Jenna didn't start the engine immediately.Instead, she turned to face her deputy.“Remember what Morgan told us about Rebecca Hartley?”
“That she was reported missing by a colleague at work?”
“Yes.Dana Schultz, her colleague at the Pinecrest Family Wellness Center.That's who we need to talk to next.”
“You think she knows something?”Jake asked.
“I think she might have the connection we're missing.”Jenna started the engine, the low rumble filling the silence between them.“Rebecca was a child psychologist, working with kids in therapeutic settings.If there's a link between her and Claudia Kingsley beyond the obvious similarities in how they died, Dana might know what it is.”
Jake nodded, already pulling out his phone.“I'll find the address for the wellness center.”
As Jake searched, Jenna's thoughts drifted back to the crime scenes.Both women had been found with fairy tale imagery staged around their bodies.Claudia Kingsley hung inside a burlap wolf's belly, and Rebecca Hartley was in a coffin-like freezer, holding an apple with one bite taken from it.
The details were too specific, too deliberate to be a coincidence.They repeated elements from the original Red Riding Hood and Show White stories.Whoever had killed those two women had a message to send, and Jenna was determined to decode it before anyone else died.
“Got it,” Jake said, breaking into her thoughts.“It's on Oakridge Drive, about fifteen minutes from here.”He paused, his expression growing cautious.“You know Morgan will be furious if he finds out we're still investigating on his turf.”
“Morgan can be as furious as he wants after we solve this case.Right now, I'm more concerned about stopping whoever did this before they strike again.”
“Still, we need to tread carefully.”Jake replied.“Morgan's not the type to forgive jurisdictional overreach, even if it leads to an arrest.”
“I know.”Jenna pulled out of the parking space, steering out of the police station lot.“We'll try to keep him in the dark until we've solved this thing, which had better be soon.”
“You have a theory brewing, don't you?”
“More than a theory.”Jenna kept her eyes on the road, but her mind was reviewing images.“The positioning of the bodies, the fairy tale elements – it's all too specific.This isn't random violence.It's methodical, planned, personal.”
“Definitely planned and methodical,” Jake agreed.“Personal how?”
“I'm not sure about that part yet,” Jenna admitted.“But I think these specific women were targeted for a reason.Something connected them to each other and to the killer.Something that made them significant enough to become part of whatever twisted narrative is playing out.”
They fell into thoughtful silence as Jenna drove through Pinecrest traffic.
“Do you think we'll find anything useful?”Jake asked finally, breaking the silence.“Dana Schultz might not know anything beyond what she's already told Morgan when they were discussing her as a missing person.”
“Maybe.But sometimes people remember details they didn't think were important when they're asked different questions.And Morgan might not have been looking for the same connections we are.”
“And I suppose Dana doesn’t know that Rebecca is dead,” Jake observed.“We’ll probably have to break that news ourselves.Never a pleasant task, but we’ve had to do it before.”
Jenna fell silent.Somewhere out there, a killer was watching, waiting, perhaps already planning their next move.
“We're going to stop this,” Jake said quietly, as if reading her thoughts.“Whatever is happening, whoever is behind it – we'll find them.”
Jenna met his gaze briefly, drawing strength from the steadiness she found there.“Yes,” she agreed.“We will.”
They were halfway to Pinecrest Family Wellness Center when Jenna's phone rang, the sharp electronic tone cutting through her thoughts.She glanced at the screen before answering.“It's Mom,” she told Jake, tapping the speaker button.“Hey, Mom.Is everything okay with Piper?”
“She's fine, physically,” Margaret's voice came through, tense with concern.“But Jenna, she's been hearing voices again.She woke up from a nap about twenty minutes ago, very agitated.”
Jenna exchanged a quick glance with Jake.“What are the voices saying now?”
“That's just it—it's odd.She keeps repeating the same phrase: 'She lives in the twilight.'She's written it down a dozen times.
A chill settled between Jenna's shoulder blades.“She lives in the twilight,” she repeated slowly.“Did Piper say anything else?Any context?”
“No, nothing else.Just that phrase, over and over.”Margaret sounded tired.
Jenna frowned, considering.“Tell Piper we're working on it.And Mom?Keep her inside today, okay?”