While he was busy doing that, Alyssa asked another question. ‘Do you know if Rachel had a boyfriend, or were there any guys she might’ve been interested in?’

Nick continued jotting down phone numbers but shook his head. ‘No. Rach never really talked about guys she was interested in. Not even in high school.’ He stopped writing, hanging his head for a second before turning worried eyes to Alyssa. ‘I wish now that I’d asked about those things, but we just never had that type of relationship.’

‘What you’re doing’ – Alyssa tipped her head toward the paper in Nick’s hand – ‘will be very helpful. Now, before we go, I have one more question for you. Does your sister have any tattoos, piercings, or other distinguishing features?’

Nick’s face paled, and his hands began to shake. Cord stepped in to reassure him. ‘It helps to know when we’re asking others if they’ve seen her.’

Color returned to his face, but his tremors remained. ‘No, Rach didn’t have any noticeable scars, no tattoos, but she has six piercings, three in each ear. That I know of anyway, and that, I believe, is something she’d definitely tell me.’ He shifted his eyes toward his father who still stood in the doorway of the bedroom. ‘I think if she’d gotten a tattoo or something, she would’ve called because that’s exactly the kind of secret she’d share with me.’

Chapter Six

Monday, May 20

Jersey’s brain was fuzzy as she swam through a sea of darkness trying to rouse herself from one of those terrifying dreams where everything felt real. But when she opened her eyes this time, nothing but blackness greeted her, not even a shadow.

She blinked, hoping her eyes would adjust.

A sudden jolt knocked her sideways, and she realized she was in a moving vehicle. But whose, and why, and why was it so dark? She squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of dizziness washed over her, and then immediately reopened them, heart galloping as if it was trying to win a race, as the last thing she remembered before waking hit her.

She’d been walking towards home after leaving her friends and the duck pond, contemplating the current suckiness of her life.

Anger. At Beau. Her parents. Her friends. The world.

Then…

Nerves tingling as footsteps thudded behind her and wishing she hadn’t insisted on being alone to clear her head, wishing she hadn’t stayed to watch the ducks as long as she had. She knew the dangers in being a young female walking alone at night. But there had been a cute college-aged boy who’d kept watching her, and then he’d moved closer, flirting with her a little until he finally had to go. The attention had been nice on her bruised ego, and so she’d stayed for another hour, until the sky blotted out the rest of the sunset, replacing it with stars.

The steps behind her had quieted, becoming only a whisper of movement as they slowed.