“Dear Lord, please keep watch over our friend, Sketch,” Lana started. “He’s a brave young man who deeply loves his family and wants to protect them. Help him avert danger and find his way back home to us. Amen.”
Lana opened her eyes and shot Ashley a smile that warmed even Garrett’s numb heart. “Keep the faith, sweetie. He’ll be okay.”
Ashley nodded and seemed to have calmed down. Too bad Garrett couldn’t feel that kind of inner peace from a prayer. He escorted Lana into the police station and was greeted by Georgia and Chief Wright.
“Georgia, thanks for bringing the sketch artist,” Garrett said.
“I figured we had to move fast.” She eyed Lana. “Is this the witness?”
“Yes. Lana Burns, this is Agent Hunt,” Garrett introduced.
“Nice to meet you,” Lana said, then gave the chief a hug. “Hey, Morgan.”
Georgia leaned toward Garrett. “Friendly town.”
“He’s married to her sister.”
“Ah. People still do that, huh? Get married?” Georgia teased.
“That’s what I hear.”
But not Garrett, or Georgia, or anyone else in their line of work.
“Why don’t you two sit over here?” Chief Wright led Lana and the forensic artist to a quiet corner.
“What do you want to do while she’s working with him?” Georgia asked.
“Why don’t you interview other passengers from last night’s cruise? I’m going to stay with Lana.”
“Lana?” Georgia raised an eyebrow at his use of her first name.
“That’s her name,” he shot back.
Georgia’s expression faded. She was being coy, but Garrett wasn’t in the mood for anything but finding a killer and getting out of town.
“I texted you contact information for tourists this morning.”
“Yep, got it.”
“It’s nearly eight. Shouldn’t be too early to question them.”
“What about forensics?”
“They’ll call when they have something.”
“I’ll check in later, then.”
Garrett sensed she wanted to catch his eye, but he was focused on Lana. A part of him hoped she’d seen the killer; another part prayed she didn’t because it would make her a target.
Prayed? Really, Garrett? You have no right to pray.
Garrett spent the next hour checking leads through emails and phone calls. Everything led to dead ends.
“Wow, that’s really good,” Lana said from across the room.
The sketch artist flipped the pad around so Garrett could see it. “I’ll send this—”
The door swung open and a frantic woman rushed into the station. Not just any woman—Garrett’s former mother-in-law, Caroline Ross. She rushed up to the chief, so upset she didn’t even notice Garrett.
“Morgan, I can’t find Sketch. He didn’t come home last night and Ashley said he stopped texting around two, and she said he was going to—”
She spotted Garrett and froze. An eerie silence blanketed the room.
Garrett stood. “Hello, Caroline.”
Her eyes welled with tears. “I can’t talk to you right now.” She motioned the chief outside.
“What was that about?” the sketch artist asked.
“She’s upset because her grandson is missing,” Lana offered.
“Her…grandson?” Garrett’s heartbeat sped up. The room seemed to tip sideways.
“Yeah, Sketch is her grandson,” Lana said.
It was the same nightmare that haunted his dreams for more than ten years, even after the serial killer was dead.
Only, this nightmare was real: his son was missing. Taken? Brutalized?
“You mean…Steven?” Garrett said, gripping the back of an office chair.
“How did you know his name?” Lana asked.
“Because he’s my son.”
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