“People in town are going to freak. Because three dead young women confirms the serial killer angle.”
“And one who’s living right in their midst.”
“You think so?”
“I do. Things keep pointing to him being a local.”
“If they don’t find this guy, it could take a big bite out of the tourist business up here.”
“Do you think that’s why Coulter and the others were so quick to conclude the campers had taken off? I spoke to a friend of Amy Hunt’s today and she claims she never thought for a second that the girls had simply blown town.”
“Coulter’s not everybody’s favorite, but it’s hard to believe he’d put the tourist business above trying to find those girls, dead or alive. The friend say anything else interesting?”
Knowing Alice, she was probably kicking herself for not having thought to quiz Kayla.
“Claims the skipping-town rumor was started by an ex-boyfriend of Page’s with a chip on his shoulder. By the way, what can you tell me about Fort Ann?”
“Fort Ann?”
“Yeah, the campers stopped there the day they disappeared.”
“You know that line in ‘Hello’ when Adele asks if the guy ever made it out of the town where nothing ever happens? I think she was singing about Fort Ann.”
“That was my impression. I drove over there today, and even went to Muller’s, the bar where they had a drink, which frankly was like the ninth circle of hell. It’s hard to fathom why they’d choose a place like that—and one so far from the campsite.”
“Maybe they headed along Route 149 thinking they’dfind a spot close by and when they didn’t, they kept driving, waiting to stumble onto something. The only time I ever go over that way myself is when I’m aiming for Vermont. It’s right on the border.”
Vermont. Couldthatbe where they were headed? But why go to the trouble of setting up a campsite if your plan is to split? None of it made any sense.
“You think the cops are ever going to drop any hints to the public about the stigmata marks?” I asked, grabbing hold of the conversation again.
“Probably not until they find the killer. I think my pal regrets spilling the beans in the heat of the moment. I told him I had the information under lockdown.”
“You can count on me.”
“I know. So what are your plans from here? Are you going to stick around for a while?”
Good question. On the phone, Dodson had agreed that we should see how the story played out, but there might not be enough action to warrantCrime Beathaving me up here full-time for much longer. If Cody had killed Shannon and the police found enough evidence to arrest him, my job would have entailed filing at least another week’s worth of stories as more details emerged. Then I probably would have headed back to the city, possibly returning later if there were any new developments.
But since there was an unknown killer at large, it could take days, weeks, even forever, for the authorities to find him. There would be no point in running posts when I hadn’t any news to share.
“For sure, I’ll be here into the first part of next week,” I told Alice, “but if the case runs cold, my editor will probably tell me to split. I can always drive back up if there’s a break in the case.”
“I’ve got more research to do tonight, but what if I made you dinner at my place tomorrow? I’m right on the lake, and if the weather cooperates, we could eat on the screened porch.”
“I’d love that, Alice.” And I meant it. Nothing like finding bodies in trash bags together to turn you into soul sisters—and I suspected she was feeling the same way.
“Just a warning, though. Most of us haven’t learned how to make a meal up here without massive amounts of carbs. You don’t look like you eat many of those.”
“Oh, actually, that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for.... You following a hot lead tonight?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? Nah, just sitting at my dining table going through stuff online, seeing if there are pretty young women missing farther afield. I figure the cops will be able to use their database to track down any relevant cases that involve actual murders, but there might be victims who disappeared under similar circumstances and whose bodies haven’t turned up yet.”
“You still think the guy might be from out of town?”
“I’m not wedded to the concept, but the ten-year gap keeps bugging me. I want to see what I find.”
“How far away are you searching?”
