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The horror had cleaved Luke, splitting him apart.

He was the functioning cop, albeit shaken.

But inside, the flawed, guilt-ridden, terrified husband was screaming: My wife’s missing!

On the surface, Luke held fast to his professional calm, taking action. In the time since he’d found Carrie’s car, he’d alerted dispatch, setting procedures in motion. Units arrived in an ongoing concert of sirens and lights.

Luke stood by Emily at the back of an ambulance, its doors open, paramedics assessing her. She appeared unharmed. Other deputies responded, taking Luke’s initial statement, asking about Carrie’s phone, whether she had a dash camera, starting a search of the area.

“No dashcam, and her phone’s gone,” Luke said, giving them her number. “I tried locating it, tried contacting her. Nothing. Could be off; the SIM card may have been removed. I got nothing. Try the service provider.”

The rain had let up and the clouds had parted, allowing moments of sun as more resources arrived and time swept by. Carrie’s car and the surrounding area were cordoned with tape, sealing it as a potential crime scene. Nonessential officers were directed to cleared areas so as not to contaminate the scene.

Traffic was detoured through the new subdivision, but as word spread, curious people parked and walked to the scene to watch what was transpiring.

Detectives Mallory and Cobb emerged to lead the investigation, taking Luke aside. He passed them his phone with Carrie’s texts, indicating she was told that he’d been hurt and taken to hospital.

“I think that’s where she was headed,” he said. “But I was never hurt.” Luke surveyed the area for the millionth time. “Someone wanted her out of the house. Who would’ve told her I was hurt?”

Mallory studied the texts while Cobb continued questioning Luke.

“What was her demeanor?”

“The last few days she’s been struggling with her memories of the murders, and Vern’s illness. I think today’s Chronicle was the final straw.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe she was having a breakdown,” Luke said.

“In mental distress, confused?” Cobb asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you think she would walk away, harm herself?” Cobb asked.

“No. I don’t know. I mean, she had the baby with her. Before this happened, she tried reaching her therapist in California.”

Mallory returned Luke’s phone.

“Yeah, she could’ve been lured with a fabricated emergency,” Mallory said, “to get her out of the house.”

“But why? Who?” Luke asked. “Someone out for revenge because of the Chronicle ?”

“We can’t speculate,” Cobb said. “Might be some other things going on.”

“What other things ?” Luke said.

Cobb threw a silent, knowing glance to Mallory. The detectives hadn’t revealed that a disturbing package concerning the murders was sent to the Chronicle . They needed to protect their case, especially now that new elements were surfacing.

“What else do you know?” Luke demanded.

They didn’t answer his question.

Mallory’s phone rang, so he stepped away, taking the call. That’s when Luke noticed news crews and people collecting far off behind the tape.

“Luke,” Cobb said, “at this point, we don’t know who, or what, has any bearing. Our priority is to find Carrie. Is there anything else you can think of that might help?”

Biting back on his bitterness, Luke nodded to the Fawn Ridge development nearby.

“Try their security cameras at the job site trailer.”

Mallory ended his call and made his way back over to Luke and Cobb. “Dogs are on the way,” he said. “So is support from Clear River PD, Search and Rescue.”

“Good,” Cobb said.

“Let’s put up a drone and get a canvass going,” Mallory said, indicating the distant older residences. “We’ll make an appeal for any dashcam footage, although I don’t think many people were out in the storm.”

Cobb pointed with his chin to the TV cameras and news people. “We’ll need someone to talk to the press.”

“What the hell’s going on?”

They turned to see Vern approaching after lifting the tape.

“Bob called me, said Carrie’s missing.” Vern scanned the scene, her SUV, then searched Luke’s face for answers.

“She tried to reach me,” Luke said. “I found her car here.”

“Where the hell is she?”

“There’s no sign of her,” Luke said.

“Oh, my God.”

“Did you see her today, Vern?” Mallory asked.

“I did. Early this morning. She came to my house. She was shattered by the story in the paper. I tried to calm her down.” Vern noticed his granddaughter in the ambulance with paramedics. “Is Emily hurt?”

“No, she’s okay,” Luke said.

“Thank God for that.” Vern felt a knot in his stomach, then said to the detectives: “What’re you doing to find her?”

“Everything we can,” Cobb said.

Spotting Ellerd, Vern went to him to press for more action on the search.

Mallory and Cobb huddled with arriving deputies and detectives, coordinating the canvass and search of the construction development. That’s when Luke felt his burner phone vibrate in his pocket.

He stepped next to the ambulance, keeping Emily in his sight, and answered. It was Derek in LA.

“Hey, buddy,” Derek said. “I got more on the missing Oklahoma woman.”

“Derek, this isn’t a good—”

“Only take a sec—they were arguing about money—” A bark pulled Luke’s attention; a K-9 team was arriving as Derek said, “The couple had gone to a street market, she was upset about the boyfriend’s spending on—”

“Derek, thanks, but it’s not a good time. I gotta go.”

Luke ended the call overcome with self-reproach.

Is my obsession with myself and my mishandled investigation of the woman somehow the reason we ended up here? With Carrie missing? Oh, God, what have I done?

The dog team was from Clear River PD. The German shepherd’s leash clinked as Luke heard the handler, Officer Candida Stowe, explain to a deputy, “The heavy rain can hamper things. But we’ll see what Caesar picks up.”

Stowe let Caesar get to work, poking his snout in and around Carrie’s SUV. Vern had moved away to speak with Ellerd, but now he returned to Luke’s side.

