Page 86 of Lost Lake
“And she’s alive!” Gabe’s gaze burned with fire.
“At least she was when the witness saw her,” Jude said and looked at Gabe. “Sorry, man. Someone had to say it.”
“Then we need to find her now!” El’s words exploded as if she couldn’t contain her increased drive, raised by just missing Lucy. “We need to take a good look around. See what else we might find.”
“You don’t want the whole team tromping through here and potentially disturbing evidence,” Mina said. “I’ll take Ulrich and SWAT with me. Ulrich can interview the witness so she can go to work. You can get in touch with her later if you have follow-up questions.”
“Thank you,” El said.
“I’m not needed here so I should head back.” Jude looked at Mina. “If I can catch a ride, that is.”
“We can drop you off.” Mina pointed back at the picture. “Obviously this is Lucy and her mother, but who’s the male figure?”
“Gabe’s hair coloring matches the picture,” Ulrich said.
“Could be me, I suppose. Not as an actual father figure or Kenna’s partner. We made sure Lucy knew I was just a friend.” Gabe looked around the group. “My brother, Brad, and I look a lot alike and the fetus DNA is probably his.”
Mina gaped at him. “Your brother?”
El nodded. “Sierra called early this morning with DNA results from the fetus. He’s most likely the father of Kenna’s unborn child. I would’ve updated the murder book but this call came in.”
“Have you talked to him yet?” Mina asked.
El shook her head. She told them about discovering the journal and Safe Harbor. “I want to evaluate his potential role along with the suspects from the charity.”
Mina gave her a nod of affirmation. “You need to tread lightly with New Tide. It’s a highly rated charity, predominantly supported by Jonas Trent.”
“We already know about his involvement,” El said, and looked at the others. “He’s the big-time developer and town philanthropist with a lot of political clout. Including having the power to get a deputy fired if he doesn’t like one of us.”
“Sheriff too, and I’d like to stay employed,” Mina said. “He and his wife were never able to have children, so they adopted two boys from Safe Harbor maybe five or so years ago and want to help so-called throw-away children to find families.”
“Good to know,” El said.
The intel about approaching cautiously probably mattered to El, but Gabe’s team could push Trent for answers.
Mina folded the picture and put it in her pocket. “After you finish this scene, get the murder book updated ASAP, and let me know how you decide to proceed before you do. I don’t want a surprise call from either of these guys complaining about being questioned.”
El nodded and stood back to let Mina and Ulrich depart. The SWAT team had remained outside. Deputy Price had been assigned to secure the scene and was getting crime scene tape and stakes to cordon off the outside. That left El and Gabe alone together. He hadn’t had a chance to process what had happened yet and didn’t know what to say to her.
“Be right back.” She stepped onto the rickety porch.
He knew her heart ached for this dead end and no Lucy, and some fresh air might be good. And maybe he could help out with her obvious disappointment.
Question was, how did he comfort her when the child he deeply loved continued to be missing and in extreme danger?
Only one way to find out. Step outside and try to help her.
20
Gabe was wrong. El wasn’t wallowing in her disappointment. She was staring over the railing, her phone to her ear, and talking with the electronics expert at Veritas. Gabe just caught the tail end of their conversation, but it sounded like they would have Kenna’s call information by the end of the day.
She turned and held up her phone. “That was Nick Thorne from Veritas. Kenna’s phone dried out, and he promised to have data to us by the end of the day.”
“Great news.”
She responded with a sharp nod. “Let’s search this place and hopefully we’ll find evidence that will help too.”
Seeming all business right now, she marched past him and inside. Maybe that was how she’d chosen to hold her emotions in check. He should do the same. He followed her, but paused at the threshold. There it was again. That faint, chemical edge in the air. Not strong. Just wrong.
