Page 45 of In Her Path

“What are you thinking?” Jake asked, his eyes on the road.

Jenna considered the question. There was too much swirling in her mind to pin down a single thought. “I’m thinking we’re in over our heads,” she finally said. “Two murders, a missing mayor, and now I’m bringing my sister into it because my dead father told me to in a dream.”

“You really think Claire Simmons could have done this? Murdered two council members?”

“I don’t know,” Jenna admitted. “The person on that security footage was about her build, although that can be distorted by raised cameras. She was certainly wearing the same outfit as the mayor, but we never got a look at the face. It could be someone trying to frame her.”

“But why go to all that trouble? And where is the Mayor now?”

“Those are the questions I keep asking myself. And the tongues …” She shook her head. “That’s not just killing. That’s sending a message—an ugly one.”

“You know what’s ironic? we were worried about how the Mayor would react to you showing up at the crime scene before the murder was officially reported. Now that seems like the least of our problems.”

A bitter laugh escaped Jenna. “I’d give anything to go back to that concern.”

“What kind of relationships did the Mayor have with the victims?”

“Nothing good, at least with Paige” Jenna recalled her conversation with the Mayor in her office. “She told me she couldn’t think of anyone in city government who got along with Curtis Paige. That included her. And I’ve heard that trouble was brewing between the Mayor and Diane Holt. I don’t know the details, but we’d better look into it.”

Jake frowned. “So Simmons eliminates two political rivals in one night? That’s hard enough to believe, but I can’t see her doing the tongue removals. It’s like something out of a horror movie.”

“I know.” Jenna stared out the window at the passing storefronts. “There’s something we’re missing. Something that connects these murders beyond just political rivalry.”

They drove in silence for a moment, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional crackle of the police radio. Jenna’s thoughts drifted to her dream—her father’s voice, urgent and clear in a way it rarely was during these visits.

“There’s something else,” she said. “About my dream last night.”

Jake glanced at her. “What did you see?”

“It wasn’t just Diane’s spirit. My father was there. He told me things would change for the better soon. Said that darkness feeds on fear and isolation, but can’t survive when strong people pull together.” She paused, remembering. “He said I’d need Piper as much as I’d need you. That the three of us together would make more difference than I could imagine.”

Jake’s expression softened. “That sounds... hopeful.”

“It does,” Jenna agreed. “But it also sounds like we’re a team that just goes on solving crimes. I don’t know what that means for us.”

“What do you want it to mean?” Jake asked quietly.

It was the question they’d left unanswered earlier. What did she want?

Finally, she said, “I want … I guess I want everything, and I don’t even know what that means.”

Jake glanced at her, his eyes warm. “We’ll figure it all out,” he said.

They turned onto Main Street, City Hall coming into view at the far end of the block. When they pulled into the parking lot, they saw a security guard standing by the door, looking unusually anxious and vigilant. Jenna was hardly surprised, given that a murder had taken place the night before last in the council chamber.

As they approached the Mayor’s office, Jenna saw that the door to the outer office stood slightly ajar. She pushed it open, Jake a half-step behind her. The area was empty except for Meredith Soll, who rose quickly from her desk as they entered. Meredith’s face was tight with worry, her movements quick and slightly jerky.

“Sheriff Graves,” she said, her voice pitched higher than its usual measured tone. “Deputy Hawkins. What can I do for you?”

“Is Mayor Simmons here?” Jenna asked.

“She still hasn’t arrived. I’ve tried calling her several times, but it keeps going to voicemail. This isn’t like her. She’s always punctual.”

“When was the last time you spoke with her?”

“Yesterday evening, after the council meeting. Why are you asking about the Mayor? Has something happened?”

Jenna chose her words carefully. “We just need to speak with her.”