Page 125 of Long Road Home

Kenna folded her arms across her chest. “I really liked Paulette. This is disappointing.”

“She’s gone,” Jax said. “Forrest is gone.”

“What on earth happened?” She headed for the door. Icy wind hit her in the face the moment she stepped out.

Kenna looked around the front parking lot but didn’t see Forrest. Or Paulette, or Jennifer, or Stan Tilley—because that was a possibility. She strode around the building, all the way around, even though it was freezing, looking at everything. The cells led out to a sidewalk path tucked close to the building, and then nothing but trees and piles of snow that had been shoveled off the walkway.

Fresh footsteps in the snow could be Forrest, and definitely belonged to more than one person.

Kenna tracked them to the rear, and a set of tire tracks. But it could’ve been anyone since the last snowfall. Even one of the deputies currently out on patrol who’d left this direction. Just because there were footprints didn’t mean Forrest had escaped.

Her coat landed on her shoulders.

Kenna smiled at Jax and slid her arms in the sleeves. “She really just walked out?” She had to raise her voice so he could hear her against the blowing wind. “Why would she do that? She should’ve made a ton of noise and called us in there if she thought she was in danger.”

Had Forrest been kidnapped, or had she escaped?

Jax snagged her hand and walked ahead of her to the front door. Kenna checked the parking lot, but since she didn’t know what vehicle Paulette drove, she had no idea if it wasstill here. A matter of minutes, and Paulette had done what she’d done. Now Forrest was gone.

All while they were trying to figure out the Jennifer Rayland issue.

He ducked inside, holding the door open for her.

Everyone was in the lobby, and theyallsaw the hand holding. Kenna let go, but stepped up beside Jax so they were shoulder to shoulder. “Why would Paulette allow Forrest to escape?”

Or allow her to be kidnapped.

Which was it?

Gingrich lifted his hands, exasperation on his face. “Seems like you know more about my jurisdiction than I do.”

The state police officer glanced at him. “You worry about your own problems. We’ll worry about Ms. Crosby.” He turned to his colleague, who hadn’t said anything. “Call the office. Tell them we’ve got a manhunt on our hands.”

Kobrinsky said, “Shouldn’t it be apersonhunt?” Then shifted on his crutches and leaned against the wood-paneled front counter. “Manhunt seems a little sexist.”

Kenna stared at him. The clock on the wall ticked a couple of times.

He shrugged. “What?”

“We have more important things to worry about than you trying to one-up the staties.” Especially when she knew what he was like. “What’s the plan?” She was the only person in this sheriff’s department lobby without a badge, so she figured that at least they didn’t think she was in charge.

State patrol glanced at sheriff’s department. “Split up?”

Gingrich said, “You wanna go after an innocent woman caught up in a bad situation, be my guest. I’ve got biggerfish to fry up.”

State patrol looked genuinely intrigued about what that might be.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

The door swished open behind her. Lucas Amrand rushed in, a paper in his hand. “I got it. She’s free to go.” He grinned.

Her phone buzzed again. Since shecould not evenwith this lawyer kid, she stepped away and pulled it out. He really thought he’d been doing the right thing being unreachable so she couldn’t update him. She planned to email his boss—the partner, not his father.

She had a text from an unknown number. Kenna unlocked her phone and opened the message. A photo filled the screen.

Forrest, tied up with a cloth gag in her mouth.

One hour. Address forthcoming.

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