Page 30 of The Missing Couple

One of the figures on the screen made her frown. “Wait.”

Billie hit Pause and turned to her. “You recognize someone?”

The woman who’d been abducted the next night had already gotten into her car, but a lone man was walking toward his own vehicle.

“Do you think we can zoom in closer?”

The man’s vehicle was a black truck, which was as common as mosquitoes in the summer around here. The way it was parked didn’t allow a view of the license plate. Billie zoomed in closer on the man’s face.

Charly straightened. “That’s Kerrick Rogers.”

“Rogers?” Billie looked to her. “The same Rogers as the owner of the place Francesca Andrews was staying when she disappeared?”

“That’s the one.” The thumping in Charly’s chest got a little faster.

“But you didn’t recognize him in any of the others?”

“Let’s look again.” Anticipation had her on the edge of her seat.

Billie went back to the first video icon and hit Play.

“Wait,” she said. He hit Pause and she pointed to the screen. “Is that him?” This was sixteen years ago but the swagger was the same. He would have been in his early twenties. “Play it again.”

The video restarted. Charly watched carefully. “The way he moves looks so similar. Can we zoom in?”

Billie zoomed in. The image was grainy but Charly felt sure it was him—Kerrick.

“Let’s move on to the next one,” she urged, excitement building like a fire in the woods in the dead of summer.

In all four of the videos that followed he was there—at least someone who looked like Kerrick Rogers. Walked like him. In two he wore the same sort of black hoodie.

“All right.” Billie glanced at her. “Let’s play the newest one.”

Charly nodded.

This would be the one with Briana and Martin. Her stomach tightened. She could only imagine how Billie felt.

Billie hit Play and the images on the screen came to life. This was on Sunday before they went missing on Monday night. Last Sunday, she realized. It felt like half a lifetime ago.

Martin got out of the white SUV and was preparing to pump gas. He said something to Briana as she headed into the store. Probably told her some item he wanted.

Charly instinctively reached for Billie’s hand, gave it a squeeze. This was his sister. Watching her had to be ripping him apart inside.

Briana wore a white sundress with pink flowers. Her flip-flops were pink, too. Her long blond hair draped around her shoulders. She looked far younger than twenty-nine.

While they watched, Briana went inside and took her time gathering a few items. She took them to the counter and paid. Then she headed for the door, a white plastic bag heavy with her purchases in her free hand. Outside, another vehicle pulled into the lot. Silver truck. A figure emerged from the driver’s side and started toward the store entrance. He and Briana passed right by each other.

The bottom dropped out of Charly’s stomach.

“That’s him.”

Kerrick Rogers.

Chapter Ten

Lost in the Woods Getaway

Scottsboro Highway, 5:30 p.m.