Alyssa didn’t want to ask the next question, but she knew she had to. ‘Do you think there’s any credibility to what Beau said?’

‘No. Jersey is full of drama and likes to be the center of attention, usually in any way she can get it. But that’s precisely why this doesn’t feel right. She wouldn’t go quiet; she’d want everyone around her to know how miserable she was. I mean, even Sophie is starting to worry. Besides, Jersey sucks at ignoring her phone, so she either doesn’t have it, the battery died, she turned it off… all of which I highly doubt,’ she hesitated, ‘or something… else… has happened.’

Holly’s breath hitched, echoing through the car’s speakers. ‘I should’ve tried harder to convince her to let me take her home… or at least insisted on going with her to the duck pond. I could’ve even followed her without telling her. Mom, if anything—’

Alyssa cut her off. Holly was blaming herself, a trait she likely inherited from her. ‘Stop. First of all, we don’t know if something’s happened. Try not to create scary scenarios where we don’t know any exist, okay?’

She could swear she heard her daughter’s eyes doing a three-sixty in her head. ‘Right. Don’t create scary scenarios. I don’t know if you’re cognizant of this one small fact, but my mother happens to be a detective who investigates scary scenarios and sketchy people all the time, and so she’s taught me to trust my instincts.’

Alyssa smiled. ‘Fair enough. Tell you what, why don’t you send us that information, and Cord and I will look into it after we finish what we’re doing, and then we’ll get back with you in a little bit, okay?’

‘Mom, I’m scared,’ Holly whispered.

‘I know, but try to let us do our jobs before jumping to conclusions and staying there, okay?’

‘Thanks, Mom, Cord.’

‘Anytime, you know that. I’d tell you not to worry, but since I already know that’s pointless, my advice instead is to make yourself busy so you don’t lose your mind waiting for answers.’ Cord’s soothing voice was completely at odds with his flared nostrils and the pulsing vein in his temple.

After Holly hung up, Alyssa took a minute to gather her thoughts. ‘Don’t you think it’s a little odd and a tad too coincidental that two girls around the same age in the same city near the same area would go missing within a day of each other?’ Her eyes wandered to the file holding the missing person report for Rachel Otis. Whereas earlier she hadn’t had a gut feeling leaning one way or the other, her instincts were screaming at her now that something sinister was afoot.

Cord’s fist tapped against his thigh. ‘It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Jersey called her boyfriend while she was out on her walk, begged him to forgive her and pick her up. He picks her up, thinking she’s going to give in to his demands, and when she doesn’t, he snaps, they fight again, and then…’