Page 29 of Caretaker

Mentally, I shrugged.

Eventually, I’d be whatever I needed to be.

I walked to the high-security fence and grasped one of the tall metal bars, then closed my eyes and opened my mind.

Where are you, Mrs. Bennett?

My cell vibrated, jerking me out of my moment. I pulled it from my pocket, then frowned. “Captain?”

“Where are you, Trinity?”

“Behind the judge’s house, picking up Madalyn’s trail. What’s up?”

He hesitated, and when he spoke again, his voice was gruff and reluctant. “Nothing. I fell asleep long enough to dream you were in trouble.”

“You’re dreaming about me, Crawford?” I teased.

He said nothing.

I hurried to fill the uncomfortable silence. “I’m fine. Nothing going on here. Go back to sleep.”

“I was grabbing a nap at my desk. I’m at work. I’m always at work.” He hung up.

“That was weird,” I told Shane, putting my phone away.

“He was checking on you,” Shane said.

“Yes.” I shrugged. “I’m going to track Madalyn on foot for a while.”

He walked a few steps behind me, guarding my back while my mind was on the teasing trail of Madalyn Bennett. It stretched like a long, empty road before me, leading me ever onward.

My cell vibrated again. “Rhys? Everything okay?”

“Trinity…I got a bad feeling. I just wanted to…” He cleared his throat, his voice strained. “You’re okay, then.”

“I am now,” I told him, gently. “Rhys, can you call Clayton and Miriam and tell them I’m all right?”

“What happened?”

“I just…I ducked out for a couple of minutes.”

“You mean—”

“Yes,” I answered. “It was weird. But I’m okay. Tell the others?”

“I will.” He hung up.

I continued tracking, but an hour later, I finally stopped, irritated. “I feel like I could follow her scent forever. We need to go back and get the truck. Her scent is strong, but she’s not here.”

But as I wiped sweat from my face, something fluttered on the edge of my mind and when Shane opened his mouth, I held up a finger to halt him.

Something, something…

I turned and jogged away, my heart racing. I felt her.

And she was close.

Now that I’d caught it, I couldn’t imagine how I hadn’t found it in the first place. It was there, it was obvious, and it was strong.