Chapter 23
J oel jogged through the vegetation along the river. An elderly couple in the woods had called for help two hours ago. Signal had cut out and Joel’s team had lost contact, but Ethan had used phone towers to triangulate a rough search area. They also had the drone out scanning the forest.
The steady thumps of his steps competed with the whoosh of wind through trees.
Even though he was looking for the couple, he was also distracted by the phone call he’d received that morning. One to tell him that, after a week of holding Jonah, he’d been released on bail. Not today though… yesterday . Ward hadn’t thought to share the news with him or his team.
Asshole.
He still wasn’t convinced Jonah was the killer. But this would affect both Polly and her mother. Joel hadn’t spoken to Polly about it yet but was pretty certain Ward hadn’t shared the news with her or her mom either.
Jonah being released meant they didn’t have the proof they needed that he was the killer, and there was likely no previous criminal record. Then a judge had deemed him not to be a danger to society or a flight risk.
If it wasn’t Jonah, why would the killer leave the gun in that particular area? Apparently, Jonah walked that section of the forest a lot. Was he being framed? Did the killer know his habits and set him up?
They needed some damn answers.
The best thing to come out of this last week was Polly. They were back to where they’d been before Bronte had come to town. He hadn’t heard from his parents in days. It was almost starting to feel like his life in Houston was finally staying in Houston.
“Search and rescue,” Joel called out as he rounded a tree, forcing himself to focus on the job at hand. “Is anyone out here?”
Silence.
He jogged deeper into the trees and tried again. “Search and rescue, can anyone hear me?”
“Hello?”
His gaze swung toward the distant voice. He pulled out his radio. “I have something.”
The radio crackled before Ryan spoke. “Is it them?”
“Hopefully.”
He sped up his pace and passed by more trees. Then he saw them—an elderly man and woman huddled by the river, backpack beside them. Their heads snapped up.
Joel lifted his radio again. “It’s them.”
He didn’t share his location. Ethan would be able to track him through the GPS on his watch. The guys would come.
“Thank God you’re here,” the elderly man said, when Joel stopped beside them. “We tried to follow the river, but then Dorothy rolled her ankle.”
Joel lowered beside the woman. “I’m Joel.”
“Dorothy.” She offered a small smile. “And this is my husband, Clyde.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” He glanced at her ankle. The shoe and sock had already been removed. “Can I take a look?”
She nodded. “I rolled it on a rock.”
It was swollen and already a deep shade of purple. “Are you in pain?”
“It’s manageable.”
Joel took off his pack and pulled out a bandage and an instant cold pack. “Did you park far?”
“The trailhead.”
“It’s a tough trek out here.” Joel got to work bandaging her ankle. “But the good news is, we’re about a mile from a trail. I can carry you, Dorothy. And Clyde, we can move as slow or as fast as you need. Then it’s an easy walk back.”
The couple nodded, relief evident on their features.
He radioed the team that they were moving before lifting Dorothy. The trek was slow and Clyde visibly struggled. Joel offered to stop and wait for the team, but the older man refused, wanting to get his wife help as quickly as possible.
He couldn’t blame him. Were their situations reversed, he’d do the same.
It didn’t take long for Ryan and Zac to reach them. They went to either side of Clyde and shouldered a lot of his weight. By the time they reached the couple’s parked car at the trailhead, color had returned to Dorothy’s cheeks.
“Thank you,” she sighed, as he deposited her in the back.
“I’ll drive.” Zac slid behind the wheel while the older man climbed into the passenger seat.
The car was just pulling away when Ethan radioed the team. “We have a situation here at base. We need you guys back here.”
Ryan lifted his radio. “Five minutes out.”
When they got back to the old firehouse, Connor and Ethan were facing a guy Joel had never seen before. He looked to be in his early-to-mid-twenties and was pacing the common room, a deep frown between his brows.
“What’s going on?” Joel asked.
“She’s gone,” the guy cried. “Teagan’s gone!”
“Who’s Teagan?” Ryan asked, as he approached.
“My girlfriend! She never came home last night. I only realized this morning when I woke up and the bed was empty. I tracked her phone, but when I got there, I found it and her car, but it was empty.”
