Part 14 (2/2)
”Or the torch,” Catherine said.
They turned and marched back the way they came, using the flashlight in the dark woods and keeping quiet. Neither turned back to see what Lawson was doing.
They avoided the parking lot and made their way out to the county road, where they'd stashed the Jeep.
”Let's drive by the lot to see what's there,” Jan said.
”Excellent idea,” Catherine said.
Jan drove slowly up the road to the parking lot with her lights off, but when they came around the curve by the pond they saw that the cars and the RVs were all gone.
”Blimey,” Catherine said.
Jan laughed. ”Wow. I didn't know you guys actually said 'blimey.'”
”We do. I can throw a 'crikey' into the conversation if it will get another smile out of you.”
Jan stopped smiling. She had to remind herself to resist Catherine, but it was so hard. She kept forgetting.
”I'd say they're a pretty well organized group to get out of here so quickly,” she said.
”Except for the look of panic their bugout creates. It can't be a coincidence that we ask about the girl and they are gone within minutes,” Catherine said.
”Time to find the sheriff, but I have a feeling we're not going to get much help there.”
Jan looked up the contact information on the county's website and placed the call to the sheriff's office. Within five minutes, she'd hung up.
”No joy, I take it?” Catherine said.
”The deputy I spoke to claims there's nothing they can do based on so little information. I'll e-mail the photo to him so they have something on file there. He didn't sound too eager to help out.”
”You sound like there's something behind that.”
”When I was reading up on the militias and all the citizen patriot groups, I came across an organization of law enforcement officers called Oath Keepers who pledge to not do things like disarm the people or conduct warrantless searches on citizens. When you read their website it's pretty clear they're in support of an anti-government, pro-citizen group philosophy.”
”And you're thinking that this sheriff's department might be one of these Oath Keepers?”
”I don't know,” Jan said. ”Nothing would surprise me. But now we have to figure out a way to track this Drecker guy, and we're not going to get any help at this point from the sheriff.”
”Good thing I took a photo of Drecker while we were talking to him,” Catherine said. ”Maybe we can show it around and get a handle on him.”
Jan stared at her and found herself smiling, despite her best efforts to remain stern. ”Okay. Now I'm impressed.”
”You're impressed that I pushed a b.u.t.ton on my phone, but not that I just took down a rather large man pointing a gun at us?”
”That? Child's play. But thanks for getting to him before I did.”
Catherine laughed with that throaty tone that drove Jan wild. They sat in the car, both gazing out on the pond. The silence lengthened, but it didn't grow uncomfortable. Finally, Jan started the car and pulled out of the lot.
”Let's head into the town near here and show people the photos. Maybe we'll get lucky,” she said.
Five minutes later, they pulled into the Country Corner store in the town nearest the camp. It was more hamlet than town, but with none of the charm that word conjures. The Country Corner was more party store than general store, its dominant display was the largest selection of scratch off lottery tickets Jan had ever seen. There were mini bottles of Thunderbird at the checkout counter, live bait next to a donut rack, and a small magazine display with the newest edition of Soldier of Fortune front and center. The young man at the cash register was very much like the clerk at the store she'd visited earlier in the day, only surlier.
Jan pushed the photo of Maddy across the counter. ”I'm wondering if you've seen this girl around here?”
He peered down at the photo and looked back up at her. ”Why?”
”Because I'm looking for her, that's why. Have you seen her?”
He turned back to the video game in his hands. ”Maybe.”
”Is this the point where I'm supposed to slip a bill your way to get you to answer my question?” Jan asked.
He looked back at her. ”That's an idea.”
”Because I've got to say that having to pay for information about a missing girl, a minor let me add, seems kind of, I don't know, insensitive?”
He shrugged. ”I'm not a touchy-feely kind of guy.”
”Are you the kind of guy that kidnaps teenage girls?”
He gave her a bored looked and went back to his game. Jan was reaching into her pocket just as Catherine put a twenty on the counter and kept her hand on it. ”To earn this, we want answers. Have you seen the girl or not?”
He looked at the bill. ”I saw her this weekend. Yesterday morning, I think. She was in here early with another chick. Not a chick, really. A d.y.k.e.”
”Did you hear them say anything? Do you know what they were up to?”
Another shrug. ”They bought some stuff and they left. That's all I know.” He reached for the bill.
”Hold on.” Catherine showed him the photo on her phone. ”Have you seen this guy?”
Jan could see his face freeze with the effort of not giving away anything, which gave away everything.
”Nope, never seen him before.”
”Are you sure about that? I think he lives around here,” Jan said.
”Never seen him.”
Catherine released the bill and he scooped it up, turning away from them immediately. Jan left a card on the counter and spoke to his back. ”We'll expect to hear from you should your memory clear up on any of this.”
Jan and Catherine got back in the car.
”He knows Drecker,” Jan said.
”Definitely,” Catherine said.
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