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The man stumbled, but recovered quickly, his eyes now blazing with fury. "You're going to regret that," he snarled, charging at her again.
Fiona braced herself, preparing to fight--when suddenly, the sound of snapping twigs and heavy footsteps broke the silence.
In an instant, Jake burst onto the scene, his face a mixture of concern and determination. Before the bearded man could react, Jake tackled him to the ground, pinning him down with ease.
"Are you okay, Fiona?" Jake asked urgently, his eyes never leaving the struggling man beneath him.
Fiona nodded, her heart still racing. "Y-yes."
She had nearly engaged in combat with that man--real combat. Oddly, part of her was disappointed that Jake had swept in so fast, as ludicrous as it was. Fiona wasn't violent... she didn't enjoy violence.
But she thought of Daniel's words at the prison... his implication that Fiona could also enjoy the hunt.
No, that's not what this is... I just want to stop bad people.
And I want to better myself.
With practiced efficiency, Jake pulled out a pair of handcuffs and secured them around the man's wrists. "You're under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
Fiona breathed a sigh of relief as the man was finally restrained. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease, however, and she knew that they still had a long way to go before they could solve the case.
As they escorted the man away, Jake turned to Fiona. "You sure you're okay?"
Fiona nodded again, still catching her breath. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked at Jake, a mix of gratitude and admiration in her eyes. "Thanks for coming when you did."
Jake gave her a small smile. "Always got your back, Red."
She was glad. But part of Fiona wondered if she really could stand on her own two feet without Jake there to always help her.
The fluorescent lights of the interrogation room cast a harsh glare on the table where Clide Jenson, handcuffed and disheveled, sat nervously fidgeting. Jake studied the man's face, the unkempt beard and wild eyes that had startled Fiona in the woods. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story than met the eye.
They’d managed to ID the man based off his wallet, although he had no money on him and seemed to be completely homeless. Before coming into the interrogation room, Jake had done some recon on the area--it turned out there had been several reports of women being approached by a strange, bearded man. He had never hurt anyone, at least not on record, but Jake was willing to bet Clide was that same guy. Living out in the woods, slowly losing his grip on reality...
But was he connected to Matilda's death? Or any of the more recent ones?
Jake had to admit, it was a hell of a coincidence, and clearly, Clide had been ready to hurt Fiona. Jake wasn't willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, not with how much was on the line.
"Alright, Clide," Jake began, his voice steady and authoritative. "You were found lurking in the woods where Matilda Black's body was discovered. What were you doing out there?"
"J-just taking a walk," Clide stammered, avoiding eye contact with both Jake and Fiona.
"Really?" Jake challenged, his brow furrowing as he scrutinized the man before him. "Because we have reason to believe you might be involved in something far darker. Possibly even murder."
"Murder?" Clide repeated, his voice cracking slightly. "No, I--I didn't kill anyone!"
"Look at this picture," Jake demanded, sliding a photo of Matilda across the table. "Do you recognize her?"
Clide hesitated, his eyes darting back and forth between the image and Jake's unwavering gaze. "I... I never saw her before," he finally answered, his voice wavering.
Jake's instincts told him that Clide wasn't being truthful. There was something in the way the man's eyes flickered with recognition, an almost imperceptible twitch in his expression that betrayed his lie.
"Really?" Jake pressed, his voice firm and unyielding. "Because your reaction tells me otherwise."
"Listen, I swear, I don't know her," Clide insisted, his voice rising in desperation. "I didn't do anything to her or anyone else!"
As Jake stared into Clyde's eyes, he tried to decipher what lay beneath the surface. Was this man truly capable of taking a life? Or was he just an unlucky loner who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?
The more Jake searched Clyde's face, the more he became convinced of the former. There was something in the man's eyes that gave Jake a chill down his spine. It wasn't fear or anxiety, but something darker and far more sinister. Something that reminded Jake of the murderers he had dealt with before.
