Page 128 of Girl Betrayed

“You’re going to love the cabin, Claire,” he said, turning to face her. “First order of business, s’mores. I’ll gather wood. You and Dana work on unpacking the provisions.”

Claire gave him a morose nod. Considering the circumstances, it was the best he could hope for. She’d been more aloof than ever after yesterday’s events, but Jake hoped some fresh air and nature would help. It always did wonders for him.

Jake turned to Dana. “You never told me; how did it go with Meredith yesterday?”

Dana kept her eyes on the road. “It went well.”

“That’s all I get?”

“Jake, I know how you feel about her. You’re just asking to be polite.”

He smirked. “Since when do I do anything to be polite?”

Even with her gazing ahead, Jake could still see Dana’s signature eyeroll.

“Come on,” he said. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to know.”

Dana sighed. “Mere’s doing well. She’s really making progress. This last visit … it was like old times.”

“I’m glad.”

Dana gave him a patronizing glance. “No, you’re not.”

“I am. If you’re happy, I’m happy, bottom line.”

The smile Dana let slip satisfied Jake’s soul. He grinned back, just as the cabin came into view.

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Sparks leapt from the flames,dancing into the gray evening sky like fireflies. Dana had always loved getting lost in the mesmerizing magic of watching fire. Her wood-burning fireplace was one of the reasons she’d chosen her home. But there was something even more wonderful about sitting next to a campfire. Especially given the company.

Full of copious amounts of hot cocoa and s’mores, Claire had retired inside for a nap before the plannedGhostbustersmovie marathon.

Jake and Dana remained by the fire, adding bourbon to their hot cocoa, and clinking their tin mugs together in silent celebration. They had survived another case.

The scars from this one would linger, of that Dana had no doubt. But the important thing was they’d made it to the other side. Together.

They sat by the fire in satisfying silence watching the logs glow into ash. Dana snuggled deeper into her jacket as the temperature began to drop. It was remarkably colder under the thick canopy of trees than it had been in town where they’d stopped for groceries.

“Looks like I need to replenish the firewood,” Jake said, standing from his Adirondack chair to grab his axe.

Dana joined him. “I’m glad we came to the cabin,” she said. “I think it’ll help Claire.”

“I hope so,” Jake replied as they walked into the woods. “I think she really loved Max. Losing someone like that … she’s going to need our help to get through it.”

Dana nodded, her mind still churning with details of the case. It was always hard to set an investigation aside when it was over, but this one felt different. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d missed something.

“I can hear you thinking over there,” Jake said as he swung his axe at a downed tree.

“I know I should let it go, but it just doesn’t fit.”

“What part?”

“All of it. Starting with Max and Dvita. They couldn’t be more different. Age, race, height, build. They’d never be mistaken for each other. But the witness accounts don’t fit their descriptions. The only matching details were a hooded figure fleeing the scenes.”

Jake swung the axe again. “Witnesses get it wrong sometimes. Especially in heavily publicized cases like this one. They’re influenced by the media. Say they saw something vague to feel like they’re part of the investigation.”

“It’s not just that,” Dana argued. “Each crime scene seemed different. Other than the scythe, there wasn’t a clear signature. The first two murders were brutal, more physical than the others. The third was more skilled, with just a single death blow. The fourth was a miss if we’re to believe Meredith was the target. The fifth completely deviated from the MO with Dvita and the sixth death was suicide by cop if we’re to believe that was Max’s goal.”

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