“That doesn’t explain why we don’t have sound on the outdoor video cameras.”
“It is cost prohibitive to record any usable sound on an outdoor surveillance video at a redneck, southern Arkansas gas station. There are those who would question why a truck stop had such sophisticated and expensive equipment and wonder what we were hiding.”
“She’s moving,” Raphael said, hoping to head off a brotherly brawl.
Francine walked over to the vehicle, moving slightly out of frame as she bent down to look into the passenger window.
“She’s not threatened by whoever that is,” Lucy said.
“I agree.”
There was thirty seconds where they only saw her back, perhaps while she had a conversation with the person in the car. She moved into the frame again briefly, but not enough to see her face. She opened the passenger door and got in the car.
Raphael leaned forward in his seat as if that would help them identify who was driving or offer a hint of what kind of car it was. Unfortunately, the vehicle backed out of the frame and that was it. There was no more.
“Where’s the rest of it?” Lucy said and stood up. Axel put a hand on her arm, rubbing soothingly. Raphael wished Francine was here to calmhimdown.
Cam pushed a few buttons, but there was nothing more. “At least we know she got in a car with someone she clearly knew, but we have no idea who it is.”
“Any other cameras with a different angle?” Raphael said.
“Nope. This is the only one.”
“Did anyone else pass by the same area right before Francine who might have seen something?”
Cam backed up the video to the last person that went in the same direction as Francine, but it was a solid two minutes and twenty-four seconds before she showed up on screen.
Raphael stood up and walked to the screen. “What is across the street here?” He pointed to the edge of the screen.
Diesel squinted. “There’s a bank and the Black Hole car wash and an empty lot.”
“The bank,” Raphael said, snapping his fingers. “Isn’t there one of those machines on the street where you can get funds?”
“Probably. So?”
“Can’t we look at their video for a different angle?”
“Not unless you’re the FBI and on a case involving a felony.”
“That’s not true,” Diesel said.
Cam huffed. “Oh? That’s what Barney told me the last time I wanted to search his bank’s video to find a pesky vandal.”
Diesel said, “We can at least ask him. He might cough it up to help Francine.”
Raphael straightened. “I’ll ask him.” Apparently, his growling, menacing tone was too threatening, because everyone at the table shook their heads.
Before they resolved the issue of who would approach the bank manager across the street, Gage bounded into the room.
“Why haven’t you answered any of my texts?”
Diesel squinted. “I’m busy looking for an escaped prisoner and now a missing woman. I’ll get to you eventually.”
Gage looked worried, which wasn’t usually his nature. He was hard to rile. “I suggest you get to me now. Wheeler was found knocked out cold behind the truck stop. He’s unconscious. I thought you might want to know.”
No one spoke. No one moved. No one blinked. And then everyone did. Then everyone around the table stood up, faced Gage or started walking toward him, all asking questions about Wheeler.
Raphael was sorry Wheeler Grey was hurt, but he didn’t want anyone to lose focus about Francine being missing. Before he could say anything, Diesel whistled sharply, silencing the commotion. “Settle down everyone. Gage, you’re the doctor. What happened to Wheeler?”
