CHAPTER SIX
Jace dragged his gaze from the front door of his house to the old barn located immediately to the south. Noah, Reese, Lance, and Brynn did the same. It was like watching a massive grownup game of hide and seek or an action flick with an epic chase scene between the good guys and the insane douchebags who had the home turf advantage, keeping themselves three blocks ahead of the pack of the pursuing patrol cars.
Detective Kendrick had arrived with two complete forensics teams—a unit to search inside the house and larger crew to explore the surrounding land. They even had ground penetrating radar, which the technician said was only capable of reaching a depth of six feet down unless the soil was loosely packed.
The measly ten minutes since their arrival felt more like hours already. Herds of lab nerds in white coats and purple gloves were setting up a small cover tent with several folding tables to support their equipment, maps, and grid markers. Buckets with tiny plastic flags, numbered cones, and evidence bags were readied just in case something was discovered. It was a good thing Brynn picked up a dozen donuts and coffee. Half of the sugar-inducing coma food was already gone, leaving them to subsist on caffeine.
“What is it that they’re searching for exactly?” Brynn asked after she’d practically chewed off the end of her straw. Her comment had an edge to it, as if to say that she would rather watch golf on television than spend one more minute looking at these techies polish their expensive toys. How she could drink soda at this hour of the morning was beyond him. “I mean, are they looking for more mementos the killer left behind like a trail of breadcrumbs? Or do they think…”
Brynn’s voice trailed off before she said Emma’s name. She wasn’t the only one to believe that was why Kendrick wanted to bring a team out to a home that had been listed by the same realtor who had sold the other properties to the Kendall family. The chances that only the first two properties were the ones to contain evidence related to the same twelve-year old investigation were remote. Kendrick must have suspected that the killer was trying to involve the Kendalls or felt the need to taunt the police while steering the investigation in some random direction.
The detective seemed like an upstanding officer. He had a by-the-book mentality and followed the letter of the law, cataloging information and putting the check in the crime scene investigation box exactly per the Ohio State Police’s SOP playbook. There was no doubting the man preferred city life, but he was slowly learning the time-honored traditions of a small town in Midwest America. He’d learned the hard way that he gained more from honey than vinegar. A little bit of common courtesy went a long way in getting the locals to open up and volunteer information.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have told Shae that she could join us. This isn’t exactly a spectator’s sport.”
Jace did a double take, but it was too late to ask Brynn why she would have extended such an invitation as he looked down his driveway. The sound of gravel crunching underneath the tires of a vehicle would have drowned out his words anyway.
Son of a bitch.
What had Brynn been thinking? She all but said herself there was a chance Emma’s body might be recovered today. It certainly wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, which put Shae in an uncomfortable position. He’d witnessed the vulnerability in her eyes when his dad had inadvertently brought up Emma in conversation last night. It was part of the reason he’d held back from telling her about Kendrick’s call to begin with.
Jace hopped down from the back of his brother’s truck, needing a moment with Shae in private. Noah and Lance had parked their F150s side by side, dropping the tailgates so they all had a place to sit while monitoring the progress of today’s events. Their father had a delivery to make this morning, so he’d be joining them later. As for Jace, he sure as hell wasn’t going to allow this search to take place on his property without being here to oversee the exploration.
“Good morning.” Jace had opened Shae’s car door before she’d turned off the engine. She didn’t seem at all to mind the annoying ding telling her she forgot to take her car keys out of the ignition as she exited the vehicle. “Shae, I want you to know I didn’t keep this from you because I thought the police would find anything here. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up for—”
“Jace, in case you didn’t notice after all these years, I’m a grown woman capable of managing my own affairs.” It was hard to see what she was thinking from the oversized brown sunglasses she wore to cover her eyes, but she definitely got her point across. She wasn’t being condescending in any way. She was merely pointing out that she could handle whatever the authorities might find today. “I know you thought you were doing me a favor, but I don’t need you to act as if you are some kind of shining knight saving the damsel in distress. I’m neither a damsel nor distressed.”
Jace was left to close her car door as she strolled forward toward the others making sure to stay out of OSP Forensics Team’s way, nodding to the collection of family members as she took a few tentative steps toward the house. Detective Kendrick had been watching the exchange from his position at the front porch, though he stayed where he was to finish speaking with one of the forensics techs who was holding some type of device in his hand that he’d waved over the porch and front outside wall of the house.
The home had one of those wraparound porches that only covered three sides. It didn’t extend to the back of the house, truly a shame considering the potential for an open deck, but those views were plentiful from the scenic walkout seating area the Stolls had installed a few years ago. One didn’t have to stretch their imagination too hard to see the exquisiteness now betrayed by all the overgrown weeds coming up through the limestone pad which lay between the house and the barn.
