“Mr. Young hasn’t mentioned the fact that my seventeen-year-old niece was sprung from here last night by someone claiming to be her older sister?”

“I just got here. I don’t normally work on Saturdays.”

“So you just happened to come by on your day off?”

“Mr. Young called me and said we had a situation he needed my assistance with, but as I just arrived, I haven’t yet had a chance to speak with him about it.”

Sam found it very odd that Young had taken the time to call in his director of security but hadn’t seen fit to tell him why. “We’d like to take a look at the video surveillance of the reception area from last night. We have a warrant.”

Avery produced the warrant and held it up for their inspection.

Ryder glanced at Young, who nodded. “Sure, right this way.” Ryder gestured for them to come around the counter and follow him through the same door he’d come through. They walked down a long corridor that seemed to house offices and ended in a large room filled with screens that showed numerous views of the bucolic campus. Two other young, handsome guys were monitoring the images on what seemed like a quiet day at the school. Only a handful of students were out and about.

“Is it always so quiet around here?” Hill asked.

“No,” Ryder replied. “Most of our students have already gone home for the holiday. The big rush was yesterday after classes ended for the week.”

Which, Sam thought, could explain how Brooke was able to sneak one by an overworked and overwhelmed receptionist. Knowing Brooke, she’d given the timing of her breakout careful consideration.

“The residence halls close for the week at six o’clock tonight,” Ryder continued, “and reopen a week from tomorrow at noon. Trent, can you get me the videotape from the reception area from last night?”

“We’re interested in seeing what transpired there around five-thirty,” Sam said.

“Sure,” the man named Trent replied as he got busy on a computer. Images popped up on an oversized screen.

Sam zeroed in on the progression, which Trent fast-forwarded. “Wait. Stop. That’s her.” Brooke came into the office with a backpack on her shoulder and her dark hair up in a ponytail. She spoke with Linda and then turned as another girl walked into the office. Sam moved closer to the screen to get a better look at the second girl, but she could only see the back of her.

Brooke hugged her and then introduced the other girl to Linda. They produced the paperwork that Linda scanned as she continued to chat with Brooke. Linda handed the papers back to Brooke’s friend, and the two girls turned to leave, giving them a clear view of the second girl’s face.

“There! Freeze that frame. Can you email that image to us?”

“Yes,” Trent said. “Where’s it going?”