Ill be okay when we catch this guy, she thought. With an effort, she pulled herself together and nodded.

If the killer returned, she said to Callaway, any signs he may have left are probably gone by now.

Callaway scuffed at the dirt with the tip of his boot. Probably so. Nothing lasts long in this hardpan.

Whatever this girls name is, Harley said, Ill bet we find her name in Candys phone.

She braced herself for a word of caution, a reason why they still needed to do their due diligence, but Callaway surprised her.

Only one way to find out, he said, fishing his truck keys from his pocket. What do you say we pay Candy a visit?

As they left the scene, Harley wondered if they would find the names of other victims in Candys phonevictims they didnt yet even know were victims.

* * *

Harley stood in the empty bedroom, surrounded by the signs of a hasty departure: unmade bed, bureau drawers part-way open, half-eaten remains of a frozen dinner on the nightstand. After their insistent knocking had gone unanswered, Callaway had kicked the door in, then entered the building with his gun drawn. But after searching every room of the house and finding no sign of Candy, they could only draw one conclusion.

They were too late. Candy had fled.

I knew she was going to run, Harley muttered, angry that Callaway hadnt taken her concerns more seriously. We waited too long.

Callaway held up a hand to calm her. We have due process for a reason: to protect the innocent.

And sometimes the guilty, too, Harley shot back. She shook her head, frustrated. There was no point having a warrant to search Candys phone if the phone wasnt in the house.

Then she had an idea. She pulled out her phone and opened the browser.

What are you doing? Callaway said.

Geolocation. Im using Candys number to track her locationassuming she doesnt use a VPN.

Callaway was silent for a few moments. Whats a VPN?

Virtual private network? Its basically a way of keeping your personal information private to prevent data-mining.

She glanced up. The blank expression in his eyes told her he wasnt tracking.

Bet youre glad the city girls on your team now, huh? she said, grinning mischievously.

She checked her email for the results. According to the website she had used, Candys location was only a few miles down the road. They might still be able to catch her.

They hurried out of Bedford Heights and started off down the road, slowing down as they neared the location.

Harley studied her phone. Should be right across from Phillips 66, she said eagerly. They were so close. Candy could be the key to the entire investigation, so if they could just track her down, if they could just get her to answer a few questions…

You mean that empty field? Callaway said, slowing.