If You Hear Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense by Shiloh Walker Read Free Book Online Page A

faint smile. “I guess you’re related to half the town, then.”
    “Yes, ma’am. I’m Keith Jennings, if that helps any.”
    The quiet humor she heard in his voice made her smile. “A bit.” She sighed and pushed a hand through her hair. “When half the county is named Jennings, even a bit of help is nice.”
    “Well, to be honest, I think it’s only a quarter … and I’m a pretty distant cousin.”
    He was smiling a little. She could hear it in his voice. “You mean there are people here who aren’t distant cousins?” The Jennings family practically owned Ash, it seemed.
    “Well, you’re not.”
    “True.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and sighed. “Did you … um … was there anybody …”
    “I’m sorry, but we couldn’t find anything.” He was silent for a second and then cleared his throat. “Would it be okay if I sat down?”
    “Oh, of course. I’m sorry. I …”
    “It’s okay. It’s late and all.”
    She heard the other rocking chair creak as he sat down.
    “That sure is a fine dog you’ve got there, Ms. Riddle. What was his name again?”
    “Puck.”
    “Nice dog.”
    She heard him snap his fingers and it made her smile. Keeping her hand on the dog’s harness, she said, “He won’t come to you while he’s on his leash. He’s working.” She adjusted the dark glasses she wore.
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”
    He chuckled and said, “I guess people do that a lot.”
    “Some.” Lena shrugged. “Not so much around here, though. At least not now. They’re getting to know him.” She grimaced. “It does happen a lot when I go into Lexington or Louisville.”
    “People see a pretty dog, they want to pet it.”
    Lena smiled. “Yes.” Puck was a beautiful dog, twenty-eight inches at the shoulder, well-behaved, and although she couldn’t see his golden coat, she knew it was shiny and clean. Jennings spoke the truth—Puck was a pretty dog and people like to pet pretty dogs.
    But as pretty as Puck was, he was also a working dog. Plus, he was her dog. He liked people well enough, but he preferred her over other people. He wasn’t just her dog—he was a friend. It was more than a pet/owner relationship. With a guide dog, it had to be.
    Silence fell, stretching out for nearly a minute beforeSgt. Jennings broke it with a question. “So, can you tell me more about what happened?”
    “Screaming,” she whispered quietly, turning her head to the wooded area that bordered the western part of her property. A knot settled in her throat and she had to clear her throat twice before she could manage to speak. Fear tore into her, brutal and sharp. “Somebody was in the woods. I could hear her screaming … screaming for help.”
    “You’re sure it was a woman?”
    Lena licked her lips. “Well, no. I can’t be positive, but she sounded female. I only heard her voice a couple of times, but she sounded … well, female.”
    “And she was screaming.”
    “Yes.” Lena’s hands were suddenly damp, cold with sweat. Swiping them down the front of her pajama bottoms, she tried to pretend they weren’t shaking. “That was what woke me up. I heard her scream. I was sitting there in bed, kind of confused … you know how it is when something wakes you up, but you’re not sure what it is?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “Well, it was like that. I was sitting there, trying to figure out what had woken me up and then I heard it again. Heard her. She screamed, ‘Help me.’ A few seconds later, I heard somebody thrashing around in the woods and then she screamed again—‘Please, somebody help me!’ No, that wasn’t it. It was ‘Somebody, please help me!’ Sounded a little closer, too. I grabbed the phone and called nine-one-one.”
    “After you made the call, did you hear her again?”
    Lena shook her head. “No. Just those few times … well, three or four, I guess.” Then she paused, cocked her head. “No. Five. I heard her cry out