She looked to the bedside clock and saw that it was 4:12 in the morning. She was pretty sure she would not be able to go back to sleep but she stayed in bed anyway. She thought of Allen and how understanding he was being in regards to her work. She thought of Melissa and Michelle, hoping that they saw her return to work as a hopeful indicator that age meant nothing and that the woman they both looked up to was strong enough for all of them.

She spent the next hour and a half in a fitful nap, dozing off for ten minutes or so and then snapping awake, over and over again.

It came to a stop when her phone started to ring. She sat up, feeling surprisingly rested, and saw an unfamiliar number on her display screen. She was pretty sure the area code was Deton.

Hello? she answered.

Agent Wise, this is Officer Mark Foster. Weve got movement on the case.

What is it? Kate asked, instantly sliding out of bed.

Someone used Mercy Fullers credit card late last night.

Her thought of why does a fifteen-year-old girl have a credit card was overruled by the jarring excitement of a potentially huge jump in the case.

Nearby? she asked.

It was used at a gas station between Deton and Deerfield. And it gets even better. Security cameras at the gas station give us a clear shot of the man that used it. The time on the video footage and the time of the transaction match up perfectly.

How long ago was the match made?

I got confirmation about three minutes before I called you. I looked over the video feed myself about half an hour ago. And heres the good thing about a small town…the face was familiar. All faces are familiar.

So you know who it is?

I do. I double-checked in the files here at the station just to make sure, and its a positive ID.

Damn, Foster. Do you ever sleep?

Hardly, he said. And it didnt sound like he was joking. Can you and DeMarco meet the sheriff and I at the station? Im headed over right now.

She agreed to meet at the station as quickly as they could. She wasted no time dressing, leaving her room in her gym shorts and T-shirt right away and walking outside. She walked to the next door along the open-air corridor and started knocking. She couldnt help but smile as she knocked, waking her partner up before six in the morning. Surely, it was a good indicator that the case was moving along. And also, given her comfort level of waking DeMarco by pounding on her door in her pajamas, it was an equally good indicator that she had found a partner she trusted in DeMarco.