Page 44 of Wild Escape

“Which window had the sensor problem?”

The sheriff had told me the assailants came in through a downstairs window in the spare bedroom.

Mrs. Caldwell confirmed that was the room.

A young woman burst into the ER. Her frazzled eyes scanned the room and found Audrey. She made a beeline for us.

I figured it had to be Kenzie.

23

Kenzie’s face twisted with sorrow. The tears streamed, and her throat tightened. Her mother rushed to greet her and gave her a hug.

A rocker-type guy was with her. I figured him for her boyfriend. Sleeved in tattoos with medium-length black hair, black fingernails, and a few skull rings. He wore tight jeans and a faded concert-T with the sleeves cut off. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes. He looked ridiculous at this hour.

Kenzie was a beautiful young woman in her early 20s with raven hair, full lips, and ice blue eyes. She had a petite figure. At this time of night, she looked a little sunken and hollow. This kind of news would hollow anyone out. Her red, puffy eyes kept leaking.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Audrey said.

Kenzie just sobbed in her mother's arms. “Is he going to be okay?”

“Keep praying. He’s in surgery now.”

It was hard to watch. We’d seen too many families broken apart, and it never got any easier. I hoped Doug would pull through.

After they'd had a moment together, I addressed Kenzie and made introductions.

"I’m Tyson Wild. Special Crimes," I said. "I’ll be conducting the investigation.”

She nodded and looked at me with a stiff face, full of shock.

"Can you think of anyone who expressed an interest in the book recently?"

Kenzie shook her head.

"Was it something you ever talked about with your friends? Did anyone know about it or what it was worth?"

She shook her head again. "No. I don't talk about that kind of thing with my friends.”

"I’m looking for anyone who had access to the house and knew about the safe."

"I don't know. I don’t live there anymore. Like I said, I really don't talk about the book to my friends. I haven’t thought about it in years."

"Your mother said you live in the Nautilus. Have you been at your condo the entire evening?” I asked, trying to make it sound like a casual question.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just curious. Do you live alone?"

She shared an awkward look with her mother.

"I live alone, but Hayden was with me."

He nodded.

Kenzie looked at Audrey, "No, he's not living there.”

Hayden stayed out of this. It was obviously a bone of contention.