Page 57

56

Jenna caught Max’s eye as the men prepared to trek to the tree where the dogs had a raccoon treed.

He joined her. “What’s up?”

“I’m worried about my dad—he never misses one of these. If you want to stay, I’m sure Sam will drop you off at the house.”

“No, I’m ready.” He lowered his voice. “I think we’ve gotten all the information we’re going to get tonight anyway.”

“I agree, and thanks.” She waited while he told Sam they were leaving, a little amazed at how well Max had fit in with her family and friends. That was rare. Russell County people tended to be standoffish with outsiders.

They used their lanterns to light the way back to the SUV. “Enjoy yourself?” she asked.

“I did. Lewis has been trying to get me to go coon hunting with him for ages, and next time he asks, I think I’ll surprise him and go.”

“Good. You’ll need a dog.”

“I don’t think so. I’m only planning on one time.”

She laughed. “You’ll need a dog—coon hunting gets in your blood.” Then Jenna sobered. “I don’t understand why my dad wasn’t here or why he’s not answering my texts.”

“Let’s go find out.”

The house was dark when Jenna pulled into her dad’s drive. She could barely see Max’s frown in the dimly lit SUV. “Do you think he’s asleep?”

“He could be—Sam said he was tired when he came in from work.” She fished his house key from the console. “I’m still going to check on him.”

When they entered the back door, she flipped on the kitchen light and called out. There was no answer. Maybe he’d fallen asleep in the recliner in the den. Except the house had an empty feel to it.

She took a deep breath to calm her roiling stomach. In the hallway, she called once again, then stepped into the den and flipped on the overhead light.

Her hand flew to her throat. “No.”

Signs of a struggle were everywhere. A floor lamp had been knocked over, tables were overturned, and the newspaper her dad read every evening was scattered on the floor. She picked up a broken mug—his favorite. She stared at the broken pieces and wanted to cry.

Max got out his phone and made a call.

“Alex Stone.” He’d put it on speaker.

“I’m at Randy Hart’s house,” Max said. “There’s been a struggle and it looks like someone took him.”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

Jenna scanned the room. “Why?” she whispered.

“Has to be one of two scenarios,” he replied. “Either the person who killed the Slaters and Nelson, or...”

The other option drained blood from her face. Jenna reached for something to steady herself with. “Sebastian.”

“But why? And how did anyone get in?”

Jenna stared at Max, trying to decipher his words over the roar in her ears.

No! She didn’t have time for a panic attack. Jenna filled her lungs with air and forced her attention back to the room, searching for anything that would give her a clue to who took her dad.

She pulled out her phone and snapped pictures while sirens wailed in the distance.

“This is personal,” Jenna said quietly. “It has to be Sebastian.”

“Not necessarily—it could be related to the Slater and Nelson cases ... and Alex said Tuesday that a burglary ring had been operating in the county. Maybe the house was dark and they—”

“Burglary rings aren’t usually violent—they just want in and out with goods.”

“But what if your dad walked in on them?”

He had a point. “I’ll keep that in mind, but my money is on Sebastian.”

“Alex isn’t going to let you work this case—it’s your dad we’re talking about.”

“She can’t take me off. It’s probably my fault he’s been taken.” Jenna glared at Max. “I told you Sebastian was here, but you didn’t believe me.”

“We don’t know who took your dad.” He looked over his shoulder as the sirens died.

“Alex can’t stop me from investigating this,” Jenna said stubbornly.

“You know that’s not a good idea.”

“What’s not a good idea?” Alex had come in through the front door. Dylan and Taylor trailed her. “And which room was he taken from?”

“I’ll show them,” Max said and led the way to the den.

“You can’t take me off this case,” Jenna said. “We’re already shorthanded with Mark in Kentucky and Hayes Smithfield at the training academy.”

Her boss studied Jenna like she was a grasshopper pinned to a board in science class.

Jenna forced herself not to look away. “You need me, and I’ll go crazy just sitting around waiting.”

Alex nodded. “Mark will be back at work Saturday. You can stay on the case until then.”

Tension released in Jenna’s shoulders. “Thank you.”

Alex took out a notebook. “Don’t thank me—it’s against my better judgment, but you’re right about us being shorthanded.”

Max returned to the kitchen, and Alex shifted her attention to him. “Can you help us out on this?”

He nodded. “The kidnapping very well could be related to the case that brought me down here.”

“Harrison Carter? How do you think it’s related?”

“I think the other three deaths this week are connected to the letter Carter received, which I believe is related to the eminent domain cases from the dam and reservoir. Jenna’s family was a part of that, plus, her dad delivers the mail—maybe he saw something.”

“That what you think?” Alex asked Jenna.

She shook her head. “I think it’s more likely that Rick Sebastian is here in Russell County, and he kidnapped my dad to get back at me.”

Sebastian wasn’t the only one with a vendetta against her. What if her ex-fiancé was involved as well? Maybe he wanted to trade her dad for whatever evidence she had against him.

“What’s on your agenda tomorrow?” Alex asked.

“Checking out the names and addresses of people who sold to TerraQuest,” Max said. “And the funeral for the Slaters. Has anyone said when Paul Nelson’s funeral will be—we need to go to that one as well.”

“His body hasn’t been released—it’ll probably be Monday at the earliest.”

“I want to interview Eric Darby again,” Jenna added. “I think he knows something he isn’t telling. Maybe my dad’s kidnapping will be the thing that loosens his tongue.”

Alex scribbled something in her notepad and looked up. “Go ahead and interview the people on your list, and see if you can get any information out of Darby. I’ll personally run the investigation into your dad’s disappearance.”

“Thanks.” Jenna crossed her arms. “But I want an active part in it.”

Alex pressed her lips together. Jenna had probably stepped over the line. “Talk to the people who know your dad the best—Sam, your grandmother ... his friends.”

That was better than giving her busy work. If Sebastian had been using the Armstrong place to move drugs, maybe he had her dad stashed wherever they’d moved. And the location could be one of the addresses Tom Weaver gave them of rentals in the last month. “I’ll check out Tom Weaver’s rentals for the past few months. Sebastian could be staying in one of them.”

Alex hesitated, then she nodded.

“What time is the funeral?” Jenna asked.

“Three.”

They should make that easy unless something broke with her dad’s kidnapping.