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Alice opened the door and stepped inside with a phone in her hand. “The media has the story,” she said, then touched something on her phone.
Alex heard a woman say, “We’ve asked for more information, but police chief George Dixon says this is an ongoing investigation and he can’t give us any details. This morning, however, we interviewed Carol and David Abbott. Their daughter, Tracy Mendenhall, has been missing since Sunday morning. They’re asking anyone who may have seen her to contact the police or the FBI. It’s also possible that other women who resemble Tracy have gone missing recently.”
Then Alex heard Carol Abbott’s voice. “Please, please, help us find Tracy. She disappeared while jogging through the park near our home. Here’s a photo of her.”
The reporter’s voice returned. “If you’ve seen Tracy Mendenhall, please call one of the numbers you see on the screen below. If you can’t get through, call the station, and we’ll make certain your information gets to the right person. Right now we don’t have any details about the other missing women, but all women in our area should be cautious about going out in public alone. WADA will continue to investigate and bring you updates on this important story.”
Alice touched the screen again with one of her red, manicured nails. “This isn’t the only station talking about Tracy Mendenhall,” she said, her expression grim. “Looks like we have a major problem on our hands.”
Jeff sighed. “Yes, we do. Thanks, Alice.”
“I’d say you’re welcome, but I know this wasn’t anything you really wanted to hear.”
“You’re right about that.”
Alice left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Jeff swore softly. “So much for Agent Lucas getting the Abbotts to stay quiet about the other abductions. This is the last thing we need. Now every Tom, Dick, and Harry will be phoning the police, saying they know where Tracy is.” He sighed. “They’ll have to set up something at the CP for the calls coming in.”
“Can you blame the Abbotts?” Alex said. “They’re frightened. They probably think getting the media involved will help.”
“Unfortunately, this will just make it harder for law enforcement. I wish people would listen to the experts instead of taking things into their own hands.”
“Well, at least women will be careful,” Alex said. “Maybe this will help keep them safe.”
“You two work on the profile,” Jeff said. “I’ll tell you more about the woman who disappeared yesterday as soon as I get the information. For now, all I know is that her name is Merrie McDowell. She’s a real estate agent. Her office said she got a call from a potential buyer and went to show a house. Never came back. Her purse was found on the floor of the house, which was left unlocked, and her car was still parked in the driveway. The property is rather secluded, so of course no one saw anything. Her picture is on billboards and ads. I think that’s why she became a target. She matches the description of the other women.”
“Her colleague reported her missing?” Logan asked.
“Yes. And when he described her, the police dispatcher put it right through even though she’d been gone only a few hours.”
“They’ve been warned not to speak to the press, right?”
Jeff nodded. “Of course.”
Alex leaned forward. “Will you want us at the command post, Jeff?”
“Not sure. I’ll check with the agent in charge once they assign someone. If they decide they want you on-site, I’ll send you over. It might help if they have questions about the profile.”
“The sooner we can get the information about the other eight women, the sooner we can give you something that might help,” Logan said.
“I agree. Get to work. And let us know what the doctor says after your MRI today.”
“Yeah, and next time you jump from a nine-foot-high window onto a concrete floor,” Alex said with a grin, “please be more careful.”
“Hopefully, there won’t be a next time. Once was enough for me.”
“For all of us,” Jeff said, smiling. “What time is the MRI, by the way? I should have asked you that before.”
“Later this afternoon. I have time to work on this.”
Jeff put his hand on his phone. “I’ll request that additional info for you now. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Alex got up and turned toward the door. Logan did the same but somehow stumbled over his chair. He laughed. “Nothing like making a cool exit.”
As he walked out of the office, Alex glanced at Jeff. His expression made it clear he’d noticed. What was going on?
