“Someone else called up that page!” George was raising his voice. “Pia would never stop to look for directions, she’d just start driving. She’s very headstrong . . .”

“Someone who’d break into a place, headstrong in that way?” said Samuels.

“But no one reported it, did they,” said George.

“And you also say you received a text from her phone that you don’t believe she sent.” Samuels let that piece of information hang in the air. “Has it occurred to you guys that she’s stringing you along? I don’t see any evidence she’s been kidnapped. We’ll take those pictures you brought in. I wouldn’t mind asking her about this illegal entry she was talking about. I know a lot of those security guys who work at Nano. They are a very professional group and justly concerned about industrial security involving proprietary secrets and any and all episodes of illegal entry. I will take everything you have told us under advisement, and we will be back to you gentlemen. Thank you for coming in.”

“Are you implying that’s what Pia Grazdani was doing? Stealing secrets from her workplace?”

“I’m not saying anything, Mr. Wilson,” said Samuels. “Okay, I think we’re done here. Again, thanks for coming to see us today. Come on, Officer Gomez! We have work to do on this matter.”

Samuels and Gomez walked away.

“Don’t say it,” said George.

“I have to,” Paul said. “When someone over eighteen disappears, there has to be hard evidence of foul play, and the only known crime here was committed by Pia herself.”

“But we know she’s been taken,” said George.

“Sure, but look at it from their point of view,” said Paul.

“You heard the guy,” said George, who started to walk out of the building. Paul followed. “He’s pals with the security at Nano. I know Pia can be paranoid, but that looks mighty cozy, don’t you think? I wonder if Nano recruited from the local law enforcement for their security team. What about the FBI? I think we should go and talk to them. I doubt there’s any former Feds at Nano.”

“You think the FBI is going to say anything different? They have the same standards of evidence, and they’re sure to knock it back to the police.”

“So it’s up to us, is that what you’re saying?” said George. “Should we just try to file a run-of-the-mill missing-person’s complaint?”

“I think that’s what we just tried to do.”

“I suppose you are right. This is the kind of situation where Pia’s isolation works against her. But we can’t just do nothing.”