Page 38 of Let Her Live

That sounded exactly like the type of person they were looking for. Someone explosive.

"I thought he might be planning to vandalize the farmer's property," Ethel said, "but I haven't heard anything. So, I'd start by looking there."

"Do you have his address?" Jake asked, heart in his throat.

"It's the MacMillan farm," Ethel said. "You can't miss it on the map."

Jake's heart was pounding in his chest as he thanked Ethel for her help, and he and Fiona rushed back to their car.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Fiona’s knuckles turned white as she clung to the armrest of the car, her eyes wide open, scanning the horizon for any sign of the MacMillan farm. Her breathing quickened as they passed by the fields, her heart pounding in her chest as they drove closer to their destination, beyond fields of marshland and forestry.

She'd had her doubts before that Peter could be involved, but Ethel's account of him could fit the MO of the person they were looking for. His volatility had clearly been building for years, and it sounded like he was prone to outbursts of manic behavior.

Maybe this most recent time, he had snapped—and decided to truly take matters into his own hands and make a real statement.

She wasn't sure, but either way, they had to find him. If he was truly planning something at MacMillan Farm, then it could pose a larger danger than expected.

Fiona glanced at Jake, who was tense in the seat next to her.

"Do you think he's there?" she asked, her voice shaky with nerves.

"I don't know," Jake said, his own voice low and tense. "But we have to be prepared for anything."

They drove on, the tension in the car palpable. Finally, they saw the MacMillan farm off in the distance. It was a large, sprawling property with fields as far as the eye could see. There was a big red barn on one end, with a farmhouse nearby. As they got closer, Fiona saw that the barn had a door hanging off its hinges, and some of the windows were broken. It looked like it had been abandoned for years. And yet there were cows grazing, showing that it was indeed still active.

Jake pulled the car into a nearby ditch, and they got out, surveying the area. The air was hot and humid, with the faint scent of manure and hay. Fiona's heart was pounding in her chest, and every sound made her jump.

"Let's check out the house first," Jake said, nodding toward it. There was a large farmhouse with a wraparound porch surrounded by a white picket fence. It looked quaint and peaceful, but Fiona knew better than to trust appearances.

They approached the house, with Jake leading the way. Fiona followed closely behind, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. But the driveway was empty, and at least from the outside, it looked like no one was home.

Jake knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. He waited a few minutes before knocking again. Still nothing.

"Looks like no one's home," Jake muttered. He scanned the property around him. "Let's go check things out around the farm. Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of something suspicious."

Fiona followed Jake as he walked around the side of the house towards the back. They were looking for any signs of movement, anything that might indicate someone was here.

As they rounded the corner of the house, Fiona's heart skipped a beat.

There, far back in the yard, was what appeared to be a man tied to a tree.

"Jake," Fiona said. She instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm in shock.

He followed her eyes. "Shit," he cursed, then he took off running.

Fiona followed closely behind as Jake made his way toward the man tied to the tree. As they got closer, they could see that it was indeed Peter—his body was tied to the truck of a large tree. But not with rope, but with chains.

Not only that—but his eyes popped open and landed right on them.

He was alive.

"Hey!" Peter called out. "Hey, help me!"

Fiona and Jake hurried over to him.

Peter, disgruntled, said, "Hey, it's under that rock there."

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