Page 8 of Tears on Her Grave

Nodding, Jenna pushed aside her despair and moved on. She needed information and this woman was all she had right now. “Do you recall the names of any of his friends? Who he was with that night?”

“Not really. The boys all had nicknames, but I do recall one of the girls went by the name of Josie Grady. It’s my sister’s name, so it stuck, I guess.” Mrs. Peters sighed. “They’d been friends since high school and Cole took her to the prom. She’d be inhis group of friends, but his serious girlfriend was Abby Jaye. I didn’t see anyone the night he went missing. He left here alone and didn’t mention plans to give anyone a ride, but I assume he dropped by for Abby. They were all meeting in the forest rangers’ parking lot that night and that’s where we found his truck.” She pulled tissues from a box on a side table and patted her eyes. “I knew then that he’d never left the forest. We searched for an entire week, both families and some of the neighbors. I’m sorry to speak ill of the dead, but the sheriff back then did nothing to help find my son. He spent the entire four years in his office drinking whiskey. He was a disgrace to the badge.”

Jenna stood and handed her a card. “Thank you for speaking with us. The medical examiner, Dr. Shane Wolfe, will contact you with the results.”

“One thing.” Mrs. Peters lifted her gaze. “Whoever this boy is, did he suffer?”

“No.” Kane shook his head. “It would have been instant. If this is your son, we’re very sorry for your loss and you can rest assured we will find answers.”

Jenna nodded. “We can let ourselves out.” She headed for the door.

The rain had eased as they ran for the Beast. Jenna climbed into the passenger seat and leaned back, allowing the information to seep through her mind. “Well, we have another name. At least that’s progress. Perhaps the family of Abby Jaye will be able to fill in some of the blanks as well.” She added the address to the GPS and waited for the voice to come through the speakers to give them directions.

“It’s past one and you’ve been on your feet all day without a break.” Kane headed back through the tunnel of vegetation. “I know you believe I’m being overprotective, but I’m not. I’m just following the instructions that Wolfe and Norrell gave you. Missing meals and being on your feet for long periods of timewas on the list of things you mustn’t do. I know you think you’re indestructible, but every month that goes by from now will be more difficult for you. You’re carrying a large baby, and at five months, it’s evident to me that the weight is going to be a problem the further you go into the pregnancy. Pregnant women don’t usually carry weapons, utility belts, and extra ammunition.”

Annoyed, Jenna flashed a look at him. “So what exactly do you want from me, Dave? Do you want me to quit my job?”

“No, I want you to take regular breaks like every normal person.” He followed the GPS instructions and soon they were turning into School. “That’s not too much to ask, even during an investigation. It’s not as if we have a psychopathic killer running loose at the moment. This crime happened twelve years ago and you need to slow down, if not for your own well-being but for that of our child.”

Seeing the concerned look in her husband’s eyes, she placed one hand on her rounded belly. She’d waited so long for this baby and didn’t want anything to happen to it, but she felt just fine. Nodding, she relented. “Okay, I’ll take regular breaks and eat. The time has gotten away from me, and I had a big breakfast. We’ll speak to the Jaye family and then head to Aunt Betty’s.”

“Thank you.” Kane pulled up outside a rambling ranch house and squeezed her hand. “I only want what’s best for you, Jenna. You know that, right?”

Smiling, she met his gaze. “Yeah, but if you start calling me ma’am again, you’re sleeping in the spare room.”

“Okay.” Kane’s mouth twitched up at the corners. “That’s a deal.”

EIGHT

The interview with Mr. Jaye offered little valuable information. Mr. Jaye was a delivery driver and waiting for the floods to clear before returning to work. His marriage had ended in divorce a year after Abby disappeared. The stress of not knowing what had happened to their daughter, an only child, had caused the split. He didn’t know the names of her friends at college and only recalled Cole because he was the other person who had gone missing. He knew his daughter was dating a member of the football team. She lived on campus after winning a scholarship and they’d been informed by the college that she hadn’t returned to the dormitory after Halloween. He had no idea what she was wearing or if she had any jewelry, but she did own a gold locket her grandmother had given her for her sixteenth birthday. He recalled his wife mentioning it was missing from her belongings. The locket was heart-shaped and she’d put pictures of her mom and dad on one side and her grandparents on the other. He’d given a DNA sample and taken Jenna’s card.

As they turned into Main and headed toward Aunt Betty’s Café, Jenna contacted Kalo again. “Hi, Bobby, I have another name for you: Josie Grady. She went to high school with ColePeters and they went to the prom together. I believe she was with the group of them the night the others went missing.”

“I’m on it.”Kalo’s chair squeaked as he slid it across the floor.“I hope you discover the killer, but he could be dead or long gone by now. I’ve never known someone to go to these lengths and then stop killing, and we’ve covered a ton of murders since I joined the FBI.”

Shrugging, Jenna didn’t care. She’d find out who was responsible and track him down. “You could be right, but these kids and their families deserve to know the truth. Call me if you find anything. I’ll be in Aunt Betty’s.”

“Have a slice of pie for me.”Kalo chuckled and disconnected.

Inside Aunt Betty’s a tsunami of hunger hit Jenna and she stared at the specials on the board like a starving wolf. She smiled at Wendy, the assistant manager. “I’ll have a steakburger, with fries and coleslaw on the side. The peach pie and ice cream. Hot chocolate with marshmallows and a glass of water.”

“I’ll have the same, but coffee for me, please.” Kane placed a hand under Jenna’s elbow and guided her to the table. He leaned in close. “I thought you said you weren’t hungry.”

Jenna removed her slicker and coat and sat down. “No, I said… Oh never mind.” She looked at him. “I hope Kalo comes up with the details on Josie Grady. She might be the key to discovering everything about the night the others went missing.”

Just at that moment her phone buzzed and she stared at the caller ID. It was Kalo calling back. “Okay, Bobby, what have you got for me?”

“Josie Grady, married to Bob Campbell, of Campbell Construction. She is living in her parents’ house. They passed some years back and she works from home as a teleworker.”Kalo cleared his throat.“I followed her through college. There are images of her with a friend by the name of MarissaKendrick. I’m hunting her down now, maybe they were both with Cole and Abby that night over Halloween.”

Jenna grinned at Kane. “That’s fantastic news. Do you have an address? Can you send me the details? We’ll go and see her this afternoon.”

“I sure do.”Bobby sounded excited. “I’ll keep on the trail. It’s like peeling off the layers of an onion. The more layers I remove, the more I find. I’ll be in touch. Enjoy your pie.”He disconnected.

“Well, this case has just gotten interesting.” Kane smiled as Wendy delivered the food. “Thank you kindly, and if you have any leftovers I could take back to Duke, I’d appreciate it. Just add it to my bill.”

“Oh, we always have something for Duke.” Wendy smiled and headed back to the kitchen.

Jenna shook her head. “You spoil that dog.”

---