Her Last Word(84)

“I suppose. My aunt left it to me. It’s been in our family for three generations.”

His gaze dropped to the heart pendant around her neck. “Did your aunt also leave you that?”

Automatically her fingertips brushed over it. “Yes, this was Gina’s.”

“It’s nice.”

Kaitlin hefted her backpack without too much of a wince or pull. “Ready.”

“You look a little stiff.”

“I worked too hard yesterday grading my students’ projects. I figured with all that was going on, I better get the grades in now.”

“Are you sure you’re really up to the trip today?”

“Yes.”

He studied her closely. “There’s going to be no filming or recording today. This is an open murder investigation.”

“Understood.”

He opened her front door and waited as she passed. It locked automatically, but he checked to make sure it was secure before the two made their way to his waiting SUV. She clicked on her seat belt and settled into the seat as he slid behind the wheel.

He backed out of the spot in one swift, smooth move. “I was able to get the video footage from several Crowley neighbors.”

“What did you find?”

“You approached the front door, just as you said, hesitated a beat or two, and then entered the residence. The camera caught a shadow moving through the house just before you arrived.”

“It was a trap.”

“Yes.” Adler tightened his fingers on the wheel.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“There’s a farm about twenty miles outside of the city. That’s where Hayward and the uniforms are meeting us.” He flashed his police lights, and slower-moving vehicles parted, allowing him to glide past.

He took a westbound exit, drove past a mile’s worth of strip malls, and headed toward open country. They drove for ten minutes before he slowed. Automatically she unzipped her backpack and pulled out her phone.

“No recordings.”

“Just a description of the area for later.”

“Until the case is closed, no recordings.” When she readied a rebuttal he said, “Do you always press the boundaries?”

She shrugged and put her phone back in her backpack. “Every chance I get.”

“Not here. Especially not today.”

She would play nice because she needed to see this to the end. “Fine. No recording.”

His gaze traveled over her. “What’re your plans after you finish this podcast?” he asked.

“Good question. I have lots of contacts in Dallas, so I can return and find work fairly easily.”

“Is that what you want? To go back?”

“I don’t think so. I have about six months’ worth of savings, and if I’m careful, I won’t have to rush the decision.” She looked out the window toward the rolling land. “I’ve been here before.”

“When?”

“About a month before Gina vanished. There was a party here.”

The road grew bumpier, and he slowed down the car so the ruts weren’t as jarring. “Who owns the property?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask a lot of questions back then.”

Looking out of the car, she stared at the yellow crime scene tape rippling in the wind. The sky above was dark, and the plump clouds were heavy with rain. The wind skimmed over the top of the sprouting new green grass, and her skin tingled with unease. She wrapped her arms around her midsection. She edged closer to Adler.

“Gina loved her country parties,” Kaitlin said. “My aunt wasn’t crazy about us going.”

“She had cause to worry. Out here if something went wrong, no one could get in or out quickly.”

“I only came once on the Fourth of July. Randy and Derek shot off fireworks. There were a dozen kegs and fifty kids here.”

“Where was Gina?”

“She and her ex-boyfriend spent most of the night together. They looked like they were having intense conversations.”

“Were they fighting?”

“No. They still had feelings for each other, and breaking up was harder than Gina imagined.”

“Were Erika and Jennifer here?”

“They were. Jennifer had a date with Larry Jenkins.”

“I didn’t realize they were romantic.”

“It was just the one date.” Being here and talking about the past released a flood of emotions. “We might be on the verge of finding Gina, and I’m terrified.”

“That’s natural.”

“I’ve made so many mistakes,” she said, more to herself.

“When I visited with Hayward, he talked about the night Gina vanished,” Adler said.

“Did he admit he took Gina?”

“No.”

“Did he say if someone else was on the road that night?” she asked.

“No.”

She breathed in deeply. “He had to have had help that night.”

“He’s not giving us any details beyond Gina’s location.”

“I wish I could have saved her.”

“You were intoxicated and a confused, scared kid. You were no match for this guy.” He stopped and leaned in. “You could have stayed hiding in Dallas. Instead, you sobered up and came back here. We wouldn’t be this close to finding Gina now if not for you.”