“You’re the closest thing he’s got,” she said softly.
“Yeah, and I don’t want to jeopardize that. No manual comes with this job.”
They pulled up outside the motel.
Jenna frowned and squinted, peering out of the passenger window. “What is that?”
Something was outside of her door, a small bundle of some kind, no bigger than the palm of her hand
Ryker glanced over, unclicking his seat belt. “What?”
“I’m not sure, but something is on the ground, right outside my motel room door.”
He leaned over her to see what she meant. “Oh, yeah. I’m sure it’s nothing. Someone’s dropped some trash or something.”
“It doesn’t look like trash.” She unclicked her own belt and opened the truck door, climbing down. With her gaze still focused on the object, she slammed the door shut and headed toward it.
She heard Ryker slam his own door and sensed him on her heels. As she moved closer, she made out what the thing was and her heart lurched into her throat. Ice ran through her veins, and her eyes pricked with tears of fear.
Jenna cupped her hand to her mouth. “Oh, God.”
“What? What is it?”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Look.”
They both approached and stood over the little bundle of light brown feathers. Ryker bent down and picked up the dead bird, the body limp, the tiny black eyes dull, the beak slightly ajar.
“No! Don’t touch it!” Jenna cried, stepping back. “Put it down”
“I have to move it, Jenna. It’s only a dead bird.”
“No, it’s not. He put it there.”
Ryker frowned at her, his eyes squinting. “What the hell makes you think that?”
“The bird … It’s a little wren, isn’t it?”
He glanced down at the limp ball of feathers in his hand. “I’m no bird watcher, but I think so, yeah. Why?”
“When we first met, that’s what Garrett used to call me. His little Jenny Wren. I thought it was cute at the time, but now I look back I think it was just another way for him to tease me—you know, ’cause I’m not exactly little! It’s not a coincidence that he’s out and there just happens to be a dead wren right in front of my motel door.”
“Out? Out of where?”
“Prison,” she admitted. “He was put away for driving under the influence.” She didn’t want to tell him the rest.
“Jesus, Jenna.” He shook his head. “You should have told me. But I still think you’re reading too much into this. We’re pretty rural here. There are birds everywhere. The thing probably just flew into the door and broke its own neck.”
“No, it’s him. It’s as if I can feel his presence again. I’ve been feeling this way ever since the banging last night.”
“What banging?”
“It woke me up in the early hours. Someone banged on my door.”
He stared at her and shook his head. “Hell, Jenna. That could have been anyone.”
“I know, but then I called the detective who worked on Garrett’s case, and he called me back to tell me Garrett had been given early parole. I can’t describe it. It’s like I can feel his eyes on me, watching everything I do.”
He glanced down at the lifeless thing in his hand. “And you really think he’d leave a dead bird as what? A warning?”
All she could think of was Garrett’s cruel hands around the little bird’s neck, crushing the life from it. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I think. This is his way of telling me he’s near and he’s coming for me.”
“We need to go to the police.”
“And tell them what? That someone banged on my door, and we found a dead bird. They’ll laugh us out of the station.” Jenna sighed. “Also, I don’t want my name listed on a report. Just in case this is all in my head and I’m being paranoid, I don’t want him to be able to track me by it.”
“So you’re saying there is a possibility you’re being paranoid?”
She sighed again and pushed her hair from her face. “I don’t know. I’m tired, and confused.” She glanced at Ryker’s hand. “Can you please get rid of the bird? I can’t think straight while I’m looking at it.”
Ryker crossed to the edge of the parking lot and put the body under a bush and scraped a bit of dirt over it. He gave a shrug. “That’s the best I can do for now.”
“I can’t see the damn thing, so it’s fine.” In her head, she could see the multitude of germs crawling over Ryker’s hands. “Now come inside and wash your hands.”