Page 141 of Long Road Home

“What is it?” Maizie asked.

Kenna’s stomach clenched. “Stan Tilley said he murdered my mother. Can you—” Her voice broke, and she had to clear her throat.

“I can find anything that’s out there. If you can give me any…details you have.”

“I’ll send you what I know in an email.”

“Okay,” Maizie said softly. “If there’s anything to find, I’ll find it. Did you tell Jax? Maybe he can?—”

“He has work to do. I don’t want my stuff affecting his case. So until we know it was more than Stan just mouthing off to throw me for a loop, let’s just look into it, okay?”

“All right.” She didn’t sound exactly happy.

“I should go.”

They hung up, and she stared at the wall for a while.

Did she really believe what Stan Tilley had said? If he’d actually worked with her father in the military, perhaps theyhad been at odds enough for Stan to develop a grudge. Enough to want her dad dead? She’d have heard his name before, surely.

And now he wanted her to believe he’d killed her mother?

Some kind of contract. Or simply because he wanted to?

Night fell in the early evening.

Even though she was supposed to leave today, it might be a couple more hours before the nurse brought in the discharge paperwork, which the doctor needed to sign. He wanted her to follow up with an orthopedic specialist in a few days to make sure her wrist wasn’t fractured since the tests were inconclusive.

Forrest had texted that she would come whenever Kenna needed picking up.

Not bothering to turn the light on, Kenna dressed in the clothes she found in the backpack Jax or Forrest must have brought. Sweatpants and a T-shirt, with a sweater. Sneakers and socks and her coat. Nothing she’d have to struggle with her wrist to get on.

The door opened.

“I’m almost ready to go.” She toed her first shoe on.

“I see that.”

She whipped around to see Ramon Santiago in the doorway, dressed in heavy clothes with a hood over his hair. He had to have snuck in here without anyone seeing him. “I hear you found my sister.” His face stayed impassive, but she could guess what that meant to him.

His mother would be able to bury her finally. Lay her to rest.

Kenna nodded. “I’m gladI found her.”

Marion would face justice, and the last victim would live her life.

She toed on her other shoe, trying to figure out how to tell him about Jim and his testimony against Cecilia Warren—the FBI agent who had destroyed his career.

“Your sister is coming home.” She glanced at him. “How about you?”

“It’s too late for that. But it’s not too late for revenge.”

Kenna shook her head. “That won’t set things right.”

He walked to the door, tugging it open. “Don’t try to stop me, Kenna. I do what I do.”

“That’s not how to resolve this. There’s a case.”

He left.

Kenna rushed to the door.Ramon.She didn’t want to call his name aloud for anyone to hear. But when she looked for him out in the hall…he was gone.

“Did you need something?” A nurse stopped by her.

“Yeah, I need to get out of here.”

She had work to do.

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