Page 15 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

E van filled in Mckenna about his visit to Toby and Rex’s house as he finished cleaning up the drool spots.

He threw away the napkins and then sat back down trying to forget that when Mckenna had leaned over to help clean up Mocha’s drool, he’d seen down her shirt.

What he wouldn’t give to take that shirt off and kiss her everywhere—even down lower.

Stop it, Evan. You need to focus. Find out more about her background with Rex and Toby.

As Evan kept talking, Mckenna’s face dropped when he mentioned Rex’s name. He had to ask and find out more, not just about how she knew Toby, but Rex as well. One thing at a time.

“Toby claims he was at a party and spent the night with a lady friend. A Penny Gardner. I looked her up and she’s a high school teacher. Do you know her?”

Mckenna clasped her hands together, but they weren’t shaking.

Evan desperately wanted to reach out and hold them again while he talked to her, but that wasn’t the FBI way.

At no time during his training at Quantico did the instructors recommend holding hands with someone they were interviewing. They’d never met Mckenna Parker.

Mckenna peered back up at him and then said, “Yes. I had her as a teacher and I’ve kept a terrible secret. I know it’s wrong, but I kept telling myself it wasn’t that bad.”

“What’s your secret?” Evan leaned in closer, catching a whiff of her shampoo again. The sweet, flowery scent made him want to take her out of here right now and find somewhere private where they could be alone. For a long time.

“I should have said something sooner.”

“Mckenna, it’s okay. I promise. I won’t judge you.

” Evan could only hope she believed him, because it was the truth.

He wouldn’t judge her. If anything, he wanted to ask her so many more questions.

Nothing to do with the case. What was her favorite food?

Did she like to hike? Camp? Did she have a boyfriend?

He worked to remain focused on this case.

“Penny Gardner threw the parties. I’d bet money that it was her house and party that Lily and Autumn went to that night. That’s where I was the night I was taken.”

“Were Rex and Toby there that night?”

“Yes, they were. Ms. Gardner only invited students who had graduated. Rex was the oldest and Toby was in Cassidy’s class.

It’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone.

Rex was already working for my parents, so that’s how I knew him.

We all swore we wouldn’t say anything because Gardner was the ‘cool’ teacher, and we didn’t want her to get into trouble.

Now I know how stupid that was. Maybe if I had told the sheriff everything, we wouldn’t be here today. ”

“We can’t change the past,” Evan said.

“I wish we could.”

“I think everyone has something in their past they’d like to change.”

“But how many people want to go back in time to turn in a teacher throwing a party so that they don’t get kidnapped, and another girl doesn’t die years later?” Mckenna asked.

“Good point,” Evan said. “But still, we can change the future. I’m going to find out more about Penny Gardner. I’ll leave you out of it, though, okay?”

“No, you don’t have to leave me out of anything. I’m an adult and I’m a different person now. It’s time for me to take a stand. Do you think Toby did this to Autumn and Lily?”

“I’m not sure yet. He was at the party, but so was Rex. Did anyone question him that you know of?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Mckenna answered.

“Tell me more about Rex. I heard he worked for your parents.”

“He did.” Mckenna looked away and then started petting Mocha.

Evan could tell she was uncomfortable again. Maybe more secrets? “Do you think there’s any chance he was the kidnapper and Toby was covering for him?”

“I really don’t know. I don’t think so, but I didn’t know either of them that well. Although I knew Rex better.”

“Did you and Rex have a…relationship?” Evan didn’t know how to put it.

“You’re finding out all my dirty little secrets today,” Mckenna said. Evan could tell she was trying to joke, but he could see stress.

“We don’t have to talk about all of this if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to. It actually feels good.” Mckenna took a deep breath.

“Rex started working for my parents when he graduated from high school. He was good on the ranch and my dad liked him. My dad had two girls, so I think Rex was like a son to him. When I was a senior in high school, Rex had been working on the ranch for a couple of years. I started flirting and one thing led to another. We had a fling going. He was my teenage crush. I was eighteen, so it didn’t seem wrong, but eventually he broke it off.

