Page 17 of Twin Threats In Austin
The supervisor shot her a surprised look, followed by a nervous one, which was understandable given the circumstances. However, his elevated level of stress didn’t trigger any warning bells in her. Most people, even those with nothing to hide, got a little nervous in her presence. Add to the fact a US Marshal was sitting next to her, and it made even more sense.
Camden had been quiet. What was he thinking?
Camden studied Mr. Marplesand decided he was telling the truth. One by one, staff walked in, sat down, answered questions, and then walked out. Once they finished theinterviews, they thanked Mr. Marples and gave their contact information in case someone remembered anything else.
Outside, Camden waited until they were inside the SUV to speak in case there were cameras with sound-recording devices, like Ring technology, around.
“The consensus on Justina Worth is that she kept to herself, and everyone left her alone,” he said to Rochelle.
The beautiful redhead tugged at the rubber band in her hair until it came off. She shook out her long, wavy locks before starting the vehicle. “Ally is still on my radar,” Rochelle murmured.
“Same,” he agreed. There was something off about her. Unlike her boss, she tipped over into the too-nervous category.
“Should we swing by the nightclub again?” she asked while the engine idled.
“Let’s see if we can catch someone there,” he said.
After a nod, she navigated onto the road, backtracking to the nightclub. This time of year, it got dark early. The sun was beginning its descent, and intermittent clouds dotted an otherwise blue sky.
“I keep thinking about the life Justina Worth lived,” Rochelle said after a few moments of quiet. “How small her life turned out to be. From what we know so far, she had no friends. She didn’t do anything after work with coworkers. She basically punched in and out. That was it.”
“A couple of the employees said they thought she might have taken care of her elderly father,” Camden said. Caring for an ill family member hit him where it hurt since he was in Austin while his grandparents were in the hospital.
“No one knew for certain,” she said. “And I get needing to keep work separate from your private life.”
Camden nodded. “It’s a little too easy to live your life for law enforcement.”
“I don’t have one single friend who doesn’t wear a badge,” she said. “But then, how well do I really know them? We are coworkers. We go to the gym together. Grab an occasional beer after work. Complain about aspects of the job we don’t like. It’s like an extended family, but you don’t want too much of your business being talked about by people you work with, so you keep a lot to yourself.”
Camden nodded. Her reflection struck a chord in him. “I have family that I’m close to, and yet we all have jobs that make us work different hours. I do the same with coworkers. Keep them at a distance. Like you, I don’t like my personal life ending up as the butt of jokes.” One way to relieve the stress of the job was to tease each other. Most law enforcement Camden knew released tension by poking fun at each other. It also created a bond as long as it didn’t go too far. “What do you think about the suggestion that Justina probably disappeared on purpose to get back at everyone for talking behind her back?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Seems extreme, don’t you think?”
“Someone would have to be desperate to play a prank like that,” he agreed. “Plus, we have two other kidnapping cases. What are the chances they were fake, too?” It was a rhetorical question.
“I meant to request the file on Izzy Hopkins and the other victim so we can look for any similarities,” she said, “with any connection that could link the cases.”
Their cell phones buzzed at the same time. A bad sign?
“I’ll check mine first while you drive,” Camden offered.
“Sounds good,” Rochelle said after a concerned glance.
He fished his phone out of his pocket and then checked the screen. A second later, he muttered a curse. “A body has been found.”
“Justina’s?” she asked after a gasp.
“No, the first kidnapping victim,” he clarified. “Izzy Hopkins’s body has been positively ID’d.”
Rochelle cursed under her breath as she cut the wheel right. “Change of plans. Next stop, the coroner’s office.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” he admitted. Losing a victim was always a gut punch. This was no different. Except two females were missing under similar circumstances. Were they already dead?
“What do we know so far?” she asked. Her tone revealed she was taking a similar hit.
“Based on the location where her body was found, it’s possible the perp could have been taking her across the border into Mexico,” he reported as he read the text from his supervisor. “Confirmation was made based on dental records.”
“So there’s no question it’s her?” Rochelle asked.
