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“Should we talk to him?” Karl asked, his voice low and tense. Bella nodded, her pulse quickening as they approached the man.
Bella nodded, meeting the owner’s eye and beckoning him over. “Excuse me,” Bella began, her voice sweet but firm. “We’d like to ask you some questions about the recent kidnappings in town. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Sure,” the owner replied cautiously, his eyes darting between them. “What do you want to know?”
As the conversation unfolded, Bella kept her focus on the man’s body language and facial expressions, searching for any signs of deceit or discomfort.
The owner, his arms crossed defensively over his chest, avoided eye contact and shifted from one foot to the other.
“Can you tell us where you were during the nights of the kidnappings?” Karl asked, his voice steady and non-threatening.
“Look, I’ve already told the police everything I know,” the owner replied, his tone defensive. “I was here, at the diner, working late.”
“Did you notice anything unusual or any suspicious customers coming in?” Bella inquired gently, her green eyes searching his face for clues.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he said evasively, glancing at the door as if considering an escape. “Just the regulars and some truckers passing through.”
Karl exchanged a subtle glance with Bella, who gave a slight nod in response. They had picked up on the owner’s unease and knew they needed to tread carefully. Bella decided to shift the focus slightly, asking about the owner’s family and friends. The man seemed more comfortable discussing these topics, but there was still an underlying tension that couldn’t be ignored.
“Thank you for your time,” Bella said finally, offering a warm smile to mask her growing suspicions. “If you think of anything else, please don’t hesitate to call the sheriff’s office.”
“Sure thing,” the owner muttered, turning back to the counter with relief etched on his face.
As they left the diner, Karl and Bella walked side by side in contemplative silence. Bella’s thoughts buzzed like a swarm of bees, trying to piece together the fragments of information they’d gathered.
“Something felt off about him,” she mused aloud, biting her lip. “His body language, the way he avoided our questions...It just doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Agreed,” Karl said, his steely blue eyes scanning the street. “How about we keep an eye on him for a while? Watch where he goes and who he talks to.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Bella agreed, her heart pounding with excitement and trepidation. “I feel like we’re CIA agents, shadowing a perp.”
He grinned at her, nodding.
They positioned themselves in the shadows across the street, their gazes locked on the diner’s entrance. Time crawled by at a snail’s pace as they waited, each minute feeling like an hour. Finally, the door swung open, and the owner stepped out into the fading sunlight.
Karl and Bella exchanged a look and began to follow him at a discreet distance. They trailed him through the sleepy town, past quaint cottages and small businesses that had long since closed for the day.
“Where do you think he’s headed?” Bella whispered.
“Only one way to find out,” Karl replied grimly, his eyes never leaving the figure ahead of them.
As they continued their pursuit, the air grew colder and the atmosphere increasingly tense. Bella clutched her jacket tighter around her body, the moon’s glow enveloping her like a protective aura. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on the cusp of discovering something crucial, something that would bring them closer to unmasking the kidnapper.
The moon cast its pale glow over the secluded area where the diner owner now stood, his posture tense and his eyes darting around nervously. Karl and Bella, hidden in the shadows behind a cluster of trees, watched as he paced back and forth, clearly waiting for someone.
“Guess we were right about him,” Bella whispered, her breath coming out in small puffs of condensation in the chilly air.
“Shh, someone’s coming,” Karl warned, his hand instinctively going to the small of his back where a concealed handgun rested against his skin.Thank God for Texas and it’s concealed handgun laws.
A figure emerged from the darkness, their features obscured by a hood. The mysterious individual approached the diner owner cautiously, scanning the area before speaking in hushed tones. Bella strained her ears, trying to catch snippets of conversation but found it near impossible. Frustration bubbled within her.
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” she asked Karl.
“Only bits and pieces,” he replied, his gaze never leaving the pair. “Something about another drop-off...and payment.”
“Are you sure it’s the kidnapper?” Bella questioned, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Positive. We’ve got them,” Karl confirmed with a steely determination.
