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“Having a bad childhood is not an excuse for kidnapping and killing people.”

I shake my head. “Of course not. But maybe I should have suspected something years ago.”

She palms my cheek. “You couldn’t have known, and there’s no point in worrying about it now.”

I close my eyes and nuzzle into her touch.

Her hand falls away. “Let’s go.”

I open my eyes. “Go?”

Ava grabs her purse and loops it over her shoulder. “We have two or three hours of sunlight at the most.” Then she takes Emily’s phone.

I frown. “Go where?”

“To find Lynn. I know where she is. I’ll tell you everything on the way there.”

I push off the door. “I’ll get the chief.”

“No.” Her voice is harsh. “Sorry, no chief, no other cops. Just us. If you go in full force, he’ll see us and take off. We need the element of surprise.”

“This is not a good idea. I don’t like it one bit. You should stay here—safe—and I can go in with backup to get Lynn.”

“That won’t work. It has to be the two of us. If anyone else comes along, we’ll blow the only chance we have to get Lynn out safely.”

Everything in me wants to refuse. “This is a bad idea. It’s risky and dangerous. Who knows how far Jeff will go to protect himself and get away? He won’t give up easily.”

“Jeff is the chief’s problem. He will go to his house with the search warrant and hopefully find Jeff at home. Lynn is my concern. I brought her into this, and I’ll get her out. You can come with me or not. Either way, I’m going. And before you say you can keep me from doing it, no—you can’t—don’t even try.”

She stands in front of me, a warrior intent on doing everything she can to save her friend, and I won’t let her do it alone.

“I’m coming with you.”

Chapter57

Avalon

We exitthe building the same way we came in and avoid the press madhouse out front. But this time, instead of the SUV, Jake walks to a black and gray police cruiser.

I hesitate. “What are you doing?”

He unlocks the passenger door for me. “I’m taking my police cruiser.”

“Why?”

“Because it has everything I need inside.”

I take in the tinted windows, which make it impossible to see inside. Sliding into the seat, I make sure not to touch any of the equipment. There’s a laptop on the dash and a CB radio in the middle console.

Jake drives slowly as we approach the parking lot exit. The cop at the parking lot gate in front of the City Hall waves us through. “Where are we going?”

“Back to the park.”

He gives me a quick glance and turns right out of the station. “Okay, spill it. Tell me everything.”

And I do. I tell Jake everything I saw and what Emily told me. I tell him about the times I saw his grandfather too. I talk and talk as he drives.

“That’s everything. I don’t want to keep anything from you. That’s the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”