A little preventative maintenance for the next few weeks and a half an hour with a skid loader spreading a fresh load of crushed limestone mixed with broken oyster shells and sand was all that was needed to restore its beauty. People from the Midwest called the mixture limestone cement, which set hard enough to support heavy farm equipment. The owner just needed to keep the weeds from taking root. Jace was behind the power curve in this case, but all would be attended to once he had a green light from the detective.
“Shae.” Jace wasn’t sure she’d stop to hear what he had to say, but she surprised him by walking back to her car. He’d already closed the door, silencing the irritating noise. An awkward silence hung in the air. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. I should have been up front with you.”
Shae parted her pink lips, the pretty color matching her lightweight blouse. She was wearing a pair of white pants that were most likely bleached denim jeans, but he didn’t want to drop his eyes to find out if he was correct. She’d most likely take an obvious visual inspection the wrong way. It was just that he noticed she had a professional air about her that made it seem as if she were wearing some type of armor. He realized it must be the proficient demeanor she used when working with her patients at the hospital.
Maybe she was masking herself.
“Thank you.” Shae slowly removed her sunglasses, revealing to him that stark vulnerability he’d been concerned with last night. Her dark brown eyes were surrounded with long lashes that did nothing to hide the concern about what was happening behind her. “I’ve spent almost twelve years waiting for Emma to be found. I want this over with. I want results. I want her to find peace, and I want to be able to live my life without believing every phone call is going to be the one.”
Jace fought back the urge to take her in his arms and tell her that everything would be alright, but that might prove to be a fatal mistake. He’d never had the chance to tell her that before, or be by her side during those initial days after Emma’s disappearance. Hell, the night Emma had been taken, he’d been at a small party a town over where he’d spent the night instead of driving home. Shae had even shown up, but she’d left after a couple of hours without saying a word to him.
The first of many search parties had been conducted the following day that his younger brothers had taken part in, but Jace hadn’t made it back to town until later that afternoon. His mother told him that the local and state police had things covered, and the townsfolk were lining up to show their support for the Irwins. His job was to pack up his room and get ready to catch the bus to MEPS in Cleveland. They would fly him out for boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina because that was what was expected of him.
“Let’s go grab you a coffee and then we’ll take a walk. Trust me, sitting here watching the lab coats search every inch of this place for more than ten minutes is like watching paint dry.” Jace could see her hesitation, but she conceded when she realized the detective had disappeared into the house. It couldn’t have been hard for her to distinguish who was in charge. “I won’t be able to show you the inside quite yet, but I can give you a tour of the property.”
Shae fell into step by his side as they made their way over to where everyone was trying to act casual about watching his and Shae’s every move. Noah and Lance had their boots on the ground to offer their greetings, while Reese appeared somewhat nervous. Brynn was still chewing on her straw and watching the comings and goings from the house behind them.
“Shae, it’s been a long time.” Noah moved over a step when Reese indicated she wanted down from the bed of his truck. “This is Reese Woodward.”
“I’m truly sorry we’re meeting under these conditions,” Reese replied softly, an honesty in her voice that reminded Jace she was having a hard time with today’s events, as well. She waved her hand in helplessness toward the chaos. “I feel like this is somehow partly my fault. I didn’t mean to drag you and your family through—”
Shae stepped forward and hugged Reese, her kind gesture saying she didn’t blame anyone for the turmoil over the past few months. These two women had lost family members to who the police assumed was one insanely sick and twisted individual. It was a connection they would have for the rest of their lives.
“Emma mentioned Sophia a few times after they attended summer camp together,” Shae said after having stepped back, giving Noah room to rest his hand on Reese’s lower back. She leaned into him, seeking his support. “I wasn’t home much that summer as I was getting ready for college and hanging out with my friends, but I do remember her saying how nice Sophia was and that she helped Emma learn how to swim. I’m sorry that you had to find your cousin the way you did.”
Which was exactly why Jace hadn’t wanted Shae to know about today’s search. What if Emma was buried on this land? What if Harlan Whitmore had something to do with the murders? Or Miles Schaeffer, for that matter? A ton of people had access to these old properties that had been on the market for some time before becoming part of this case. Detective Kendrick wasn’t searching Jace’s house because he had nothing better to do. He clearly believed there was a motive behind the Kendall connection and that the killer had an axe to grind with the family.
It looked as if their walk was going to have to wait. Everyone began talking and catching up with their past, especially the vital incidents over this past summer. Jace noticed that Shae declined the coffee, holding onto her sunglasses as if they would give her strength to see this day through. It wasn’t his place to ask if she’d eaten breakfast, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she was taking care of herself.
He found himself studying her, noticing some of her mannerisms hadn’t changed since she was in high school. She still tilted her head slightly to the right when listening to someone speak, just like she used to do when a teacher was giving a lecture. It was an endearing quality, though every now and then he noticed her gaze flick to the left where a forensics team was entering and exiting the barn. She wasn’t missing a thing.
