Page 16 of Colorado K-9 Rescue
“Hey, stop it,” Evan said, striding closer. “You’re not a freak.”
“How do you know?”
Evan shrugged. “Because I’m an FBI agent? We’re trained to know these things?”
Mckenna let out a laugh and then tears started flowing again.
“Can I sit down?” Evan asked.
Mckenna nodded and he sidestepped Mocha, giving the Lab a rub on the head, and sat down next to Mckenna. Before he could talk himself out of it, Evan picked up her hand. It seemed tiny, delicate. She had smooth skin—opposite of his rough hands full of calluses from the gym and his recent landscaping project that had been a stab at trying to make his house feel like a home.
“This case is tough. It must be bringing back a lot of memories for you. Hard memories.”
Evan thought Mckenna wasn’t going to answer, but she said, “It’s not the memories. It’s the case itself.”
“What do you mean?”
Mckenna turned toward him again, and he wiped away some of her tears, letting his fingers linger on her cheek for a second too long. He tucked some of her dark hair back, wishing again that he could hold her close and somehow ease her pain.
“What I mean,” Mckenna said, “is that Lily’s kidnapping is the same as mine. I meanexactly.”
Evan didn’t know how to respond. “What are you saying? What do you mean by exactly the same?”
“I’m saying I think we had the same kidnapper.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. My kidnapper, Toby Hanson, has been out on parole. Everything that happened was the same. The party. The smell of rotten eggs. Being kept in an old building. The window where I sliced my side open and then running for my life while he was shooting at me. And that eerie tree Lily mentioned has been part of my nightmares since I was taken. Everything is the same.”
He stared at Mckenna straight on, and took her other hand. Feeling her shake, he closed his fingers tighter around hers. “Then I’ll find Toby Hanson and figure this out.”
Mckenna hiccupped and took a deep breath. “You will?”
“Yes. I will.”
“You believe me?” Mckenna asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Mckenna shrugged. “I’m used to having to convince people of what I’m saying, that’s all.” Tears began running down her face. “I should have gone to the parole hearing. Maybe if I had, Toby would still be in prison, Lily wouldn’t be traumatized for the rest of her life and Autumn would still be alive.”
“You don’t know that,” Evan said, leaning in closer. “You can’t go there because even if you had gone to the parole hearing, Toby might have still been released. I’ll find Toby. I’ll investigate him. If he did this, he’ll go back to prison and never get out. He’ll never be able to hurt anyone again.”
Good job, Evan, more promises you might not be able to keep.
But could they really have the same kidnapper? Or was Mckenna jumping to conclusions? But if what she said was true, so many of the facts were the same. Would Toby have gone back to doing this so soon? He would need to call his parole officer and find out where he was staying.
“Thank you for believing me,” Mckenna said.
“You’re welcome.” Evan was relieved to see that Mckenna was calming down and shaking less.
Mocha seemed to come to the same conclusion as he stepped down off her lap and lay down on the floor. Evan found himself still wanting to hold her, make her feel better, be the one to help. Without thinking, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, smelling the sweet scent from her shampoo.
I’m overstepping here. I’m going to regret this. She’s going to think I’m being pushy or even harassing her. She could tell my boss and get me in trouble.
Evan was about ready to talk himself into letting go when Mckenna leaned into him. Her arms tightened around his waist.
I guess she’s okay with this. I’m not crossing any lines. Yet.
