Page 41 of In Her Fears
“Chris Ashworth?”Jake asked.
Elias nodded vaguely.“He understands what I need to see.”
“Need to see for what?”Jenna pressed.
But Elias had slipped away again, his body rigid, eyes staring at nothing.This time, he didn’t return from whatever mental space he’d retreated to, even after Jenna called his name several times.
Jake lowered his voice.“We should bring him in.At least for questioning.”
“Look at him,” Jenna said, gesturing toward Elias’s catatonic form.“He hasn’t left this house in years.He’s physically incapable of overpowering victims, transporting bodies, staging elaborate crime scenes.”
“He could have an accomplice.This Ashworth guy—”
“So we need to find Christopher Ashworth,” Jenna conceded.
They left Elias as they’d found him, still locked in his strange trance.Once outside, Jenna pulled out her phone and Officer Delgado.The car hummed beneath her, the road blurring past outside.
“Delgado here,” came the familiar voice, steady and reliable.
“Hey, Maria,” Jenna said, her tone urgent yet calm.“I need you to head over to Elias Harrow’s place.”
“Elias Harrow?”Delgado asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
“A reclusive artist,” Jenna confirmed.“I’ll give you the address.”
Jenna did so, then added, “Take a couple of officers with you and keep an eye on the house.I have a feeling he’s not our guy, but I don’t want to take any chances.Make sure nobody leaves house—or goes into it, either.”
“You got it,” Delgado replied without hesitation.“We’ll make sure nothing slips by us.”
“Thanks, Maria,” Jenna said appreciatively before hanging up.
Jenna immediately dialed the number printed on the back of the photograph, but only a generic voicemail answered.She left a brief message asking Ashworth to contact her urgently, then hung up.
“Let’s pay him a visit,” she told Jake as she buckled her seatbelt.
Jake started the engine, maneuvering them back down the narrow driveway.“You really think Harrow’s just a conduit?That he somehow...what?Foresaw these murders?”
“I don’t know,” Jenna admitted, watching Elias’s house recede in the side mirror.“But I think Christopher Ashworth may be at the center of this.”
She glanced at the dashboard clock.Moonrise was getting close.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The storefront of Christopher Ashworth Photography featured stark black and white Ozark landscapes in a large display window.Jenna squinted against the afternoon sunlight reflecting off the glass as Jake parked the cruiser across the street.
When they got out and entered the building, they saw a small gallery area in front and what appeared to be a working studio in back.The walls displayed more of Ashworth’s work—haunting images of abandoned buildings, lonely landscapes, and starkly beautiful natural formations.
A young man looked up from behind a sleek counter.He couldn’t have been more than twenty-five, with a carefully cultivated five o’clock shadow and an artfully disheveled appearance.
“Can I help you?”he asked, his eyes flicking to their badges.
“Sheriff Graves, Deputy Hawkins,” Jenna said, approaching the counter.“We’re looking for Christopher Ashworth.”
The young man straightened.“Chris is out on a shoot today.I’m Vince Espy, his assistant.”
“When do you expect him back?”Jake asked.
Vince shrugged."Hard to say.It could be hours.Chris gets...absorbed in his work."
