“No one to you. Is there a question I can ask her that no one else could answer?” If this case went public, calls would flood the station.

“Her teddy bear’s name is Max.”

“Max. Okay.”

“You think you can find her?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll keep asking around.” She removed a card from her pocket. “Call me if Casey contacts you.”

“Sure, of course.” Tears welled in Mrs. Andrews’s eyes. “Thank you. I’m at my wit’s end.”

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll ask around about her.” Casey could be holed up in an apartment with a new guy, in a flophouse with a needle in her arm, hanging out with a friend her mother did not know. There was no way of telling.

Jordan thanked Mrs. Andrews again. Back in her car she pulled up Casey’s phone number and pressed send. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The call rang three times and then went to voicemail. “Hi, this is Casey. You know the drill!”

“Casey, this is Detective Jordan Poe,” she said. “I’m with the Austin Police Department, and I’m following up on a missing person case your mother filed on your behalf. Call me. Doesn’t matter what day or time.” She called Casey’s second number and left a similar message.

Jordan sat in her car for a moment, watching a red pickup park in front of the hardware store. Ken met the customer on the curb with a flatbed of two-by-fours, and the two loaded the supplies in the bed of his truck. Life went on. Did not matter who died or who was hurt, the world kept marching. She had resented the world’s resilience to pain and suffering after her mother died and then when Avery had her troubles. How could people laugh when her world was crumbling? But it did, and in her worst times, Jordan had realized if she did not buck up and take care of business, Avery would quickly be a forgotten statistic.

Jordan considered calling Spencer and updating him on this visit, but she really did not have much to say. The city was full of missing girls. Still, Casey’s history, stomping grounds, and physical appearance made her a target for this killer. She dialed Spencer’s number, which went to voicemail. “This is Detective Poe. Call me tomorrow. I might have something for you.”