Page 121 of Long Road Home

J.Pierce had killed people on a boat, and Jennifer had one that belonged to her father. Kobrinsky also owned a boat, so that didn’t mean anything conclusive. But it could be a serious indicator of a problem they’d need to resolve in order to save lives. Kenna couldn’t help wondering if Gingrich knew the answer to her question about the psychologist and J.Pierce. It would mean she didn’t have to speculate.

She pulled up what Maizie had sent about Jennifer Rayland and her parents. “She’s got a boat. We might find her there if she’s laying low. Or she could’ve checked into a motel under a fake name.”

“Or she fled to Canada.” Jax pulled over a page and stared at the pencil notes. “This is not a stable woman. It’s a woman who incorporates her patient’s darkest musings with her own. They aren’t responsible, she’s disturbed under the surface.”

“She went into therapy because she wanted to understand herself.” Gingrich tapped his phone on his palm.

“Because of her upbringing, or her issues, or both?” What had Rayland told him? Or did he somehow know she was connected to a killer and he’d done nothing.

“She was good. She had it handled.”

Kenna stared at him. Maybe that was what she’dtoldhim. “And Deputy Rayland? Was he good?” Gingrich said nothing, so she looked at Kobrinsky. “Any insight? We need to find her. Even if she’s done nothing, which is debatable, we have no evidence of what shehasdone.” Unless they were hiding more than she realized.

Kobrinsky looked at the sheriff.

Gingrich let out a heavy sigh. “Jennifer didn’t like the way she was raised any more than any of us do. She became a psychologist to try and understand why some people are the way they are.”

Kenna saw something in his gaze. A deep kind of knowing she understood as well.

“Understanding why her father was the way he was?” she asked. If Jennifer’s father had been J.Pierce, the timing and a few other details made sense. How did Gingrich feel a kindred spirit connection with that?

Kenna figured she might as well share. It could be the thing that got him to open up. “That’s what got me to apply for the FBI. Making sense of what my life had been helped me figure out who I was supposed to be.”

Let them think she didn’t believe the psychologist was a stone-cold killer.

“But that means Deputy Rayland grew up under the shadow of it. So what inspired him to become a police officer?” Kenna eased her tone, as if musing aloud. Processing the case. “What did he need to make sense of? Evil? Injustice?”

Gingrich sat forward. “He didn’t know anything. She was doing fine.”

“This disagrees with you.” Kenna waved at the papers. “Did you hire her son so you could keep an eye on them both, maybe?”

“Let’s just find her,” Kobrinsky said. “Then we’ll know if she killed Rayland.”

“Sheriff!” Paulette strode into the room, breathing hard and flushed, followed by two officers from the state police Kenna recognized from Forrest’s house.

She stood to face them as they entered, trying tofigure out if this was good or bad from their faces. “Can we help you, gentlemen?”

Gingrich passed her, shooting Kenna a grumpy look. He held out his hand, and one of the men shook it. The officer produced a paper from his inside suit jacket pocket.

“We’re taking Forrest Crosby to the jail.”

No, you’re not.Kenna took half a step.

Jax grabbed her belt at the back and whispered, “Easy, tiger.”

“They’renottaking her.” Everyone heard her whisper. She shook her head and said louder, “She’s about to be released.”

“You’ll be arrested if you try to stop us.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Arrested?As if she cared.

Kenna pulled out her phone and called Forrest’s lawyer, who was supposed to be with the judge right now. She listened to it ring, and told them, “Just because you didn’t get the memo yet doesn’t mean you need to rush and take her to jail.”

They did seem to be in a hurry. Maybe it was the weather, or they needed lunch—maybe at the same place where the judge was with Lucas Amrand. That would be good.

“We’re leaving in five minutes.” The state police officer strode to the door that led to the cells, where Paulette had just delivered food for Forrest. Had she even finished eating yet?

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