Page 14 of Let Her Hide

Ending the call, Fiona took a deep breath and returned to Jake's side. He was leaning against the car, watching her with a concerned expression. "Everything okay?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Fiona nodded, trying to push away the worry that twisted in her gut.Part of her wanted to confide in Jake, but at the same time, she didn't want to involve him. They had agreed to keep things professional between them, and involving him in Joslyn's case was nothing but personal.

"Let's go talk to Jason," Fiona said, changing the subject. "Maybe he can shed some light on Carrie's life and give us a better idea of who might have wanted to harm her."

Jake nodded and got into the car. As he started the engine, Fiona settled into the passenger seat, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of her sister and Roger's lead. She needed to stay focused on the task at hand and not let her personal life interfere with the case. Craig and Carrie were the victims here, and they deserved justice.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The sun dipped low in the sky as Jake's car pulled outside of Jason's house, which was only a few blocks away from where Carrie had lived with Stacy. Fiona took a breath in the passenger seat; she knew that when it came to people being murdered, their romantic partners--or exes--were often the first that should be looked into. However, with Carrie being the second victim, Fiona couldn't imagine why Jason, if he were the killer, would go and kill Craig first. By all accounts, it seemed they didn't know each other; if there were an affair or something along those lines, then Fiona could see it, but they had checked Carrie and Craig's phone records and had seen no crossover. Fiona couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping up on her. She knew that talking to him would be a crucial step in their investigation, but there was always the possibility that he could be a suspect. Jake parked the car in front of the house and turned to her.

"Let's make this quick," he said, his voice low and urgent. "We need to find out what Jason knows about Carrie's death."

Fiona nodded, her eyes fixed on the house. "Let's do it."

They got out of the car and walked up the path to the front door. The house didn't stand out among the others on the street--with white siding and a porch that was just long enough for two people to stand comfortably. There were plain shutters on the windows and a small garden in the front. The lawn was neat and well-trimmed, but there was still nothing particularly remarkable about it. No signs that Jason was an avid beekeeper or insect enthusiast, at least not on the outside.

Jake rang the bell, and they waited in silence for a few moments. The door swung open, revealing a disheveled Jason standing in the doorway, a haggard figure with his eyes red-rimmed and darkly circled as if he'd been crying for days. His hair was long and disheveled, sticking out in wild directions. He looked exhausted and haunted, his gaze haunted as he peered out at them, and Fiona felt a jolt of empathy for him. Jason had lost someone too, and at the moment, they had no cause to suspect he was involved in the murders.

"Jason McBride?" Jake asked, holding up his badge.

Jason immediately covered his mouth and turned away. "Oh, God, this is about Carrie, isn't it?"

Fiona and Jake exchanged glances, both of them noticing the fear and pain in Jason's eyes. "Yes, we're here to ask you a few questions about Carrie," Fiona said gently, trying to keep her voice calm and unthreatening.

Jason nodded and stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in. "Come on in," he said, his voice hoarse. "I'll tell you everything I know."

Fiona and Jake followed Jason into the living room, taking note of the unkempt state of the house. There were clothes strewn all over the couch, empty beer bottles on the coffee table, and the smell of stale cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air. Fiona wondered if Jason was coping with Carrie's death by drinking too much and neglecting his own life.

"Please, sit down," Jason said, gesturing to the couch. Fiona and Jake sat down, and Jason took a seat in the armchair across from them."Sorry I'm such a wreck, I just... I can't believe what happened." He wrapped his hands around his skull, hiding his face.

Fiona studied Jason's trembling form, his hands gripping his head as if it were a lifeline. She took a deep breath and steered the conversation towards what they needed to know.

"Jason, can you tell us about your relationship with Carrie?" Fiona asked cautiously, her eyes never leaving his face.

He looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears, and seemed to search for words. "I-I loved her more than anything," he stammered, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "But she… she left me. Just like that."

"Left you?" Jake asked. "You mean when she ended your relationship?"

Jason nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Yeah, she told me that she needed some space and wanted to figure things out. She said she didn't know what she wanted anymore."

Fiona could sense the pain in Jason's voice, and it was clear that he was still hurting from the breakup. "When was the last time you saw Carrie?" she asked gently.

Jason took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, his hands shaking slightly. "It was about a week ago," he said, his voice barely above a whisper."We met for coffee because I was asking for more closure. I'm in therapy now, you know? I've got abandonment issues, and I guess I was too much for her... but I didn't want her dead."

"And where were you last night?" Jake asked.

"I stayed at my grandma's place," Jason said. "Wait... I'm not a suspect, am I?"

Fiona and Jake exchanged another look. Fiona's gut told her Jason wasn't guilty, and Jake was most likely on the same page--but they had to confirm these things.

"No, we're just gathering information on everyone in Carrie's life," Jake said. "If you can provide your grandmother's contact details, we can confirm with her. But you don't have to worry."

Jason nodded, visibly relieved. "Yeah, of course. I'll give you her phone number and address. I swear I didn't have anything to do with this." He grabbed a flier off his cluttered coffee table and scribbled down a number, then handed it to Jake. "There, you can call her. She knows I'd never hurt anyone. Especially Carrie."

"Thanks," Jake muttered, tucking the flier in his pocket. Jake leaned forward, his eyes locked onto Jason's. "Do you know of anyone who might have had a grudge against Carrie? Someone who might have wanted to hurt her?"

Jason's brow furrowed, and he sat back in his chair, deep in thought. "No, I can't think of anyone... but when the police told me about how she died... I've gotta say, it's pretty weird."

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