Before She Was Found - Heather Gudenkauf Page 0,87

“Grandpa, don’t let her take me. Please.”

“Mr. Petit,” Officer Wilson warns.

“Jordyn, you go with Officer Wilson and I’ll meet you there.” Thomas tries to keep his voice steady. “But do not answer any questions, do you hear me? I’m going to call a lawyer and they will take care of everything.” He turns to Officer Wilson. “Where are you taking her?”

“To the police station here. Just down the road.”

“I don’t want to go,” Jordyn says, her voice filled with panic. She clutches onto her grandfather. “Please, Grandpa, don’t make me go.” She’s crying now, drawing curious looks from those driving by.

“I’ll be right there, Jordy, I promise,” Thomas says, trying to keep the sureness from leeching from his own voice. “I’ll get you out of there right away. I promise.”

Thomas leans in to kiss Jordyn’s forehead. “Don’t say a word. Remember, you weren’t there,” Thomas whispers into her ear. “You weren’t there.”

But the picture tells another story. Jordyn was clearly at the train yard with her friends and was holding the knife that was used on Cora. What had happened between the time this picture was taken and the attack?

“Grandpa, please,” Jordyn cries as Thomas tries to untangle her from his arms.

“Head up, Jordyn,” Thomas says firmly. “We’ll get this all straightened out.”

“Deputy Porter and Deputy Blake from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office will conduct the search, Mr. Petit.”

“What are you looking for?” Thomas thinks of the book bag stuffed up inside of the fireplace and his heart skips a beat.

“The clothes she was wearing the other night, her shoes, her book bag,” Officer Wilson says. “And the home computer and Jordyn’s cell phone if she has one. It would be very helpful if you could tell us where we can find those items.”

“No,” Thomas says. “We’re done helping. Jordyn answered all your questions—we’ve been cooperative.” He looks on as two officers approach the house.

“Is the door locked?” one of them asks.

Thomas watches helplessly as Officer Wilson guides Jordyn to the police car. He waits until the car has pulled away from the curb and disappears down the road, then hands his keys to the deputy. He steps aside in resignation as they unlock the door, go inside and shut the door firmly, leaving Thomas behind.

Thomas stands awkwardly on the sidewalk for a moment and then turns and walks toward the bar. Once inside, he gives Kevin a look that tells him not to ask any questions. He goes behind the bar, pours himself a shot of whiskey, carries it to the cramped office in the back.

First he calls the lawyer that he and Tess used to update their wills. The attorney says that she doesn’t practice criminal law. She recommends Robert Peale, an attorney with years of working with juveniles accused of crimes. She will ask Robert to meet them at the police station within the hour.

Thomas sits down at the cluttered desk where he does the paperwork, downs the shot of whiskey and tries to decide how he’s going to get that book bag from the chimney before the police find it.

Chances are they won’t think to look in the fireplace, but if they do, Thomas will just have to admit that he was the one who hid it up there. Regardless, it won’t look good for Jordyn. And what will the officers do when they can’t find Jordyn’s clothing from the other night?

Thomas wonders if they will arrest him, too. They’ll all be locked up before this is all over. Maybe he should have gone with them and given them clothing that looks similar to what Jordyn wore the other night. All her jeans look the same and there were no photos, as far as he knew, of the shoes she wore to the overnight.

Would they ask Jordyn which ones she was wearing? Probably. He should have had a talk with her, should have told Jordyn exactly what to say. Emboldened by the whiskey, Thomas gets to his feet and retraces his steps through the bar, absentmindedly returning greetings from the regular customers.

Once outside he sees the police vehicles still parked out front and takes this as a sign that they haven’t found the book bag yet. Thomas tries the doorknob but finds that it won’t turn. The door must have locked behind the officers when they went inside. He pats his pockets before remembering that he gave his keys to the officers.

Thomas glances covertly around to see if anyone is watching, finds no one and runs