Page 37 of Let Her Live

Fiona bit her lip but nodded her agreement. They gathered their things and headed out to Jake's car.

***

As they pulled into the parking lot, Jake noticed that the shelter was a small, rundown building surrounded by a chain-link fence. A few dogs barked in the distance, but otherwise, it was eerily quiet.

Jake and Fiona got out of the car and made their way to the front door. It was getting into the afternoon, and the sun was scorching. The humidity in the air made Jake's skin feel far too damp, but he focused forward. Jake knocked twice and waited. After a moment, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with a tired look on her face.

"Can I help you?" she asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"We're looking for Peter," Jake said, flashing his badge. "Is he here?"

"He's not," the woman said. "He's out for the day."

"Do you know where we can find him?" Jake asked.

Her eyes squinted. "I don't know."

Jake wasn't buying it. Something about this woman seemed suspicious.

"Do you mind if I get your name, ma'am?" Jake asked. "And your role here?"

"I'm Ethel," she said. "I'm a volunteer. I spend the day with the dogs, mostly."

"Does Peter normally leave you here alone, if you are only a volunteer?" Fiona asked.

Ethel hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes, he trusts me to take care of things while he's gone."

Jake and Fiona exchanged a look. This was definitely suspicious. Was Ethel covering for Peter? Or was she involved in something more sinister?

"Can we take a look around?" Jake asked, trying to keep his tone friendly. "Just to make sure everything is okay?"

Ethel hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Fine, but don't touch anything. The dogs get upset if their environment changes too much."

Jake and Fiona walked through the shelter, checking out the various kennels. As they looked around, Jake and Fiona saw cages filled with dogs of all shapes and sizes, from tiny puppies to large hounds. They were all groomed and healthy; their fur was soft and shinned in the light. The dogs were all beautiful and seemed well cared for. The air was filled with a sweet scent of dog food mixed with the musky smell of canine fur. There was also a faint hint of cleaning products, which meant someone was taking good care of the animals. But there was something else that Jake couldn't quite place, something unsettling in this otherwise peaceful environment.

He turned to Ethel, who watched them with squinting eyes. "And you're sure you don't know where he went? It's important that we talk to him. He isn't in trouble, we'd just like a word."

Ethel hesitated.

At that moment, Jake could see it plainly—she was covering for Peter. But why?

"Please, ma'am," Fiona chimed in. "We think there could be people in danger."

"Danger?" Ethel frowned. "How so?"

"There's a serial killer on the loose in the Everglades, killing men," Jake said. "We're concerned Peter might know something."

Ethel's eyes widened at the mention of a serial killer, and she looked away, clearly deep in thought. Jake and Fiona exchanged another glance; they knew they were getting somewhere.

"Please, Ethel," Fiona said softly. "We just need to talk to him."

Ethel sighed, finally relenting."Look, I haven't seen him in two days. He said he had some sort of righteous thing to do, and I was worried it had something to do with this farmer he's been obsessing over lately."

"A farmer?" Jake asked, heart racing.

"Yes," Ethel said. "Peter can get... intense. For many months sometimes, he's completely himself, but then all of a sudden he goes off the rails about some issue and tries to take it out on the world."

Jake could hardly believe what he was hearing.

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