Someday, when the children are able, she will bring Dillon and you can Stacie so you’re able to Install Olympus to spread out their father’s remains.
Rick Woody, now 46, lies within his candlight, paneled family room, looking at the newest line off photographs one to range his mantel.
History spring season, Rick accessible to succeed federal and state regulators to share with you Kacie’s facts within the a national effort entitled «Simple Photographs» to train cops and you will teach moms and dads – even in the event he’s not happy to hear the story within its totality
There clearly was his girlfriend, Kristie, the lady hitting keeps presented of the a mass of black, tumbling curls. And there is Kacie, just who possessed an equivalent soulful vision and enigmatic, close-lipped look.
«I’ve gone through a myriad of thinking,» Rick states, his face unreadable. «I have undergone the brand new bad phase, the newest wanting to know-God stage, in which You will find expected, ‘How do you need my wife following turnaround and you will grab my daughter?'»
The guy recognizes brand new irony contained in this tragedy – that son exactly who turned into a policeman to aid someone else wasn’t right here whenever his own child requisite him very.
Inside the June, this new FBI displayed Rick with one of one hundred commemorative patches affect Kacie’s label. Brand new blue-and-gold spot illustrates a teddy bear seated next to a computer. «Kacie Woody, 1989-2002» is posted on the pc monitor. FBI agents and you will local cops that section of the fresh new Simple Images task push usually don the newest patches.
Guilt and you will exactly what-ifs haunt Rick. Can you imagine he previously entitled from inside the sick you to nights, like he had been lured to manage? Let’s say he’d leftover a deeper attention with the Kacie’s desktop things?
«It can’t direct your everywhere however in a circle,» he says. «You’d like to learn what you that’s happening on your kid’s life therefore thought you really have smart. » His sound tracks of. «We want to protect them. » Once more, a pause before Rick finishes: «She didn’t have one concerns.»
Light tombstones glitter contrary to the later-afternoon tincture with this gray, cloudy day. Crickets chirp, and quite simple rustles woods on the cusp off autumnal glory.
Rick brings on their bike, parking directly in side away from Kacie’s grave. The guy takes off their helmet, treks towards the grave and you will kneels. Eleven days provides passed just like the what can was indeed Kacie’s 14th birthday celebration. Tenderly, Rick scoops up the notes and you may notes you to definitely Sam, Jessica or any other family unit members have remaining.
In years past, Rick useful content showed up here per Sept. 4, his wedding anniversary, to go out of red-colored flowers to have Kristie – that each year they’d was basically married. This current year, he leftover twenty-two.
However there can be an extra grave searching for herbs, purple of these, Kacie’s favorite. Rick comes here 3 x a week, constantly to the their cycle. It seems installing so you’re able to thunder towards the that it quiet i’m all over this their bike.
Kacie treasured to ride with Rick
Kacie try thrilled when Rick ordered a motorcycle. Throughout their earliest excursion, she leaned by doing this which, glorying inside the latest sense of liberty. Rick eventually stopped and you will lectured their regarding the securing in order to him. He must discover she was still right back around. However, Kacie wasn’t scared of falling-off. She are along with her father.
Rick leans facing their Kawasaki Vulcan and you may gazes within Kacie’s gravestone. He’s clad completely from inside the leather. For the his coat, merely over his center, is the FBI area you to definitely carries Kacie’s label.
Briefly, an explosion off sunrays pierces brand new clouds, warming this new shoulders, yet not new stone, about what a white porcelain angel slumbers. Getting most of the girl short lifestyle, Kacie wanted to end up being a keen angel, just like her mother. In the next amount, to have a school assignment, she detailed one or two needs: becoming a silver-medal gymnast, right after which, as time goes by, to see heaven to see the girl mummy.