Page 6 of In Her Grasp

Jenna could feel Jake’s gaze resting on her for a moment longer than necessary before he returned his attention to the view outside. She knew he was trying to reconcile the reality of her gift—a lucid dreaming ability that opened doors to the dead—with the stark facts and evidence they relied on in their daily work.

Just the day before, she had been gripped by the fear that this unearthly aspect of her life would fracture the bond they shared. Yet here he was, sitting beside her, steadfast and unwavering. It was a testament to his character, she thought, that he accepted her wholly, even the parts that defied explanation.

Jake shifted in his seat, reaching over to adjust the air vents. “You okay?” he asked, his voice a touch quieter than usual.

Jenna glanced at him, a grateful smile touching her lips. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks, Jake.”

He nodded, settling back into his seat.

As the road unfurled before them, a ribbon of asphalt cutting through the parched landscape, Jenna’s thoughts drifted to the conversation with Cassie, who had remarked on the way Jake looked at her—a look that hinted at something more than mere camaraderie. Her friend’s words echoed in her mind, stirring a flutter of uncertainty in her chest.

Cassie always did have a vivid imagination, Jenna thought, trying to brush off her friend’s insinuation as mere speculation. But once planted, doubt proved hard to uproot. Was it possible that Jake harbored feelings for her? Feelings that mirrored the hesitant attraction she herself felt but had so far managed to keep hidden?

Jenna glanced at Jake, her thoughts swirling with the words Cassie had dropped like a stone in a still pond. Could there bemore than just friendship between them? She kept her focus on the road ahead, unwilling to risk catching his eye and betraying her inner turmoil.

As they continued their drive towards Sablewood Reservoir, Jenna felt that uncharted territory lay ahead - whether it held promise of a new beginning or forecasted inevitable complications remained uncertain. Finally, the vista opened up to reveal the expanse of the Sablewood Reservoir and its long earthen dam in the distance.

“If this is a murder, let’s hope it’s not another serial case,” Jenna mused, her voice betraying none of the dread that the idea instilled in her. Their last two cases had involved multiple threats and too many tragedies for a place like Genesis County.

“Spelling only mentioned the one body,” Jake assured her.

When they arrived at Sablewood Reservoir, the scene that unfolded was a familiar one: the unmistakable blue and silver of Highway Patrol cars were interspersed with the white formality of the coroner’s van by the parched bank. As the cruiser rolled to a stop, kicking up dust that hung in the arid air, Jenna’s gaze fixed on the flurry of activity ahead.

They could see that drought had pulled the waterline back, exposing stretches of cracked earth where water should lap. Missouri State Highway Patrol Colonel Spelling, his uniform crisp despite the heat, approached with a nod that was all business. Beside him, dam operator Paul Rauer’s expression was somber, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of what they had found.

“Sheriff Graves, Deputy Hawkins,” Spelling greeted them, “thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Of course, Colonel,” Jenna replied, schooling her features into the mask of detached professionalism she wore so well. They exchanged brief handshakes, the touch fleeting but firm, before turning toward the desolate shoreline. The walk towardthe discovery site was punctuated by the crunch of dry earth underfoot as the dam operator briefed them.

“We found out about it during a routine check of the perimeter,” Rauer explained. “One of our guys was out on the boat when he saw something off in the shallows. Thought it was debris at first, but it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t just driftwood or trash.”

Jenna observed the way Rauer’s gaze flitted across the water’s surface as if expecting the reservoir to yield more secrets. His hands moved animatedly as he spoke, betraying the nervous energy he worked to keep under control. Jenna knew that he was grappling with the unsettling reality of death’s intrusion into the daily routine.

“Turned out to be a body,” Rauer concluded grimly, “caught between some rocks and mud. Called in the highway patrol right away. Colonel Spelling got here fast, and so did the coroner.”

Jenna nodded, her emerald eyes scanning the horizon, already anticipating the procedures to follow. There would be questions, examinations, and the inevitable weaving of narratives to explain how a life came to end in such a forsaken place.

Melissa Stark, Genesius County’s coroner, was already bent over at the scene, her team moving with precise coordination. Even from this distance, the sense of urgency was obvious, each member intent on contributing to the investigation.

“Melissa,” Jenna called out as they drew near, her voice betraying none of her underlying concern.

“Leslie, Jake,” Melissa acknowledged without looking up from her meticulous examination of the remains. The county coroner was a study in focused precision as she knelt beside the waterlogged body on the bank of Sablewood Reservoir. Clad head-to-toe in a white hazmat suit that lent her an otherworldly air, she looked like an astronaut navigating an alien landscape.Her gloved hands moved with methodical care over the decomposed remains.

A mask obscured much of her face but couldn’t hide the clinical sharpness of her gaze. She paused in her examination to look up at Jenna and Jake.

“I’d maintain some distance if I were you,” she warned, her voice carrying an authoritative note. “This one’s been exposed to the elements for quite a while.”

Her eyes returned to the body before her, the features all but erased by decay and mud-caked skin clung stubbornly to skeletal remains. It was clear that the elements had taken their toll; the figure was barely recognizable as human in the dried clay and detritus of the reservoir bed.

“Any idea on the cause of death?” Jake asked.

“Too early to say for sure,” Melissa replied, pausing in her work. “We’ll know more after an autopsy, but the condition...” She shook her head slightly, leaving the sentence to drift off unfinished.

Jenna stood there, her mind racing through possibilities, her trained eyes noting every detail that could be gleaned from their vantage point. She felt the weight of responsibility settle upon her, the knowledge that answers must lay hidden within the silent testimony of the deceased.

Melissa Stark carefully extracted a sodden backpack from the mud. Without ceremony, she unzipped it and tilted the contents for Jenna and Jake to see. Rocks—dozens of them, smooth and deliberate in their purpose.

“Looks like he filled it with rocks, maybe to weigh himself down,” Melissa mused, her voice devoid of emotion as she considered the implications. “It could point to suicide by drowning.”

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