“I don’t know why they picked that particular spot, but they chose that area because it’s close to Sarah Cole’s land.” I tipped a finger. “And guess who showed up and ambushed us all?”
Ozzie’s eyes widened.
I nodded, confirming his suspicions. “Sarah Cole was the mastermind. Walter was the intended recipient of Edna Myers’s estate. Not just her mansion, but all her property. Sarah illegally had it changed. Walter used Miranda to get it changed back, and Sarah killed Moira because Moira was asking too many questions. Oh, and Miranda is Walter’s secret daughter. Hedidn’t want that fact to get out, which is why he went along with all of Sarah and Miranda’s plans.”
This time when Ozzie’s eyes widened, they rounded so far, I wondered if they might pop out of his head.
He muttered a curse. “That explains a lot. But how is Ellis involved?”
Before I could answer, recognition dawned on his face. He held up a hand. “Ellis is asking questions. Just like Moira. He’s being public about it and stirring up the town’s memories from back then.”
“Exactly. And Sarah and Miranda have at least an hour head start on me, probably more, because they were on an ATV. They have to be in town by now.”
Ozzie backed up and opened his car door, leaning in to grab his phone. Tapping the screen a few times, he brought it to his ear.
A frown formed on his face after several moments. He lowered the device. “He didn’t answer.” Tapping the screen again, he lifted it once more. “Let’s try Claire.”
The frown on his face turned fierce when she, too, didn’t answer.
Stabbing the red circle on the screen to end the call, Ozzie tipped his head toward the cruiser. “Get in.”
I hurried around to the passenger side and hopped in.
Ozzie picked up the radio as we left the parking lot. “PL212 to dispatch, over.”
“Dispatch to PL212, go ahead, over.”
“I need you to send a unit to my house.” He stated the address. “And have all units on the lookout for two females. Miranda Benning and Sarah Cole. Standby.” He let go of the mic button and glanced at me. “What were they wearing? And what does Sarah Cole look like?”
“Miranda had on black pants, a burgundy long-sleeved shirt, and hiking shoes. Sarah was wearing olive green pants and a tan t-shirt. She had a black jacket tied around her waist. And she’s about five-five, a hundred and twenty pounds. Graying blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. I’d say she and Miranda are close to the same age too. Mid-fifties.”
Ozzie relayed that information to dispatch, then in the next breath asked for an update on the search and rescue efforts underway. The dispatcher said they were staging and would roll out within the hour.
I breathed a sigh of relief. The weather was warm, and Mina had been stable when I left, but I was glad to know she would soon be out of there. She and Walter were sitting ducks for predators and had no way to defend themselves.
About seven minutes into our drive north to Parker’s Landing, dispatch came back over the radio.
“Dispatch to PL212. Officer on scene reports no one home, over.”
Ozzie’s dark eyes met mine. Worry and anger simmered side-by-side in their depths. Plastic creaked in his hand as he squeezed the radio mic. Bringing it up to his mouth to speak, he rubbed one finger over his top lip, then responded.
“Dispatch, who was the responding officer, over?”
“Chief Riggs, over.”
“Thank you. PL212 out.” He hung up the mic and picked up his phone. Unlocking it with his face, he handed it to me. “Find the chief’s number and call it. Put it on speaker.”
I scrolled, quickly finding the contact labeled “Chief Riggs,” and dialed.
It rang through the cab of the cruiser, then the chief picked up after a couple of rings.
“Riggs.”
“Was Claire’s car in the garage?” Ozzie asked without preamble.
“Yes. I knocked on every door. No one answered. What’s going on?”
“How about Ellis’s truck? He was supposed to be there.”
