Page 44 of In Her Path

She wasn’t ready to voice her suspicions about the Mayor—too many questions about surgical skills, too little concrete evidence

“I’m not ready to say,” Jenna replied.

“That’s ambiguous,” Melissa said with a dark chuckle.

More than you know, Jenna thought.

Jenna and Jake left Melissa to her work and made their way back to the living room, where Gerald Holt still sat in his armchair, staring vacantly into space. Doris had brought him a fresh cup of tea and was murmuring something to him in a low, soothing voice.

Jenna stepped back into the hallway, pulled out her phone, and dialed the station. “Clancy,” she said when the deputy answered. “I need you to send a unit to Mayor Simmons’s house. Check if she’s at home. If not, see if anything looks unusual.”

“You think the Mayor’s missing?” Clancy sounded surprised.

“I don’t know what to think yet. Just have the unit report back to me directly, and tell them not to discuss this with anyone. Not even other officers.”

“Understood, Sheriff.”

Jenna ended the call and turned to Jake. “We need to talk.”

They retreated to the front porch, where they could speak without being overheard. The morning sun had climbed higher, burning away the last traces of morning mist.

“I don’t like this,” Jake said without preamble. “Two council members dead, same MO, and now the Mayor’s gone missing. And someone dressed like the Mayor was seen entering Holt’s house last night.”

“It’s not just murder,” Jenna pointed out. “It’s the removal of the tongue. There’s something symbolic about that—something specific that we’re missing.”

“So, what’s our next move?”

“If the Mayor is involved—” Jenna began.

“You mean if she’s still alive to be involved,” Jake interrupted.

Jenna replied grimly. “If she’s involved, there might be evidence in her office. Something connecting her to the victims, or to the method. We need to get over to City Hall.”

Before she could continue, her phone rang. Frank’s name appeared on the screen.

“I’m at your mother’s,” Frank said without preamble. “Just finished talking with Piper and Margaret.”

“What’s the verdict?”

“Piper’s all too eager to help,” Frank replied. “Your mother’s worried, but she thinks it might be good for Piper—give her a sense of purpose after everything that’s happened.”

Relief washed through Jenna. “That’s good. Really good.”

“Where should I bring her?”

Jenna thought for a moment. “City Hall. Jake and I are heading there now to check the Mayor’s office.”

When Frank fell silent, Jenna plunged ahead, “She won’t be going anywhere near the crime scenes. We just need to talk, get her perspective on what we’re dealing with.”

Frank sighed. “All right. We’ll meet you there. But Jenna—”

“I know. Keep her safe. I will.”

She ended the call and turned back to Jake. “Frank’s bringing Piper to meet us at City Hall.”

“Then we should get moving.”

The engine of Jenna’s cruiser rumbled to life as Jake backed it out of the Holt’s driveway. She watched the house recede in the side mirror, wondering what would become of Gerald Holt now—the man who had slept through his wife’s murder, who would wake each morning to the crushing reality of her absence. She turned away, fixing her gaze on the road ahead as they pulled onto the main street.