The tiny police station was packed when Katie walked in, still holding the blanket tight around her shoulders.

Sean and Chief Carlson had brought Eric through the back door to the interview room. The chief groaned audibly when he came out to the reception area to talk to Katie.

It seemed half the town was there. Katie and Caleb sat in chairs along the wall, and Katie fended off questions from Beth and Todd. Apparently Debra had called everyone she could think of when Sean got the emergency call about Katie and a shooting. Matt had been in the ER finishing his shift when he heard that a gunshot wound was on its way. He’d raced to the police station when he’d heard that Marilyn was the victim and Katie was with Carlson. Matt sat on the other side of Katie looking worried. Emmett and Nick stood with Linda Carlson and Debra. They all turned to the chief when he came through the door.

“I need everyone to go home now,” he said. He held his hands up when the questions began. “I don’t have any information yet.”

Caleb had already jumped up and was dragging Katie toward the door.

“Wait,” the chief said. “Not you. I need Dr. LeClair and her . . . friends to stay.”

“We’re all her friends,” Emmett said.

Katie looked at him and fought the tears that had sprung to her eyes.

“No, just those friends,” the chief said. He pointed to Matt and Caleb. Katie had told the chief that she, Matt, and Caleb had still been investigating on their own. He had not been pleased.

Grumbling ensued from the others, but they eventually left after extracting promises from Katie to call when she could.

The chief stood in front of the three of them and glared.

“Who is going to tell me how Katie ended up out in the woods with Marilyn and Eric and a loaded gun?”

“I went out there to rescue a dog,” Katie said.

“I didn’t see a dog,” Carlson said.

“There wasn’t one,” Katie said. “I was tricked.”

“Tricked how?” Carlson crossed his arms.

“I got a text from Lynn Swanson saying she needed me to watch her dog for her.”

Carlson narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you always run a pet boarding service for your patients?”

“No.” Katie dragged out the word to show her irritation with his snarky attitude. “She had gone into hiding at a women’s shelter to get away from Eric. She said she was worried he would hurt the dog. You know how I feel about dogs in need.” Katie knew it was emotional blackmail, but she didn’t shy away from reminding John about his precious Bubba.

Carlson’s voice softened. “Yes, I do know.” He turned to Matt and Caleb. “You two wait here. I need to talk to Dr. LeClair alone.”

Chief Carlson brought her back to his office. She nodded at the now familiar pictures of Bubba.

He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Do you want some terrible coffee?”

Katie shook her head.

Carlson sat in his brown leather desk chair and pulled a legal pad out of a drawer.

“Okay, shoot.”

Katie told him the whole story. About her suspicions that Ellen had discovered something that led to her death, about the color-blindness research, and how she had guessed that Marilyn and Christopher were related. She didn’t mention the computer or Caleb’s assistance. She’d save that for another time if it became necessary.

She told him again about Lynn and her escape from Eric and how Katie ended up going out to the cabin alone, thinking she was helping Lynn by rescuing a dog.

And then, she had to tell him about Marilyn’s husband and his death.

The chief took notes throughout. His pen only faltered when she described Todd hitting his father with a baseball bat to protect his mother.

“We’ll have to dig up the yard out there and see if she’s telling the truth,” the chief said. “That’s enough for tonight. This gives me a whole list of questions for Marilyn and Eric. As far as you know, Lynn is safely away with her kids?”

Katie nodded.

“Okay, I’ll let Caleb take you home. I’ve got a long night ahead of me.”

They walked out to the reception area again. Matt and Caleb stood as they came through the door.

Matt took a step toward Katie. “I was so worried when I heard that an ambulance was coming to the ER with a shooting victim.”

Katie smiled and walked toward him. He put his arms around her, and they stood like that for a long moment.

Caleb sat back down and pulled out his phone. He feigned absorption in the small screen.

Matt pulled away to look at her. “I thought it was you who had been shot. Once I found out from the EMTs that you were fine, I came straight here to try to get some information.”

“As you can see, I’m fine.” Katie’s voice shook, betraying the lie.

“I’d like to keep it that way,” Matt said. And then he kissed her. It wasn’t a gentle, tentative first kiss. It was an I’ve-wanted-to-do-this-forever-and-I’m-glad-you’re-not-dead kiss. Katie felt warm and jittery and bubbly all at the same time.

Chief Carlson cleared his throat in an embarrassed but pointed way.

Katie and Matt broke apart and smiled at each other.

Matt nodded at the chief. “We’ll take her home.”