Page 28 of In Her Sights

“Sure,” Jake agreed, standing and stretching his arms above his head, muscles shifting beneath his shirt. Jenna watched him for a moment, feeling the stiffness in her own limbs. She studied Jake’s profile, the set of his jaw reflecting his dedication. It comforted her to have him there, steadfast in the face of their shared uncertainty.

Jake’s gaze met hers. “We’ve been at this for hours, Jenna. One thing I need to understand—where did you come up with this name Mark Reeves? What’s the connection to Sarah Thompson’s case?”

Jenna hesitated, her pulse quickening. She’d managed to dodge this question so far. “Mark Reeves…” she began. “He vanished without a trace. Like Sarah, he was here one moment, gone the next.”

“How did you even know about him?”

“Frank Doyle and I had breakfast together this morning and … his name came up.”

“And Frank just brought up this story from ten years ago?”

She hesitated, unable to explain why the topic of Mark had been part of that discussion. “Well … uh … he just mentioned meeting Mark Reeves when he came through Trentville. They actually went fishing together. Said he seemed like a bright kid, passionate about literature, about life. But after that day, he heard no word from him ever again.”

“And you think this is connected to Sarah how?” Jake asked, trying to piece together Jenna’s thoughts.

“Maybe the possibility just struck me because of Sarah’s disappearance. Two people, full of dreams, both vanishing from our little town.”

She shifted in her chair, feeling the weariness of hours spent searching names that led nowhere. “There’s more,” she continued. “I got help from Emily Carson at the library. We dug into Mark Reeves’s background further.”

“And?” Jake’s eyebrows rose.

“Turns out he’d just finished his undergrad at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Was supposed to be on his way to something bigger, brighter.”

“An aspiring writer on the cusp of a new life chapter,” Jake mused.

“Yes, exactly. His whole future ahead of him, and then…” Jenna trailed off, shaking her head. The image of Mark standing desolate outside Hank’s Derby flickered in her mind—a vision she couldn’t share. “He was enrolled for grad school at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Supposed to start a work-study program.”

“Did he ever make it there?” Jake’s voice was cautious.

Jenna shook her head. “No. The admissions office confirmed it. He was expected, but he never arrived. It’s like he just vanished after leaving here.”

“Disappeared into thin air,” Jake concluded, filling the silence Jenna left behind. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the stubble there a testament to the long day’s work. “So, where does that leave us, Jenna? Why do you think Mark disappeared during his stay here?” he asked, leaning forward again. “He was traveling across the country. Could’ve vanished anywhere between Trentville and Eugene.”

Jenna hesitated, feeling the weight of his question. The logical part of her agreed; Mark Reeves’s disappearance could have occurred at any point along his journey. Yet, she remainedtethered to the belief that Trentville held the answer. However, without revealing her unique connection to the dead—without confessing her dreams—she found herself floundering for an explanation that would satisfy Jake’s skepticism.

“We’ve seen it before,” she said, grasping to find an analytical approach. “Small towns… they have a way of drawing things to them, keeping secrets. Trentville is no different.”

“Don’t you think we need to recap what we’re actually looking for?” Jake suggested, though his question seemed rhetorical, his brow creased with concern for Jenna.

Jenna exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of the search pressing down on her. “I wish I knew, Jake. We need a connection to Trentville, but…” She trailed off, knowing full well that her secret kept her from being truly transparent with her partner.

“Sometimes a hunch is all we have,” she added, hoping to placate his curiosity.

Jake nodded slowly, though his eyes still searched hers for something more. The silence stretched between them, laden with unspoken questions and the weight of countless dead ends.

“Alright, Jenna,” he conceded after a moment, “I trust your instincts. But if we’re missing something…”

She met his gaze squarely, willing him to trust her despite the gaps in her story. In her mind’s eye, she saw Mark again, as vivid as in her dream—a figure standing outside Hank’s Derby, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, a look of confusion etched on his face as the bus pulled away without him. That dream of the man unable to embark on the bus—it was all she had. It was this vision that held her fast to the belief that Mark’s journey had ended here. But how could she explain the inexplicable? How could she justify her instincts when they were woven from the fabric of dreams?

And perhaps she was wrong about what had happened to him.

Although she believed that only the dead appeared in her lucid dreams, could there be some exception she hadn’t recognized? Could it be Mark had simply continued on his journey, disappearing somewhere beyond the borders of Trentville, or maybe not even disappearing at all? Instead, maybe he’d changed names, started a whole new life. She couldn’t imagine why. But of course, if that were true, it would be none of her business, and it would certainly be irrelevant to the case at hand.

But if that were true, then … the very thought made her heart sink. If Mark was actually still alive, then Jenna couldn’t be so certain that Piper was still alive just because she’d never visited one of those dreams.

“Jenna?” Jake’s concern pierced through her reverie, reminding her of the partnership they shared, built on trust—even when understanding eluded them both.

“Sorry,” Jenna muttered, rubbing at her eyes. “Just thinking. Let’s take a real break.”

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