It was barely 7 AM when Lena returned to the motel, and despite the exhaustion that dragged at her limbs, her heart thudded with purpose. There was no time for sleep—not when she finally knew where Senna was.

She tore out of her room, hair still messy from the long night, and bolted down the hallway toward Jenny’s door. Without hesitation, she knocked—no, pounded —like a madwoman.

The door swung open after several loud thuds, and there stood Jenny: pink silk pajamas, matching nightcap, and a scowl that could kill. Her hair was a mess of curls, and she blinked sleepily at Lena, leaning against the door frame like she needed it to stand upright.

“What is it?” Jenny croaked, her voice hoarse as she coughed a little to clear her throat.

“Oh—sorry if I woke you up! It’s just—” Lena’s words tumbled out faster than her thoughts. “I know where Senna is!”

Jenny froze, her drowsiness evaporating instantly. She straightened, all traces of fatigue gone.

“You do?” she said sharply. Then, without missing a beat, “Let me get ready, and you can explain why you decided to work alone and how you even came up with her location on the way there.”

Her tone was ice. Then came the sharp slam of the door.

Lena flinched.

“Ouch…” she muttered under her breath, though she couldn’t entirely blame her for that reaction. The whole team had canvassed the area, questioned locals, and they had still come up empty. Then she—working solo—had uncovered something solid in a matter of hours.

Jenny didn’t know about her power. Wouldn’t ever know.

“Sorry, Jenny,” Lena whispered as she jogged off. “But you’ll never truly know how I found her. I just don’t know if I can trust you.”

She stopped outside Caleb’s door and knocked.

“Caleb?! It’s Lena! I know where Senna i—”

The door opened mid-sentence. Lena’s eyes widened, words dying in her throat.

Caleb stood there, water dripping from his black hair, a towel slung low around his waist—very low. His chest and shoulders gleamed from the steam, his six-pack catching the early morning light like a sin.

Her eyes, traitorous as ever, followed the path down his torso until—

Ahem.

Her gaze snapped back up to his face. His lips twitched in amusement. 

“Enjoy the view?” His voice was deep, gravelly from sleep—and it struck her like lightning.

“Oh! I—I’m so sorry!” she squeaked, spinning around so fast her hair nearly smacked him. Her face flamed red.

He chuckled, low and infuriatingly amused. “It’s alright,” he said smoothly, then added, “Did I hear you right? You know where the girl is?”

Lena, still mortified, nodded without looking back. His voice was husky, almost teasing—and it only made her cheeks burn hotter. She tried to steady her breathing, but the silence stretched, his gaze lingering on her back for far too long.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jenny at the end of the hall, dressed and locking her door.

Panic flared inside her. Lena knew the report that would come from talking to a half-naked coworker wouldn’t do her any favors. The last people she wanted to hear about it were Hayes and the team. Lena whirled, shoved Caleb back into his room, and slammed the door shut just as Jenny approached. Jenny eyed her suspiciously, though she was too tired to fully care.

“Is he still getting ready?” she yawned, leaning against the wall.

“Yep,” Lena squeaked, her voice an octave too high. Jenny raised an eyebrow but said nothing in the end.

By 8:30 AM, the three of them were at the Covington Police Station, sitting across from the sheriff—a balding man with a coffee mug glued to his hand and skepticism plastered on his face.

“You think the girl’s buried in Turner Park?” he asked, disbelief dripping from every word. “What makes you think that?”

“I followed up on the lead Old Man Todd gave me,” Lena said steadily. “There was only one white car that passed through the neighborhood that night, around the same time Senna was reported missing. The car belongs to her aunt, Ramona Limah.”

The sheriff stopped mid-sip, his mug lowering slowly. The officers nearby exchanged tense looks.

“What?” Jenny blurted. “The aunt buried her own niece? That’s—that’s horrific.”

Her outrage melted into sorrow as she sank back into her chair. Caleb leaned forward. “How sure are you of that? Where’s your evidence?”

Jenny immediately stomped her high heel into his foot under the table. He didn’t flinch. Lena blinked at him, unsure whether he was trying to help her look credible—or doubting her entirely.

‘It doesn’t matter what he’s doing. I know I’m right about this at the end of the day,’ she thought, straightening her back. “You’ll just have to trust me. Like the Director has.”

That did it. The room went quiet. Everyone knew what that meant. Director Adebayo wasn’t known to vouch for just anyone. The sheriff coughed, shifting in his chair. “Alright then… guess we should go dig around Turner Park, huh?” He stood, scratching his belly before waving to a few officers. “Let’s move, people.”

Within moments, the room cleared out until only Lena, Jenny, and Caleb remained. Jenny smirked as she stood, stretching her arms over her head. “Using the Director’s name to win them over, huh? Didn’t know you had it in you, newbie.”

Lena gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. “Desperate times.”

But it was Caleb’s gaze that unsettled her. He wasn’t angry exactly… It felt more like he was just disappointed. Like he expected more from her, but would never say what.

Jenny clapped her hands together, snapping Lena’s attention towards her. 

“Anyway, let’s go save little Senna, you two!” Jenny said, with Caleb following closely behind her.

Lena nodded, trailing behind them, but the knot in her chest only tightened. Because even as the morning light spilled across the station floor… She couldn’t shake the feeling that finding Senna was only the beginning of what was to come.

To be continued…