“Whoa.” Joel stepped closer, hands up. “Calm down. Where’s her car?”
He opened his phone and pressed a few things before flipping it around. “Here.”
“The southeastern edge of the forest,” Joel said, studying the map. He opened his own map, found the spot, and pinned it before sharing the location with the guys.
“Have you notified Ward?” Ryan asked.
“Yes.” There was a bite to the word. “He told me not enough time has passed to do anything. I have to wait another twelve hours before he gets his ass out of his seat to search for her. But she wouldn’t just disappear on me.
And even if she did come home, then leave early to go for a walk or something—which is not the case—she wouldn’t have left her phone in her car. And with the missing women recently…”
Yeah. It wasn’t fucking good.
“And she’s been sick. Going through chemotherapy, something not many people know. I…I don’t like the idea of her being out there by herself.”
Shit .
“Do you have a photo of her?” Ethan asked.
The guy searched his phone before showing them a photo. “This is her. Teagan Kimm.”
Recognition hit Joel in the gut. He’d seen her before. Where had he?—
Oh shit. “She goes to the local Catholic church.”
“How did you know?” her boyfriend asked.
Because she was the woman who’d hugged Jonah on the steps last week.
He met the guy’s eyes. “We’re going to do everything we can to find her.”
Over the next ten minutes, Ryan gave them each a search grid. They took one truck to a central location, then split up.
Was this Jonah? It felt like a big fucking coincidence that the day he got out of jail, a new person went missing.
At the same time, was he stupid enough to take another woman the very day he got out?
Regardless of who did this, Joel had one job—find her. They couldn’t lose another woman. They were going to search this forest from top to bottom. They wouldn’t stop until they had her.
Polly set two coffees down on the table. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, dear.” Maureen lifted her mug.
Anika, who sat across from her, nodded. “Thank you. Caffeine is so needed.”
Polly frowned at Anika’s red-rimmed eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“I had a fight with Mark. I requested an emergency appointment with Maureen. Her readings always make me feel better. They give me guidance that I can’t seem to find anywhere else.”
Polly was tempted to tell the woman that, given the sheer number of fights she had with Mark, separation might be the best “guidance” of all, but she kept her lips sealed. It wasn’t her business. “I’m glad Maureen and caffeine can help.”
Anika just gave her a watery smile.
Before Polly could walk away, Maureen touched her hand. “How are you , Polly?”
“I’m good.” She really was. It had been a great week with Joel. Jonah was still behind bars, so she didn’t need to worry about him, and her mother seemed to be coping with everything pretty well. Things were so good, in fact, she almost didn’t want to jinx herself.
“And your mom?” Maureen asked quietly. “How is she after Jonah?”
“She’s doing okay. She’s had some time to get used to things.”
Maureen’s brows flickered. “No, I mean…” She stopped and shook her head. “Don’t worry.”
Polly frowned, giving the woman a curious glance before returning to the counter. Quickly, she texted Maggie.
Polly: Have you heard anything about Jonah?
Her best friend responded immediately.
Maggie: No. Why? Has something changed? Do they have new evidence to confirm he did it?
Polly: Not as far as I’m aware. Can you let me know if you hear anything?
Maggie: Of course.
Over the next hour, Bloom got busy. She sold almost all the flowers, took dozens of coffee and croissant orders, and spent a large chunk of time putting books back onto shelves that customers forgot to put away.
She was reshelving The Hero She Needs by Anna Hacket when she noticed David Collins, the town recluse, sitting on the couch in the corner beside the bookshelf, reading.
He always had the same coffee order—black, no sugar.
And he always ordered a ham panini. That was the only time he ever initiated conversation, but it never went beyond his order.
She moved over to his couch and lifted his empty mug. “How is it?”
“Good.” He didn’t meet her gaze.
She nibbled her bottom lip, tempted to ask what he was reading in an attempt to draw a conversation out of him, but decided against it. If he didn’t want to talk to anyone, that was his business. She’d probably be the same if she lost someone she loved.
Heck, he didn’t just lose his wife, he’d had to prove his innocence in her disappearance.
A throat cleared from a few tables over. She turned and groaned at the sight of Gerome, Ward’s jerk of a son.
