Page 13 of In Her Fears
“That’s quite a theory,” Jenna replied, her voice remarkably steady.“In fact, it sounds downright superstitious.That isn’t like you, Claire.”
Claire sighed, leaning back in her chair.“I know how crazy it sounds.Believe me, I do.And I’m sorry to even hint at such a thing.But I just can’t help …”
Claire’s voice faded for a moment, then she added, “I have to consider every possibility, no matter how far-fetched.And lately, I’ve been thinking thoughts that I never expected to think before.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.Jake watched Jenna, wishing he could reach out, offer some tangible support.But he remained still, waiting for her lead.
“I understand your concerns, Mayor,” Jenna finally said, her voice professional once more.“But I assure you, my only interest is in protecting this community.Whether that requires delving into the past or the present isn’t always up to me.As for the Pinecrest case, I don’t anticipate any further involvement unless specifically requested by Colonel Spelling.”
Claire studied her for a long moment, then nodded.“Very well.That’s all I wanted to discuss.I guess that phone call made me especially concerned.Thank you for coming in.”
The dismissal was clear.Jake rose with Jenna, noting the stiffness in her movements as they left the office.Neither of them spoke as they passed the receptionist’s desk.It wasn’t until they were back in the patrol car, the engine running but the vehicle still in park, that Jenna broke the silence.
“She’s not entirely wrong, you know,” she said quietly, staring through the windshield at nothing in particular.
Jake turned to her, studying her profile.“About what?”
“About the timing.The connection.”Jenna’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.“These cases did start escalating after I became sheriff.”
“Correlation isn’t causation,” Jake replied.“You’re not responsible for any darkness in this old town, Jenna.”
She turned to him then, her green eyes troubled.“What if I am, in some strange, unexpected way?What if whatever lets me connect with the dead is also...I don’t know, opening a door?Letting something in?”
“No.”Jake shook his head firmly.“That’s not how it works, and you know it.You’ve told me yourself—you don’t control when the dreams come or who visits you.”
“But nothing came to me for the Pinecrest case,” she pressed.
Jake reached across the center console, his hand hovering briefly before settling on her arm.“Or maybe it’s a simple explanation—the victim was from Pinecrest, not Trentville.Maybe your connection only works in your jurisdiction or at least is stronger here.
The touch seemed to anchor Jenna somehow.She looked down at his hand on her arm, then back up to his face.
“Without you,” Jake said quietly, “this town would be in a much worse state.Whatever darkness is here, you’re fighting it, not feeding it.”
The shrill ring of Jenna’s phone cut through the moment.She pulled it from her pocket, checking the screen before answering.
“Hello, Zeke,” she said, a note of surprise in her voice.“Is everything okay?”
Jake couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but he watched Jenna’s expression shift from surprise to concern.Zeke Canfield ran the liquor store in town.Jake had met him a few times, found him to be a decent sort.
“No, no, you did the right thing calling me.Thanks, Zeke.I’ll head over there now.”
She ended the call, turning to Jake with an apologetic expression.“I need to go check on my mom.You know how Zeke is my mom’s AA sponsor?Well, he says she stopped going to meetings.He’s worried about her.”
Jake nodded, understanding immediately.Jenna’s mother had struggled with alcohol for years.After the disappearance of Jenna’s twin sister, the more recent death of her husband had pushed her over a dangerous edge.But she’d been doing better recently.
“Want me to come with you?”he offered.
Jenna shook her head.“Thanks, but no.I’ll drop you at the station.This is something I need to handle alone.”
Five minutes later, Jake stood in the parking lot of the sheriff’s office, watching Jenna’s patrol car disappear around the corner toward her mother’s house.
As he turned to enter the station, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were standing on the edge of something—that all the cases, all the darkness, all the unspoken feelings were building toward some inevitable collision.
CHAPTER FIVE
As Jenna guided her patrol car along Elm Street, her conversation with Zeke Canfield replayed in her mind.His voice had been hesitant, almost apologetic when he told her that her mom had been missing AA meetings—the tone of a man who took his responsibilities seriously but found himself caught between competing loyalties.
“I wouldn’t normally say anything, Sheriff,” he’d said, his voice lower than usual.“AA confidentiality is sacred to me.But I’m worried about your mother.”
