Page 26 of In Her Grasp

“Colonel, it’s Jenna Graves. We’ve found another body at the reservoir,” she told him, her report crisp and devoid of unnecessary emotion.

“Another?” The highway patrol superintendent sounded understandably startled.

“That’s right. And I’m afraid there might be at least one more body yet to be found. We need to drag the reservoir.”

“I don’t know about this, Sheriff. That’s a pretty drastic measure. Has Mayor Simmons been briefed on this?”

“Colonel, Mayor Simmons... her priorities are more political than practical at times,” Jenna pointed out. Besides, we don’t need the mayor’s go-ahead for what we do outside of Trentville, and I have reason to believe there might be at least one more victim out here.”

“Reason? What kind of reason?”

Jenna swallowed hard.

“Colonel, I …”

Her voice faded. She couldn’t bring herself to lie. But telling the truth about her dream wasn’t an option. There was a pauseon the line, long enough for Jenna to picture Spelling on the other end, his brow furrowed in consternation. She could almost hear his thoughts churning.

“Is this another of your hunches, Sheriff?” Spelling finally asked, without the slightest trace of skepticism in his voice.

“Yes, it is.”

Then, Spelling’s voice cut through the stillness, softer now, tempered by a dawning understanding. “Sheriff Graves, I haven’t forgotten about Amber Stevens,” he began, his tone tinged with a newfound respect. “You said she was missing and in danger, and I didn’t listen until it was almost too late. Your intuition led right to her when logic gave us little to work with.”

The tension that had ensnared Jenna’s muscles began to unravel. Spelling continued, the gravelly timbre of his voice carrying a promise. “You have a knack for seeing beyond the surface, Sheriff. If you say there’s more down there, then that’s good enough for me.”

Relief surged through Jenna, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She kept her voice even, professional. “Thank you, Colonel. Your support is vital.”

“Consider it done,” he replied. “I’ll mobilize a team to drag the reservoir, effective immediately.”

As Jenna ended the call, her gaze lingered on the deceptive tranquility of the water, knowing that beneath its serene exterior lurked secrets waiting to be unearthed.

Jenna pressed the phone’s end call button, a faint click severing the connection. Her gaze remained affixed to the Sablewood Reservoir, where the water lay still and deceptively peaceful. It was a cruel kind of beauty—the light playing on the ripples concealed a gruesome secret just moments ago pulled from its depths.

“Good news?” Jake’s voice broke through the silence as he moved back beside her, his eyes searching hers for confirmation. His face bore the marks of the day’s strain.

“Spelling agreed,” Jenna replied, allowing herself a small smile. It was a victory, albeit a somber one, amid the darkness of their work.

Side by side, Jenna and Jake stood at the water’s edge, their postures relaxed but their minds anything but. The quiet hum of nature was suddenly pierced by the wail of sirens, growing louder as they neared. Jenna’s head turned towards the sound, sighting the flash of red and blue lights cutting through the tree line. Dr. Melissa Stark and her team had arrived, punctuating the scene with a sense of urgency as their van came to a halt close to them.

The van doors swung open to reveal figures clad in white hazmat suits. Then they disembarked and moved with purpose, unpacking equipment.

“Here we go,” Jake muttered under his breath, his focus also on the flurry of activity as technicians began setting up lights and marking the perimeter.

Dr. Melissa Stark descended from the van, her hazmat suit crinkling with every step as she approached Jenna and Jake by the water’s edge.

“Two bodies in as many days,” Dr. Stark said, removing her mask to reveal a grim expression that matched the severity of her words. “What in the world is going on here, Sheriff?”

Jenna met the coroner’s gaze evenly. “It’s a complex situation,” she began, her tone measured despite the churn of insights only she could understand. “You need to have a look at the body.”

Jenna stepped aside as Melissa walked over to the body and pulled back its covering.

“This one was wearing a backpack too,” Melissa observed right away.

“My guess is it was also filled with stones,” Jenna said.

“It’s sounding less and less like suicide, isn’t it?” Melissa said in a tone of deliberate understatement. “More like someone trying to hide the dead, just as you suggested.”

“I’m afraid so, Melissa. Colonel Spelling is arranging for a team to drag the reservoir tonight.”

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