Page 11 of In Her Mind

Jenna nodded, processing the information. It was a significant development—one that could reshape their understanding of Amber’s disappearance. A fiancé, an unfulfilled dream, and a life that seemed ready to branch away from Trentville’s familiar roots.

“Dr. Reynolds, did Amber seem worried about how her parents might react to the news of her engagement?” Jenna asked, sensing more beneath the surface.

The veterinarian sighed, her gaze dropping to the framed photos of rescued animals lining her office walls. “She was hesitant,” she admitted. “Especially about telling her father. Otto always imagined she and Jason would marry and take over the family business.”

“Family expectations can be a powerful force,” Jenna mused aloud, aware of the weight such pressures could carry in a small town like Trentville.

“Indeed,” Dr. Reynolds agreed softly. “But Amber has always been determined to forge her own path. She’s been volunteering here since she was just a girl, dedicating countless hours to the animals. I’ve seen her grow into a remarkable young woman, full of compassion and ambition.”

Jenna felt a pang of empathy for Dr. Reynolds. It was evident that Amber’s absence would leave a void not only in her family’s life but also in the hearts of those she inspired. Jenna offered a reassuring smile, “Your mentorship obviously meant a lot to her. Thank you for sharing this with us.”

As she and Jake rose to leave the office, Jenna’s thoughts were ablaze with new leads, unanswered questions, and the nagging feeling that time was slipping through their fingers.

“Can you think of any place Amber might have stopped on her way home?” Jenna asked, pivoting to the practicalities. “Maybe to grab a snack or run an errand?”

Dr. Reynolds shook her head, her brow knitting in concentration. “Not at all. Amber was disciplined about her routines. She always headed straight home after her shifts; said it gave her more time to study and prep for the next day.”

“Consistency,” Jake chimed in thoughtfully, “could be a pattern someone might exploit.”

“Let’s hope not,” Dr. Reynolds murmured. “She’s a smart girl, not one to take unnecessary risks.”

“Thank you for your insight, Doctor,” Jenna said. “If you think of anything else, or if you need us for any reason, please don’t hesitate to call.”

“Of course,” Dr. Reynolds replied, her voice tinged with worry. “And please, find her safe. Amber is special to this community... and to me.”

Jenna nodded solemnly, aware of the plea behind the veterinarian’s words. They exited her office, leaving Dr. Reynolds in the hum of the animal shelter—a sanctuary now touched by a young woman’s unexplained disappearance.

Outside, the sun was climbing higher in the sky, casting the town in a harsh light that seemed to bleach the color from the quaint storefronts and tidy homes. As she and Jake descended the steps of Paws and Harmony Rescue, Jenna felt the familiar tug of intuition gnawing at the edges of her consciousness—a sense that every second mattered in the race against the unknown.

The car door shut with a definitive thud as Jenna slid behind the wheel. Jake settled into the passenger seat, a furrow of concern on his brow as he turned to face her.

“Jason Reeves,” Jenna started, the name leaving an acrid taste in her mouth. “He’s volatile—and with him missing too...”

Jake nodded, his hands resting on his knees in a gesture of restrained energy. “But without help from the State Police, we’re at a dead end tracking him down.”

“Chad Spelling’s reluctance could cost us precious time.” Jenna’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, an acknowledgment of their limited resources.

“Let’s focus on what we can do,” Jake advised. “Dr. Reynolds gave us names—people who saw Amber last. We start there.”

“Right.” Jenna’s voice was firm, but her mind raced ahead. She recalled Dr. Reynolds emphasizing Amber’s habit of heading straight home after work. It nagged at her, an itch of intuition she couldn’t yet scratch. “There’s something we’re missing, Jake. Something about that routine. I’m going to drive the route she would have taken home.”

“We pretty much did that already, to and from the Stevens’s house,” Jake said.

“I know, but … I’m going to do it anyway.”

Jenna exhaled slowly and started the engine, the low hum an undercurrent to the cogs of her mind already turning over the puzzle pieces laid out before them. She maneuvered the car onto Turner Road, the town’s main artery that bled into the veins of Trentville. The steady hum of the engine seemed to harmonize with the pulse of the small town as they passed the familiar sights - the sun-faded sign of Thompson’s Diner, the town square where she and Jake had recently recaptured a renegade parrot who’d been disturbing the peace.

The local color of Trentville was vibrant, with storefronts boasting hand-painted signs and flower boxes blooming with petunias and marigolds. It was all a stark contradiction to the heaviness of their investigation.

As they drove out of town, the road stretched before them, a ribbon unwinding through the landscape, houses becoming fewer and farther between. Each driveway they passed seemedless like an opportunity for crime and more a testament to the community’s trust in one another.

“Doesn’t look like prime territory for a carjacking,” Jake observed, echoing Jenna’s thoughts as they continued their drive. “Even if there was a scuffle when she was on the way home, there should be some evidence. Skid marks, broken glass. Or even another driver who saw something odd.”

The further they drove, the more Jenna’s unease grew. The comfort of Trentville faded into the background as they approached the outskirts, where the Stevenses lived. Here, the trees stood thicker, their branches interlocking above the road, casting a lacework of shadows on the asphalt. The houses were now spaced by stretches of woodland, the properties larger and more secluded.

An image from Jenna’s dream invaded her thoughts - an unpaved road, a conversation with a spectral figure. The words, “This must be where it started,” reverberated through her mind. She blinked rapidly, refocusing on the present, on the tasks ahead.

“Jenna?” Jake asked with concern, his eyes studying her profile. “You okay?”

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