Page 32 of Long Road Home

She had driven to Marion’s house, all taped off and locked up. But Kobrinsky wasn’t looking at the house—he was looking at her. “So your boyfriend is an FBI agent.”

That sounded entirely too much like an accusation. “I guess I have a type.”

He snorted. “I do, too. And it ain’t PIs.”

“Lucky for me. Now get out of my car.”

“You’re coming inside. I have a key for that lock, ’cause it’s mine.”

“What are we looking for? Do you seriously think you all missed something?” She stared at him. “Do you?”

“This is the case of our lives. Do you want out of it? Because I don’t want to disappear from the reports, or the articles in the newspaper. I could get invited on TV. You could come with me, and someone will probably write a book about us. Or they’ll make a movie.” He motioned at her. “Given how plain you look, you’ll make me look good sitting next to you.”

She stared at him.

“I’m kidding! Lighten up.”

“You’re a pig.”

“Then you know what you get with me. Because I don’t sugarcoat it.” He pushed the door open. “Come on, let’s go give the scene a fresh glance.”

She’d found the closet and saved a girl’s life last time. If he wanted to take credit for spotting the next thing no one else had seen, she would make him work for it. He could work the case of Forrest’s family in exchange for her cooperation. Or she could work him up to more than that.

Everything in his life was about what he could get out of it. She was surprised he hadn’t hit on Forrest the past few years, since she lived alone now. Not as a predatory move, but she could see him purposely seizing the opportunity to fish in a new pond.

Gross.

She walked behind him as he moved on thecrutches to the door. “Have you thought about running against the sheriff at the next election?”

Kobrinsky handed her the keys. “That would be next fall. It’d take a big case to get my name out there.”

“How about the fact a man and his son were killed, and it was ruled an accident? Possibly wrongly.” She shrugged. “That means negligent leadership at best.”

“You’re still on that train?” He didn’t look at her.

“Yes, so tell me what you know.”

He entered the house, and she followed, closing the front door behind her.

The place had a stillness to it that had a darkness hanging in the air, and almost maleficence seeping from the walls. But she knew what had happened here over the years. Why wouldn’t she feel it like it hung around still as a kind of evil presence?

“Look around,” Kobrinsky said. “When we’re done, I’ll tell you.” He headed for the living room.

She stared at his back. “I haven’t had lunch yet, by the way.”

He called over his shoulder, “So you’re gonna get all crabby? Look fast. We can order a pizza at my house. All the restaurants will be full of Holy Rollers getting lunch.”

Kenna bit the inside of her lip. If he thought she was going to his house…

She wanted answers about Forrest’s family, but not even that badly. She also wanted to know if Marion had kept any souvenirs from the victims she held here, so she could remove anything that would lead the police here from the first victim’s identity to her family…and then to Kenna now. She didn’t want to put Ramon Santiago—or anything he was about to do to get his reputation back—at risk. Like putting him on the radar of the dirty FBI agent who had ruined him.

At least, not before he was ready.

She trailed into the bedroom, remembering a house in Salt Lake City where she’d searched the bedroom of a serial killer with her friend Ryson. The police lieutenant had been there when she met Jax and thoroughly approved of how her life had changed since then. She was proud of how he’d cleaned up his act and took his family to church now—a different kind of pride than what she’d felt knowing she was right about Marion. But even that hadn’t been an overblown sense of her own abilities. Just the confidence she had in solving a case like she solved all the others.

She’d been raised the way she had for a reason. The experiences she’d gone through made her who she was today so she could do a job not many people would be able to do.

And she wouldn’t wish this job on anyone else.

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