Page 50 of In Her Fears
“Following a potential lead,” Jenna replied, though even to her own ears, the justification sounded weak.
Jake shook his head slightly.“He’s a kid who did something dumb, Jenna.He’s not our killer.”
“How can you be so sure?”she challenged.
“Because I have good instincts too,” Jake said simply.“And everything about him reads as genuine grief and misplaced anger, not the calculation of a serial killer.Besides, remember his reaction when he first showed us those paintings?He was genuinely disturbed by them.”
Jenna pressed her fingers against her closed eyelids, willing her thoughts to clear.But clarity wasn’t coming easily, and she couldn’t shake her suspicion of Jay.Was she was letting her exhaustion cloud her judgment, making her see suspects where there were none while the real killer potentially prepared for another murder?
“I don’t know whether I’m coming or going,” she conceded, dropping her hand.
“We’re all running on empty,” Jake said, his voice gentle.“But we need to stay focused.We came here to talk to Eric about Elias’s request, remember?”
Jenna nodded, gathering her fraying composure.“Let’s do that.”
They returned to the counter where Jay watched them warily, still unsettled by Jenna’s accusatory questions.
“Is Eric still here?”Jenna asked, her tone deliberately neutral.
Jay nodded.“In his office.”
“We need to speak with him,” Jake said.“And Jay?No more calls to the press, no more stirring things up at the café.You’re interfering with a murder investigation, and that can have serious consequences.”
Jay had the grace to look slightly abashed.“Fine.Whatever.”
As Jake headed toward the back hallway, Jenna paused for a moment longer at the counter.
“You could have gotten someone hurt today,” she said quietly.“Maybe Elias, maybe one of those protestors, maybe one of my officers.That’s not how we get justice for Alexis.”
She turned before Jay could respond, following Jake down the hallway to Eric’s office.
Jake knocked on the office door, and Eric’s voice called for them to enter.He looked up from his desk as they stepped inside, a stack of papers in front of him.
“Sheriff, Deputy,” he greeted them, setting aside his work.“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
“We need to discuss something important,” Jenna said, settling into the chair across from his desk.“It’s about Elias Harrow.”
Eric’s expression tightened with concern.“Has something happened?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Jake said, taking the second chair.“There was a crowd gathered outside his house when we arrived—people from town who’d heard rumors about his paintings being connected to Alexis Downey’s murder.”
“My God,” Eric murmured.“Was he harmed?”
“No,” Jenna assured him.“We managed to disperse the crowd without incident.But in the process, we spoke with Elias again.”
She paused, choosing her next words carefully.“Mr.Edwards, Elias has made an unexpected request.He says he’ll talk about the paintings, but only to you.And only alone.”
Eric stared at her, clearly stunned.“To me?But he hasn’t spoken to me in seven years.He made it abundantly clear that our friendship was over.”
“Nevertheless, when asked if there was anyone he would speak to, yours was the only name he gave,” Jake said.
Eric sat back in his chair, his expression a complex mix of emotions—hope, apprehension, confusion.“I...I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” he said, his voice slightly unsteady.“The last time he and I saw each other—Lina was there.The three of us were having a picnic.It was a great day—or so we thought.But that was the very night when …”
Eric’s voice faded.Jenna knew the words he was leaving unsaid.That was the night when Lina had died by her own hand.
“But why does he want to talk to me now?”Eric asked.“After all this time?”
“I think he’s frightened,” Jenna said.“And possibly recognizes that he needs help.”
