CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Owen jumped up from his chair so fast that May had to grab the back of it to stop it from falling over. She guessed, from his sudden turn of speed and the excitement on his face, that he had been as frustrated as she was.
They headed to the back office, which was now empty. Sheriff Jack must be out on the road doing community policing, or perhaps coordinating the search parties and roadblocks with the other police departments.
"I can't let this go," May whispered. "It's ridiculous to sit here waiting for a bag snatching to be called in, when there's such a huge case on the go and lives at stake."
"I agree," Owen whispered back.
He glanced at the reception desk where the young officer, Philips, was sitting twiddling his thumbs.
“Kerry did say that if a weak lead was called in, we could go along and check it out,” May said, wondering if this represented a useful loophole they could use.
“Yes, she did.” Owen looked suddenly thoughtful. “You know, I did receive a weak lead just now when I answered a call.”
May decided a little subterfuge was in order.
She called out, "Philips?"
He turned around. "Sure. What is it?"
"We've had an anonymous call on the hotline. It doesn’t sound like a strong lead, but just to be sure, we’re heading out. Will you hold the fort here? Please call us if there are any developments or any emergencies," May added, not wanting to abandon her responsibilities.
"Sure. I will," Philips said.
May rushed out, with Owen in hot pursuit.
They climbed into her pickup and May started it up.
Turning, she stared at Owen excitedly. They were on the case, and it felt all the sweeter for being against her bossy sister’s wishes.
“I know where I want to go,” she said.
“Where’s that?” he asked.
“I want to go back to the home of the first victim, Savannah Knight.”
“She lived in Snyder, if I recall,” Owen said.
"Yes," May said. “I want to speak to the Knights again. We never got a chance to question Savannah's mother.”
“That’s correct. I was disappointed about that even though it was understandable. But I would have liked to find out more from her about Savannah’s movements over the past few days,” Owen said.
May could have hugged him. He was exactly on her page.
"Me, too. I think we need to look for a common thread. There must be one. How is this killer selecting his targets?"
"Good point," Owen agreed.
"They all went to different schools. They lived in different towns. But the killer can't just be driving around the area, looking out for girls of the right age?"
"If he did that, people would notice," Owen agreed.
"So, he must be doing it in a more subtle way. I mean, what's the best way of selecting someone you can kidnap and hold captive? What are you looking for?"
She found herself tackling the walk to the front door with a sense of dread. So much could go wrong, and they were deviating from their mandate. But Owen’s presence gave her courage as she headed towards the house, her heart hammering.
When she knocked, the door was opened almost immediately by a woman dressed in black, with a pale, tear-stained face.
Undoubtedly this was Savannah's mother, and May felt her heart clench with sympathy.
"Mrs. Knight, I'm deputy Moore. I'm so sorry about your daughter," May said.
The woman nodded wordlessly.