“Did you report all this to the department head?” Alex asks.
“Damon said it was no use,” says Melissa. “He said we’d have to investigate ourselves. Then a few days later, he disappeared too.”
“I’m calling Malone,” Alex says. He puts the call on speaker when Detective Hugh Malone picks up.
“Hello? Dr. Cross?”
“We found my son’s bicycle,” says Alex.
“Where?”
“On a trail in the Mason Farm Biological Reserve.”
“Anything else there? Clothing? Phone? Laptop?”
“No.”
“Any signs of violence? Disturbed vegetation? Scuff marks on the ground? Blood?”
“None of the above,” says Alex. “How long before you can get somebody out here?”
“I’ll do my best, but we’ve got a lot on our plate here. I’ll sendsomeone to retrieve the bike and photograph the scene. Make sure you don’t touch anything.”
“I know how to handle evidence.”
“No disrespect meant,” says Malone. “I’m sure you do.”
“Detective, I think we need to set up a search party. The sooner the better.”
“I’ll tell you what—let’s get the bike back to the station, dust it for prints, and see where that takes us.”
“Fine. You do that,” says Alex, his voice hard and cold. “In the meantime, we’ll look for Damon ourselves.”
Alex hangs up and turns to Melissa. “Ready to go to work?”
She nods eagerly. “Anything.”
“If we’re going to conduct a proper search, we need volunteers. I want you to contact everybody you and Damon know around campus, including your friends from the Grotto. Tell them to meet us out here at two o’clock, in hiking gear.” He hands her a credit card. “Then I want you to go to the nearest supermarket and buy plenty of water and snacks. As much as you think we’ll need.”
Melissa tucks the card into her pocket. “I’ll do it, Dr. Cross. Don’t worry. And again, I’m sorry about not telling you guys everything.”
“One more thing,” says Bree. “I want you to go to Staples and print up a few hundred missing person flyers with Damon’s photo on them, the same photo that the police are using. I’ll text you the number I want at the bottom.”
“Sure, Chief Stone. No problem.” Melissa heads up the trail to where the cars are parked.
“Think we can trust her?” Bree asks Alex as Melissa disappears from view.
Alex looks at his watch. “Guess we’ll find out at two o’clock.”
CHAPTER 36
ALEX PULLS OUT HIS PHONE.
“Who are you calling?” asks Bree.
“I need a touch of home.”
He puts the call on speaker. A few seconds later, Jannie’s voice comes through. “Dad! What have you found out? Do you know where Damon is?”
