The door opened again and Raines stepped back inside. His gaze went straight to Arneson. “All right. You’re coming with me. We’ll move this into an interview room.”
Arneson’s brows pulled tight. “Why? I already told you what happened. Why am I being dragged back in here?”
Raines didn’t flinch. “Because there’s some doubt about your injuries. EMTs think they could’ve been self-inflicted.”
Color rose in Arneson’s face. “That’s bullshit. You think I beat myself up and tied myself down? No way.”
“You’ll get the chance to explain,” Raines said evenly.
Arneson’s hand shot into his pocket. He pulled out his phone, muttering under his breath. “Fine. I obviously need a lawyer.”
He pressed the screen, already making the call as Raines motioned for him to move. Cal and Alena stood silent as the sheriff led Arneson out, the man’s voice low and furious as he spoke into the phone.
The office door swung shut behind them, leaving the room heavy with tension and unanswered questions.
Cal watched the door swing shut behind Raines and Arneson, the echo of their footsteps fading down the hall.
Alena let out a breath, her arms crossing. “You buy his story?”
Cal shook his head slowly. “Not all of it. He’s hiding something, but I can’t tell if it’s to protect Dexter or himself.”
Before she could answer, Cal’s phone buzzed in his hand. Isla’s name lit the screen. He answered. “Yeah?”
“I found the car,” Isla said, her voice tight with urgency. “Sending you the image now.”
A second later, his phone pinged. Cal tapped the file open, and Alena leaned in close. The photo was grainy, captured off a traffic cam, but clear enough to freeze them both in place.
Through the windshield, Melissa’s face stared back at them.
Chapter Nine
Alena’s breath caught as the grainy photo filled the screen. Melissa’s face stared out from behind the windshield, pale and tight with fear. Her stomach turned hard, her pulse kicking up fast.
Beside her, Cal’s jaw clenched. “Where is this? Where’s Melissa?”
Isla’s voice came sharp over the line. “The car turned onto a road just outside of Rock Canyon. After that, nothing. There aren’t any more cameras out that way.”
Alena gripped the edge of the desk, fighting the urge to shout. “What road?”
“A dead-end stretch,” Isla said. “Leads to old ranch land. That’s likely where the person took her.”
Alena couldn’t take her eyes off the grainy image. “Did you get a shot of the driver, Isla? Was it Dexter?”
“I wish,” Isla said, frustration edging her tone. “The visor was down. No clear image. But I’ve got the address where the car was last spotted. Sending it now.”
Cal’s phone buzzed a second later, and he checked the screen. “Ten miles. That’s all.” He ended the call and pushed back from the desk.
Adrenaline surged again, evaporating some of the fatigue. Together, they hurried down the hall toward the interview rooms. Raines stood there, one hand on his hip, the otherholding a folder. The doors to both rooms were shut tight, so Arneson and Kara had to be inside.
Cal didn’t waste time. “Isla found the car with Melissa, and she sent us the location.”
Raines’s head snapped up, his eyes sharp. “Good. Let’s move. I’ll follow in my cruiser with backup.”
Alena’s pulse kicked harder. They had a direction now, a chance to get ahead of this nightmare.
They pushed through the doors of the sheriff’s station, Raines right behind them. He jerked his chin at a deputy who was crossing the lobby. “Miller, you’re with me.”
Deputy Miller broke into a quick stride, falling in beside the sheriff as they headed for the cruisers.
