relating to household bills and payments to vendors. A large deposit had been added a week before from her father, which was probably meant to cover wedding costs. But nothing out of the ordinary.
He checked her browser history and found wedding decoration and planning sites, then noted she’d researched teaching positions and had sent applications to three different schools in Austin.
All confirmed Fisher’s story.
Next he examined her social media sites. She was on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest. He took a few minutes to skim her posts and discovered she liked mystery books and classics, and she tweeted and wrote Facebook posts about her job search and upcoming nuptials. Photos of her and Raymond filled her Facebook page: shots of them at college football games, hiking and sipping drinks on a beach vacation trip and engagement pictures taken at a mountain cabin.
Nothing suspicious. In fact, everything supported Fisher’s and Lambert’s story.
Amanda appeared from the bedroom, her expression troubled.
“What?” he asked.
She glanced at the patio and seemed to be relieved that Fisher was outside. “My deputy called. He found Kelly’s car.”
Justin arched a brow. “Where?”
“Out on Old River Mill Road.” She lowered her voice. “It appears someone ran her off the road. Deputy Morgan found blood on Kelly’s seat and paint from another car on her Toyota.”
Justin’s jaw tightened. “Someone intentionally ran her off the road, then abducted her?”
“That’s what it looks like. I’d like to go out to the site and see for myself.”
“Do you know what kind of car hit her?”
She shook her head. “No idea of the make and model yet, but it was pewter gray. Hopefully the crime team can tell us more from the paint sample.”
“What kind of car does Fisher drive?”
“A black Lexus. There was a picture of him and Kelly washing it.” Amanda’s expression softened. “They were laughing, covered in soap bubbles.”
He closed the laptop. “I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Let’s go see her car, then we’ll question the ex-boyfriend. If he drives a gray car, he might be our perp.”
Justin’s nerves jangled. He hoped to hell the ex was the man they were looking for. They might have a chance of getting Kelly back.
If not, she might disappear for months or years...or forever...like some of the other victims. And her father and fiancé might never know what happened to her.
* * *
AMANDA AND JUSTIN left with a word to Fisher that they’d keep him updated. Without even discussing the situation, they silently agreed not to tell him about finding Kelly’s car.
“What kind of car does Mr. Lambert drive?” Justin asked as Amanda drove toward Old River Mill Road.
“A silver Mercedes.”
“So far, Fisher and Lambert’s stories hold up.”
A sense of trepidation overcame Amanda. The image of Kelly’s wedding dress hanging in the closet taunted her. Poor Kelly...she had been excited about her wedding.
And now it may never happen....
Night shadows hovered along the road, a breeze stirring the dead leaves and blowing them across the road like tumbleweed. Everything was dry this time of year, the temperature chilly.
Deserted land and cacti sprang up, making her wonder why Kelly would have been driving out on Old Mill River Road. Where had she been going?
Had she been planning to meet someone? If so, whom?
And why out here in the middle of nowhere?
Amanda wound down the road, noting signs for rental cabins along the creek a few miles to the north, but spotted her deputy’s car ahead and pulled over.
“Why was she out here?” Justin asked as he climbed out.
She grabbed two flashlights, tossed him one, then retrieved her camera and a crime kit. “I was thinking the same thing.” She spotted the red Toyota down in the ditch. Her deputy walked toward them along the side of the road. “How did you find the car?” she asked.
“Tracked her cell phone.” Deputy Morgan held it up in his gloved hand. “Battery was low but it was still on.”
“Did you check her call history?” Amanda asked.
Deputy Morgan glanced at the Ranger, then at her, and Amanda realized she hadn’t introduced them. She quickly covered the bases and tugged on gloves
“Did you get anything from the phone?” Justin asked.
“Her last call was to a girl named Anise yesterday about ten a.m. After that, there were dozens of messages from the father and fiancé.”
Amanda took the phone and clicked to listen to a couple. Each message sounded more frantic and panicked. “Fisher and Lambert both sound worried,” she said.
“What about texts?” Justin asked.
Amanda checked the text log. “There’s a couple from Fisher. He sounds more and more anxious as the night wore on.”
“Fits with what they told us,” Justin commented.
She continued to scroll backward. “Wait a minute. There’s one here that came in yesterday about nine a.m. It’s from someone named Hailey. She asked Kelly to meet her at the cabins I saw on that rental sign. Something about a surprise for her fiancé.”
“We need talk to her. She may have had the last communication with Kelly.”
Amanda handed him the phone. “You want to call the tech team and have them trace that text?”
“Sure.” He glanced at the deputy. “Did you call a crime team in?”
The deputy nodded. “They should be here any minute.”
Amanda tried to recall if there had been a girl named Hailey in their graduating class, but couldn’t remember one. Maybe Kelly had met her at college instead of in Sunset Mesa. Or maybe she was a real-estate developer or event planner.
She shone her flashlight along the road as she followed the deputy, her heart hammering when he pointed out the blood trail near the car. Determined not to miss anything, she snapped photos of the car and surrounding area.
The driver’s door was open, the front window and bumper smashed, the weeds and brush crushed from the weight of footsteps—or a body.
Blood dotted the front seat and was splattered against the steering wheel.
But there was no sign of Kelly anywhere.
Except
