Even from where she sat, Jillian could make out the man’s gruff voice on the other end.
“Kline,” the man said, his tone ominous. “We need to talk.”
17
When Ellie answered the phone, she recognized Detective Jerry Decker’s raspy voice right away. “We need to talk, Kline.”
“What’s up, Decker?” She grabbed the pen and notepad, flipping to a fresh page.
“Not sure why I’m catching your calls, but we had a tip come in you need to take.”
Ellie’s shoulders stiffened, pen hovering above the paper. “I’m not manning the tip line anymore. I’ve been reinstated to full-time work. I’m not sure who’s in charge of it now, but it isn’t me.”
“Yes, we’ve all heard you were brought back early, but no, I didn’t call you after-hours over a random tip. Believe it or not, most tips can wait until morning. This call is specifically for you.”
Her brow wrinkled in confusion. The Violent Crime Unit’s tip line was anonymous and available to the general public. Any cold case tips Ellie received came directly to her. Even then, most of the information she got came from interviews, not calls out of the blue. “Is it about my cold case?”
Decker snorted, then coughed and cleared his throat. “I don’t know. She won’t talk to anyone but you. I asked her for specifics so I could write it down and leave it on your desk instead of bothering you at home, but she refused.”
“Oh.” Ellie held her pen over the paper, ready to write again. “I’ll take her number and give her a call back.”
“She’s waiting on hold.”
Ellie put the phone on speaker and set it on the table so Jillian could listen in while she took notes. “Can you connect her?”
“That’s why I’m calling.”
Before she could respond to his snarky retort, there was an audible click, letting her know he’d transferred the call over to her.
“Hello, this is Detective Kline. Can I get your name, please?”
There was a soft feminine laugh. “I have many names. Which one would you like?”
“You can remain anonymous. If you do, I’ll refer to you as Jane Doe in my records. It’s up to you whether you want to use your name or a pseudonym.”
“You know me as Katarina.”
Ellie blinked, writing quickly as her mind raced to figure out why the name and the voice seemed familiar. “Katarina?”
“Having trouble placing me?” Katarina mocked, her tone amused.
Ellie’s mind whirled. Was this the woman from the case involving Steve Garrett and a trip to Ghana she’d worked when she first made detective?
“I deal with a lot of cases, Katarina. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember where I know you from. Maybe a little backstory would help. If we know each other—”
Katarina’s laughter cut Ellie off before she could say a word about the Ghana case.
“Ah yes, the exciting world of Cold Cases. It’s a wonder you haven’t died of boredom since you were promoted. Who I am isn’t important. We’ve run into each other a few times, but our past isn’t the priority right now.”
“Why are you calling, then?” Heat crept up Ellie’s neck. Whatever Katarina’s reason for calling, it was clear the woman was enjoying playing games.
“Because I have information for you.”
Ellie decided to play along with the game. “If we have a past like you say, I’m guessing you want to remain anonymous because you’re still a person of interest in a case. Maybe more than one. In my experience, criminals aren’t the most trustworthy source of information, so why should I believe anything you tell me?”
Katarina’s quiet hiss was the only sign Ellie’s accusation bothered her. But her voice was still light and happy, as if they were having a friendly conversation and nothing more. “Believe me or don’t, I don’t care. If Valerie dies, it won’t be on my head.”
Ellie stiffened, sucking in a quick breath. She cast a frantic glance across the table to Jillian, who was sitting with her elbows on the table, lips parted as she listened in silence. Ellie’s heart rate quickened. “How do you know about Valerie?”
“Got your attention now, don’t I?” When Ellie tried to respond, Katarina cut her off. “I don’t have all day for this. You either want Valerie to live, or you don’t. Waste my time, and I’ll hang up without helping you.”
Ellie’s heart was racing now, the pen in her hand trembling. Jillian fidgeted in the chair. Ellie inhaled slowly, trying to calm her frayed nerves. “I’m listening.”
“Much better. I knew you were smarter than you looked.” Shrill laughter rang through the speaker, filling the kitchen. Ellie’s stomach knotted. Would Katarina hear an echo, letting her know she was on speakerphone and end the call right then? But the woman continued without missing a beat. Either she didn’t know, or she didn’t care. Ellie’s money was on the latter. “You’ve been causing lots of problems for some very important people. At first, they were amused at you, playing detective, but now that you’re making things difficult, no one is laughing anymore.”
“Which people?”
“The list is long, but only one person matters. The master is tired of you getting in his way, and his patience has worn thin.” Katarina paused. “Hmm. And there’s a big anniversary coming up, isn’t there?”
The master?
Ellie’s stomach dropped, but she forced herself to focus on writing down everything the woman was saying, her hand flying across the paper. “Anniversary? You need to be more specific.”
Katarina’s laugh sent a chill down Ellie’s spine. “Don’t play games with me, Detective Kline. You’re much too clever for that. We both know what I’m talking about.”
“It’s been a long day. I really don’t know what you’re referring to.” Ellie forced a heavy sigh, laying it on.
“The anniversary of your kidnapping and escape. You’re the one who got away, you know. Did you think he was going to just let you walk away?”
“There have been plenty of anniversaries since I escaped. What’s so special about this one?”
“For me? Nothing. I think the entire thing is petty, but it’s not about
