Kate walked over to the truck and opened the door. The inside smelled of grime, sweat, and stale cigarette smoke. She saw the cell phone sitting on the dashboard along with a few old pieces of mail and Burger King receipts. She took it out and found, without much surprise, that it was locked.

Whats the passcode? she asked.

One, seven six, two, he said. He spoke slowly, again making it feel like he was mocking them. He was essentially giving up, but he was finding a way to be difficult about it.

Kate unlocked the phone. She went to photos and found nothing of interest at all. Just a few photos of old trucks and truck parts. She then checked the text messages and found only a handful. Most were to people looking for freelance engine repair. Another was from a woman Nick was apparently in a sexual relationship with.

She then checked recent calls and it was there that she stopped. She didnt even have to scroll before she saw something that stuck out. There was a number he had called twice in the last three days. And it had an area code shared with Detona different area code than she had seen for Carroll County when she had called the police earlier.

Kate called the number, her eyes locked on Nick Sanders. DeMarco had not cuffed him, but he still held his hands out as if he were waiting for it to be done at any moment.

In Kates ear, the phone went directly to voicemail.

The voice she heard in the recorded message made her blood feel as if it had been injected with ice water.

Hey, guys, this is Mercy. Leave a message at the beep.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Kate almost hated to admit it, but she was glad there was just her and DeMarco to question Nick Sanders. Sure, Barnes, Foster, and all of his men had been an immense help to this point. But with them there had also been the buzzing of reporters outside and that small-town sense of community where people refused to believe that something so bad could happen in their town. She thought fondly of Barnes as she and DeMarco were led through the Carroll County police station; it was even smaller than the one in Deton, though it had been newly renovated, and the rooms were a little more spacious.

That included the interrogation room Nick Sanders was placed in. Kate stood outside of the room as Jennings and two officers carted Nick Sanders inside, cuffing him to the table and reading him his rights.

DeMarco watched through the partially open door and spoke to Kate under her breath. I know this may seem like an unprofessional question, she said. But what in the hell is going on here?

Ive got theories, but they all seem a little nuts, Kate said.

Have you ever seen anything like this?

No, Kate answered honestly. No, I havent.