Page 78 of The Rookie's Second Chance

JAKE

Iwalked into my house, my steps echoing in the quiet. The plan was to grab a quick shower and change into my uniform before heading to the station. I had spent the night at Kayla's, trying to steer clear of Mandy. The situation with her was getting too complicated, and I needed space to think.

As I passed by my bedroom, I noticed the bed was unmade. That was odd; I always made it before leaving. Then it hit me - Mandy. She must have been in here. A wave of irritation washed over me. I had to set some boundaries, and soon. But right now, I didn't want to wake her up and start a conversation I wasn't ready for.

I tiptoed past her room, but something caught my eye. There was a picture sticking out from a book on her bedside table. I noticed she was gone, and curiosity quickly overpowered my intention to leave. I leaned in closer to take a look. It was a photo of a younger Mandy, smiling widely, with... Officer Kilkenny. They looked extremely close, almost like family.

My heart pounded in my chest. Was Mandy one of Kilkenny's foster kids? Was that the connection? It suddenly made sense - her knowledge of Jude, her being in Silver Creek. Everything was starting to click, but not in a good way.

I took a picture of the photo with my phone to print out later, then carefully slid the picture back, making sure not to disturb anything. I couldn't let Mandy know what I'd found until I had more information. This discovery changed everything. If Mandy was somehow connected to Kilkenny, she might be more involved in this case than I had ever imagined.

I quickly changed into my uniform, my mind racing with questions and theories. How deep did this go? Was Mandy just an innocent bystander, or was she part of something darker?

As I drove to the station, my thoughts were a jumble. The sunlight was bright, but my mood was anything but. The picture of Mandy and Kilkenny haunted me. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying to focus. I had to tread carefully and play this right. If Mandy was involved, I couldn't tip her off.

I barely acknowledged Kayla's smile as I barged into the station, my phone, with the photograph of Mandy and Officer Kilkenny now saved on it, burning a hole in my pocket. I didn’t even say hello. I just handed her my phone, watching her face change from a welcoming smile to stunned disbelief.

"Is that...?" she began, her voice trailing off as she took in the image.

"Yeah, it's Mandy and Kilkenny," I said, my voice tight. "Looks pretty damn cozy, doesn't it?"

Kayla looked up at me, her eyes wide with realization. "But why would she have a picture of him? What’s their connection?"

"That’s what we need to find out," I said, pacing back and forth. "There's more. I checked the list of Kilkenny's foster kids. There's no Amanda on it."

Kayla pulled up the list again, cross-referencing it with other databases. After a few tense minutes, she let out a soft gasp. "Mandy isn't his foster child," she said, looking up at me. "She's his biological daughter. But she uses her mother's maiden name."

"You think Kilkenny was covering up for her, not Jude?"

"It's possible," Kayla said, her voice laced with uncertainty. "But we need more evidence."

I rubbed my face. "We need to get in touch with Kilkenny. Now."

Kayla dialed Kilkenny's number again, but it went straight to voicemail like before. The same happened with his wife's number. Frustration gnawed at me. We were so close, yet so far.

I grabbed my phone and called the Key West PD, requesting a wellness check on Kilkenny. "I need this, guys," I said into the phone. "It’s urgent."

After I ended the call, Kayla and I sat silently, the tension between us thick. The photo of Mandy and Kilkenny lay on the desk.

I leaned back in my chair, running my hands through my hair. "This is messed up, Kayla," I said, shaking my head. "If Mandy is involved..."

"I know," she replied softly. "But we can't jump to conclusions. Not yet."

I nodded, though a part of me felt like I already knew the truth. The pieces fit together too well. Mandy's odd behavior, her possessiveness over me, her connection to Kilkenny. It all pointed to something sinister.

"We wait for Key West PD to get back to us," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Kayla nodded, her expression serious. "Yeah. We wait."

The clock on the wall ticked loudly in the silent room, marking the passing seconds as we waited for a call that could change everything.

We both jumped when my phone finally buzzed, but it was just a text from Mandy asking where I was. I ignored it.

Kayla and I exchanged a look. We just had to wait for that call from Key West, the call that could answer all our questions or lead us down an even darker path.

As I drove home, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, mostly dread at the thought of confronting Mandy. Kayla was right, though; it had been too long that we'd taken the easy route. The gnawing suspicion about Mandy's involvement had become too loud to ignore.

The house was eerily quiet when I walked in. Mandy wasn't there, which was both a relief and an opportunity. I hesitated for a moment before heading upstairs to her room.

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