.
She liked to push his buttons and press him beyond his perceived boundaries. It wasn't unlike the way she lived her life. Always pushing. Always questioning. Truthfully, it was one of the things that attracted him to her.
"I'm…glad you're here."
He said the words haltingly and didn't add anything else. Her eyes stayed on him and Walt resisted the urge to shift in his seat. She was trying to decide if he was telling her the truth about what he was thinking.
Not the sentiment he expressed.
"Me too."
Walt let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"I could eat."
She shifted gears fast on him.
"Hmm?"
"You asked if I was hungry. Yes, I am."
He moved to stand up and Vic pulled her feet from his lap.
"Me too."
Vic pushed herself up and followed him to the kitchen.
xxx
Vic rolled over in bed wishing she could fall asleep. Walt was sleeping beside her without issue and she was jealous of his peacefulness. After a few minutes of fruitless turning, she sat up. The sheet pooled around her waist. Vic glanced over at Walt. He hadn't stirred. At least she hadn't disturbed him.
Vic carefully shifted her legs off the bed and onto the floor. She stood and quietly left the bedroom. The sleeplessness was really getting on her nerves. She could only assume that it was related to both the case and these phone calls.
Not to mention the note.
She knew that Walt was playing down his concerns.
She recognized it.
She was doing the same damn thing. She told Cady the truth. She wasn't scared. Nervous maybe. Worried yes.
Vic walked into the living room and over to the fireplace. The warmth and the soft glow were both comforting. Vic stood there and absorbed the heat the flames were putting out. There was something about the fire and the quiet around her that she took some solace in.
It was hard to put into words.
The case was gaining some traction. They had a promising lead and DNA. It would take some time, but she didn't doubt they would find the truck. Unless it was stolen. They could check that too. This puzzle felt solvable and there was satisfaction to be found in that. Not to mention giving this woman's family some…not closure. She didn't really believe in closure. Vic believed you simply learned to live with your shit.
At least they would know.
That felt important and necessary.
Reaching up, Vic rubbed her hands over her face. She really needed to go sleep.
Vic looked at the fire once more. The movement of the flames was damn near hypnotizing. She blinked to break the effect and turned away. It was time to go back to bed. She certainly wasn't going to fall asleep standing here and getting lost in her thoughts.
Vic started for the bedroom. She couldn't have said why, but she looked towards the front door. Maybe it was habit to check and ensure the door was locked. She stopped walking so fast that she nearly tripped over her own feet.
For a few seconds, she simply looked as though she was trying to process what her eyes were telling her. Vic squinted slightly. It was darker near the door, but she was seeing it.
A small, light rectangle.
Slowly, Vic walked towards the front door. The door was still locked just like it was when they went to bed. That was something that she checked staunchly. Vic stopped and looked down at the small shape.
She glanced towards the bedroom. She could hear Walt snoring softly. He was still sleeping. Vic returned her eyes to the spot on the floor and bent down. It was exactly what it looked like.
An envelope.
It certainly hadn't been there earlier.
Her eyes tracked from the envelope to the door. It was just a couple of inches from the base of the door. As if someone had…
Vic swallowed.
She hadn't been afraid before.
She was afraid now.
"Shit."
The word came out as nothing more than a whisper.
The cop in her kicked in and she straightened up. Vic reached into the pocket of her discarded jacket and pulled out a pair of gloves. Pulling them on, she grabbed the envelope from the floor and held it up.
It was the same as the one that arrived in the mail.
There was a single word written on the back.
Walt.
The flap wasn't sealed. It was merely tucked. She pulled it opened and slid out a solitary sheet of paper.
Just like the note.
Vic unfolded the paper and peered at it. Slowly, she turned it around in her hands so that she could look at both sides. Unlike the previous note, the sheet of paper was empty. There was no writing other than what was on the envelope. Vic looked from the blank paper to the door and she felt a cold chill run down her spine.
"Fuck."
Again, her voice was no louder than a whisper. In the bedroom Walt still slept.
Someone came to the cabin. Someone had been here. She assumed it was the same someone who was behind the calls and the note.
They had slid this under the door.