Page 51 of Lost Lake
Battling tears, he fled to El’s car. The locks clicked open from her remote key fob. He dove inside as if closing the door would protect him from his pain. Stop him from going back up that walkway to hug his mom. To consider connecting again with his family.
El got behind the wheel and started the engine, but looked at him instead of shifting into gear. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Drive. Just drive and get away from this house.” He stabbed the address into the GPS for the daycare center where Kenna had worked. “Follow directions. Takes less than five minutes.”
He looked out his window, but not at the house. He would totally lose it if he saw his mom standing there upset and confused. Maybe crying. He never wanted to hurt her. His reaction told him he still loved her and still hated what had happened between him and his family. And most importantly, proved he hadn’t really made any progress in leaving it behind.
El reached out and gently touched his knee. “I’m here for you if you need to talk.”
He gave her as much of a smile as he could find, then looked back out the window. She was proving more and more to be the woman for him.
But how in the world could he ever follow his feelings for her when this baggage still had such a hold on his life? A question he didn’t need to ask.
The answer was obvious. He couldn’t.
11
El approached Little Pines Daycare, but she might as well have been on a distant planet. Children’s laughter rang out behind tall wooden fences at the single-level building painted in bright colors. She had zero experience with children or in a daycare center. Not that she didn’t love or was afraid of children. For years she’d worked in her church’s nursery and their summer camp. Something that had fallen by the wayside after Victoria had gone missing.
Let it go. You need to focus, not think about the past.
Thankful this place provided weekend care and was open on a Saturday, she stepped through the vivid aqua door that Gabe held for her. The small, welcoming lobby had calming blue walls filled with child-friendly decals. They’d mounted a plaque hanging on the wall thanking the center for partnering with Safe Harbor. A small desk with two chairs took up most of the space, the wall behind filled with framed certificates of excellence for this daycare.
A redheaded woman wearing a director name tag that readBonnie Wilsonsat behind the desk and looked up. Recognition dawned in her expression, and a broad smile crossed her face.She was cheery and welcoming just as Gabe had described, but nothing like the woman Kenna had said she worked for.
“Gabe!” She shot to her feet. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen you.”
Gabe nodded. “I’ve mostly been visiting on weekends when Lucy doesn’t come here.”
Bonnie frowned. “I know Lucy loves to have you pick her up, but she’s not here today.”
Gabe didn’t seem to be able to find the words to go on, so El held out her credentials and introduced herself. “I’m sorry to tell you Kenna was murdered on Friday, and Lucy is missing.”
Bonnie fell back into her chair. She opened and closed her mouth. Repeated. Then shook her head and tears began to fall. “I can hardly believe that. She was the sweetest, most loving teacher and an awesome mother. Who would do this to her?”
Eager to make Bonnie feel more comfortable, El took a seat in the chair across the desk. “We were hoping you might be able to answer that.”
“Oh, well, you’re wrong there. I don’t have any idea who had anything against her. But then I didn’t know much about her personal life. She seemed to be stable, and she certainly wasn’t into anything illegal. I mean, she passed her background check and all, but I guess she could’ve been doing something and has never been caught.” Bonnie shook her head hard, her curly hair whipping around. “No. I don’t believe that. Not Kenna.”
Interesting that she went to talking about something illegal, but El could understand the thought process. “What about other staff members? Did she get along well with them?”
“Perfectly. In fact, we vote for the daycare’s head teacher every year, and they voted for her the last three years. They wouldn’t do that if she wasn’t someone special.”
Gabe sat next to El. “Did she have any issues with parents?”
“No. They all loved her, too.” Her eyebrows drew together. “What about Lucy? I hate to be blunt, but do you think she’s still alive?”
Gabe nodded. “We have nothing to suggest she isn’t, and we’re proceeding that way.”
“That said—” El paused and shifted in her chair. “—we’d like to look at any personal belongings Kenna kept here. Lucy’s too.”
“Sure.” Bonnie stood. “Follow me.”
She unlocked the door to the classrooms, and they followed her down a hallway with closed doors on each side. A window in each door and a larger one next to the doors allowed people to look inside the classrooms. Open lockers painted a vibrant red were lined up in the hallway.
Bonnie passed the younger children’s classrooms to stop outside the four-year-old room. Kenna’s name was proudly posted on a nearby bulletin board. She’d filled the remaining space with children’s colorful drawings.
Bonnie entered the childless room and went directly to a desk sitting in front of a closet door. “The children are on the playground. They’ll be outside for another fifteen minutes. It would be good if you were gone before they came in and asked questions.”
