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“Stick around until your house is processed.”

Fire flashed in her eyes.

Brody interceded. “Maybe she can pack a bag for the night? She can stay at the hotel tonight. We’ll head out tomorrow.”

“Brody—”

“It’s supposed to storm tonight.” Brody covered his mouth to hide a sudden yawn. Hadn’t felt that one coming on. “I’m exhausted, Jenna. I’d prefer not to drive until I’m rested.”

“Fine. I’ll stay at my friend Carly’s house, just for the night. Then we can leave tomorrow.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

Officer Green slid his pen into his breast pocket. “I’ll contact you when I have news. Why don’t you pack for a couple of nights? Take care not to touch anything unnecessarily. I need to call in the team to process this scene.”

The officer excused himself to make the phone call. Brody watched Jenna escape to her room.

A brittle tick-tick-tick danced down the windowpane. Brody moved toward the window, pushing the blinds aside. Outside, snow and chunks of ice fell in thick sheets, decreasing visibility.

He started to step back. Then paused. A car pulled along the curb on the other side of the road. In the dark, he couldn’t tell if it was black or some other dark color. But the motor rumbled in the still night.

Then the engine roared and the unknown vehicle sped away. The falling snow hid the license plate.

His gut tightened. This wasn’t an accident, or some lost stranger. Someone out there was watching. Probably saw the police cruiser in the driveway and took off. If Officer Green hadn’t been in the driveway, who knew what would have happened. Would there have been a second attempt on Jenna’s life?

One fact rang clear in his mind. Jenna wasn’t safe here. Someone was out there waiting for her to be vulnerable.

He needed to get her to a safe place, fast.

Jenna moved around her bedroom in a daze, mentally sorting what she’d need and packing only what was necessary for the next two or three days into a medium-sized bright teal suitcase. She had brought this bag on airplanes many times, but never had she packed with such anguish twisting her heart. The one place in her life that had acted as a sanctuary had been sullied.

She squeezed her eyelids shut to keep the emotion from pouring out and streaming down her cheeks.

She hated the feeling that she was giving in and that she was letting Brody take charge of her life. It wasn’t him. Not really. It was easy to blame him instead of facing the unease she now felt under her own roof.

If she stayed in her house by herself, she could very well wind up dead. Knowing that the attack earlier hadn’t been isolated or random, she doubted the worst was over. Staying wasn’t an option.

Somebody had stolen that choice from her.

She shook herself out of her reverie. There wasn’t time to waste. She must focus and grab what she needed. Hold herself together just long enough to get to Carly’s house.

She hesitated. Was it right to bring this trouble to Carly? Her former college roommate was the closest thing to a sister she’d ever had. The tiny redhead knew exactly what to say to make her laugh, to soothe hurt feelings, to help her sort out her frustrations. Carly’s bubbly personality had always complimented Jenna’s more serious, thoughtful one.

One night. But surely, now that the police were involved, and appeared to believe she was in danger, she’d be safe for a limited time. She zipped the suitcase closed with one, quick decisive movement. She would stay one night with Carly. Her friend would be fine. And then tomorrow she would travel to Illinois to meet this grandmother she’d never known existed.

Her hand froze above the handle of her bag. Somehow that was even more daunting than the idea of spending a night wondering who was after her.

What if this grandmother didn’t approve of her? After all, twenty-five years was a long time.

Or what if Brody had been wrong and she wasn’t this missing child? He still hadn’t told her why the police believed she wasn’t the dead woman’s child.

Enough. She’d get the details once they were safe. And she would not accept half-truths or evasions. She was done letting someone else control her movements as if she were a puppet instead of an intelligent adult.

Only God had real control.

Jenna breathed in deep, closing her eyes to put herself into His presence. Lord, you are the author of days. Lead me to follow this path You’ve set before me.

Opening her eyes, she lugged the bag off her bed and extended the handle so she could wheel it out of the room.

She still hated to think that she was letting someone else control her, that some stranger was pushing her out of the house she’d lived in her entire life.