Chapter 7

7

E xhaustion made Calvin yearn for bed even though the sun hadn't completely lowered behind the mountains in the distance. He climbed his porch steps, but the sound of tires crunching gravel turned him toward the driveway. A familiar truck came to a stop behind his borrowed one with a giant German Shepherd's head hanging out the passenger window.

Calvin chuckled and gave a silent thanks to the universe for the unexpected visitor.

Dean Kingston parked, jumped down from his vehicle, and waited for his dog to leap out behind him before shutting the door. "Howdy, stranger."

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Calvin said. Seeing his best friend, the muscles at the back of his neck loosened a fraction.

Dean rounded the front of his truck. A ball cap was pulled low over his eyes, hiding the mop of brown hair beneath. He wore worn jeans, and an unbuttoned red and black flannel over a plain gray t-shirt. "I could say the same about you."

Boo, the black and tan Shepherd, sprinted up the steps and barreled against Calvin's shins. His tail wagged wildly, and tongue lolled out the side of his mouth.

After regaining his balance, Calvin scratched him behind his floppy ears. "Hey there, boy. Been a while. Why'd your buddy drive you all the way across the country without giving me a heads up?"

Dean's boots clomped on the stairs. He twisted his hand over the bill of his cap, lips screwed to the side. "Well, things escalated a little quickly."

Something in his old high school pal's voice set Calvin on high alert. "What do you mean?"

"Gina kicked me out. Said she didn't want to be married to a lawman anymore. She found someone else who could give her what I couldn't. I grabbed my things, grabbed the dog, and headed to the only place I could think of. Back home."

If Calvin's world hadn't already been knocked off center the last couple of days, the news Dean and Gina had split would have shocked the hell out of him. The two had met in high school, often joining him and Jenna for double dates, and had left town after they'd married to live their dream on the west coast.

But apparently not all dreams were meant to last.

"I'm sorry, man. That really sucks. You planning on sticking around for a while? Need somewhere to crash? I've got plenty of space."

Leaning against the porch rail, Dean smoothed a hand over Boo's head, calming the canine. "I'm staying at the B & B downtown until I can get into my own place. Only problem is I can't have Boo with me there. Can he stay with you until I get settled?"

Boo whined and pointed his big brown eyes at his owner as if he understood exactly what was just said.

"Sure. I'd love the company, and you can stop by anytime. Mi casa es su casa and all that shit."

"Appreciate it." Emotion thickened Dean's words, announcing the pain more than anything he could have said.

"How about a beer? Sounds like we've both had some longs days." Turning, Calvin halted in front of the door with his hand poised above the curved handle. "What the hell?"

The hair on the nape of Boo's neck stood on end and a menacing growl climbed through his exposed teeth.

Dean took three long steps to stand beside him. "Something wrong?"

"The door's open." Clenching his jaw, Calvin returned his focus to the front door and adrenaline flooded his body. The racing of his heart whooshed in his ears. "Do you have a weapon with you?"

A hesitant smile cracked through the firm line of Dean's mouth. "Got my Glock. Didn't think I'd need it as soon I stepped foot back in town."

"Welcome home." Calvin secured his own gun and trained the weapon in front of him. He motioned for Dean to be ready, then pushed open the door and stepped into the foyer.

Chills swept over him through his leather coat. Shadows lurked in every corner, but his senses tingled. "Let's clear the first floor, then head upstairs."

He moved on light feet, checking nooks and crannies, confident his friend had his back. No sound emitted from the living room, and nothing appeared out of place, but tension still wound a noose around his neck.

He rounded the corner to the kitchen and his blood turned to ice. Large, red letters were painted on the cream-colored walls.

Until we meet again.

Anxiety ricocheted around Jenna's insides. Nausea pitched in her stomach as she stepped out of her car and walked down the street. Leaving Oliver with Mrs. Franklin to get to her appointment at the police department was like severing a limb. Something about walking into a police station, knowing she was being looked at as a suspect, made saying goodbye to her child feel like she was saying goodbye for much longer than a few hours.

The packed lot behind the police station was full, so she'd parked a block away. Wind whipped down the empty sidewalk as she hustled around the corner to the square building located at the edge of Main Street. She hunched her shoulders against the cold air, wishing she'd grabbed a jacket on her way out the door. Late October had come in with a fierce blast of frigid temperatures.

Jenna yanked hard to pull open the glass door, the breeze slamming against it to keep it shut. She stepped inside and stood in front of a woman with tired eyes and tight, gray curls.

"Can I help you?"

Jenna forced a smile "I'm here to see Officer Sawyer."

"Is he expecting you?"

"Yes. We have an appointment at noon."

