Page 60 of Long Road Home

One of the state officers glanced at the sheriff.

“Kenna Banbury.” She lifted her chin. “Nice to meet you guys. Can I help you?” Of the three guys, she spotted one amused and hanging back.

The sheriff said, “You have it?”

The state officer in front pulled a folded paper from the inside pocket of his coat. “Are you the resident? This is a search warrant for the home address of Forrest Crosby and any vehicles belonging to her.”

Kenna glanced at the sheriff. “Why do you need to search Forrest’s house?”

The state guys got moving, passing her and the sheriff. They headed to the front door, and one knocked.

“Answer the question, Gingrich.” She wasn’t going to budge until she got an explanation. Forrest’s home was a sanctuary. Like home was, or should be, for anyone. And yet, theyfelt whatever they knew warranted invading the space where she grieved. Where she struggled to keep the memory of her family alive while outside this house the world seemed determined to keep going.

“My office received an anonymous tip. I’ve directed the coroner to do a series of tox screens to see if we can ascertain what was used to poison Bruce Kilborn.”

“You think he was murdered?” And that Forrest had anything to do with it? That was insane, and a serious leap. They would need evidence enough for probable cause in order to get a search warrant. An anonymous tip wasn’t enough. What did Gingrich know that he wouldn’t want to tip his hand to her on? “I thought the consensus was natural causes, some kind of reaction, or just a medical tragedy.”

The front door to the house opened.

The state police officer with the warrant spoke to Forrest, but Kenna couldn’t hear it.

Gingrich said, “Are you going to get in the middle of this and make everything more difficult for us…or let the police do their jobs?”

“Funny. Couple days ago, you were asking for my help on that escort thing.” She watched his face, and from the look of it, he might still be asking for her help. Or, he planned to and it hadn’t occurred to him that she might not want to after this. “I’m gonna go inside, since I’m staying here.”

He didn’t try to stop her, but he did go with her. Close enough instinct had her walking faster than she would’ve because it felt a little like being chased.

Kenna found Forrest in the entryway.

Her friend whispered, “They’re searchingeverything.”

Kenna squeezed Forrest’s shoulder and stood beside her. “Did they tell you what they’re looking for, or why they’re here?”

“They think I had something to do with Pastor Bruce’s death!” Forrest whispered the words.

Kenna would be shouting, but maybe that was why Forrest had pulled back so hard on her volume. To get some control. She faced the sheriff. “What evidence do you have?”

Gingrich lifted his chin. “I’m just here to support the state police. It’s their case.”

She wasn’t sure that was true. Not unless it served his purposes to allow them to have it.

Forrest turned and walked down the hall, following one of the officers, even if she hung back.

He went into the office. Another entered the child’s bedroom that had been unused for so long.

Forrest whimpered.

Kenna said, “Is it necessary for them to go in her son’s room?”

Gingrich looked in there. When he glanced back at them, he almost looked sick. “We have to search all of it.” He looked like he wanted to say more, maybe to ask Forrest about keeping her son’s room as it was indefinitely.

Kenna gave him a tiny head shake. “What did they take to the judge that got a warrant? Because a couple of hours ago, everyone was talking about a medical issue.”

The state police officer who had the warrant brought it over and handed it to Kenna. “Read it yourself.”

She scanned the wording.What on earth?This was bizarre. The sheriff had to have received that call hours ago, not so long after Pastor Bruce was even declared dead. The warrant would have taken time to get. And yet they were here, and it was barely midafternoon.

Forrest nudged her arm. “What does it say?”

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