A random thought about homeowner’s insurance crossed his mind. Would there be a payout if the rotted wood on the porch collapsed on state employees?
“Jace? I think I’d like that tour now.”
He ignored the questioning looks he received from his brothers, pushing off Lance’s truck without reaching for what was left of his coffee. It was sure to be cold now, anyway.
The warm sun was becoming hotter as the morning wore on, bringing with it a bit of humidity. Jace didn’t mind it though, considering September was only a couple of days away. The fall season would be here in a blink of an eye, bringing with it Halloween and Thanksgiving.
He would love to have the barn renovated before the first snowfall arrived, but he figured that all depended on what the police found in their search today. He could arrange for the contractor to put up the new siding and complete the insulation of the structure, but he would have to strip the old rotting boards that needed to come out and provide a solid frame prior to the siding going up.
“Weren’t you into horseback riding when you were younger?” Shae asked, slipping her sunglasses back on as they walked around the barn.
“I was, unlike my brothers. Gwen and I used to go riding out on the horse farm at the north edge of town. You remember the one, up near the lake.” Jace almost warned her to be careful of splinters as she reached for the corral fence, but she pulled her hand away upon seeing that the wood wasn’t in the best of shape. “The Happel Horse Farm.”
“Will you take riding back up now that you have your own place?”
“For sure,” Jace replied, continuing on the footpath once inside the paddock.
The trail had been worn into the ground over the years by dozens of Percheron draft horses. The Stolls had raised working animals, not riding horses, although the Percheron could technically be ridden. Jace was more partial to American quarter horses or thoroughbreds. The path they were on led to the edge of a tree line he’d yet to have a chance to explore.
“Fixing up the barn and buying a couple of horses will give me something to work on while I figure out what I want to do with my life.”
“You have no idea?” Shae asked, sounding somewhat surprised. “You were always so…”
“If you say straight-laced and determined, I can’t promise not to push you into that pond over there.” Jace thought for a moment a smile might have graced her lips, but that was before she caught sight of a man and a woman over by one of the smaller ramshackle outbuildings off to the left of them. It was actually nothing more than an elaborate lean-to meant to protect feed and equipment from the elements. He couldn’t blame her for her intermittent attention. “The service was all I knew. I’m not sure I’m properly prepared for civilian life.”
“Take each day as it comes, and don’t rush things.”
Jace had temporarily forgotten she was a therapist of some sort. Actually, a doctor, if he remembered correctly. He fought the urge to stop this conversation in its tracks. He didn’t want to be labeled or put into a box with every other veteran returning home from war. He’d been talking to her as an old friend, not a head-shrinker.
“What about you?” Jace asked, changing the subject so that he could know exactly who he was dealing with. She was no longer the pretty teenage girl who sat in front of him in math class. He’d learned early on to never underestimate any opponent. “I heard you were living somewhere up north in a big city.”
Jace could still sense she wasn’t quite comfortable in his presence. Again, he wondered if he’d said or done something to upset her. Was she reticent because he’d left for boot camp days after Emma’s disappearance? He hadn’t even been in town the night it happened.
“Lansing, Michigan.” Shae sidestepped a small dip in the ground before he could warn her. She was wearing a pair of sandals with that pretty outfit of hers. He wasn’t so sure they should have walked this far away from the house. “I work at one of the city hospitals as a psychiatrist. I’ve been there since I finished my residency.”
“And your parents?” Jace veered to the left, figuring they could circle around the pond and head toward the back of the house. He wasn’t quite sure why she agreed to this walk, anyway. Her responses were to the point, whereas she easily delved into his life. “Do they live in Lansing, too?”
“Yes, though they have a house in a nice suburb north of the city. They told me to stop by one of the Euchre game nights to say hi to everyone,” Shae shared, though she effortlessly changed the subject with him once again. “You could always start your own card night, seeing as your younger brothers are back. I recall Lance getting caught in his freshman year for rounding a poker game in the lunchroom. I think it was Mr. Hughes who caught him dealing seconds. That must have put a dent in him practicing his mechanics to make a buck or two. I wouldn’t play your brother at cards for all the tea in China.”
“You’re pretty good at that, you know.” He’d caught her off guard. She pursed her lips so that the light gloss shimmered in the sunlight. He gently took hold of her upper arm, bringing her to a stop next to the small pond. They were around twenty yards from the backyard of the house, but he didn’t want to have this discussion in front of strangers. “You’re always bringing the conversation around to me so that you don’t make a mistake and tell me what it is I’ve done to piss you off. Avoidance. Isn’t that what they call it?”
Jace wasn’t sure he should be grateful she didn’t lie and try to get out of this confrontation with another dodge or become pissed off that she fell silent and nonverbally agreed with his statement. She even took a step back so that his fingers fell away from her arm.
“Shae, talk to me. Why are you upset with me? What have I done?”