Hollis eyed him, a little amused. “And he gets to spend more time with Nellie without all her guards going up in addition to that dandy shield you taught her to build.”

Polite, Bishop said, “You, of all people, should understand that some things take time and patience.”

It was hardly something she could argue with. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass either of them about it.”

“I know you won’t.”

Shifting her weight in a restless movement, she only nodded. “But I do think we should join the others in looking for Megan. For where he buried her. And someplace even remotely likely where he could have held her, and a place where he could have buried the second victim, Cole Ainsworth, assuming it’s him. And wherever he might be holding the third victim. Even if we still don’t have word of another person missing, Megan was sure. I’m sure, for that matter. Two more besides her, the third one taken sometime last night.”

This time she sounded as restless as she looked.

Bishop said, “Even a small town takes time to search, time to determine who isn’t where they’re supposed to be. Some people don’t have set routines to make tracking them easy. Complicating it even further is that there are quite a few away at college or traveling for business or pleasure; it’ll take time to make sure of them.”

“I know. And even with Finn’s authority and so many in Salem comfortable with psychic abilities, it’s fairly impossible to put the town on lockdown when we don’t have a body or remains. Still. It bugs me.”

Like anyone else who had ever worked with her or simply understood her, Bishop took serious note of anything that bugged Hollis.

Still, at this point all he could really do was take serious note. “His deputies are canvassing the town. Businesses, residences. And working to trace those who are reportedly out of town for various reasons. Everyone’s having trouble with cell reception, and landlines have been dropping calls and showing other signs of interference.”

“The energy?”

“Looks like.”

Hollis shifted again slightly, frowning. “So it’s getting worse?”

“Well, stronger.”

She looked at him. “I still can’t tell where it’s coming from. Or even what it’s coming from.”

Bishop nodded slightly. “Unfortunately, all the interference means we’re stuck with far slower methods of getting in touch with possible witnesses and the residents in general.”

“Maybe we should get help with that.”

Bishop nodded again. “I have someone at the mountain house following up.”

Hollis wasn’t very surprised. “Then we should know something soon.”

“I hope so. And our search teams here are checking the spots Finn marked on the maps for us. He knows this valley and the mountains all around, and if he believes those are likely places where someone could have been held without being seen or heard, then we certainly need to eliminate them. They at least offer us starting points.”

Hollis looked at him, suddenly curious. “You sent Miranda and Reese off each with one of Finn’s deputies to search, and Quentin and Diana are together, also searching. I know you’d met the elders back in January, so you being the one to take me to meet some of them made sense.”