Chapter 9
Gabe normally didn’t like riding shotgun, and when El parked outside of Kenna’s house, he jumped out before her patrol car came to a stop.
He charged ahead to Kenna’s one-bedroom bungalow.
Painted a bright orange, the familiar building stood out in the complex of four bungalows.
He stopped in the driveway that ran between the buildings.
“Not the best neighborhood, is it?” El asked as she stepped up beside him, a large toolbox-like evidence kit in her hand.
With El’s fresh perspective in mind, he took a look around. He’d been there countless times over the years and had really stopped paying attention to the sketchy neighborhood. Each visit, he’d checked out Kenna’s building to look for security and repair issues and ensure she and Lucy stayed safe.
Today, he could see the peeling paint on the houses around them, lawns needing mowing, weeds popping up in the grass, and long crumbling sidewalks.
“Neighborhood’s sketchy, and I didn’t really like her living here, but it was all she could afford on a daycare teacher’s salary. I tried to help by supplementing her salary, but she refused to take any money from me.”
“Sounds like she might’ve been too proud.”
“I’m not sure if it was pride. Her parents kicked her out when she was sixteen and told her she wouldn’t amount to anything. So paying for everything on her own was like proving she could succeed.”
“I can see someone doing that.”
Gabe nodded as memories returned. Nearly every one of his visits there had been a positive experience he’d looked forward to each time. Sure, Kenna had hard times, and he’d come here to help her through them, but in the end, they could always find something to laugh about.
He wouldn’t be laughing today, and the only reason he would return again would be to go through her things and pack them up.
After all, he was the only invested person in her life besides Mrs. Z.
, who lived next door, but Kenna had to be seeing someone to have gotten pregnant. Or it was another one-night mistake.
“What about security cameras?” El asked. “I don’t see any.”
“Another thing I wanted to do for her, but she wouldn’t let me.
Due to her limited finances, we didn’t usually exchange Christmas gifts, but I tried giving her cameras one year.
She said she couldn’t afford to reciprocate and made me take them back.
Wouldn’t even let me do a doorbell camera, but she promised to save up for one. ”
“That’s unfortunate, but understandable from her point of view.” El set down her kit, got out disposable gloves, and handed a pair to Gabe. “Let’s get to the search.”
He slipped them on. El followed suit then retrieved his key from the bin. He’d surrendered it so she could come and go from here as needed.
On the small stoop, she made ready to insert the key, but stared at the door. “Four locks. Only one key.”
“What in the world?” He joined her on the stoop and stared at them. “She’s never had more than one lock. Let’s check the back.”
He jumped from the stoop and jogged around the side of the house to an equally worn door in the back. “Four locks here too. Not sure what to make of it.”
“Seems like she was afraid.”
“Yeah.” Gabe’s gut clenched. “Why didn’t she tell me about this?”
“Maybe it’s a new situation, and she planned to mention it when she got to the inn.”
“Could be.” He pointed at a long window. “I’ve always managed to get in here.”
He didn’t wait for her to stop him, but went to the window. He jiggled it, then jimmied the lock with a key from his pocket until it gave way.
“Seems a shame to install that many locks on the doors when there’s easy access like this.”
“Not so easy. You have to know the trick for it to work. I’ll go unlock the door.” He slipped through the opening and unlocked the back door so she could enter through the mudroom.
She glanced at him. “Are you sure you’re okay to do this search?”
“I’ll be fine,” he replied with confidence he didn’t feel.
She eyed him for a long moment, that intense law enforcement stare, and gave a sharp nod. “Follow me. Don’t touch anything until I tell you it’s okay.”
“Got it.” He filled his lungs with oxygen and followed her inside.
She led him down a short hallway to the main living space.
The combination living area and neat and tidy kitchen smelled of Kenna’s favorite green apple incense.
He studied the kitchen then her living room, her personality in every object.
He figured seeing her lifeless body had plummeted him to rock bottom, but being here cemented the raw emotion in his heart.
She would never be coming back here. Maybe not Lucy either.
His knees turned to liquid. He grabbed the island countertop.
El rushed over to him. “You’ve lost all color. Sit down. Now.”
He waved a hand. “Give me a minute, and I’ll be fine.”
