The people expert in these matters reminded Noble that time was critical. If Moore had wandered into the forest and was injured, she could face exposure. That could be compounded if she had a fracture or internal bleeding.

Orleans County and VSP put out Moore’s picture and description online. The county dispatched more deputies to fan out and canvass homes and businesses. They knocked on doors, and searched yards, garages, sheds, and parks.

Noble was preparing to get a shoulder-to-shoulder grid of the motel’s entire property going. He’d also put in a call for divers to check the Black River.

What had impressed him was Hardy’s keen eye at detecting the possible blood pool and trace. It was a disturbing and vital piece of the case so far, one that Noble would keep as holdback, he thought. He watched the techs from VSP’s Crime Scene Search Team working on the pavement near the drinks, taking photographs, measurements, and swabs of material for lab analysis.

Noble was relieved that after he’d gone back to the motel office, Tatum had volunteered and signed off to have VSP take their phones, computers, and the pickup truck with its dashcam. The crime scene people also worked on processing Moore’s motel room, after Tatum and Seaver had signed off on that, too. But, in keeping with procedure, he ensured warrants would be obtained.

“Please do whatever it takes to find Sam,” Tatum said.

Frustrating Noble was the fact that they had no security camera footage from the motel and had been unable to obtain anything useful so far from neighboring businesses and homes.

In this high-tech world, you’d think there’d be something, Noble thought.

But it was early in the case.

Noble knew the media would jump the moment police issued a photo and a press release, stating a search had been launched for a college student who’d vanished in Spiritsburg while driving from New York to Toronto.

And they did. One by one, news vehicles with outlet logos from Burlington, Newmarket, St. Johnsbury, and Derby began arriving.

The TV people got footage of the search, dogs, and crime scene techs going in and out of the motel as the pickup was loaded onto a flatbed—all dramatic stuff.

“Look, folks,” Noble said as he stood before a handful of newspeople, their cameras and recorders rolling. He knew most of them. “Everything we know is in the release. We’re searching for her. It’s early in the investigation. We invite anyone with information to call us.”

“Do you suspect foul play, Rod?” a TV woman from Burlington asked.

“We’re not ruling out anything.”

“Do you have any suspects?” a newspaper guy from St. Johnsbury asked.

“No one at this time.”

“What about the boyfriend?” the St. Johnsbury guy asked.

“He’s cooperating, and he’s not a suspect.”

“Can we talk to him?” a radio reporter from Derby asked.