Page 7 of In Her Dreams
His recognition of that possibility sent a jolt through Jenna’s body, a surge of the painful hope she’d carried for twenty years.“If she did...when she regains consciousness...”
“We’ll be the first to know,” Jake assured her.“I already told the hospital staff to call us the moment either woman is able to talk.”
Jenna nodded, forcing herself to breathe evenly.After two decades of searching for her twin, she’d learned to temper hope with caution.Too many leads had evaporated, too many possible sightings had proven false.
She navigated the patrol car back through the awakening streets of Trentville, the familiar landmarks grounding her as her thoughts threatened to spiral.Small-town life continued undisturbed—a mail carrier sorting letters in the back of her truck, a baker flipping his CLOSED sign to OPEN, two elderly men walking matching golden retrievers.
The normalcy created a stark contrast to the underground horror they’d witnessed.Jenna found herself acutely aware of Jake beside her, his steady presence an anchor.She remembered the gentle press of his lips against her cheek a week ago after they’d closed their last case.It had been brief, almost chaste, yet it had lingered in her mind like a persistent melody.
She glanced at him now, noting the way the morning light caught in his sandy hair, how his hands rested comfortably on his knees.There was something between them, something neither had put into words.In another life, perhaps, where she wasn’t haunted by her sister’s absence and visited by the dead, maybe she could explore what that something might become.
The shrill ring of her phone shattered the moment.Jenna activated the car’s Bluetooth system with a tap.
“Sheriff Graves,” she answered.
“Jenna?It’s Rusty.Rusty Galvin.”The voice that came through the speakers was thick with tears, barely recognizable as her childhood friend.
“Rusty?What’s wrong?”Concern tightened Jenna’s grip on the steering wheel.
“It’s—” A sob broke the word.“It’s Dad.He’s dead, Jenna.Dad died last night.”
The news hit Jenna with unexpected force.Richard Winters had been a fixture in Trentville for as long as she could remember.When she was eight, he’d helped Jenna and Piper open their first savings accounts, patiently explaining interest rates with colored markers and a notepad.He’d attended their high school graduation, bringing each of them a card with a twenty-dollar bill that he insisted they save rather than spend.
“Oh, Rusty, I’m so sorry.”The words felt inadequate.“What happened?”
Rusty drew a shaky breath.“They think a heart attack.The doctor said it’s not surprising, given his condition, but they’ll need to do an autopsy to be certain.”
“Of course,” Jenna said.She exchanged a glance with Jake, who was listening intently.“Is there anything I can do?Do you need me to come over?”
“Could you?”Relief softened Rusty’s voice.“Could you come to Dad’s house?I’m here now, going through his things, and...”She hesitated.“There’s something not right, Jenna.”
The hairs on Jenna’s arms stood on end.“Not right how?”
“I can’t explain it over the phone.But I’m worried that...that maybe it wasn’t just his heart.I know how this sounds, but I need you to see for yourself.”
Jenna didn’t hesitate.“I’m on my way.Twenty minutes, tops.”
“Thank you,” Rusty whispered before ending the call.
Jenna immediately signaled and made a U-turn, heading toward the west side of town where Richard Winters lived in a stately home with a meticulously maintained front garden.
“Sounds like you might have another case,” Jake observed quietly.
“Maybe.”Jenna frowned, her mind sorting through the implications.“Or maybe it’s just Rusty struggling with the shock.Either way...”
“Either way, you’ll be there for her,” Jake finished.“Want me to come along?”
Jenna considered, then shook her head.“Let me talk to her alone first.Get a sense of what she’s worried about.”
Jake nodded his understanding.“Drop me at the station, then.I’ll start the paperwork on the mine situation.”
Although it was still early, this had already been an unsettling day.As she drove through the brightening morning, Jenna couldn’t shake the feeling that the unpleasant surprises were far from over.
CHAPTER THREE
It was early afternoon when Jenna pulled her patrol car to the curb in front of the stately two-story Colonial with its pristine white columns and freshly painted shutters.First the rescue operation at the abandoned mine, now this unexpected death.She straightened her sheriff’s uniform and approached the house, noticing how the garden beds had been freshly mulched.Richard had always been meticulous about his property, a habit that apparently hadn’t waned with age or widowhood.
Before she could ring the bell, the heavy oak door swung open.The housekeeper, Amy Parker, stood in the doorway, her usual crisp appearance softened by grief.Her eyes were rimmed with red, her gray-streaked hair pulled back in a hasty bun rather than her customary neat twist.
