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I nez must have been watching for them. As soon as they pulled up in front of the office she ran out.

“Thank goodness, you’re here.” She clutched Zeke’s hand before looking at Patrick. “I know he has her. I just know it.”

“Calm down, Inez. We’ll figure it out. Tell us who is missing.” Patrick asked the distraught woman.

“Her name is Lindsey Newton.” She jerked her hands free and started walking purposely. “Her cabin’s this way. Terrance told me he saw her around lunchtime yesterday when he came home for a bite to eat before leaving again.”

Terrance was the last to see the missing woman. Another connection between Terrance and the victims. The declaration didn’t sit well with Zeke.

He and the team followed Inez.

Before Inez could unlock the door, Patrick stopped her. “Hold up. Slow down and tell us why you think she’s missing.”

Inez’s frantic gaze snapped to him. “Because I haven’t seen her in two days. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw her room. Lindsey told me that since climbing had been halted she might go home.” Inez forced herself to take a breath. “I told her to let me know and we’d settle the bill. But I never heard from her, and her car’s parked in front of her cabin.”

“The car’s still here?” Zeke said, surprised. Their suspect had deviated from his MO. Probably out of necessity, yet the fact that he was willing to continue his dark games despite knowing the FBI was searching for him wasn’t a good sign. “You checked her room already?”

Inez nodded. “Yes. Everything’s still inside as far as I know. Her bed’s made. She’s gone, I tell you.”

If it had been more than twenty-four hours since Lindsey went missing, it was possible Flannigan could have been responsible.

“Inez, come with me back to the office and tell me everything you remember about the last time you saw Lindsey,” Zeke said. Cooper went with them to the office.

Inez wrung her hands. “Oh, I just can’t believe this is happening again.”

Zeke clasped her arm and led her back to the sitting room where they’d shared coffee before. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Sit down and take a breath.”

Inez dropped onto the sofa. “That poor girl. I should have checked her room sooner. I didn’t want to be intrusive.”

Zeke sat beside her while Cooper stationed himself near the fireplace. “It’s going to be okay. Tell me about the last time you saw her.”

Inez gathered a breath. “Not this morning, but the day before.”

“Okay. Where did you see her?” Zeke noticed Cooper taking notes.

“She came into the office and had coffee and donuts with me.”

“Good, you’re doing good. Did she tell you what she planned to do the rest of the day?”

Inez focused on him. “She was upset about not being able to finish her climbing expeditions. She told me then that she might as well head home.” Inez’s hand flew to her trembling mouth. “Oh, God, this is my fault.”

Zeke widened his eyes. “Why would you say that?”

“I told her she should stay and take a look around town. I told her it was a beautiful place to visit and there were lots of shops she could check out downtown. Obviously, she did if she was still around for Terrance to see her at lunch time.”

Zeke wanted to speak to Terrance now more than ever. “This isn’t your fault, Inez,” Zeke did his best to reassure her. If Lindsey had left when she’d planned, the suspect would have chosen another woman. They had to find Lindsey soon before her fate became tied to the women who had gone missing all those years ago. Like Dawn and Sierra.

“Did Lindsey say where she might be going to you or to Terrance?” Zeke thought if they could figure out where she’d last gone, there was a possibility of tracking her movements through Closed-circuit television cameras around town.

Inez thought about it. “She didn’t say where or even if she planned to stay. That’s why I wasn’t so surprised when I didn’t see her this morning or the evening before. I thought, well, maybe she looked around and decided to leave and we’d settle her bill over the phone.”

“So, you never saw her again following your earlier conversation?” Cooper asked as he continued to take notes.

Inez looked at him. “Yes, that’s right.”

“We need to speak to Terrance as soon as possible, Inez.”

She nodded absently. “Sure. He should be calling me soon. He doesn’t have a cell phone. Doesn’t like them. But when he calls, I’ll have him get in touch with you, Zeke, or if he’s in town, he can stop by.”

Zeke nodded and noticed Jack, Megan, and Hannah enter the office. “Excuse us, Inez.”

He and Cooper went through to the office area.

“Nothing’s out of place,” Megan told them.

Patrick finished up with a call. “Forensics is on their way now. Did Inez remember anything useful?”

Zeke updated Megan and Hannah about what Inez said. “It’s possible she went to visit some of the shops downtown . . . which happen to be close to Flannigan’s office.”

“I’m going to see if we can get updated footage from the CCTVs around the area.” Patrick stepped away to make the request.

“I’d like to take Cooper and head over there now.” Zeke realized it was getting late and many of the shops might be closing soon, but this couldn’t wait.

Jack nodded his approval.

“I’ll go with you.” Patrick appeared again. “Deb’s getting the footage from the CCTVs sent over. There are a few stores who have security cameras.” He hesitated. “I checked in with Terrance’s employer. They said he hasn’t worked there in six months.”

