Immediately recognizing the similarity in their responses, Alyssa asked, ‘Do you happen to know Chance Williams?’

‘Yeah, I know Chance. We don’t hang, but he’s usually here, even though he’s not a member of the house. It’s all good because he usually has a nice posse of chicks who show up with him.’ He actually winked. ‘Brings variety, you know.’

Had times really changed that much? During her college days, she couldn’t remember anyone being so brazenly disrespectful to the cops. Or maybe that was just the circles she ran in.

Alyssa couldn’t decide if it was the guy’s attitude – his words and his lack of interest in the fact that a young college girl he’d admitted to hitting on had gone missing – that ate at her, making her distrust everything that came out of his mouth. If she could figure it out, maybe she’d have a large enough piece of the puzzle to make the other pieces fall into place.

She was still thinking about that when a shadow filled the doorway, reluctantly drawing her away from the interview transcript. A scowl on her face, she turned to snap at the person unfortunate enough to interrupt her concentration, but when she saw the lines around Captain Hammond’s eyes, his face drawn tight and looking like he’d aged another five years in the past five days, all that flew out of her mind.

‘What?’

‘I’d ask why you’re still here when the rest of your team’s gone, but it doesn’t matter because you’re needed.’ Even his voice was gruffer than usual.

Alyssa’s stomach plummeted. ‘What’s happened?’

Hammond sagged against the doorjamb, one hand reaching up to rub his temple. ‘I have to tell you, Detective, I don’t know how much longer I want to do this job in the world we live in today.’ He straightened, his stare drilling into her. ‘Dispatch just received a call about another missing girl. Katelyn Phillipson never came home from school this afternoon. It’s been just over three hours, but she’s only thirteen years old. I need you and Roberts to head over. We already have two – possibly three – missing girls and one dead one in a remarkably short amount of time, and we can’t afford to risk waiting another second. As of right now, I want you, your team, and the department on high alert.’ He twisted until he was staring out the window. ‘Our city’s still reeling from realizing we had a serial killer walking amongst us for the past two decades.’ The sound of defeat practically vibrated across the room as it poured off her captain in waves.

For a moment the weight of Evan Bishop’s reign of terror settled onto her shoulders, but then she shook it off, knowing there was no way to undo the past. Right now, she needed to focus on the case in front of her. At least three missing girls in a span of three days? Add a deceased female into the mix, and Alyssa’s instincts shouted that there was no room left to doubt these cases were somehow connected. It was far too much of a coincidence – something she rarely believed in. ‘Address?’