A shadow slippedthrough the trees, and Bel jumped from her SUV. She and her father had combed through the party’s ground zero for evidence, but they found nothing helpful. As the afternoon faded, they’d retreated to their cars to wait for Eamon. It was no use wandering the woods without his senses, so they’d waited with the unbearable heaviness of knowing that Ariella Triton wasn’t coming home today, if ever.
“Find anything?” she called, but as the shadow became flesh, the black eyes told her all she needed to know.
“I couldn’t locate her scent,” Eamon confirmed when he stepped within earshot. “There were too many bodies at the party, police included, so the scents are muddled. I couldn’t pick hers out among the crowd’s. If she were still in these woods, though, alive or dead, I would’ve picked up on it, but she’s gone.”
Bel cursed, sagging against the hood of her SUV.
“I know you don’t want to entertain the idea, but it’s almost sunset,” Reese said. “She’s been missing for nearly twenty-four hours now. This is no longer a case of a teenager behaving irresponsibly. Something happened to this girl.”
“If she didn’t run away, someone took her,” Eamon said. “She either left her entire life behind and exited her house without a single belonging to escape her family, or someone last night took advantage of the situation. Now, I hope she ran away of her own free will. It means she’s alive and probably safe, but based on the knowledge that she was here yet I can’t pinpoint her scent tells me she was taken.”
“What makes you say that?” Reese asked.
“When people get trapped in cars, I lose their trail,” Eamon said. “It’s why I have other ways of tracking your daughter because she’s gone missing on me too many times.” He grabbed Bel’s hand as he settled beside her. “If Ariella had run away on foot, her tracks would’ve eventually separated from the crowd, and I would’ve noticed her scent emerge as the only one. But I can’t smell her, which means she got into a car. Of course, there’s a chance it was willingly, but everyone says she had a happy home life. Happy girls don’t just up and leave without a trace. I think she got into a car with someone last night. Someone she shouldn’t have.”
The hope bledfrom Griffin’s face when his eyes landed on Eamon exiting Bel’s SUV. “You didn’t find anything?” he asked as the couple approached the Triton’s front porch.
“No.” Eamon shook his head. “There were too many people there for me to isolate her scent.”
The sheriff ran a frustrated hand through his salt and pepper hair, the weariness in his limbs mimicking the heaviness in Bel’s gut. Reese had taken Cerberus home after their disappointment at the lake, but Eamon had returned to the Triton’s with her on the off chance that his senses might detect something the police couldn’t.
“Ariella’s best friend and boyfriend are here,” Griffin said. “Some neighbors stopped by earlier as well. No one’s seen or heard from her.”
“Someone used the chaos of that party as his hunting grounds,” Eamon said. “And I think it’s time you start treating her disappearance as a crime.”
“She still could’ve run away,” Griffin said.
“I think she got into someone’s car,” Eamon said. “That’s why I couldn’t find her scent leaving the party site, and while she might have gotten into the vehicle willingly, I doubt it was to run away.”
“Ariella had no reason to flee her life,” Bel added. “Everyone we’ve talked to has told us the same story. She loved her friends and family, so unless they all got together and conspired to lie, she didn’t run away. She isn’t hurt out there in the woods. Eamon would’ve found her if she were. And it’s been over twelve hours since the police broke up the party. If she were passed outdrunk somewhere, she’d be awake by now, so I think Eamon is right. Someone dangerous was in that park last night.”
“I want to argue against that conclusion, but the rock in my stomach tells me you’re right,” Griffin said. “I don’t know what happened to that poor girl, but I’m afraid it wasn’t good.”
“There were dozens of witnesses,” Bel said. “Someone had to have seen something.”
“All of whom are underage college students who will never admit to being there,” Griffin said. “The kids we arrested might talk if they believe it’ll help their case, but no one else will.”
“They might if it’s anonymous,” Bel said. “If we offered a tip line that allowed for anonymity, someone might do the right thing.”
“That’s a good idea,” Griffin said. “Worth a shot, at least. I’ll call the station and have them set it up.”
“Let’s hope,” Bel said. “I’m going to go inside and talk to Erik and Ondine. I hadn’t thought to ask about it earlier, but they probably took photos last night.”
“I’ll stay out here unless you need me.” Eamon cupped the small of her back as she climbed the porch steps. “I don’t want my presence affecting the family’s behavior. This morning, you were here as a courtesy, but the minute this becomes a missing person’s, you’ll need to watch everyone’s reactions.”
“Thank you.” Bel leaned forward until her forehead kissed his, the steps making them the same height. “This was just supposed to be a teenage girl being irresponsible,” she whispered against his mouth. “She’s only nineteen.”
“She might still be alive.” Eamon tightened his hold on her waist. “And if she is, you’ll find her. I’ll be here to help however you need me.”
Bel pressed her lips against his in thanks and climbed the remaining steps to the house with a sobering thought plaguing her brain. Maybe Eamon was right. Maybe it was wise not tobring children into this world because if they did, they might wake up one day to find their daughter had snuck out to a party she’d never return from.
“Erik? Ondine?” Bel settled on the couch beside the fake couple, their clutched hands more grief than their need to fool the Tritons. “Did you take any photos last night?”
“A few,” Ondine said, digging her phone out of her purse. “They’re just of us three, though. I can’t see how they would help.”
“We don’t know what happened, but to cover all possibilities, we need to acknowledge that someone at that party might not have had the best intentions.”
“What do you mean, best intentions?” Ondine squeaked. “Did someone hurt her?”