The woman made a quick call from the landline phone then nodded. "I'll buzz you in and take you back to his office."

"Thank you." Jenna waited for the buzz then opened the heavy steel door and entered the busy hive of the station. The woman stood to the side and motioned Jenna to follow with the crook of her index finger. She stayed close as they crossed the open space and stopped beside Officer Sawyer's office. Jenna thanked the woman before she left to return to her post.

Sucking in a deep breath, Jenna knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice called from inside.

Jenna stepped into the cramped office. Officer Sawyer sat at his desk, his head facing a computer screen as his fingers flew across a keyboard.

"Take a seat. I just need a second." He dipped his chin in greeting, but the quick tempo of his fingers didn't slow.

She lowered herself on the chair with shaky legs. She wished she'd asked Calvin to come with her. She hated not knowing what to expect. Calvin had a way of calming her nerves, giving her the confidence to move forward even when she wanted to crumble.

Heat crashed against her cheeks. Only one day of having Calvin back in her life, and she was falling into old habits. Wanting him by her side to face life's challenges. A dangerous mindset to adopt. She shifted, trying to get comfortable and gritted her teeth as the second hand on the wall clock clicked noisily behind her.

Officer Sawyer scrubbed a hand over his face. "Sorry about that. Just needed to get my report done so I can focus."

She folded her hands in her lap and tried to keep her fear from showing on her face. "No problem."

"I'd like to know more about your conversation with your sister the night before she was killed."

Acid churned in her stomach. She had nothing to hide, even if the truth cast a light of suspicion her way. "Stella showed up at the women's shelter here in Pine Valley. I volunteer there, and she must have known I'd be there that night."

"How would you describe your relationship with your sister?"

She let out a long sigh. "Complicated."

Her answer coaxed a small smile from the officer. "Trust me. I understand sibling relationships aren't always the easiest. But can you elaborate?"

Resting her elbow on the armrest, she cradled the side of her neck in her hand. "Our parents died when we were younger, and I took on the responsibility of raising Stella. I'm sure I made my fair share of mistakes, but I did everything I could for her. I loved her so much. When she was around seventeen, she started using drugs. Nothing I did helped. Nothing made her stop. I never gave up on her, but when she had a baby and abandoned him, I adopted her child and have raised him as my own."

"How long ago was that?"

"Almost two years." Almost two years of worry and fear and guilt. Almost two years of complete and total love as she embraced motherhood. As though her entire existence had been split into two separate and conflicting halves.

A hint of compassion crept into the officer's eyes before he blinked it away. "And she showed up the other night because she wanted to be back in your child's life?"

Jenna nodded. "She threatened to take him from me."

"And how did she seem? Clean? High?"

She thought back to Stella's glossy hair and rosy cheeks. "Healthy. Healthier than I'd seen her in years, but also angry. As though I was the one who'd made the decisions for her. That I'd stolen her child, when in reality she'd left him—signed the adoption papers and never looked back."

"And what about the baby's father? Did he sign the papers with no issues?"

Anger bubbled inside of her at the mention of Oliver's biological father. A man who had taken advantage of a much younger Stella then tossed her aside as soon as he'd learned of her pregnancy. "He signed. Didn't want his wife to find out about the baby so he was happy to give away his parental rights. As far as I know, he moved out of state soon after."

"And in all the time since Stella left, you had no contact whatsoever? No relationship after being her sole support system for years?"

His questions landed like a punch in the gut. "None. I tried to keep tabs on her through social media, but she blocked me from all her accounts. Changed her number. Removed me from her life. Maybe I should have tried harder, but I had a newborn. I was struggling to balance work and motherhood. As much as I wanted Stella to find herself and be okay, I also had to be selfish. For me and my child."

He nodded along with her words and scribbled a few notes. "That's understandable. But I have to ask. What was your reaction when Stella threatened to take back your child?"

"Anger. Terror. Panic. I raised my voice when I should have tried to have a conversation with her. I'll always regret that the last time I spoke with Stella, I lost my temper." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat to cover the strangled sound. "I loved my sister very much. Did everything within my power to keep her safe and help her get clean. I'm devastated someone stole her life, took her away from the world. She didn't deserve to die."

Officer Sawyer tossed his pen on his desk and met her gaze head on. "Thank you for coming in and being so transparent. That's all I need for now. I'll get ahold of you if I have any more questions. Again, I'm sorry for your loss."

Jenna stood, her legs like cooked spaghetti noodles, the pressure and anxiety of the meeting manifesting itself as she gave the policeman a nod and strode out the door. A haze surrounded her, morphing the busy officers scurrying around the room into slow-motioned characters in some bizzarro land. She needed fresh air to calm the frantic pounding of her heart.

She needed to get the hell out of there.