Page 51 of Losing Control

“We’re flooded with calls,” he told them. “And I want to keep dispatch free. I’ll have Grace set up the phones so all incoming calls go directly to these phones. If one line is busy, it will roll over to the other. If you get anything at all, pass it along to Grace to put it on the radios.”

He left them to it and checked in with Gaylen.

“I need to go meet Tina. Are you set here?”

Gaylen nodded. “I’m good.”

“You know we’ll have a media mob here at any minute. I don’t want any of the press inside this building.”

Gaylen nodded. “Believe me, they won’t get in. Go on. I’ll take care of things here.”

****

Dana heard the news when she stopped for gas at and overheard two women talking about it at the next pump. When she finished, she approached them. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying. Is there a young girl missing?”

The women stared at her. Finally, one of them said, “You’re that writer stirring up all the mess from those old cases, aren’t you?”

Dana pasted on a smile and held out a hand. “Not stirring up, just investigating. But you’re right. I’m Dana Moretti, the author.”

Their stares were unblinking. Then one woman gave her a limp handshake. “I suppose you want all the gory details about what’s going on.”

Dana shook her head. She was getting used to the hateful attitude that kept following her around. “I’m just really concerned there’s another victim. Can you tell me who it is?”

The women looked at each other.

“Shannon Fowler,” the handshake woman said. “Lives at the edge of town. She got off the school bus, and no one’s seen her since.”

Sentence by sentence, Dana pried the details out of them, trying not to show how upset she was. It washim. All her intuition told her it was. But why now? He was safe. Had been for twenty-five years. So why had he started again? What was driving him now? God, she hoped people were wrong, and her showing up hadn’t triggered it.

And why was he after older girls now? Was it too dangerous to go after the little ones? And how was he choosing his victims?

Temporarily placing the Garzas on the back burner, she headed for Cole’s office. Maybe she could help in the search. Use her volunteer SAR experience. Nausea bubbled up in her throat. Maybe by now Shannon had been found safe and sound. Alive. Not a body.

Not again. Please, God, don’t let it be happening again.

Chapter Eighteen

The lot at the sheriff’s office was filled with news crews and a variety of vehicles parked every which way so Dana had to find space more than a block away.

Cole must be having fits.

She didn’t even know what she was doing here. He’d be much too busy to see her. Still, she was pulled by an invisible string and wanted to help if she could. Realizing the back door would be her best option, she skirted the building and was almost at the side when a woman yelled out.

“Hey, isn’t that Dana Moretti over there? What’s she doing here?”

A reporter blocked her path, shoving a microphone at her. “Miss Moretti? Deandra Billings, NBC news. Can you tell me why you’re here?”

“Sorry. I really have nothing to say.” She forced herself to be polite. She hated newshounds.

“Just a few words. Please.” The woman moved closer, signaling to her cameraman to follow. “Are you working on a new book? Does the murder and disappearance have anything to do with it? Give us your take on what’s happening here.”

“I don’t have a take. Sorry.”

She moved up one more step, trying to edge away, but the woman was actually blocking her path. Suddenly, hard fingers closed around one arm.

“This way,” a strange masculine voice said.

She looked up to see one of Cole’s deputies holding onto her.

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