I let out a growl of frustration as I pushed back from my desk. I’d been digging through Janet Morgan’s arrest record, reaching out to Kenna’s old teachers who were still on the island, neighbors from the house Kenna had spent the early years of her life in, anyone who might help convince a judge that Janet was a manipulative liar. Judge Moore was no fool, but I wasn’t sure we had enough for him to discount Janet’s testimony completely. I wanted a slam dunk, and that seemed nearly impossible when all I had were sworn statements that basically amounted to opinions.

“You need to take a break.”

I looked up to find Penny leaning against the doorjamb of my office. “I don’t have time for a break.”

She made a tsking sound and gave me her patented mom stare. “You’ll make a lot more progress if you give your brain a rest. Get up and go outside. Breathe some fresh air, feel the sun on your face. Take a walk and get some lunch. You’re no good to anyone if your eyes are crossing.”

She had a point. I’d read the same page of a police report three times in the past ten minutes. “How’d you get so wise?”

“Raised three boys who gave me gray hair before I turned forty.”

I chuckled. Those boys doted on their mother, but she loved to bemoan all the torture they put her through in their childhood and teen years. “I think they keep you young.”

Penny rolled her eyes heavenward. “More like give me weekly heart attacks. Now, come on. Get up and get going.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I gave a little salute as I pushed to my feet. My back muscles protested the action—too many hours in one position. A walk to loosen everything up was just what I needed. I had the urge to head towards Cornerstone, to check in on Kenna and see how she was holding up. I could couch it in an offer to take her to lunch, but I knew she’d see right through it. And Kenna would see the check-in as me thinking she was weak. Fragile. But that wasn’t the case, I was simply worried.

I grabbed my sunglasses, wallet, and phone from my desk drawer and shoved them into my pocket. “You want anything from The Catch?”

Penny’s lips pursed. “I brought a salad for lunch, but I wouldn’t mind some onion rings to go with it.”