“They were instructed to forward everything to me immediately. It shouldn’t take long since we have a goodtimeline. An officer is heading to the hotel now to review their footage, too.”
Jeffries introduced himself to Darcy, who immediately handed Rowan’s phone over to a gloved officer.
“I studied this map while I waited,” Darcy said, pointing to a spot on one of the several red lines running across the board. “This is an offshoot trail. Less traveled. Rockier terrain. I can take you there now.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” one of the officers remarked. “We’ll need to mark that part of the trail off. Once we do that, we’ll take down your information, and you’ll be free to go. Your cooperation is very appreciated.”
The officer holding Rowan’s phone asked if Hugh knew the password. Raven answered him. “113070.” His birthday. The officer typed in the password. It opened to reveal his and Rowan’s text thread.Help me move my things into your place and…That was it. She’d been texting him back.
They were almost at the spot where Darcy found the phone when he heard through his speaker a phone ringing on Raven’s side. He tensed. Patrick announced, “It’s Gran.” He didn’t ask what his mom wanted, not wanting to speak or interrupt the officers as they looked around the scene. Mom knew what was happening. He made a quick call on his way to the park.
“Dad, Jesus,” Pat sounded breathless. “Gran said Diana just called her. Her brother Owen called to let her know that William’s ex-wife, Katy, is missing. I know this might sound far-fetched, but is it possible this is connected? Row was just all over the internet as Will Stanton’s new girlfriend,” Patrick trailed off, probably realizing that it did, in fact, sound like he was grasping at straws.
Except…well, Hugh might be grasping at those same straws. Jeffreys stopped taking pictures of where the phone had beenfound and walked close to Hugh, so he could hear Patrick. “They know nothing of Rowan?”
“Nothing,” Bran answered. “Dad…maybe…what are the odds that two women connected to William Stanton are missing?”
Jeffreys was frowning, considering. There was no idea, however unlikely, that Hugh wouldn’t follow. “Boys,” he barked, his emotions fraying by the second, “call MacGregor. Tell him I need every man he has close to us and even those that aren’t. Give him our attorney’s contact information. I had him hire private investigators to look into William Stanton. Tell Don that I want the case completely turned over to MacGregor’s team.”
Silence. They were probably shocked that he’d gone there. He had considered at the time that he was overstepping, and that it might come back to bite him in the ass. He was fresh out of fucks now.
“Patrick’s calling him now, Dad. We’ll do anything and everything for you and Row. Will Jeffreys work with MacGregor?”
The detective answered for himself. “Yes. Hugh, call this William Stanton. Tell him I want to talk to him. Now. He knows something. Or he doesn’t know that he knows something. Either way, get him here.”
The last sixhours had been a test of impotence. Despite the manpower and dedication to finding Rowan, helplessness crushed Hugh. He needed his sons like he needed Rowan—desperately.
MacGregor had pulled eight of his crew to work here and remotely. Jeffreys had the CCTV feeds showing Rowan outside the hotel and at each stoplight leading to the park. There was a man watching her at two of the locations. He was big, wearing a suit, and clearly looking for opportunity. There was one framethat showed Rowan’s head turn and look directly at the man. She must have felt his eyes on her.
Damn her for not turning back. Damn her for leaving his arms empty and his heart bleeding. He couldn’t think of how she was feeling. If he went there...if he considered how scared she must be...if he pictured her hurt…No. Sanity did not lie in that direction.
“They found the car from the park’s parking lot camera. It was dumped on a country road outside Indianapolis. No cameras, obviously. Plates match. The car was stolen in Houston.” Hugh was in Jeffreys’ office. William had just walked in, red-eyed and pale.
“Stanton?” the detective asked. At his nod, he continued his report. “I was just going over the latest intel with O’Faolain. They found the car seen on CCTV outside Mrs. Stanton’s Houston address and here in Tulsa. It was dumped in Indiana. Countryside. No cameras,” he continued succinctly.
“A local unit found where another vehicle had been parked for a while. Heavy rain showed deep ruts where a truck or van sat. The car has been towed to a forensics facility. They recovered long black hair and wavy red hair from the trunk,” he finished that last bit grim-faced, jaw clenched.
Will stared at the wall in front of him, devoid of expression. He looked like a corpse. Hugh felt like one. Rowan. Rowan. Rowan. She’d been shoved in the trunk of a car for who knew how many hours.
“So, we don’t know what vehicle to look for now,” Hugh stated flatly.
“Correct. However, MacGregor pulled his best man away from his honeymoon. Fleet is working on a timeline and triangulating possible routes they might have taken after changing rides. Tulsa put out an APB on the kidnapping. If hecan get a direction or catch a break on their new transportation, we’ll alert the appropriate authorities.
“Once Fleet figures out approximately when they dropped the vehicle, he’ll have a timeframe for the PD in surrounding towns on when to check their CCTVs. However, most small towns don’t have them. Still, it’s worth pursuing. Because the area of the drop is mostly rural, if we get lucky and find one of those small towns with cameras, it will be that much easier to check tags and identification of the owners.”
Hugh nodded, swallowing thickly. Attempting to come to terms with the fact that this nightmare wasn’t ending tonight.
“Hugh’s investigators and Thomas MacGregor’s security firm have several leads they’re working on, some of which you might be able to shed some light on.”
“I’ll answer any question,” Will gritted out, clearly struggling.
“The only link between the two women is you. Katy is your ex-wife, but reports show that you and Mrs. Stanton are seen quite regularly in each other’s company. True?”
“Yes. We attend some family events for our children and attend all of our granddaughter’s dance recitals. We don’t go together, but we are seen together at them.”
“It has been reported that you and Miss Byrne are dating. Is that accurate?
“We were,” Will’s hands fisted in his lap. He looked at Hugh then, clearly still pissed about their last conversation. “Until this asshole decided to reinsert himself in her life.”
