“Does that mean dead end until you hear back?” Sawyer asked.
“Maybe. Maybe not. Her phone last pinged near the ferry terminal.”
Willa straightened. “Do you want to organize a search of the building? The surrounding area?”
I considered. “There’s no way to know if the phone was powered down or destroyed. For all we know, it got hurled overboard, in which case it would be a waste of manpower. Let’s hold off on that for a bit, until or unless Dax comes back with more. In the meantime, I want to circle back to her coworkers and friends. See if any of them recall any point this summer where she was acting strange or upset or nervy. There’s no specific indication that the woman Sanders saw attacked behind Home Port was Priya, but if it was, seems like they’d have noticed her behavior changing in the days after. They probably would’ve mentioned it before if there were, but you never know. And Madden’s chasing down another angle.” My focus shifted to Willa. “Maybe one you can help with.”
“How’s that?”
“You’ve been back for more than ten years now. Do you remember hearing about any other missing women in that time?”
“Certainly nobody local. The island gossip tree would’ve been lit up with that. I can’t say that I’d have remembered anyone else. I spent so much time keeping to myself. Bree or Caroline are probably a lot more likely to have come across rumors like that, since they both work more with the public directly.”
“Fair point. I’ll touch base with them.”
Willa reached for Sawyer’s hand. “Do you think there’s some connection between Gwen and Priya?”
“Directly, no. No reason to believe there would be. I think Madden’s looking at establishing Carson’s pattern for handling that type of case since Gwen. Not sure exactly what she hopes to get out of it, but it’s another line to pull.”
Having gotten what I came for, I pushed to my feet. “Thanks for your help. And the snacks. I’m gonna head on. See if I can talk to the other grad students again before they head out for their evening observations. Maybe swing by the Brewhouse if I can catch Bree.”
Sawyer pulled me in for a back-thumping hug. “Don’t be a stranger, brother. And let us know if we can help in any way.”
“Will do.”
Feeling lighter than I had on my arrival, I loaded back into my truck and headed back toward the village. There were more questions to ask before the day was through.
Sixteen
MADDEN
Subject: Public Records Request – Missing Persons Files
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Chief Carson,
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Under the North Carolina Public Records Act, I am formally requesting digital copies of all missing persons reports submitted to the Sutter’s Ferry Police Department from January 1, 2011 to present, including:
•initial report
•follow-up notes
•investigative supplements
•closure or status determinations
* * *
This request is for public records, not confidential case materials. If any portion must be redacted, please cite the specific statutory exemption for each redaction.
* * *
Please acknowledge receipt of this email today. For transparency, I have copied the Town Clerk.
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