Footprints stretched across the lawn, their edges still sharp. They came from the sidewalk.
Out of curiosity, she followed them around the corner.
She paused when she saw where they stopped.
Directly beneath her window.
Someone had been trying to look inside, to watch what she was doing. Thankfully, her blinds had been down.
Her heart pounded harder as fear tried to creep in.
What was going on?
She pulled out her phone and stared at Wyatt’s number.
She stared at it and considered her words.
Then she put the phone back in her pocket.
The footprints probably belonged to Maggie or someone Maggie had hired to check the faucets or put down salt.
Kori Hutchins had never been a damsel in distress. She wasn’t about to start now.
She stepped off the porch and headed down Main Street toward Mackenzie’s apartment. She would walk. It was only a few blocks away, and she still needed to break in these new shoes. Besides, she needed the exercise.
And going back to her sister’s apartment—being proactive—was better than sitting around and worrying.
Kori’s boots were the only sound she heard as she walked down the sidewalk.
Main Street was now empty, the storefronts dark, and the lamplight had turned the falling snow a pale amber.
As she walked, she thought about Flint again. She couldn’t seem to stop doing that.
She didn’t hate him. Hating him would have been easier.
What she felt was more complicated and less useful.
He and Mackenzie. They’d been together.
While Kori and Flint were still dating.
How did someone get over that? She didn’t have the answer—if she did, the case would already be closed.
She just had to let it go. At least, for now.
She needed to concentrate on finding Mackenzie.
Finally, she reached her sister’s apartment. She let herself in through the front door and quietly took the stairs, not wanting to wake Flo.
Outside Mackenzie’s door, she paused and drew in a deep breath. She hoped she would find those journals here. Maybe they’d provide some answers.
Slowly, she unlocked the door and eased it open.
Immediately, something felt wrong.
She couldn’t say what exactly. But the feeling kept her frozen in the doorway.
You’re being ridiculous. You’re not usually this on edge. Get a grip!
