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“Hey, Boss.”
“Did Amelia Jennings leave the building?”
“Yeah, around twenty minutes ago. Why? Was she not supposed to leave? She usually heads home around five o’clock. I thought that she stayed late because of what happened today, so I didn’t think anything of it when she finally left work after all the excitement.”
“Did Amelia leave with anyone?” Brook motioned for Sylvie to join in the search. “Cody is still here.”
“She walked out of the building by herself. Cody’s car was in the shop across the street, which was why he’s been hitching rides with her lately. He walked there at lunchtime to pick it up.” It had come to their attention that today was going to be Cody’s last day volunteering at the facility. He’d lined up a construction job down in Florida that was set to begin next month. “Did something happen, Boss? You’re giving me a weird vibe.”
“Yes. Amelia might be in trouble. Ping her phone, Bit. Now.” Brook began to walk across the common area to where Theo was still speaking with Cody. “Also, where are Kittle and Clark right now?”
“Both of them are at their respective homes, Boss.”
Brook wasn’t so sure of that, because the unsub wouldn’t be foolish enough to take his cell phone with him when abducting a victim.
“Do either Kittle or Clark have a GPS system installed into their trucks?”
“No. Both makes are too old for that.” Bit paused, causing the tension to elevate in seconds over the line. “Boss, Amelia Jenning’s phone is pinging from the nursing facility. Her phone is still there.”
“Track her vehicle through the street cameras and get back to me.”
It wouldn’t take Bit long to rewind through the footage and follow Amelia’s path. In the meantime, it was best to put out an alert. Brook would have Theo instruct the police to do so, also notifying Ann in the process that another victim might have been abducted this evening.
“Brook? What’s wrong?”
“Abe, I can’t talk right now,” Brook said apologetically as she went to walk past his wheelchair. “Enjoy dinner with your daughter. I’ll get back to you when I can.”
“You be careful, Brook,” Abe advised as he smoothed his gold and black blanket over his lap. He then shot Trina a tender smile. “As for my daughter, I’ll take that advice. I don’t want to waste any of the time that we have together.”
Brook’s steps faltered until she came to a full stop.
She’d heard something similar recently, but yet in complete contrast to what Abe had been referring to by his comment.
Wasted time…
Recognition dawned on Brook. She’d heard a similar expression recently, and from someone directly involved with the case.
She knew the identity of their unsub.
Every level of law enforcement involved with the investigation had completely dropped the ball. Technically, the light would have been shined on the truth once every piece of information had been read over, but the paperwork involving six missing women had been time-consuming.
Most every investigation always came back to the first victim, and they’d been on the right track. Only they had missed a major landmark.
“Abe, I owe you an entire pumpkin pie,” Brook praised quickly before making her way over to Theo. “Cody, your mother left the facility twenty minutes ago. She left her phone here, which I need you to find. We’re going to do everything that we can to make sure she is safe.”
“Mom left work?” Cody asked with a frown. He then shook his head, as if to say that he didn’t believe Brook. “Mom would have said something to me. She was talking to Jim around an hour ago in his office.”
“I’ll go—“
“No,” Brook responded to Theo, casting him a knowing glance. He immediately understood. “Cody, your mother definitely left the building. You spoke to Sylvie regarding a few odd occurrences in the past week. She has gone to speak with Mr. Risner to see if your mother happened to mention where she was going after work. I have one question for you, and it’s important. Do you have an elderly relative who is in an assisted living program or a nursing facility? Maybe this one?”
“My grandfather, but he’s in a nursing home on the other side of the city,” Cody replied as his gaze drifted toward the hallway behind them. “Mom has to be here.”
“Cody, your mother drove out of the parking lot twenty minutes ago,” Brook reiterated firmly. “I’m going to need you to find her phone, because she didnottake it with her.”
Cody didn’t hesitate or ask Brook how she was aware of his mother’s phone being left behind. Once he was completely out of earshot, Brook turned her attention toward Theo and got straight to the point.
“Beau Willow is our unsub. He somehow managed to convince Amelia Jennings to leave here, and I believe her life is now in danger.”