She shook her head and took his arm to force him onto a turquoise counter stool. The cold metal chilled his body and helped cool him down, slowing the heat flushing across his face.
El eyed him with practiced discernment. “You stay here. I’ll search.”
“No. Wait. I might find something with meaning for me and not you.” He pushed off the stool. “I’ll start with the desk where I can sit down.”
She watched him for a few moments, then let out a breath. “Don’t move anything. If you find something of interest and you need to move it to get a better look, give me a shout.”
He didn’t wait for additional approval and stepped into the living room, decorated with furniture bought from thrift shops. Kenna had draped blankets and quilts in oranges and yellows over the cushions. The place looked lived-in but homey at the same time.
The small desk was barely wider than the chair he sat in. He opened the single drawer and found only typical desk items like pens, pencils, and a pack of crayons.
He moved to the stack of drawers on wheels sitting next to the desk. The large bottom drawer held file folders, all neatly labeled with printed labels. He quickly ran his fingers over the titles.
“You should come over here,” he called out. “I found bank statements, monthly bills, and her will. Also looks like a child ID packet for Lucy.”
El left the kitchen drawer she was searching to make her way through the room, her phone in hand. “Pictures before we pull anything out.”
He scooted his wheeled chair out of the way.
She squatted to take the pictures. “I’d like to look at the will first. See if anyone stands to gain from her death.”
“It’s not like she had much money.”
“But her death might not be about money. It might be about custody of Lucy’s parentage.”
“I doubt Kenna would spell that out in her will. She didn’t want the father to be part of her life while she was alive. Why would she want him to be involved after she died?”
“You never know.” El drew the folder out and laid it open on the desk. “Not many pages.”
She ran her finger down the document, and he eased as close as he could to read it too.
“She left most everything to you,” El said, then continued her finger down the page. “She leaves several personal items to a Mrs. Irina Zaitsev.”
“Mrs. Z. She’s Kenna’s neighbor across the driveway. They were good friends despite their age difference, and she’s like a grandmother to Lucy.”
“Sounds like you know her. That should help when we interview her.”
Sure it would, but sadly, he had to tell the lovable older woman Kenna had died, and Lucy was missing.
“No mention of a significant other?” he asked, changing the subject.
“None.” She flipped the page, revealing a guardianship clause for Lucy.
“Wow!” El whipped her head around to look at him. “Did you know Kenna wanted you to be Lucy’s guardian if anything happened to her?”
“She talked to me about it. I agreed, too, but I figured it was one of those offhand comments, you know? Not something she would’ve put in an official document.
” He swallowed past the hard lump in his throat.
“I shouldn’t be surprised. Other than Mrs. Z.
, there really wasn’t anyone else in Kenna’s life. ”
El tapped the document. “She goes on to state that she doesn’t ever want her parents to raise Lucy. You said they kicked her out when she was sixteen. Why?”
“Believe it or not it was because of her faith. She was the strongest woman of faith I’ve ever met.
No, thanks to her parents. It started in childhood when a friend took her to church on Sundays.
Then in high school, she got really involved.
Her parents weren’t believers, and they didn’t want that stuff in their house.
Said if she wanted to live under their roof she had to give up this God thing.
She couldn’t do that, and they stuck to their guns, telling her to pack her bags and leave. ”
“Talk about harsh,” El said. “Is that the last time she saw them?”
He shook his head. “Hoping they’d want to be grandparents, she went back after Lucy was born. But since Kenna wasn’t married and had a child, they shunned her again.”
“Don’t take offense to this, please, but if she was such a strong woman of faith, how did she get pregnant out of wedlock?”
“Even the strongest of Christians make mistakes. But she never considered Lucy a mistake. She always believed Lucy was a blessing from God, and she wanted her child raised in the faith. She knew her parents would never do that.”
El gave him a quizzical look. “Do you plan to take custody of Lucy?”
Did he? Gabe sat back, trying to digest the fact that he had a major decision to make.
Did he care for Lucy, or allow her to go to foster care?
He couldn’t imagine doing either one, but he would have to make a choice at some point.
That was, if they found her alive. Something he believed would happen.
And he would be so thankful that he would want her with him forever.
At least he prayed he’d want that to happen.