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“Me too. It’s just such an odd thing for her to have, let alone leave behind. Lynnette wasn’t a teacher.”
“She could have liked the smell of it? Not sure if it means anything to our case though.”
“Me either. But we have theorized before Lynnette left breadcrumbs for us to follow.”
“And you think the chalk may be one?”
“It’s odd enough.” She shrugged and assembled more of the pieces in her head. The Gainesville bookstore, the fact that Katherine’s Mercedes was found north of there, Lynnette needing shelter where the rent was free… Chalk. “Striving Minds,” she blurted out. “The owner of the East End Pirate said that his half-sister had gone to school there with Lynnette. I thought the name sounded familiar when he said it, but I just clued into why.” She googled the school, and her instinct was rewarded. “I think I know where Rodney might be holding Katherine.”
SIXTY-SIX
Striving Minds was once a privately owned elementary school, but it fell into receivership several years ago and had remained abandoned ever since. The closure made news, and that was why Amanda had heard of the place. It sat on a parcel of land northeast of Gainesville and about ten minutes from where the Mercedes was found. As soon as they put it together, Amanda and Trent brought Malone up to speed. An officer was sent to check out the location and confirmed a white Ford van with NY plates appeared to be parked around the back amid overgrowth and evergreens. SWAT was called into action.
The approach was going to be quiet. No sirens and all PWCPD vehicles, including the SWAT command center, would park at a distance down the road.
It was nearing three thirty by the time everyone was on site. The drive there had passed excruciatingly slowly. Amanda didn’t say much and neither did Trent. Her mind was on Katherine and Logan. She hadn’t heard a word from him since he’d walked out last night, and she wanted to give him space to process what she’d told him and not pressure him into any sort of decision. This was all on her. She’s the one who messed up.
She also beat herself up for taking this long to find Katherine. If only she or Trent had thought of someone associated with Katherine’s mother’s murder before now. Amanda had expressed this to Trent, and he’d made good points in their defense. To start, nothing pointed them there. Even if they had looked into that angle prior to getting the shooter’s face and the snake tattoo, they never could have linked Rodney Mitchell to this. And without learning about Lynnette Johnson’s rough past and her connection to Gainesville, they never would have been led here. Sadly, they’d had to jump through all the hoops.
Trent parked behind Malone’s SUV, and they approached the structure on foot. They were directed to stay at the property’s edge while SWAT did their thing.
Her heart was racing as she stood there watching their forms advance on the school. There was a cluster of cedar trees that would provide concealment, and she tucked in there.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Trent crept up behind her and spoke close to her ear.
“Just getting another vantage point.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Turn back around if you want to,” she said. Just the fact that Malone or any of the other SWAT officers hadn’t attempted to stop her gave her all the permission and freedom she needed to keep going.
“You know I go where you go.”
She dipped into another life trajectory for a moment. How would things look if the situation was different and they weren’t partners? But now wasn’t the time to daydream. “If you’re prepared to come with me, then stop all the whining,” she teased with a smile.
“Yeah-yeah.”
They walked for a bit, the chill in the air biting. The trees offered little shelter from the cold breeze.
She stopped and looked at the school. Most windows were boarded but not all. Those that weren’t refracted the sun and acted as mirrors. It was impossible to see through them.
“Preparing to go into position now.” A SWAT officer spoke over the comms.
“See? They’re on this,” Trent said. “We don’t have to play hero today.” His phone rang.
She turned and hissed, “Turn that thing on silent.”
Trent answered swiftly. “It’s Malone. For you.” He handed his phone to her.
“Kind of busy, boss.”
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but turn back and leave this to SWAT.”
Being this close to Katherine and needing to stand by was killing her. “I’m just checking things out for my?—”
A scream tore through the afternoon air. She ended the call and tossed Trent’s phone back at him and ran toward the school. As she approached, she took advantage of the boarded windows but still ducked down as she inched her way to the rear doors.
She didn’t hear anything.
