Way of the Shadows (Shadow Agents 8)

She was at Jenny’s house. Jenny’s mother was behind the girl, pacing nervously, and the sheriff watched from a position near the door.

“We need to take her over to Harrison County Medical,” the sheriff said, voice tight. “Get her thoroughly checked out and—”

“No!” Jenny’s desperate cry seemed to echo in Noelle’s ears. Jenny glanced over her shoulder. “Mom, you promised I wouldn’t have to go anywhere! I don’t want— I need to stay here!”

Jenny’s mother caught her daughter’s hand and held tight. “You’re not going anywhere.”

The sheriff growled.

Noelle squared her shoulders. “I know the officers collected your clothing last night.”

“Evidence,” Jenny whispered as her gaze dropped down to her lap. “They said it was evidence. They—they sent me back home in borrowed clothes this morning.”

Noelle glanced toward Jenny’s mother.

“The storm trapped us at the sheriff’s station. That’s as far as the ambulance could get in that weather.” Her gaze cut to Hodges. “But my girl is fine now. She doesn’t need a hospital.” Her breath heaved out as she pointed at the sheriff. “And he asked us questions all night, so I don’t see why we have to answer any more now!”

“I promise, this won’t take long.” Noelle saw Jenny flinch. She wanted to reach out and touch the girl, offer comfort, but Jenny seemed frozen before her. “I need you to describe the man who took you.”

“I did already!” Jenny’s voice broke a bit. “I told the sheriff...he was tall, wide shoulders. He had dark hair and stubble on his face.”

“Caucasian, African-American—”

“Caucasian,” Jenny whispered.

“Were there any marks on his face? Any scars or tattoos that you noticed?”

Jenny shook her head.

“What about his eyes? What color were they?”

“Brown. I think they were brown.”

“Good, Jenny. You’re doing really, really well.” Noelle knew interrogations with victims had to be handled carefully. If you pushed too hard, victims could break. If you didn’t push hard enough, they might not be able to tell important details. “When he spoke to you, did the man have any accent?”

Another shake of Jenny’s head was her answer.

Okay. Time to try a different tactic because, unfortunately, the man Jenny had just described could be anyone. “When we found you in the cabin, you were screaming.”

A tear leaked down Jenny’s cheek. “He told me that I had to scream.”

“Because he wanted—”

“He wanted you to die.” Jenny glanced up at her. “You’re Noelle, and he said you had to die.”

Chill bumps rose on Noelle’s skin. “He mentioned me by name?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“I wasn’t...good enough. But you—you would be more fun. So I had to scream so he could see you. He said...he said he just wanted to see you.”

No, he’d wanted to kill her. He’d wanted to kill them all.

“He told me that he liked to see his girls.”

The photos. “Did he take any pictures of you while you were in that cabin?”