Kate sat here and listened, as the woman went over a description of the route she had used over the past few years. When she ran out of breath, she took a sip of water. Kate asked, “And?”
The witness nodded. “That’s when I saw him.”
“And what exactly did you see?”
“This man with a rope.”
At that, Kate straightened. “Where exactly was he located on the path when you saw him?”
The woman looked at her, her eyes almost glazed, as fear crept over her. “He was off the main path, just standing by one of the trees. I didn’t even think anything of it and just lifted my hand and ran past, like I always do when I see someone. But something was so odd about him.”
“In what way?”
“There was a stillness to him, as if he was waiting. Like he was waiting for something, but I didn’t know what.”
“Okay, I’ve got a map here of the trail,” Kate noted, as she unrolled it. “Can you tell me where you saw him?”
The woman pored over the map, her finger running over pathways. “Here,” she stated. “He was here.” She pointed to a spot just off to the side of the path, exactly where Kate and Dr. Smidge had seen the footprints of somebody who’d been standing there for a while.
“Interesting,” Kate murmured.
“Do you think it was him?”
“It’s possible, yes,” Kate confirmed. “When was this?”
“I said yesterday.”
“Yesterday.” Kate studied her witness. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes, but why?”
She shook her head. “No reason, I’m just getting a time line.”
“I went out this morning but saw no sign of him.”
“Were you earlier or later?”
“Earlier,” she noted. “I went running at dawn. So, about five o’clock.”
At that, Kate’s eyebrows went up. “Do you run in the dark too?”
“Sometimes,” she said. “It depends.”
She wasn’t sure what the woman was running from, but obviously there was an issue, and running was her salvation. Kate could hardly blame the woman for finding something that was harmless to help her. So much better than drugs or alcohol to bury whatever it was hurting her so badly. “So, is there any chance I could talk you into finding a different place to run for the next few days?”
The woman looked at her in horror and then immediately shook her head. “No, no, no, that’s why I’m here. You need to go pick him up.”
Kate looked at her blankly. “You think it’s that easy?”
She nodded. “I showed you where he is.”
“You also said you saw him there yesterday,” she mentioned cautiously, not exactly sure where this sudden turn of events was heading.
“Yes, but he’ll be there tomorrow.”
“And why is that?”
“I see him almost every second day.”