“She is very thorough.” The chief picked up a packet of papers on his desk. “I have to clear my morning to read her reports.”

Brody nodded. “Yes, but all those details are important when a case goes to trial two years after an arrest.”

The chief sighed. “You’re right. Lance is my other top candidate.”

“Lance is also a solid cop. Thankfully, that’ll be your decision. My job is to identify that body.” Brody kept his distance from department politics.

He exited the chief’s office. Stella had been on night shift this week. Officers rotated shifts on a biweekly basis. She’d probably be asleep. But he had no doubt the prospect of helping with an investigation would wake her up.

He called her on her cell phone and explained the situation. “Are you game?”

“Yes. Definitely.” Her voice shifted from groggy to excited in an instant. “When do you want me to start?”

“How fast can you get here?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Half hour.”

In thirty minutes, she met him in the small conference room. She held a cardboard drink carrier in one hand and a bakery box in the other.

“With my thanks.” She handed him a coffee.

“No need to thank me. But I’ll take the coffee.”

Stella opened the box. “Apple cider donut? They won’t last five minutes once I put them out there.” She jerked her thumb at the doorway.

“Can’t say no to one of those.” Brody took a donut.

“I already had two.” Stella went out into the main room and set the box on the counter.

Brody ate the pastry in two bites.

“What are we doing?” Excitement shone from her eyes.

Brody handed her a sheet of paper. “There are thirty-seven vets, kennels, groomers, and dog trainers in Randolph County. We’re calling them all to see if anyone is missing a young female employee. If we don’t come up with anything, we’ll expand our search to the surrounding counties.”

“How far down the list have you gotten?”

“Just started.”

Stella dropped into the chair and tucked an escaped strand of long black hair back into the severe knot at the base of her neck. “Give me the bottom half of the list.”

By lunchtime, they had thirty-six negative responses and one line with no answer. “This is starting to seem pointless.”

Brody stood and stretched. “Let’s take a break. We’ll grab a sandwich and stop at this kennel where no one answered the phone. Then we’ll attack the next county this afternoon.”

Brody unlocked his county sedan. “You want to eat first or run out to the kennel?” he asked over the roof.

“Let’s do the kennel. I’m still full of donuts.” Stella got into the passenger seat.

He started the car. “You ate six.”

“And they were fantastic.” She patted her belly. The soft chatter of the radio underscored their conversation.