The news stopped Zeke in his tracks. “Well, that’s interesting. Let’s talk to Inez.”

He and Patrick pulled Inez aside. Zeke told her what Patrick learned about her husband’s employer. “Did he tell you he wasn’t working for them?”

Inez’s frown cleared. “Oh, yes, of course. He wanted to work for himself. He owns his own truck and trailer. Terrance hauls cattle for several different ranches. I’ll have him check with you as soon as he calls.”

Which meant, they’d have to wait for Terrance to check in before they could speak with him.

“You don’t think he’s involved, do you?” Her worried gaze shot between Zeke and Patrick.

“We only want to talk to him about his last encounter with Lindsey. Try not to worry, okay.”

Inez slowly nodded but he wondered if she believed him. The guilt she would carry with her if Lindsey was found dead would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“Do you have a photo of Lindsey?” Zeke realized he had no idea what their missing woman looked like.

Inez snapped her fingers. “I have a copy of her driver’s license on file. Hold on a second.” She went behind the counter and opened a file cabinet. After thumbing through several folders, she pulled out one and brought a piece of paper over to them. “Here you go. It’s in color and everything.”

“Inez, you are amazing.” Zeke snapped a picture of Lindsey’s driver’s license before he and Cooper left with Patrick.

“We’ll start in front of Doc’s office.” Patrick pulled into a spot out front as the remaining rays of sunlight faded. In the western sky, the sun sank lower. Another day was drawing to an end. Another day without answers.

I’m coming, babe. Please hang on.

A breeze kicked up as they exited the police cruiser. Almost as if in answer.

“Look there.” Patrick pointed to the door above the doctor’s office. A camera had been positioned to look down at the foot traffic. He tried the door. The office was closed. It probably had been most of the day. “I’m calling Flannigan’s receptionist.”

Zeke glanced down at the street lined with mostly tourist shops. “Looks like many of them are still open. I’m guessing this is the height of the tourist season.” He and Cooper started with the shop next to the doctor’s office. A souvenir shop. Zeke didn’t notice a camera outside the establishment.

Inside, there were a few people milling around. A woman who appeared in her fifties made a beeline for them, probably thinking of them as customers.

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” She smiled in anticipation.

Zeke brought out his ID. “I’m Special Agent London, and this is Special Agent Delaney. We’re with the FBI.”

“FBI.” Her smile disappeared. “How can I help you agents?”

Zeke brought up the photo of Lindsey. “We’re looking for this woman. She might have been down walking this way yesterday morning. Have you seen her?”

Several of the patrons overheard the conversation and stared at them.

The owner of the shop motioned them out of earshot. “People are freaking out about what’s happening. Business is down. It’s a terrible thing.”

Zeke wondered if she said that because of the missing women or the dip in sales. “Have you seen her, ma’am?”

She took the phone from him and studied the photo. “I think so. Yes, I do believe she was in yesterday morning looking around. She didn’t buy anything, though.” She handed the phone back to Zeke.

“Did you happen to see if she spoke with anyone?” Cooper’s question appeared to confuse her.

“What do you mean? She spoke with me.”

Cooper shook his head. “No, I mean did she speak with anyone outside the shop? Was there anyone who stood out as unusual around the area then.”

“Unusual.” The woman laughed. “No, there was no one except for Doc. He stops by every couple of days to say hello. I think he’s lonely.”

Robert Flannigan had been in the same location as their missing woman. “Did he and the woman talk?”

The woman thought about it for a second. “Now that you mention it, I think they did in passing. She was leaving as Doc came in. It was just pleasantries.” She stopped. “You don’t think . . .”

Zeke told her they were only gathering information. “Thank you for your time.” He handed her a card. “If you remember anything else, give me a call.”

“I will.” She watched them leave.

Patrick waited outside. Zeke told him what the shop owner said. “Flannigan had at least a passing contact with Lindsey and Dawn. I’m betting he knew about Sierra as well. What’d you find out about the camera?”

Zeke could tell from the way Patrick’s jaw was set it wasn’t good news.

“Hasn’t worked in months, according to the receptionist. Flannigan’s been planning to fix it for a while, but something always seems to get in the way.”

“So, Flannigan has had contact with two of our three current victims.” Zeke didn’t believe in coincidences that big. “I think we have enough for an arrest. We need to get him off the street before he can hurt any more women.”

Terrance fell off Zeke’s radar after what they’d just learned. They needed to get Flannigan to talk and tell them where he’d hidden his victims and soon. The more time that passed without finding them, the less chances they’d find the women alive.

Zeke wouldn’t accept this was the way his and Sierra’s story ended. Not like this. Please, not like this.