Page 40 of In Her Path

Mayor Claire Simmons.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jenna stared at the monitor in disbelief. Surely, she thought, there must be some mistake.

But when she played the tape further, she saw the back door open again. The same figure emerged, wearing that pantsuit with brass buttons, that hat obscuring the face, a handbag slung over her shoulder.

The woman paused at the threshold, glancing once toward the camera with a tilt of her head that suggested awareness, then stepped off the back stoop and disappeared into the darkness beyond reach of the security light.

Jenna paused the tape and stared. There was no mistake. The clothing was identical to what the mayor had worn at the City Hall meeting.

The timestamp read 3:20 a.m. Eleven minutes inside. There was enough time to kill and then maim the body of Diane Holt.

Doris Gordon was still standing beside Jenna, arms crossed tight against her chest, eyes fixed on the frozen image. “Sheriff, who is that?” she asked.

Jenna didn't answer. She had never encountered a case with this level of political complication. A second city council member was killed, with the same MO as the first one. The chief elected official apparently captured on security footage entering and then leaving the victim's home.

The slamming of car doors outside broke her concentration. The backup had arrived—Officers Royce and Delgado, judging from the sound of their approaching voices. Jenna glanced at Doris.

“I’m going to have you speak with one of my officers,” Jenna told her, keeping her voice calm. “Just tell them everything you know about the house and the Holts’s routines. They’ll need to take your official statement, but that’s routine.”

“But,” Doris swallowed hard, “do you know who that is on the tape?”

“We don’t know anything for certain yet,” Jenna interrupted gently. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—confirm suspicions about the Mayor until she had proof that went beyond that surveillance footage. “The best thing you can do right now is to help my team gather as much information as possible. For the time being, though, don’t tell anybody about this tape—not even the officers.”

Her face drawn with worry, Doris said. “I’ll do whatever you need, Sheriff. That poor man... He’s had so much to bear already.”

As Jenna and Doris made their way back along the hallway, they found that Gerald Holt was now seated in a living-room armchair, a blanket draped across his lap. His eyes were vacant, staring at a point near the window. Officer Maria Delgado was there, talking with Jake. Jenna was glad to see her—Maria’s empathetic approach was needed right now.

“Deputy Hawkins just briefed Royce and me about Mr. Holt’s murder,” Maria told Jenna. “More personnel is on the way. Royce is already securing the perimeter.”

“Good,” Jenna said. “Officer Delgado, this is Doris Gordon. She’s the Holts’s housekeeper and Gerald Holt’s caregiver. I need you to take her statement, anything she can tell you about the house and the family’s routine. Then I need for you to personally look after Mr. Holt. He’s in a state of shock.”

Delgado’s gaze shifted briefly to Doris, then back to Jenna. “Will do, Sheriff.”

Jenna caught Jake’s eye, giving a slight glance toward the hallway. He followed her back to the utility room.

“What did you find?” Jake asked immediately.

Jenna activated the monitor, showing the footage of the woman both coming and going.

Jake leaned forward, his face tightening as he watched. When the footage ended, he straightened. “That’s the Mayor’s outfit from yesterday’s council meeting.”

“I know.”

Jake let out a low whistle. “Damn it, Jenna. This is—”

“I know what it is,” she cut him off. “But we need to be careful. The face isn’t visible. All we can say for certain is that someone wearing the Mayor’s clothes entered this house last night. Right now we need to reach the Mayor. Find out what she has to say.”

“I’ll call the station, have someone—”

“No.” Jenna shook her head. “I’ll call her directly. This needs to be handled carefully.”

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Claire Simmons’s private number. It rang three times before going to voicemail. The Mayor’s recorded voice—confident, slightly patronizing—invited her to leave a message.

“Mayor Simmons, this is Sheriff Graves. I need to speak with you immediately. Please call me back as soon as you get this.” She ended the call, then dialed the Mayor’s office at City Hall.

The phone was answered, “Mayor Simmons’s office, this is Meredith Soll.”