Page 47 of In Her Sights

As Jenna reached for that light switch, she was surprised by a sudden, powerful grip on her shoulder. It spun her around withsurprising force, slamming her back against the cold corridor wall.

Emily was no longer the familiar face of Trentville’s literary guardian—the woman who had nurtured Jenna’s childhood curiosity with books and stories. Now, the librarian loomed with a predatory intensity that seemed alien.

“Jenna, you shouldn’t have come here,” Emily whispered, her breath hot against Jenna’s skin.

The glint of steel flashed before Jenna’s eyes as a utility knife appeared in Emily’s unwavering grip. The blade hovered at Jenna’s throat, its presence a chilling reality that Jenna could neither deny nor ignore. She had been foolish to doubt the librarian’s guilt, to give her the opportunity to strike back.

Jenna’s heart raced, but her training kicked in, keeping panic at bay. The shock of betrayal from someone she had known since grade school was secondary to the immediate threat. She found that the librarian’s strength was formidable, a fact Jenna had overlooked. Now, she felt the full gravity of Emily’s desperation. Her hand moved toward her pistol, but she didn’t draw it.

“Emily, this isn’t you,” Jenna said, trying to reach whatever part of the librarian that might still be reasoned with. “Please, put the knife down.” But she could see that her words were futile.

With a swift calculation and efficiency, Jenna shifted her weight, feigning weakness. Emily leaned in, perhaps sensing victory, but Jenna was setting her trap. With a sudden drop of her center of gravity, Jenna executed a trip maneuver, swinging her leg to catch Emily off-balance.

Emily toppled with an unceremonious grunt, the knife clattering away from her desperate grasp. Before Emily could recover, Jenna was upon her, handcuffs drawn. She snapped them shut around Emily’s wrists with practiced ease, her movements automatic, even as her heart pounded in disbelief.This was Emily Carson, the librarian who had once been a childhood anchor, now a suspect in chains.

“Jenna!” Jake’s voice cut through the charged silence as he skidded into view, his eyes wide with alarm and his posture ready for conflict. He took in the scene in milliseconds—the disheveled librarian on the floor, Jenna’s authoritative stance—and moved to assist without hesitation.

“Take her,” Jenna commanded tersely, already turning toward the ominous door that Emily had so hastily exited. “Read her rights and secure her.”

Jake nodded, his expression set in grim determination as he complied. Jenna didn’t wait to see the outcome; she had another life to save.

She flicked on that light switch, revealing the steep descent into the dim space below. As she made her way down, she saw what she had both hoped for and feared. At the bottom of the stairs lay the figure of Sarah Thompson, silent and motionless.

“Sarah!” Jenna called out, her voice echoing against the walls as she descended the steps two at a time.

Reaching the bottom, Jenna knelt beside the young woman, her hands checking her throat gently for a pulse. The moan that escaped Sarah’s parched lips was faint, yet it resonated with relief. For a fleeting moment, Jenna allowed herself the comfort of hope. There was life here to be saved.

“Sarah, you’re safe now,” Jenna assured her, her tone firm, projecting the confidence she hoped would soothe the victim’s frayed nerves. Jenna’s hands were steady as she stroked Sarah’s head. “You’re going to be all right.”

Sarah’s eyes flickered open, meeting Jenna’s gaze. There was recognition, then disbelief, as if the promise of safety was too fragile to grasp. Jenna watched the myriad emotions dance across Sarah’s face, her own heart pounding not just from adrenaline but also from a deep-rooted empathy. She had seenthis look before—the expression of someone who had glimpsed the abyss and was now desperately seeking the light.

She pulled out her phone to add an ambulance to whatever help Jake might have already called for.

“Help is on the way,” Jenna said as she carefully checked Sarah’s still-chained wrists, noting the angry red marks but no tears. Her fingers worked deftly to assess for any fractures or deeper injuries, her touch as reassuring as the words she spoke.

As Jenna maintained her professional composure, part of her couldn’t help but connect this moment to her own unresolved past. The drive that had compelled her to become sheriff, to save others in a way she couldn’t save Piper, was strong. But Jenna channeled it into the task at hand, and sometimes—like right now—she won the battle.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Jenna’s gaze was fixed on Mayor Claire Simmons as she and Jake stood in the mayor’s office, delivering their report. “Emily Carson is in custody,” Jenna began, her voice steady despite the weariness that clung to her. “She’s confessed to the murders of Mark Reeves and Melissa Brennan.”

Mayor Simmons leafed through the written report on her desk, her manicured nails tapping a staccato rhythm on the thick paper. The room was silent save for the sound of rustling pages and the distant murmur of City Hall outside the door. Jenna folded her arms, watching the mayor’s eyes track back and forth across the text.

“Emily chose her victims with a predatory precision,” Jake said, standing beside Jenna. The mayor seemed to be listening as he recounted the details methodically. “Mark Reeves was an outsider, passing through town. He met Emily at the library, they talked a bit, and later that night, she managed to abduct him outside his motel room when he stepped outside for a cigarette.”

Jenna picked up the thread seamlessly. “Of course, Melissa and Sarah were local—taken shortly after they’d returned overdue books. That’s all we know at this point.” Her pause was heavy with implication. Though they had rescued Sarah Thompson, the thought that there could be more victims out there, buried and forgotten, weighed heavily on Jenna’s mind.

“Quite the tale,” Simmons finally said, her voice cool and measured. “I’ll have the press release drafted immediately.” She looked up, offering a tight smile. Her words were devoid of warmth, official and detached. “Congratulations to both of you on resolving this case.” Then the mayor leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable behind her fortress of paperwork.

“Thank you, Mayor,” Jenna replied, her tone equally reserved. She waited for an apology, an acknowledgment for the criticism she had endured just yesterday, but none came. Instead, the mayor simply nodded, a perfunctory gesture that closed the discussion.

Jenna turned, catching Jake’s eye as they left the office. They shared a look, an unspoken understanding that passed between them—a mutual recognition of their accomplishments without the need for any other approval.

The two investigators left City Hall, the atmosphere between them shifting from professional to personal as the door closed behind them. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot. Jenna and Jake walked in synchrony, their footsteps echoing on the pavement.

Jenna couldn’t help feeling pride for their teamwork, for the way they balanced each other out—Jake with his earthbound steadiness and city experience, herself with intuition that often reached beyond what they could actually see.

“We make a good team,” Jake said, breaking the silence with a warmth that defied the chill of the granite building behind them. His comment proved he was feeling the same, but although his smile was easy, Jenna could see concern in his eyes. He was always looking out for her, she knew, but now he also had a lot of new knowledge about her to consider.

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