“Hey, Polls.” One side of his mouth lifted.
“It’s Polly.” She lifted his empty mug. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“Nope. I’m good.” He cocked his head, that awful grin on his face. “How’s stepdaddy doing?”
“How the hell would I know? He’s behind bars.”
The smile widened. “Huh. That’s interesting.”
“What’s interesting?”
He just laughed.
Argh .
She moved back to the counter. On her way, she spotted her mother in the flower section, smelling dahlias.
Polly dumped the dishes in the sink, and when she returned to the counter, her mother was on the other side, flower in hand. “Hey, Mom.”
“Good morning, sweetheart.” She put the flower to her nose and inhaled before putting it in front of Polly’s nose. “Smell. It will brighten your entire day.”
Polly inhaled the sweet scent. “It’s nice.”
“Nice? No, honey, it’s pure joy.”
She cocked her head. “You seem happy.”
“I have good reason to be happy.”
A sinking feeling dropped into Polly’s stomach. Because too often, the one thing that put that sparkle into her mother’s eyes was a man. “Did you meet someone?”
Her mother frowned. “What?”
“A guy , Mom. Did you meet a guy?”
“Well, kind of?—”
Oh, Jesus. “Mom. You’re not even divorced yet. Can’t you be single for two seconds? Your husband is in prison . He’s?—”
“He isn’t.”
Polly stopped. “He isn’t what?”
“Jonah isn’t in prison.”
She gasped. “What?”
“He got out. Now, don’t get mad,” Olivia said quickly, grabbing her hand. “He came over this morning.”
Oh no… “Mom?—”
“He didn’t do it, Polly. He told me he didn’t hurt that woman, and I believe him. Plus, he posted bail. They couldn’t find enough evidence to keep him in.”
She scrubbed a hand over her face. “He was found with a murder weapon.”
“One that he picked up outside without thinking.”
“No.”
Her mother frowned. “What?”
“You are not getting back with him.”
“He’s at my house right now. That’s why I came here, to tell you that I’m going home. And he’s staying with me.”
One big calming breath.
That was better.
She rounded the counter and took her mother’s hands between hers.
“Mom. I never ask you for much. But I’m asking you this.
Please wait. You’re right, he might be innocent.
And once we have that confirmation, you can get back to being happily married, but for now, I want you to give it some time.
I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t know you’re safe. ”
Her mother frowned. “It’s really that important to you?”
“Yes.”
There was a moment of silence before her mother nodded. “Okay.”
Thank God. She pulled her mother into a hug. “I love you, Mom.”
“Oh, Polly, I love you so much, darling.”
When they separated, her mother took a seat at a table while Polly made her a coffee.
She’d just delivered it to her table and returned to the counter when an older couple appeared on the other side. “Hi. What can I get for you?”
They were both very well-dressed. The woman had perfectly trimmed short blond hair and expensive-looking slacks with a matching shirt. The man had silver hair and wore a suit. A very well-tailored suit.
“Are you Polly Mack?” the woman asked.
“I am. Do I know you?” There was something familiar about the woman’s eyes. And the man…he was tall and broad, kind of reminding her of?—
“My name is Martha Dawson, and this is my husband, Grant. We’re Joel’s parents.”
Shit .
“Hi.” That was all she said. Because she had no idea what else to say.
“Joel doesn’t know we’re here,” the man said. “We want to speak to you first.”
“About what?” But she knew what.
“Do you have a moment?” Martha asked.
“I’m actually really busy.”
The woman glanced around the café, a brow lifting like she was calling Polly’s bluff.
Okay. She wasn’t run-off-her-feet busy at this very moment. But the idea of talking to Joel’s parents without him felt all kinds of wrong.
Grant cleared his throat. “We’re staying at the Blue Swan Inn for two nights. We have something we’d like to discuss with you. Trust me when I say, you’ll benefit from this meeting.”
“We all will,” Martha added.
That icky feeling in her belly blossomed.
“Room twenty-eight,” Martha added, giving a tight smile before stepping back. “We’ll see you tonight.”
Then they just walked out, assuming that she would go simply because they told her to.
Would she? She had no idea.