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Kenna glanced between the two women. “Really?” That was an interesting one. Not the normal profile for a killer.
“She liked carving things up. Passed the interest onto her daughter. Thank God she didn’t decide to completely follow in her footsteps or become a surgeon or something.” Forrest shuddered. She almost seemed numb, which might be for the best. Not just because she was cold, but because she had faced head-on the person who killed her family.
“Instead, she chose to try and resolve what her childhood had birthed in her.” Kenna had assumed as much, though Gingrich hadn’t mentioned Rayland’s father. “And her son did the same thing being a cop. But it couldn’t have been enough, or she would never have started killing to protect her secret.”
Taking the lives of Forrest’s husband and son for one.
“I’m sorry you had to face her.” Kenna hugged her, and they went up the stairs. She called Gingrich on the way.
“What?”
“How about you swing by the church for a pickup?” Kenna said. “That’s what.”
He huffed. “Who?”
“Dr. Rayland and Forrest.” Kenna hung up and tucked her phone away, ignoring how her wrist hurt. It looked like her detainee was about to bolt. Kenna shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. You’ve caused enough grief.”
“And people like you think you’re the law.” Rayland seemed pretty satisfied by that, as if she’d been pondering who might come against her and the kind of person they would be. And, considering she was a psychologist, she probably thought a lot about human behavior.
Well, so did the cops. “Better than thinking it doesn’t apply to you. Or knowing there are rules, and yet completely disregarding them.”
Jax turned. “Where are Theo and Alonzo?”
Kenna’s wrist smarted, but she pulled her gun and scanned the hallways she could see. She could call them, but they probably had their phones off. Did their wives have any GPS on their devices? Maybe they’d be able to tell her which part of the church they were in.
She hoped they had run into Stan and were taking care of that situation as much as she hoped they hadn’t. The last thing she needed was a professional killer getting the drop on two retirees—even if one was a former US marshal.
“I can look with you.” Forrest’s voice sounded so small. “We should find them.”
Kenna took a step, already shaking her head to decline.
A gunshot rang out through the church. She froze, the dread of grief a real thing that cracked like a whip inside her.Lord Jesus.
Someone cried out, a male.
Two more shots.
Kenna started running.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Kenna tore down the hallway, aware of Forrest right behind her. She drew her weapon as she ran. Following the sound.
“No!” he cried out. “Hold on! Hold on!”
“Theo!” Forrest ran faster, almost coming up alongside Kenna.
She shifted around the corner, partially cutting off the other woman but also making sure that any bullets aimed their direction wouldn’t hit Forrest.
They would hit Kenna. Hopefully in the vest.
Down the hall, Alonzo lay on the floor on his back. Theo whipped off his jacket and swayed. He caught the fact they were coming toward him and twisted around, nearly toppling off balance.
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s just us.”
Theo had blood running down the side of his face. A lot of blood.
Kenna and Forrest scrambled to him and knelt.