Page 89 of Unbearable

Lilah was waiting for us inside the front doors, her presence a small comfort amid the chaos in my mind, knowing that someone else was putting some urgency on the situation.

“This way,” she said, pointing down a long hallway.

She opened a door to a small room with a table littered with documents. Fluorescent lights cast a harsh glow that furthered the ache creeping up my neck.

“Normally, we don’t allow family in for an investigation, but today is your lucky day. Colt and I went to the academy together, and I happen to owe him a favor. If anyone asks, it wasn’t me,” Lilah said, glaring at Colt. “Especially with Chief already on your ass to stay away from this investigation.”

“Thank you, ma’am. We appreciate it,” Sawyer said as his hand ran back and forth through his buzzed hair. His focus was on the documents in front of him.

“What do we know?” Colt asked, towering over Lilah as his eyes stayed locked on her.

“We received this footage from the parking garage. The camera is well hidden, so the footage isn’t the best,” she said, pushing play on a tablet.

The video showed Dotty pulling into a parking spot at 6:10 p.m., but not getting out immediately. Moments later, a black SUV parked next to her.

“Interesting,” Colt said, squinting his eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“That looks like it could be an undercover police vehicle,” he said.

“We’re already running the plate,” Lilah said.

After a few minutes, Dotty got out of the truck.

What happened next made me want to burn everything to the ground. A person dressed in all black,including a mask, stepped out behind Dotty and overpowered her.

But damn, my girl fought back, but she couldn’t take on a grown man, especially when taken by surprise.

“The SUV pulled out at 6:22 p.m. We tried to trace it on different traffic cams but lost it. It looks like it was heading north,” Lilah said.

“Back toward Woodstone,” Sawyer said.

“Could be,” Lilah said.

Detective Carter knocked and entered the room, setting down a folder. “The plates came back.”

Lilah looked closely at the papers. “Does the name Henry Reynolds ring a bell?”

My face fell. “Yes…” Dorian said.

“Colt was right. This is a police vehicle registered to Officer Henry Reynolds,” she said.

Colt snatched the papers. “There’s no way.”

I couldn’t think or breathe or even exist, it seemed.

There was no possible way one of my best friends had taken Dotty. The man who had stalked her for years. I couldn’t think beyond the loud, pounding pulse in my head. Each beat was a painful reminder of how much was at stake. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, the physical pain a mere distraction.

Lilah picked up her phone, turning away. “I need everything you can get on Henry Reynolds of Woodstone Falls. Now.” She paused. “I don’t care. Put a rush on it. Someone’s life depends on it.” She hung up, rubbing her temples.

She took a deep breath, facing us. “Tell me about this guy,” she said, her voice all business.

Colt spoke first, meeting her gaze. “I work with him—seems like a stand-up guy. He’s a good cop. Trent”—he looked to me—“You know him pretty well.”

“Yeah, he’s a good friend of mine.” I could barely get the words out. “We were friends in school and reconnected after I moved back to Woodstone a couple of years ago. He went on a date with Dotty in October.” My voice cracked, and Sawyer grabbed my shoulder.

“You didn’t know, man. There’s no way you could have known,” Sawyer said, trying to comfort me.

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