“I have to,” Billy shrugged. “This is where I lost her.”

That made a lot of sense to Gibson. They stood in the kitchen while Billy told a story he’d waited ten years to tell. He’d been dancing around the subject since they’d met at the library, but now it came tumbling out.

Billy Casper, a.k.a. WR8TH, had met Suzanne in a chat room. That much was true. Except he really was sixteen, and not some middle-aged pedophile as the FBI hypothesized. They’d become friends and confidants. According to Billy, they talked every night for hours. Some nights, he would fall asleep in front of the computer. Suzanne had been coy about who she was and would only say that her father was important and that if Billy helped her, it would be risky.

“Didn’t even know her last name until she got here. Swear.”

“Would you have helped her anyway?”

“No doubt,” Billy said without hesitation. After a second to think about it, he nodded his head emphatically, agreeing with himself. “No doubt.”

Once they decided to go ahead with it, they’d spent weeks plotting a route that would avoid high-security areas with a lot of cameras and watchful eyes. He’d coached her on how to avoid being noticed by the police. What to say if someone got curious as to why a fourteen-year-old was traveling alone.

“And she was almost fifteen,” Billy said defensively. “I was fifteen when we started talking. We were only a year apart. So it wasn’t weird, you know? We never had sex or anything. We kissed a couple times, but that was it. She was my friend.”

“She was my friend too.”

“I know,” Billy said. “That’s why you’re here.”

“So what was up with the Exxon station?”

“Right? Getting caught on camera? What was that?”

“You didn’t know she was going to do it?”

“Are you kidding? Hell no. Not until it popped up on the news.”

“Did you ask her about it?”

“Ask her? We had our only fight about it. She said it was an accident, but that was such utter bullshit. She knew what she was doing.”

“Which was what?”

“Sending a message, man.”

“To?”

“Don’t ask me. All I know is it wasn’t friendly. Did you see her eyes? She looked right at the camera and all but gave it the finger. I just wish she hadn’t waited until she was in my backyard to do it. She put Pennsylvania on the feds’ radar. After they released the security tape, I was so sure that the couple at the pump had seen my car. Every time there was a knock at the door, I figured it was the feds come to raid my house. Put my whole family in handcuffs. Can you imagine?”

“They wouldn’t knock.”