Page 18 of Peach

“We’re all set for the flight on Sunday.”

“Thank you. I feel better knowing I won’t be here after this week.”

He hoped he was doing the right thing. He couldn’t imagine walking away and leaving Haisley here to fend for herself. There was obviously a huge problem in this community, and he at least wanted her to be safe.

The nurse came in a few minutes later and took out the IV line, allowing Haisley to leave. He took her to the hotel, and they were given connecting rooms. They ordered pizza and watched some TV together before she headed to her room to sleep. Of course, she shut and locked the door from her side, but he left his open. He wanted her to be able to get in if she needed help.

The next day, he made sure she had food and left tohead to his parents' house. He'd figured out who Diane was and where she lived. He planned to stop after nine and talk to her.

Once he started gathering important paperwork, time flew by, and it was nine. He drove over to Diane’s house and parked out front. Maybe this woman would have answers for him. Otherwise, he would have to plan a trip to Colombia because all he had were questions with few answers.

The woman who answered the door was middle-aged, short, and had dark hair. Her eyes were rimmed with red like she'd been crying.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m Robert, Ellen and John’s son.”

"Oh, thank God. Did you hear from them? I haven't heard a word since a few days ago. They thought they'd found Audrey, and they were going to look, but then nothing. I just want her to come home. I know she was out partying, and something happened, but that's no reason she should spend her life in hell."

The words weren’t as confusing to Peach as they should have been. He’d been a SEAL long enough to guess that Audrey had been trafficked.

“Can I come in?”

Diane nodded and stepped back. “Yes. Would you like some coffee?”

Peach sniffed and caught the scent of freshly brewed coffee. "If you have some already made up."

“I just started a second pot. I’ve been drinking too much, but I’m worried.”

“Could you tell me what happened and why my parents headed to Colombia?”

Diane nodded as she walked in front of him, leading him to her kitchen at the back of the house. She had agreat view of the fields below, and in the distance, he could see what must have been the old creek he used to go fishing at.

“Audrey disappeared about five weeks ago,” Diane said as she poured a mug for him. “Cream or sugar?”

"No, thank you." He took the mug and a seat at the table, where she pointed for him to go. He didn't want to interrupt her story, so he sat back, ready to listen.

"She was out with friends at a local bar. I hated it when she went to Atlanta. I think it's dangerous. Obviously, this place is dangerous, too. They got separated at one point, and I know Audrey walked past the National Bank because the cameras picked her up. But then that's it. Then, two weeks later, I got a photo of her from a friend who was on a cruise ship. The ship stopped in Colombia, and they took a tour. They weren't in the big city. They'd taken a tour of the jungle. They drove past a small community and out walked a group of women who were chained together. She already had her camera out and snapped a few photos then turned it on to video while they were stopped at a stop sign. Then they started moving, and she looked at the photos. She didn't even know Audrey was missing when she sent the photo. She just thought the woman looked like an identical twin of Audrey's and thought it was weird."

“Did she send you the video?”

Diane nodded. “I called her immediately, but she didn’t pick up. Then I sent a text. The next morning, she apologized for not getting back but said she was still on the boat. She uploaded all the photos and sent those. Then the video. It took a while to get everything, but I have it all.”

“Can I see?”

Diane stood and grabbed her laptop, opened it, and then passed it to him. "I have the video up. I was justwatching it, trying to figure out if there's anything else I can do."

“Did you contact the embassy?”

Diane shook her head. “I can’t get anyone to help me. Sheriff Eason told me that contacting the embassy would only harm her situation. I don’t know what to do. No one will help. Then Ellen and John came over and said they wanted to help. I didn’t think they would actually go to Colombia. Then they called the morning they were taking off, telling me that they planned to get Audrey and bring her home. Now I can’t get in touch with them. Do you think something happened?”

Peach set his mug down and leaned forward. “I’m sorry. You didn’t know. They were killed a few days ago.”

Diane clutched her throat, and her eyes went wide. "No. Oh my God. That's awful."

Peach nodded, his mind going over the facts that he knew. He needed answers, but he was sure there were no files with answers at the sheriff’s office. There was a common theme that disturbed him about this area.

“Diane, which bar was Audrey at?”

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