Page 14 of Shattered Sanctuary

Kaely smiled. “I’d be happy to. The trick is packing outfits with interchangeable pieces.” She waved her hand toward Erin. “Let’s save that for later. Show me around?”

“Sure, but as soon as possible, we need to talk.”

Kaely frowned. “Uh, oh. Is something wrong with the cabin?”

Erin sighed. “Not sure how to answer that. Would you like me to start with the ghost that’s been roaming the woods for decades or the dead body just discovered this morning?”

ELEVEN

“Wow,” was all Kaely could say by the time Erin finished telling her about her morning. “I thought this kind of stuff only happened to me.”

Erin grinned. “If I wasn’t convinced you were an honest person, I wouldn’t have believed all the stories you told me when we were working on the book. I think I’m going to have to blame you for this one too.”

Kaely laughed. They’d just finished ham and cheese sandwiches with fruit and ice cream. She was impressed with the cabin and all the food Steve had left for them. He and Noah hadn’t seen each other in years, so she hadn’t expected this kind of welcome. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about shopping for a lot of supplies. That would give them more time to talk. Kaely was here to listen—something Erin needed right now to help her deal with the tragedy she’d endured. Kaely also hoped to get her out a few times to have some fun. Shutting herself up in her apartment for the past two years wasn’t healthy. Kaely had seen some cute shops and a few restaurants in Sanctuary. Hopefully, she could talk Erin into visiting the town while they were here.For now, though, they could both just kick back and relax. Well, anyway that was the plan before Erin told her about the body found in the woods.

Kaely scooted off the bar stool next to the breakfast bar and gathered their dishes. She took them over to the sink, rinsed them off, and stacked them up. Might as well wait for tonight before running the dishwasher. When she turned around, she caught Erin frowning at her. Although Kaely felt as if they were already friends, being together face-to-face was different. A little awkwardness was normal.

“You said you took some pictures?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Erin picked up her phone from the counter and clicked a few buttons.

Kaely sat down next to her and waited.

“I probably went overboard,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure you saw everything.” She handed the phone to Kaely, who took it and began scrolling through the photos.

“Tell me again what you told the chief,” she said as she studied each one.

Erin began to repeat her observations while Kaely nodded.

“So can you do that thing?” Erin asked.

“Not sure whatthingyou mean.”

Kaely knew what Erin was referring to. She’d shared her profiling technique with her, and Erin had incorporated a modified version of it into her book. But in reality, Kaely hadn’t used it in a while. After Noah was transferred to the Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico, she’d quietly worked a few profiles with him without his supervisors knowing. It still worked well for her, but she avoided teaching it to others. A few years earlier, she’d shared it with someone else and the results had been a little disturbing. It had reminded her thatthere were two forces at work in the world. One good—and one decidedly evil. She had authority over evil through her relationship with Christ, but not everyone else knew about that power or were trained to use it.

“Let me get settled in,” she said. “Then we can talk about that. So, about this ghost...”

“I’m sure you don’t believe in that type of thing,” Erin said. “But I’m not so sure. I’ve heard some weird stories.”

It was true that Kaely didn’t believe in the kind of ghosts Erin was talking about, but she knew that demons were real. However, that wasn’t a conversation she could have with Erin now. It wouldn’t make any sense to her. Kaely smiled. “Why do you think I don’t believe in ghosts?”

Erin frowned. “Do you? I mean, I know you’re a Christian.”

“Maybe I don’t, but it’s clear to me something odd happened to you. My guess is that some kind of animal made the noise you heard. But I have to tell you, it would have spooked me too. I may be a Christian, but I’m still human.”

Erin laughed nervously. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t.”

“It’s okay. I really don’t get offended easily. I’m the same person you’ve talked to on the phone for the past couple of years. Just relax, okay?”

Erin nodded. “Thank you. I guess I am a little tense. One of the officers who worked out of my station was a Christian. She was pretty hard to get to know, and I always got the feeling she was judging me—and everyone else.”

“Like I said, Christians are still people. Some are better than others at showing who God is.” She shrugged. “That’s why it’s important to follow Christ—not Christians. I’msorry she made you feel that way. I hope I never do. If it should ever happen, I give you permission to put salt in my coffee.”

Erin grinned. “I’d say that’s not a very harsh reprimand, but I know how much you love your coffee.”

Kaely laughed. “Now, if you’ll show me to my room, I’ll unpack.”

“There are three bedrooms upstairs. I slept in one of them last night, but if you want it, I’ll gladly move.”

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