“I pushed him to do everything they can,” Vern said. “DPS is bringing more people.”

Luke and Vern observed Stowe and Caesar moving along the shoulder, scouring the wet ditch. Other crime scene people suited up to process Carrie’s car. Ensuring they were alone, Vern turned to Luke, dropping his voice.

“What did Carrie tell you?” Vern asked.

“What do you mean?”

“After the story came out, after she saw me. What did she tell you?”

“Nothing,” Luke said. “She wouldn’t open up to me. She said she had to see you. Then I got called into work. We never spoke, other than her texts.” He showed Vern the messages. “Looks like she was lured.”

Staring at Luke’s phone, expressionless, Vern nodded.

“Who would do this, Vern?”

“I don’t know. I don’t like this.”

“I think Mallory and Cobb know something,” Luke said, looking at his father-in-law, asking: “What did she tell you? You said she was shattered by the story?”

Vern looked at Luke.

“She was filled with guilt.”

Luke said nothing, wondering how their lives had come to this point. Then, hearing a woman calling his name, he turned around to face the crime scene tape, where Lacey was waving to get his attention.

Luke spoke to a deputy, who allowed Lacey inside, directing her where to walk. She gave Luke and Vern hugs; then she stared in disbelief at Carrie’s SUV and Luke’s patrol car behind it, then Emily with the paramedics.

“I can’t believe Carrie’s missing.”

“Did you see her today?” Luke asked.

Shaking her head, holding Luke in her gaze for a moment as if deciding how to answer him given what she knew, Lacey said, “I called her this morning about the story.”

“What did she say?”

“Very little. She was very upset.”

“Did she tell you where she was going?” Vern asked.

“No. I offered to come over, be a shoulder to lean on, but she declined. Later, it bothered me, and I decided to see her. That’s what I was doing now, when—” She turned to the scene, the growing crowd behind the tape. “Dear Lord.”

Collecting herself, Lacey looked at Emily. “Luke, do you want me to help take care of her?”

“Hold on.” A crime scene tech stepped up. “No one else touches the baby until we search and swab her. In case anything was transferred to her.”

“Oh,” Lacey said.

“Lacey, thanks,” Luke said. “But I think you should wait outside the tape for the detectives, to tell them what you know. Maybe you could help us with Emily later.”

“Okay,” she said before leaving.

Time ticked by. Crime scene experts continued processing Carrie’s SUV. And they attempted to capture tire and foot impressions from the earthen shoulder.

Nearly two dozen trained, experienced volunteers with Search and Rescue services had arrived. Guided by deputies, they set out on strategic searches of the Fawn Ridge site, building by building, as well as the roadside, fields and forests, for any trace of Carrie.

Sheriff Ellerd came to stand with Luke and Vern. “This is a god-awful thing that’s happened,” he said. “The FBI is offering support. Have you received any ransom demands, anything like that?”

Luke shook his head.

“We’re doing every damn thing we can to find her.” Ellerd nodded to the tape where newspeople had clustered. “I’ll give them a brief statement, make an appeal for any information.”

Watching Ellerd go to the makeshift podium, heaped with microphones and recorders, Luke spotted Denise Diaz from the Chronicle . Making eye contact with Luke and Vern, Denise gestured—she needed to talk to them.

As if we’ll talk to you , Luke thought, nudging Vern.

They gave Denise the cold shoulder.

Under intense news camera lights, Ellerd provided the press a bare-bones summary. He took no questions, even though reporters peppered him, wanting to know if police would rule out any link between Carrie’s disappearance and the Chronicle ’s story.

No one in the news group was privy to the package that had been left for Denise at the Chronicle , allowing her to protect her bombshell exclusive.

As the media briefing wound down, Luke recognized people among the bystanders who’d turned their focus to him. There was Clara Price. Then he felt the glare of the man who lived next to Price, Raylin Nash, the guy who’d allegedly abused and threatened his ex and was the subject of a protective order. Just as Luke was wondering if he should ask the locals for help, Mallory and Cobb materialized beside him.

“Luke—” Mallory indicated the locals leaving the press conference “—you had previous interactions with Clara Price and Ray Nash, who live nearby?”

A new fear slithered up Luke’s spine.

Is this how it all comes crashing down?

He swallowed.

“Yes. After I thought I saw someone in distress near here, in that storm a few weeks back. I asked if they saw anything.”

Cobb and Mallory traded a quick look.

“Is there anything you’re not telling us?” Cobb said.

Again, Luke swallowed.

“No.”

A dog barked. Stowe returned to the detectives with Caesar. Soon, Ellerd and other deputies joined them for an impromptu status meeting.

“Given the conditions, and Caesar’s work,” Stowe said, “I’m confident there’s no scent. Carrie likely left in another vehicle.”

“A possible abduction,” Cobb said. “We can’t assume she’d have gone willingly, leaving her child and purse, especially if she was lured out.”

“We’ve got nothing from Search and Rescue or the drone so far. This location is out of range of the Fawn Ridge security cameras,” Ellerd said. “We’ll soon be towing her SUV for further processing.”

The sky thundered as a DPS helicopter flew by to help with the search.

Long after the minutes evolved into hours, Ellerd put his hand on Luke’s shoulder.

“There’s little you can do here, son.” The sheriff nodded to Emily, now in Vern’s arms. “You guys should get the baby home, wait for word there. We’re going to keep working.”

Luke watched the DPS chopper thudding over the area.

He watched until the sun sank and light faded, along with his hope of finding Carrie.