Andi’s heart pounded in her ears as she watched.
A second later, a man emerged from the van.
Andi’s stomach clenched as she continued to watch the video.
The man wore dark clothing, and his face was angled down—but a harsh circle of light flared suddenly, washing out the image entirely.
“A headlamp,” Duke muttered as he squinted at the screen.
The beam obliterated detail. The man’s face was nothing but white glare, a moving void.
Then the video jumped.
When the camera view stabilized again, the van was already pulling away.
Andi leaned closer, her pulse steadying even as her mind sharpened. This wasn’t a glitch. It was too clean for that. Someone had either altered the footage or used a blocker to interfere with the camera’s ability to record details—but they’d left this moment intact.
Deliberately.
Whoever had done this wanted them to see the beginning of Gina’s abduction—but not the identifying markers. No licenseplate. No clear face. Just enough to prove intent. Just enough to demonstrate power.
Almost as if he were controlling the evidence.
Almost as if he were dictating the narrative.
“Did you give this to the police?” Duke glanced at Lauren. “They need to see it.”
“I just got it a few minutes ago,” Lauren said. “Danny—my friend—had to wait until he had a minute alone to look for this.”
“I need to show the cops this.” Andi’s voice stayed even, but her thoughts were already racing ahead. “It’s proof that something happened to Gina.”
More than proof—it was a failure point.
If this footage existed and hadn’t been pulled immediately, then procedure had broken down somewhere. Either the police hadn’t canvassed properly, or they’d dismissed the footage before understanding its relevance. Chain of custody. Preservation of evidence. Reasonable diligence.
Any decent attorney would eat this alive.
This wasn’t just negligence—it was exposure. The kind that led to depositions and internal reviews and settlements no one wanted to talk about.
A lawsuit waiting to happen.
Andi swallowed, forcing herself to stay in the present. Accountability could come later.
Right now, this was about Gina.
And about stopping the man who thought he got to decide what the truth looked like.
Another thought hit Andi. “What about Gina’s car?”
Why hadn’t she thought about this before? The location of Gina’s car could tell them a lot.
“That’s what’s strange. It’s gone.” Lauren’s voice trembled. “I asked Danny about it, and he tried to find on video when someone took it. However, all the cameras went dead for aboutan hour on Tuesday night. That must be when someone grabbed it.”
“That’s . . . unfortunate.” Duke’s jaw tightened.
Lauren looked at Andi then Duke, desperation plain on her face. “Please tell me you’re not giving up.”
Andi met her gaze, steady despite the storm inside her. “We’re not.”
