Page 16 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

Heat crashed against her cheeks. Only one day of having Calvin back in her life, and she was falling into old habits. Wanting him by her side to face life’s challenges. A dangerous mindset to adopt. She shifted, trying to get comfortable and gritted her teeth as the second hand on the wall clock clicked noisily behind her.

Officer Sawyer scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry about that. Just needed to get my report done so I can focus.”

She folded her hands in her lap and tried to keep her fear from showing on her face. “No problem.”

“I’d like to know more about your conversation with your sister the night before she was killed.”

Acid churned in her stomach. She had nothing to hide, even if the truth cast a light of suspicion her way. “Stella showed up at the women’s shelter here in Pine Valley. I volunteer there, and she must have known I’d be there that night.”

“How would you describe your relationship with your sister?”

She let out a long sigh. “Complicated.”

Her answer coaxed a small smile from the officer. “Trust me. I understand sibling relationships aren’t always the easiest. But can you elaborate?”

Resting her elbow on the armrest, she cradled the side of her neck in her hand. “Our parents died when we were younger, and I took on the responsibility of raising Stella. I’m sure I made my fair share of mistakes, but I did everything I could for her. I loved her so much. When she was around seventeen, she started using drugs. Nothing I did helped. Nothing made her stop. I never gave up on her, but when she had a baby and abandoned him, I adopted her child and have raised him as my own.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Almost two years.” Almost two years of worry and fear and guilt. Almost two years of complete and total love as she embraced motherhood. As though her entire existence had been split into two separate and conflicting halves.

A hint of compassion crept into the officer’s eyes before he blinked it away. “And she showed up the other night because she wanted to be back in your child’s life?”

Jenna nodded. “She threatened to take him from me.”

“And how did she seem? Clean? High?”

She thought back to Stella’s glossy hair and rosy cheeks. “Healthy. Healthier than I’d seen her in years, but also angry. As though I was the one who’d made the decisions for her. That I’d stolen her child, when in reality she’d left him—signed the adoption papers and never looked back.”

“And what about the baby’s father? Did he sign the papers with no issues?”

Anger bubbled inside of her at the mention of Oliver’s biological father. A man who had taken advantage of a much younger Stella then tossed her aside as soon as he’d learned of her pregnancy. “He signed. Didn’t want his wife to find out aboutthe baby so he was happy to give away his parental rights. As far as I know, he moved out of state soon after.”

“And in all the time since Stella left, you had no contact whatsoever? No relationship after being her sole support system for years?”

His questions landed like a punch in the gut. “None. I tried to keep tabs on her through social media, but she blocked me from all her accounts. Changed her number. Removed me from her life. Maybe I should have tried harder, but I had a newborn. I was struggling to balance work and motherhood. As much as I wanted Stella to find herself and be okay, I also had to be selfish. For me and my child.”

He nodded along with her words and scribbled a few notes. “That’s understandable. But I have to ask. What was your reaction when Stella threatened to take back your child?”

“Anger. Terror. Panic. I raised my voice when I should have tried to have a conversation with her. I’ll always regret that the last time I spoke with Stella, I lost my temper.” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat to cover the strangled sound. “I loved my sister very much. Did everything within my power to keep her safe and help her get clean. I’m devastated someone stole her life, took her away from the world. She didn’t deserve to die.”

Officer Sawyer tossed his pen on his desk and met her gaze head on. “Thank you for coming in and being so transparent. That’s all I need for now. I’ll get ahold of you if I have any more questions. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.”

Jenna stood, her legs like cooked spaghetti noodles, the pressure and anxiety of the meeting manifesting itself as she gave the policeman a nod and strode out the door. A haze surrounded her, morphing the busy officers scurrying around the room into slow-motioned characters in some bizzarro land. She needed fresh air to calm the frantic pounding of her heart.

She needed to get the hell out of there.

8

The morning sun did little to chase away the brisk autumn air as Calvin stood in front of the old Victorian house in the center of town. The scalloped edging along the dark green trim reminded him of a dollhouse his sister had played with as a child. A small turret boasted bay windows on both the first floor and second. Worn brick told him the home might be as old as the farmhouse he’d put so much love into.

After dealing with the police about the break-in at his house the night before, Calvin had convinced Dean to stick around and help him with the case. They’d both agreed in order to clear Jenna’s name, they needed another name that could be a potential suspect. A thorough dive into Stella’s social media platforms had given Calvin the name he wanted.

Ryan Billings.

Pictures plastered across Stella’s profile page had shown a once-happy couple that had spent quite a bit of time together. Then nothing. Now he needed to find out what happened to end their relationship, and if Ryan was angry enough about their split to kill Stella.

Checking to make sure no one watched through the front window, he sneaked around to the back of the house. A privacy fence enclosed the small back yard. A thick tree stump sat near the corner of the high boundary. Calvin hopped onto the flat, sawed-down stump and rose to his tiptoes. A square shed dominated most of the yard, a patch of concrete leading in through the large gate.

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