Page 8 of Lost Lake
El nodded, but it was halfhearted. “I found a phone by the water, likely Kenna’s. We’ll get it to our tech team as quickly as we can. We should know more soon, but right now we don’t have other leads. Mina’s organizing a ground search with K-9s and a dive team for the water.”
“Why aren’t you searching?” His voice sharpened. “Doing something?”
“Iamdoing something.” She crossed her arms, fire flashing in her eyes.
He’d gone too far.
Get a grip.
If he kept pushing, she’d freeze him and his team out of the investigation. Then where would he get answers? About Kenna. About Lucy.
“I’ve been securing the crime scene,” she continued. “Procuring necessary resources. Making sure evidence is preserved so we can figure out what happened here.”
“I’m sorry.” He forced the words past his pride. “You didn’t deserve that. I know you’re doing your job.” He paused, tamping down the rage clawing at his chest. “Have you found anything that might tell us where Lucy is or how Kenna drowned?”
Pain flickered across El’s face before she masked it. “A few things bother me. First, the car seat. If it belongs to Lucy, why would Kenna remove it from the van and bring it down here?”
“No idea. But if it has a blue plaid cushion and big Bluey sticker on the back, it’s hers.”
El winced. “I saw the sticker earlier.”
Gabe froze. He’d expected the confirmation, but hearing it left him hollow.
What had happened to the people he loved?
“Do you have a picture of Lucy?”
“Sure.” He got out his phone, swiped a few times, and studied the sweet four-year-old’s face. She had curly red hair and a ready smile that spoke to her outgoing personality. Her eyes were lit with joy, so full of life. Now, where was she? Had she died? Did someone have her?
He ignored the swell of emotions threatening to bring tears, swallowed, and looked at El.
“Can you text it to me?” she asked.
He tapped his phone screen to take care of it.
Her phone soon chimed. She checked her screen and smiled, but it was soon replaced with a frown. “Is it okay if we circulate this picture for law enforcement and an Amber Alert? Maybe to the media if we don’t make progress on finding her right away?”
He nodded. “You should know, when I found Kenna’s van, I climbed down in the ravine to check on them, but the van was empty.” He tried to think like she would. “Lucy’s favorite stuffed animal was on the backseat. She never went anywhere without it.”
El cocked her head. “Okay, say Kenna had nothing to do with bringing the seat here and someone else brought it. But who and why?”
“If the stuffed animal was left behind, it had to be someone who didn’t know them well. Maybe someone planned to pick them up by boat.” He shook his head. “But that makes no sense. None at all. Kenna was coming to see me. No need for a boat.”
“Was this a normal trip or did she have a special reason for visiting today?”
“We don’t have a normal routine, and it’s easier for me to go there than for her to bring Lucy here. Oddly enough, she was just here last weekend. Spent the night on Friday and went back on Saturday afternoon. It was a spur-of-the-moment visit. but not like this one.” He told El about the voicemail. “She called me around six. Do you want to hear it?”
El nodded and stepped closer to him. He played the message. Kenna’s anguished voice squeezed his chest until even the smallest of breaths hurt.
El’s expression darkened. “After hearing her panic, there’s no way she would’ve made a side trip to the lake. Do you know anything about the danger she mentioned?”
“Not a clue. I want to see the car seat up close.”
“I can’t allow that.” Her tone softened. “I shouldn’t have even let you identify her at the scene. It’s time for you to step outside the perimeter.”
He glanced at Kenna again, searching for answers that weren’t there.
El stepped in front of him to block his view. “There’s nothing you can do here. Looking at her won’t help. It’ll only make things worse.”
