Page 92 of Among the Innocent

“I’m here.”

“The girl’s safe.”

Leah blew out a sigh. “Thank you, God.”

“Appreciate it,” Dalton said with a smile. He stopped the vehicle close to the barn and released a deep breath. “Everyone, keep your eyes open.”

The deputy sitting on the barn got out and came over. “There’s been no sign of him, Chief.”

“Still, let’s check inside.” They approached the door slowly with weapons drawn.

As they entered the barn, their flashlights skirted around the space.

“Nothing.” Leah wasn’t sure how she felt. Relieved? Disappointed? Maybe a little of both. But more than anything, she wanted this to end.

“Wait, there is something here.” Dalton pointed his flashlight at the middle of the barn. They approached the object.

“It’s a wig. The same color hair as Scott’s.” She recalled the young man mentioning he believed the killer wore a wig. “He must have slipped in through the back and left it here.”

“Geez,” Sam murmured under his breath. “This guy gives me the creeps.”

“Search the place thoroughly,” Dalton ordered. “Inside and out.”

Even though Dalton was nearby, Leah still felt on edge. Every little sound had her jerking toward it. Expecting John to materialize beside her to finish the job.

At one time, Leah knew every square inch of the barn by heart. She and her sister and brother would come here after chores. Climb on hay bales stored on the top floor. They’d play hide-and-seek here for hours.

“I’ll take a look upstairs,” Sam told them and climbed up the ladder-like steps.

Leah looked through all the little nooks and crannies they’d used to hide things. There was nothing else here. She returned to Dalton to tell him the canvass was finished and to ask if they should try the house. He stood near the door staring at his phone.

“What’s wrong?”Please don’t let it be another death.

“I missed a call from Dr. Hopkins at the Wyoming State Hospital while we were searching the house. He sent a text. Hopkins found someone who worked at the hospital during the time Jonathan Stephens was there.” Dalton scanned the message. “He said there was someone around Jonathan’s age whom he befriended. The doctor showed him the sketch and he recognized it. He said the man’s name is Aaron. He didn’t remember the last name. Apparently, Jonathan was a sweet kid, but this Aaron, well, he had a chip on his shoulder and a penchant for violence.”

“That’s our guy,” Leah said.

“According to the employee, Aaron was good at fooling people, even the doctors at the hospital. In his opinion, Aaron should never have been released.”

The words sent a chill down her spine. Aaron was John.

She grabbed her phone and tried Ethan, terrified for Marge. Fear twisted her up inside. “Ethan isn’t answering.”

“Let’s go,” Dalton told her. “Sam, stay here with the others. If anything new comes up, call me immediately.”

As they drove, Leah continued to try Ethan’s number without answer.

Dalton pulled in behind the deputies’ empty cruiser. Ethan’s patrol vehicle was parked in the drive.

“Where are the deputies?” Leah leaned forward and studied the cruiser. It was empty.

Dalton grabbed the radio and called for backup. “It could be nothing. Maybe they went inside for something.”

Adrenaline poured into her body.

She and Dalton exited their vehicle and slowly advanced to the house. Leah scanned the surrounding properties for anything out of the ordinary. Somewhere in the distance a dogbarked. Most of the lights were off except for Mr. Henderson’s. The older man had told Marge once that he had trouble sleeping since his wife’s death.

She swallowed several times as they reached the porch. Dalton slowly nodded, and she tried the doorknob. It twisted freely in her hand.

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