Page 109 of Is Anyone Listening?
"If he's not the brother, who would he be?" I could see the answer in Finn's eyes. "You think he was hired to find Jessica and bring her back?"
"I don't think he's supposed to bring her back. I believe his mission is to make sure she never returns, never testifies."
I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't, because I knew deep down in my soul that Finn was absolutely right. "Can you go faster?"
Finn pressed down on the gas. "We're only a few miles away. The local police said they checked out the house, and Jessica wasn't home. They were going to stick around, but there's a multi-vehicle accident on the highway, so they'll be back as soon as they can. If Tyler, or whatever his name is, had to drive here from Cork Harbor, then we might still have a chance of getting to Jessica before he does."
"I hope so. Is it weird that there was a multi-vehicle accident nearby that took all the cops away? Or am I being paranoid?"
He gave me a shrug. "It's probably good to be paranoid. But Pinehaven is a small town with a small police force, so it could just be that."
"Maybe Jessica isn't even there. Ellen texted me a few minutes ago that she still hadn't reached Jessica."
"She might have moved on since Ellen sent her there," Finn suggested. "Maybe she just didn't feel safe and wanted to keep going just in case anyone tracked her the way Tyler just did."
"Ellen said she texted her like a week ago, so if she left, it was recently. And she didn't tell Ellen." I paused. "What if Tyler already has her? What if he kidnapped her and is taking her somewhere else to…" I really didn't want to finish that thought. "We have to save her, Finn. She's my sister. I can't let her die."
"We're going to do everything we can to prevent that."
I hoped our everything would be enough.
The address Ellen had given us led to a narrow gravel road that wound through a dense pine forest. The small, weathered cabin was set back from the main road, almost invisible unless you knew where to look.
"That's it," Finn said, pulling into a thick grove of trees about fifty yards away. "We should approach on foot. If Tyler's already there, we don't want to announce ourselves."
"I don't see a car."
"He might have hidden it somewhere, too."
We got out quietly, and Finn pulled his gun from his waistband, checking it with practiced efficiency. After everything that had happened, I was grateful he was armed.
We moved through the trees, staying off the road until we reached the cabin. It was surrounded by forest land. Perfect for hiding. Also perfect for trapping someone.
We approached the cabin carefully. The front door was closed, curtains drawn. Finn knocked softly. "Jessica? Jessica Trent?"
No answer.
He tried the door. It was locked.
"Let's check the back," Finn said.
We walked around the side of the cabin, our feet crunching on pine needles and fallen leaves. The back of the property opened up to more forest, and I could see a narrow trail leading into the trees.
The back door was closed but unlocked. Finn pushed it open slowly, gun raised. "Jessica?"
Still no answer.
We stepped into a small kitchen, tidy and sparse. Through a doorway, I could see a living room with a couch and a woodstove. It looked lived-in but empty.
"She's not here," I said with disappointment.
"But someone's staying here." Finn gestured to a mug on the counter, still half full of coffee.
A sound from outside made us both freeze.
We moved back to the door and looked out. A dark-haired woman in jeans and a blue jacket was now visible about fifty yards away from the house. She was picking flowers and completely unaware of our presence.
"That has to be her," I said, moving in her direction. "Put the gun away so we don't spook her."
