Page 117 of Long Road Home

She’d been so in her head she didn’t know where Stan had taken that car. “Did you get a license plate? I think I remember a couple of digits.”

“At least you didn’t hit your head.” He shook his. “You in a hit-and-run is something I don’t need to see again in my life.”

She looked around for the car. “Where did all this traffic come from?”

“Looks like school just got out.” He took a turn, then circled back around weaving through traffic. “We should go back to the hospital so you can get looked at—and apologize for running off before they could see you.”

Kenna spotted the time on the dash. “Aren’t we closer to the sheriff’s department than the hospital now?”

“You’re avoiding the staff.”

When she’d just run off like a crazy woman? Uh,yeah.“I’ll send them a gift basket or something. Maizie can find a good one. We have work to do.”

“You think people are in danger being near you?”

“Generally, yes. Specifically today?” There was no way she could explain all of it. “Probably. But I can’t help Forrest, find Jennifer Rayland, or trap Stan Tilley in a hospital room.” Just lying around made her feel powerless, like the days after surgery when she was on restriction. Unable to move even if she wanted to. “I don’t like it.”

“I know.” He glanced over, heading for the sheriff’s department now. “It’s not something you need to get over. But it issomething you’ll have to face periodically. You just won’t have to face it alone.”

“I prefer to avoid my problems and just work instead.”

“Considering you doing that has a tendency to save people’s lives, I’m not sure I have much of an argument.”

She shifted in the seat. “It’s all part of my charm.”

Jax pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff’s department. Paulette was at her spot when they walked in. She took one look at Kenna and said, “Coffee?”

“You’re an angel.”

Paulette beamed. Kenna and Jax walked through to the main office.

Kobrinsky rocked back on his chair, tipping it so the front two feet lifted off the floor. The crutches were leaning against the wall beside him. “What did I tell you about causing fresh trouble every time you go out?”

“It’s what I do.” He was probably just irritated that she’d run across more evidence, and he hadn’t been there. “Don’t worry. There were no severed heads.” She dumped the rolls of paper on the desk. “Just a ton of gnarly photos you won’t want to tell your mother about.”

She glanced over her shoulder but didn’t spot Paulette. Jax shifted the papers out across the table. “I’ll see if Maizie has identified any of them.”

“Good.”

The sheriff came out of his office. Kobrinsky got his crutches and came over.

Kenna said, “What’s the latest on Forrest and her release?” She folded her arms, then took off her coat because it was too bulky to make her look threatening. She looked between them, and neither spoke. “Do I need to call the state police?”

“Probably.” Kobrinsky slumped to sit on a desk. “Theysent the paperwork over that they’re going to take her into their custody and get her to jail. She’ll be arraigned in a few days.”

Kenna shook her head.

“You might not get a say in this, Kenna.” Gingrich huffed. “Even with one of my badges. Sometimes things happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Like sending an innocent woman to jail?” Kenna waved at the photos, because Jennifer was out there and at least Forrest was safe here—for now. “Or knowing people died in your county and you never found the person who did it. You had no clue Jennifer Rayland was mixed up in this. Did you?”

Gingrich’s expression shifted.

Jax moved to stand in front of Kenna’s left side, between her and the sheriff. “Do you have something you’d like to share, Sheriff Gingrich?”

Kenna looked at Kobrinsky. “Did you have any clue Rayland was mixed up in something like this, Jerry?”

He only looked at the sheriff. “I always wondered what you two had between you. Were you protecting him?”

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