Page 39 of Let Her Live

Fiona watched as Jake lifted the rock, then pulled the key out. He hurried over to Peter and let him down. Peter fell down from the trunk, but Jake offered him support.

The scene was confusing, to say the least. Peter had been tied to a tree, but not like the other victims had been. They'd been tied to cypress trees with rope. But Peter had been chained up to a large oak tree.

Not only that, but they'd come here expecting to accuse Peter—not save him.

"What happened here?" Jake asked.

"Well," Peter said, shaking out his arms, "a couple days ago, I came here with a plan to protest MacMillan's nasty farm here. I got my friend to help tie me to this tree, but..." He scowled. "Well, I didn't know the farmer was gonna be on vacation. Bastard isn't even here. I've been stuck here for two whole days."

Fiona and Jake exchanged a frown. As Peter's words processed in Fiona's mind, the situation became clearer—Peter wasn't a victim of anything. He'd just done this in protest, only to end up abandoned.

"I'm starving," Peter ranted. "Hey, who are you guys, anyway?"

Jake placed his hands on his hips, letting out a sigh. "FBI. Agent Jake Tucker. This is Fiona Red."

"FBI?" Peter's eyes went wide. "Are you here to arrest MacMillan for his crimes against his cows?"

We're here to investigate a string of murders," Jake said, his voice low and serious.

Peter's expression shifted from surprised to worried. "Murders?" he repeated.

Fiona stepped forward. "Yes, we believe there's a serial killer operating in this area. We thought you might be involved."

Peter shook his head. "No, no way. I mean, I've been pretty vocal about my issues with MacMillan, but I would never hurt anyone. I'm a protester, not a murderer."

Fiona believed him. Something about the way he spoke and the way he looked—disheveled, tired, and hungry—made her think he was telling the truth.

"And I've been here for two whole days," Peter went on. "You can call Bob Fraser. He's my friend. Bastard should've come back to check on me, but I guess he assumed I was still making my point."

Fiona nodded, her mind racing. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Everything they knew was up in the air, and they needed more information to make sense of it all.

Fiona and Jake exchanged another glance. They had just wasted valuable time and resources on a false lead. But at least they had ruled out Peter as a suspect.

"Alright," Jake said, turning to leave. "We'll check in with Bob Fraser and let him know you're okay. But you need to stay out of trouble, Peter. We can't afford any more false leads."

Peter nodded, rubbing his wrists where the chains had chafed them. "Yeah, yeah, I understand. Thanks for getting me out of here, guys."

As Fiona and Jake walked back towards their car, Fiona couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment. They had come so close to finding their killer, but once again, they were back to square one. Fiona had come here hoping to exceed expectations, but even the entomology angle was confusing; she still couldn't explain why there were botfly larvae in one victim but seemingly not the others.

"We need to regroup," Jake said, seemingly sensing Fiona's frustration. "We'll head back to the hotel and go over everything we know. Maybe we missed something."

Fiona nodded, knowing Jake was right. They couldn't give up yet. The killer was still out there, and they needed to find him before he struck again.

***

Back at the hotel, Jake went to take a quick shower, leaving Fiona with her thoughts. It was getting later in the day, toward evening time, and they seemed no closer to finding this guy. Fiona sat on the edge of the bed, thinking over everything they knew, but her mind was swimming with anxious thoughts. She could hear the soothing sound of the shower from the bathroom, but it didn't help to ease her mind. She needed to take a walk and clear her head.

Fiona got up from the bed, grabbed her jacket, and walked out of the hotel room. The warm evening air hit her face as she stepped outside, and she took a deep breath. The sun was sinking toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the sidewalk. She walked down the street, not sure where she was going but feeling the need to move. This town was mixed in well with nature, and Fiona found herself drawn to the small patch of marshland behind the hotel. A hike could do her well to clear her mind—a hike alone, without the stress of searching for bodies.

As she made her way toward the marsh, she started to notice the sounds of nature around her. The chirping of the crickets, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the distant call of an owl. It was calming, and she felt herself starting to relax for the first time in days.

As she walked deeper into the marsh, she felt a sense of familiarity. She had always been interested in bugs, and she would often spend her free time as a child exploring the fields and marshes around Portland with her older sister. It was a simpler time, before the stress of work and the weight of responsibility had taken over her life.

She had to believe she was cut out for the FBI. It was challenging, but then again, so was getting through Harvard to be a forensic examiner and entomologist. If she could handle that, she was sure she could look forward to this next step in her life.

Getting physically strong and training with Jake—it was all preparing her to enter the academy.

Not to mention, she was getting the benefit of hands-on work already. She knew that even though she wasn't armed, she was gaining invaluable experience working alongside Jake. He was teaching her so much about what a good agent looked like. Someone who didn't give up, who kept their mind sharp and strong, who had compassion and empathy and a strong moral compass. That was Jake Tucker to her.

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