Page 123 of State of Alert

“Is it weird to you that they’re already going out?”

“I don’t know. I mean, there’s only so much they can say and do with their dad and aunt. Maybe they need the support of their friends.”

“Does that mean you’re not fully on board with them being involved?”

“Despite the buzz I was getting before, I honestly don’t know what to think. I’m keeping an open mind.”

“I’ll have this ready for you in a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

Turning back to her computer, she changed the last line to accommodate the possibility that only the phones were at the Bellamy house.Zoe was at the Arlington home of her boyfriend,Zeke Bellamy, and data shows their phones remained at the Bellamy house for the entire afternoon.

Sam picked up the desk phone and dialed Archie’s extension.

“Hey,” he said.

“I’m wondering where we are with camera activity near the Myerson home.”

“There was nothing useful.”

“Do you have a contact with Arlington IT?”

“Yep. What do you need?”

Sam gave him Zeke Bellamy’s address. “Can you find out if they have anything from Sunday near their house?”

“What’re we looking for?”

“Male and female teenager leaving the house together at any point from two o’clock on, and anything from the surrounding area.”

“That’s a big chunk of time. Might take a minute to go through all that.”

“We can send someone over to help if they need it.”

“I’ll make the offer.”

“Cruz is on his way up with a couple of other things.”

“He just walked in.”

“How’s your girlfriend?”

“Eh, not sure. Haven’t talked to her.”

“Keep me posted?”

“I will if there’s anything to report. Might be a dead end.”

“I hope it works out the way you want it to. Thanks for the help.”

“Sure thing.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

As Sam put down the phone, her mind continued to race with ways to prove that Zeke and Zoe hadn’t been holed up at his house all afternoon like they’d claimed.

She called Max Haggerty.

---