“Let’s go back to the station to discuss. I’d like to see if we can locate Shane and get his end of the story.” Boone opened the passenger door to Ryan’s cruiser, and she got inside.
“We’ll follow you there.” Ryan climbed behind the wheel and fired the engine waiting while Boone did the same. The sheriff pulled out onto the street. Ryan followed suit.
“You believe him?” Charlie asked, and he didn’t have to ask who she meant.
“He seemed sincere enough.” Ryan checked the rearview periodically to make sure they weren’t followed. “Do you remember much about Shane?” He studied her profile.
“Not really. Shane’s reputation was well established by then. We kind of avoided him, Abby and me. But I did think it interesting that Noah, who was a bit of a nerd, hung out with the school’s bad boy.”
Ryan agreed. “Yeah, they didn’t seem to fit. It’s interesting that Jason’s name is involved. We need to take a closer look at him.”
The one name that had thrown him the most was Lila’s brother Tyler. Something he hadn’t thought about before had him voicing his concern aloud. “You think Tyler’s car accident had anything to do with Shane’s dangerous friends and possibly Abby’s disappearance?”
Charlie’s wide eyes held his. “That makes so much more sense than Tyler not wearing his seatbelt. He wasn’t careless like that. I’d ridden with him before.”
Ryan turned into the available parking spot next to Boone’s. The sheriff waited next to his cruiser for them to exit their vehicle.
Inside, Sarah glanced up as they came into the station. She handed Boone a couple of messages. “Will is checking at the church for Shane.”
“Thanks. Let’s go into the conference room.” Boone headed down the hall. Once in the room, he pulled out a chair for Charlie. After she was seated Ryan claimed the seat beside her while Boone zeroed in on the coffeemaker. He held up the pot. “Anyone else?”
Both Ryan and Charlie declined.
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s the last thing I need right now. My wife is going to kill me if I develop ulcers.” He claimed the seat across from them. “So, what are your thoughts?” He directed this to Charlie.
She told him what she and Ryan had discussed. “It certainly is an explanation, but I can’t understand how Abby would run across Shane and his friends.”
“Maybe that night she snuck out they were doing something nefarious in the woods near her place. It would be well hidden.”
Charlie wasn’t convinced. “I guess. I wish Tyler were still alive. He could give us insight into whether Noah is telling the truth.”
“You don’t believe him?” Boone seemed skeptical himself.
“Not entirely. I remember Noah was kind of shy growing up. It’s a strange coupling between him and Shane.”
Ryan had to agree. “Maybe he formed an alliance with Shane because both didn’t fit in with others in school.”
“Possibly,” Charlie said, still not convinced.
Boone’s cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket. “It’s Will.” Answering the phone, he put it on speaker. “I’m here with Ryan and Charlie. What’d you learn about Shane?”
“I found him.”
Will’s answer took everyone by surprise.
“So soon?” Ryan couldn’t believe it had been that easy.
“Yep. He’s the church’s new youth pastor.”
Nothing prepared Ryan to hear this. “You’re kidding. Shane ‘the bad boy’ is a minister?”
Will laughed. “He is and he’s agreed to come in and speak with us. I’m just waiting for him to finish up and then we’ll be heading over.”
“Great news, Will. We’ll see you soon.” Boone ended the call. “When we speak with Shane, hopefully he can clear things up. I want to know more about Jason Owens’s involvement in whathappened. Something tells me he’s not as squeaky clean as his father wants us to believe.”
Ryan agreed. “What about Junior?” The mayor’s son couldn’t be ruled out either, especially considering he had the same initial listed in Abby’s diary.
Right now, they had more suspects than they ever had and yet nothing that would help them solve the mystery of what happened to Abby all those years earlier and why Pete had to die.
