CHAPTER THREE
Jenna turned her cruiser onto the quiet lane that would lead her to Claudia Kingsley's house.She tried to focus on the road ahead rather than the echo of her twin sister's words about vultures and wolves.
She was hoping to discover an innocent explanation for a teacher's missed workday.People overslept.They forgot appointments.They came down with sudden illnesses and failed to call in.But from what Jake had told her over the phone, Claudia Kingsley had never missed a day without notice in her eight years of teaching.
“Please be sleeping off a hangover,” Jenna muttered to herself, accelerating slightly as the houses grew farther apart, lots expanding into the semi-rural outskirts of Trentville.“Please just be nursing a broken heart with a bottle of wine.”
Jenna had met Claudia only a handful of times—once at a community fundraiser for the elementary school, and again when Claudia had attended one of the sheriff department's safety workshops after a string of break-ins last year.She'd seemed reserved but kind, the type of elementary teacher who maintained order without raising her voice, who commanded respect through consistency rather than fear.
Keir, on the other hand, had struck Jenna as charming but hollow, a man so concerned with appearances that he'd forgotten substance.His landscaping business was successful, his work conscientious, but there was something about his smooth smile that never seemed genuine.When news of his affair with an employee had spread through Trentville—as all scandals inevitably did—Jenna hadn't been surprised.Disappointed, but not surprised.She felt sure that the separation must have been hard on Claudia.Three months wasn't long enough to rebuild a life shattered by infidelity.
The road curved sharply to the right, and Claudia's two-story colonial home came into view, set back from the road and partially obscured by mature oak trees.It was a handsome house, painted a soft green with crisp white trim.Keir's touch was evident in the landscaping—perfectly symmetrical flowerbeds, artfully placed stone pathways, a small Japanese maple that added a splash of deep red against the green lawn.A home designed to project harmony and order, now a scene of concern for the one who lived there.
Jake's department cruiser was parked at the curb.As Jenna pulled up behind it, she saw Officers Miller, Ramirez, and Delgado near the front porch.Jake himself was speaking with an older woman in a floral gardening apron, her gray hair pulled back neatly.Jenna recognized her as Mrs.Thornfield, Claudia's neighbor from across the street.She parked behind Jake's vehicle and stepped out.
“Sheriff,” Jake said as she approached, “Mrs.Thornfield here has been kind enough to provide us with some information.”
“And a spare key,” the older woman added, holding up a silver house key.“Claudia gave it to me last year when she went to visit her mother in Chicago.Asked me to water her plants.I never gave it back, and she never asked for it.Guess that was fortunate, considering.”
“Mrs.Thornfield, I'm Sheriff Graves,” Jenna introduced herself.“When was the last time you saw Claudia?”
“Yesterday afternoon, around four.She was just coming home from school, I guess.Waved to me like she always does.”The woman's brow furrowed.“Is she okay?It's not like her to not show up at work without calling.”
“That's what we're here to find out,” Jenna said, keeping her tone even, reassuring.No need to alarm the neighbor until they knew more.“Have you noticed anything unusual in the past few days?Visitors?Strange cars?Arguments?”
Mrs.Thornfield shook her head.“Nothing out of the ordinary.It's been quiet since Keir moved out.Too quiet, if you ask me.A house needs life in it.”
“And Keir hasn't been by recently?”
“Not that I've seen.But I'm not watching the place 24/7, you understand.I have my own life to live.”
Jake caught Jenna's eye.“Still no answer on her cell phone.It goes straight to voicemail.”
That detail sharpened Jenna's concern.They knew that Claudia's car was still here, but where was she?
“Thank you for your help, Mrs.Thornfield.We're going to check inside now.Would you mind waiting out here with Officer Miller?”
The older woman looked disappointed at being excluded from the investigation but replied, “Of course.I hope she's alright.”
“Ramirez and Delgado, you stay out here too.Keep an eye on the perimeter,” Jenna instructed.“Jake, you're with me.”
Mrs.Thornfield handed over the key, and Jenna approached the front door.Following procedure, she knocked firmly and called out, “Claudia?This is Sheriff Graves.Are you there?”
Silence answered her.
After a second attempt with the same result, Jenna slid the key into the lock.The door opened smoothly, revealing a dim entryway.The house had that particular stillness that spoke of emptiness—no footsteps, no television murmur, no rustling of pages or clinking of dishes.
“Claudia?”Jenna called again as she and Jake stepped inside.“Genesius County Sheriff's Department.We're here to check on you.”
Jake moved to the right, toward what appeared to be a living room.“Clear,” he called a moment later.
Jenna went left, into a neat kitchen.A coffee mug sat in the sink, not washed.A newspaper from yesterday was folded on the counter, open to the crossword puzzle, half completed.A small notepad beside it had a grocery list written in a tidy hand—milk, bread, coffee, laundry detergent.Normal, everyday things.No signs of struggle or disturbance.
“Kitchen's clear,” she called to Jake.
They methodically worked through the first floor—dining room, home office, half bathroom under the stairs.Everything in its place, nothing to suggest violence or a hasty departure.The house felt...paused, as if Claudia had simply stepped out momentarily and would return at any second.
“Let's check upstairs,” Jenna said, leading the way up the carpeted staircase.