“If Kenzie’s going,” Holly says from behind me, “then so am I.”
“Did y’all plan this?” I glance over my shoulder to where Holly’s standing in the doorway, holding her kitten. “Listen, I can’t do my job if I’m worrying about keeping you both safe.”
“I’ll look after ‘em,” Austin says. “I’ll follow you in my truck. They can hang out with me until you clear the scene.”
Both Holly and McKenzie regard me with the same determined expression. I don’t deny that these girls have managed to accomplish what had otherwise seemed impossible: outwitting and outrunning the serial killer who’s been stalking their peers for years now. They’re a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about it. But bringing McKenzie back to the scene of the crime feels a lot like pressing her fragile luck.
I scrub my face in frustration. “It’s not safe.”
“What is safe?” Holly asks. “If you miss important evidence and Hoyt goes free, how is that keeping anyone safe?”
McKenzie stands up straighter. She’s not the girl from the party, but she is looking better than she did this morning. And she’s talking a fair amount more. Still, that doesn’t mean she’s ready to go back to the place where her entire world imploded.
“I want to help,” she says. “I need to help.”
My mind flashes back to a conversation I had two mornings ago in my kitchen with Holly—and who could forget how that turned out. My little girl pads up to me, placing both hands on my chest.
“Please, Cal.” Her gaze darts to McKenzie, then back to me. She knows her best friend better than anyone. The things she fears. The things she needs.
“Y’all promise to stay by the truck unless explicitly told otherwise?” I ask.
Both girls nod.
I turn to Austin. “You’re gonna protect them like it’s your sole purpose on this fucking earth?”
“I won’t let ‘em out of my sight,” he says, patting his hip, implying he’ll be armed to protect them.
Turning back to the girls, I tell them, “If Harris says no, that’s the end of it. You hear me?”
The girls nod again.
I drag my phone from my pocket and fire off a call to my boss.
To my utter shock and disappointment, Lieutenant Harris approves the girls’ presence, so long as they agree to stay by the road until summoned.
“I know you’ve got some body armor around here,” I growl at Austin. Out in the field, I’m not gonna be in control of Holly’s safety, and I’m not taking any fucking chances.
Austin fits the girls with tactical vests. To say they fit all wrong is an understatement, but it’s better than nothing.
Holly and McKenzie ride with Austin to the station. I’m not surprised to find a few extra cars in the lot when we pull in. On our call, Harris mentioned that once the warrant was issued, he was able to secure the cooperation of the state police.
Austin waits outside with the girls while those of us with badges crowd into the conference room for a short briefing.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Abby whispers to me, hooking her thumb toward the three of them out the window.
“Not at all,” I say. “But McKenzie wants to help, and Harris seems to think it might.”
Briefed and eager to take this show on the road, we climb into Abby’s car and begin the trip north to the Davis family’s property.
I watch Austin’s truck in the side mirror, the shadowed outline of Holly in the passenger’s seat. I don’t like the idea of her being out here like a sitting duck, or the real possibility of retraumatizing McKenzie.
Pain leaves a scar, like a landmark on a map. I know firsthand how tempting it is to keep returning to the place that haunts you. It’s like picking a scab. Rather than avoid the woods behind my house after Vicki was murdered, I’d go back to the same spot where I found my sister’s body. Drawn to it like an iron filament to a strong magnet. In my opinion, the worst thing we can do is encourage McKenzie to marinate in her grief.
“I’m surprised Jonah didn’t want to come along,” Abby says. “Aren’t you guys staying at his place?”
“Not anymore.” I tow my gaze away from the side mirror. “Austin’s putting us up at his place.” I shoot her a sidelong glance. “I’d appreciate if you’d kept that detail to yourself.”
“Of course,” she says. “You still think Harris could be the leak?”
“He’s certainly a contender.”
As we get closer to the farm, I immediately notice something isn’t quite right about the sky. I squint at the single off-white cloud floating above the horizon in a sea of clear blue.
“The hell’s that?” I mutter.
“What?” Abby scans the sky. “Oh shit...”
My suspicions are confirmed the closer we get to the Davis family’s farm.
Firetrucks, an ambulance, and four state troopers line the driveway. Lieutenant Harris parks and practically vaults out of his vehicle. Abby pulls off to the side of the road behind Harris’ sedan, with state troopers and our forensic units following suit.