Page 14 of Through the Fire
“Want Justice to lead?” Kit asked, and his tail started whipping back and forth at the sound of his name.
Eyeing them thoughtfully, Theo shook his head. “We’ll do a standard search. Bring him along, though, and we’ll double-check anything he lights up on.”
Theo and Hugh worked together with the ease of two cops who’d done many, many searches together, and Kit stayed back, keeping an eye out behind them as she kept Justice from getting in their way. They searched a cluttered, ancient basement before working their way up. The house was charming, Kit had to admit, despite the fact that it looked like it was a lost nail away from collapsing on their heads. There were lots of small rooms and multiple entries that made the search tricky, but Theo and Hugh seemed to take it in stride. Kit could tell they were familiar with the place, and she wondered why Hugh knew the layout of Theo’s girlfriend’s house so well.
It wasn’t until they climbed to the second floor that Justice’s interest picked up, and he started pulling her forward down the hall. She made him wait until all the other rooms were searched and Theo waved her ahead of them before she allowed him to tow her to the last door on the left. Hugh and Theo took up positions to the side, their backs against the wall so they wouldn’t be visible right away. Despite Jules’s earlier assurances that Elena was sweet and shy, tension made Kit’s fingers tighten around Justice’s lead. As Justice snuffled at the bottom of the doorframe, Kit knocked.
Her heartbeat accelerated. Her dog’s nose didn’t lie. Whoever had been at that arson scene was behind this door, and she could be about to come face-to-face with a killer.
Chapter 5
“Police,” Kit announced before taking a step back and pulling Justice with her away from the door. In the tense seconds that followed, she listened, wanting a warning if the woman behind the closed door was trying to slip out the window or—much, much worse—racking a shotgun. The only sound was the creak of the floor and hurried, light footsteps.
The door swung open slightly, and a woman peeked out. She was tiny. There weren’t many adults that Kit had to look down at, but Elena was one of them. Kit guessed that the woman was no taller than five feet and probably weighed ninety pounds. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with straight, brown hair and big doe eyes framed by about a mile of dark lashes. Kit understood why Jules felt so protective. The woman sent a worried look toward Justice, who’d plopped down next to Kit in an unusual display of self-control.
“Hello. Elena?” Kit’s voice was gentle, but the woman still flinched, even as she nodded slightly.
“I’m Officer Kit Jernigan. Is anyone else in your room with you?”
“No?” Her unsure response didn’t inspire confidence in Kit that she was telling the truth.
“Mind if we come in?” She moved forward, and Elena yielded, stepping back and opening the door all the way. As Kit walked into the small bedroom, she quickly checked for possible spots where someone could be hiding. The bifold closet door was open, and the quilt covering the bed barely came down to the bottom of the mattress, giving a clear view of the space under the bed. Shifting to the side, Kit glanced between the open door and the wall, but no one was there, and she relaxed slightly. “It’s clear.”
“What’s this about?” Elena asked, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
Kit gave her a small, reassuring smile. “We just need to ask you a few questions.” Without a digital recorder or even a notebook, Kit felt woefully unprepared for this interview. She glanced at Theo and Hugh, who’d moved into Elena’s line of sight but stayed in the hall. Although Elena darted a look their way, her attention quickly returned to Kit. Widening her eyes at the other cops, Kit tried to send a silent message, but neither reached toward the recorders on their belts. She hid a grimace. It appeared that she was on her own. “What’s your last name?”
Elena’s gaze dropped to her feet before returning to Kit’s. “Dahl.”
“You’re new to town?”
“Yes.” Her mile-long eyelashes fluttered down and back up again before she continued. “I’m visiting my old friend Jules.”
Hugh cleared his throat, making Kit glance over to see him exchange a partially amused but mostly exasperated look with Theo. Making a mental note to ask them what that was all about, she waited a few moments. Instead of interjecting a question, he silently waved for her to continue.
“When did you arrive?” Kit asked, her tone losing some of its sympathy and becoming more matter-of-fact. Despite Elena’s dropped glances and Bambi eyes, her voice was steady and her hands didn’t tremble. Either the woman was excellent at hiding her nervousness or she wasn’t as fazed by the sight of the police as she wanted Kit to think.
“This morning.”
“What time?”
Elena dropped her gaze again, this time peering up at Kit through her lashes. If her little sister hadn’t perfected the innocent-angel look, Kit might’ve softened. Instead, it had the opposite effect. “Um…” Elena hesitated. “I’m not sure exactly. Early?”
“Have you been here since then?” When Elena just blinked at her, either confused by the question or surprised that her damsel-in-distress act wasn’t working, Kit forced some gentleness into her voice, rephrasing the question. “Have you left the house since you arrived?”
“No. I mean, I haven’t gone anywhere. Why?”
Kit studied her, wondering why Elena’s reactions seemed just a bit…off. “We’re investigating a possible crime. Has anyone else been in the house?”
“Grace and the kids were here when I arrived,” Elena said, biting the corner of her lip. “And Jules got home not too long ago.”
“Anyone else stop by?”
“Nooo.” The way she stretched out the word made her seem uncertain. “Not that I’ve seen. I’ve mostly been in my room, though.”
Kit started to ask her next question, but Hugh interrupted. “Thank you for your help…Elena.” When Kit gave him an I’m not finished look, he jerked his head toward the stairs in an unmistakable yes you are gesture. Turning back to Elena, Kit gave her a polite smile.
