Page 67 of In Her Memory

But even as she lunged, Ethan was at the wall, his hand slapping against a section of paneling that looked no different from any other. There was a soft click, and then darkness—complete and sudden as the oil lamp’s flame was extinguished by a rush of air.

Jenna scrambled to her feet, fumbling in her pocket for her backup flashlight. The beam sprang to life, illuminating an empty room—and an open doorway where solid wall had been a moment before.

The passage beyond was narrow, with a floor that sloped gently upward. She snatched her weapon off of the floor and plunged into it, flashlight beam bouncing ahead of her as she ran. The passage twisted and turned, occasionally branching, but she followed the sounds of creaking wood, pushing herself to move faster despite the pain that flared with each step.

A flight of stairs led upward, back to the level of the passageways that opened into the rooms. She turned a corner, moving more cautiously now, aware that Ethan might be waiting in ambush. The corridor narrowed again, then opened into a small chamber.

And there was Ethan, backed against the far wall, his escape route blocked by a solid panel of wood. He turned as Jenna entered, flashlight beam catching his face—flushed, breath coming in quick gasps, eyes wide with desperation.

“Sheriff,” he said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “We can talk about this. There’s no need for—“

Jenna didn’t give him the chance to finish. She crossed the room in three quick strides, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it behind his back in one smooth motion. Ethan cried out, dropping to his knees as she applied pressure to the joint. She holstered her gun and pulled her handcuffs from her belt.

“Ethan Pierce,” she said, “you’re under arrest for the murders of Donna Marsh and Boyd Calloway, and for the attempted murder of a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

She snapped the cuffs into place, securing his wrists behind his back. Only then did she allow herself to relax, the adrenaline that had carried her through the chase beginning to ebb, leaving exhaustion in its wake.

“Jake!” she called, her voice echoing through the passages. “Jake, can you hear me?”

For a long moment, there was nothing but the sound of her own breathing and Ethan’s quiet sobs. Then, from somewhere distant, came a reply.

“Jenna? Where are you?”

Relief flooded through her, so intense it made her knees weak. “Follow my voice!” she called back. “I’ve got him! I’ve got our killer!”

The answering call came again, closer this time. “I’m coming! Keep talking!”

Moments later, a beam of light appeared at the far end of the passage. It grew stronger, resolving into the shape of Jake, flashlight in one hand, gun in the other, his face tight with worry until he spotted her. Then his expression transformed, relief washing away the lines of tension.

“You’re okay,” he said, holstering his weapon as he reached her. “When you didn’t answer your radio...”

“I’m fine,” Jenna assured him, though the various aches and pains throughout her body suggested otherwise. “Bruised up and achy, but fine.”

She reached down, hauling Ethan to his feet. “Come on. Let’s get him out of here and book him. Then I want to see every inch of these passages mapped and photographed. No more secrets in Calloway House.”

As they made their way back through the labyrinth, Jenna felt a weight lifting. The killer was caught. The mystery was solved. And by now, her sister was home again—home for good, she hoped.

For the first time since Donna Marsh’s body had been discovered, Jenna allowed herself to believe that everything might, eventually, be all right.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Jenna slowed her car as she reached the intersection of Maple and Main, the streets nearly empty in the pre-dawn light. She was exhausted, and her whole body ached from falling down the passageway, but a sense of satisfaction was keeping her going. The case was closed, the killer was in custody, and the doctor at the ER had pronounced her free of concussion or serious injury,

She and Jake had parted with a promise to follow up on the discussion they’d agreed was due. Whatever the complications, whatever the risks, she also wanted to find out where this thing between them could go. And Frank had alerted her about Piper—her twin sister was back in Trentville, safe and whole.

Although Jenna was exhausted, she felt that she had a lot to look forward to.

The sky had begun to lighten in the east, pale streaks of gold pushing back the night. Storefronts along Main Street were still dark, their display windows reflecting Jenna’s headlights as she passed. A single paperboy pedaled his bicycle down the sidewalk, tossing folded newspapers onto porches. The rhythm of small-town life continuing, undisturbed by the darkness she’d just faced.

Jenna turned left onto Willow Street, heading toward her own neighborhood. She’d grab a few hours of sleep, then head back to the station to wrap up the final details of the case. Slowing as she approached the turn that would take her to her own street, she hesitated, then continued straight, toward her mother’s neighborhood. It was just an impulse to see her childhood home before getting to bed. Mom and Piper would still surely be asleep.

As Jenna approached, she caught sight of a figure on the porch swing—a woman wrapped up warmly, her breath visible in the chilly morning air. For a moment, Jenna’s heart stuttered, thinking it might be her mother up at this impossible hour. But as she drew closer, the figure raised a hand in greeting, and Jenna recognized the gesture, the tilt of the head.

It was Piper.

Jenna pulled to the curb, killing the engine and sitting for a moment, just watching. Her sister was really there—not a dream, not a memory, but flesh and blood, wrapped in one of their mother’s quilts and swinging gently on the porch.

Jenna stepped out of the car, her muscles protesting as she straightened. And then her sister was on her feet, the quilt falling away as she hurried down the steps. They met in the middle of the front yard, arms around each other, Piper’s face pressed against Jenna’s shoulder as they clung together. Jenna closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of her sister’s hair, feeling the solid reality of her presence.