I think he knew that even though we were only a few years apart, at that time in our lives, we were in very different stages.

He insisted we couldn’t see each other anymore.

I was heartbroken, but a few months later, I was kidnapped, and then, honestly, I didn’t care anymore.

My world was upside down. Once Toby was arrested, my parents fired Rex and that was that. ”

Evan leaned back in his chair with lots of thoughts going through his head. Would a younger brother cover for an older brother? Did Toby take Mckenna because he was jealous? How did this connect with Lily and Autumn if at all?

“Since I’m spilling my deepest, darkest secrets, there’s something else,” Mckenna said.

Sitting forward again, Evan broke his FBI interviewing rule and took Mckenna’s hands. “What is it?”

Mckenna leaned forward too, bringing back memories of that morning. The way she tasted and how her lips felt. How he would need a cold shower every time he thought of her hands pressing against his chest.

“I’ve always doubted that Toby was my kidnapper. There. I said it.”

Evan didn’t know how to respond, but the look on Mckenna’s face told him that she was hoping he’d believe her. “Why do you say that?”

“I mean, I told other people that and no one ever listened…until you. You didn’t know the sheriff at the time.

He was almost excited about my experience because it put him in the limelight.

He also knew that the whole area was on edge.

People wanted the kidnapper found so that they could feel safe again.

I don’t even know how they decided to question Toby or search his vehicle to find my stuff, but something always felt off about it. There’s something else too.”

“You can tell me,” Evan said, running his thumb over her fingers.

“I ran into Toby. Recently.”

“He shouldn’t have any contact with you.” Anger surged through Evan. He’d call Keith immediately and let him know. The sheriff too.

“No, no, it wasn’t like that. We were both in town at the hardware store.

My house is old. It’s always needing something.

We happened to run into each other out in the parking lot.

He came over and said he knew he wasn’t supposed to talk to me, but he was sorry about what happened.

Not what he did to me, but what happened.

The way he said it made me think that he wasn’t apologizing for himself, but rather he was just sorry that I’d had that experience.

Doesn’t it make you wonder? What if someone planted the evidence?

What if Toby took the fall for someone else? A friend? And there’s one last thing.”

“What’s that?” Evan asked.

“I think I’m being followed. I mean over the years there were times that I thought I was being watched. Everyone told me it was anxiety. Toby was in prison, so I was safe. Recently I’ve had a vehicle following me. I’ve seen it a couple times now. I wasn’t certain, but I saw it again this morning.”

“Do you have a make? Model? License plate?”

“It was a blue Jeep. Colorado plates. The next time I see it, I’m going to see if there’s a way I can get the license plate.”

“When was the last time it followed you?” Evan asked, thinking about the blue Jeep he’d just seen in Toby and Rex’s garage.

“This morning. On my way to the hospital. Although when I turned in, it went straight. Maybe it’s a coincidence.”

“I don’t think it is.” Evan desperately wanted to tell Mckenna, but he didn’t want to scare her either.

Maybe he could get video off the hospital security cameras that faced the street and make sure it was the same vehicle owned by Rex before he told her anything.

She was safer not knowing. “Do you mind if I ask the sheriff for the files on your case?”

“No, not at all.” Mckenna leaned closer and gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you for listening. You’re the first person who believed me and didn’t think I was crazy. I need to get back to work before my boss wonders if I’m quitting my job.”

Evan watched Mckenna and Mocha head back to their vehicle.

He needed to talk with Penny Gardner and find out why she was throwing these parties.

But the thing was, even he was beginning to wonder if an innocent man had spent eight years in prison.

And if that were the case, who was the real kidnapper, and could he keep Lily and Mckenna safe?

For now, Mckenna would be safe working at the office.

He called the sheriff and asked if he could come and read through the files of Mckenna’s case, explaining the connection.

Plus, internally he thought that if he had to go back to the office and see Mckenna, he’d want to find an excuse to be with her—especially after her quick kiss that had taken him off guard.

He needed separation to sort out his feelings.

The sheriff agreed and as he headed out, the reality sank in that it was going to be another long night.