“It does. But it also feels like the right call.”
He held her gaze. Twenty-four hours ago she’d been a stranger standing at Durbin’s desk bracing for another dismissal. Today she almost felt like a colleague.
Wyatt wasn’t sure exactly when the shift had happened. But it had been a long time since he’d felt such a fast connection with someone.
He looked back at the map. “Volunteer ground teams from two neighboring counties are coming to help at first light.”
“And State Police have been notified.” Graham glanced at Kori. “The intrusion at your sister’s apartment is a matter for law enforcement as much as search and rescue.”
“Good to know.” Kori rubbed her arms as if chilled.
Wyatt pulled the backpack toward him. He’d been going through it since he’d gotten back—itemizing contents, photographing everything, bagging the burner phone for Micah’s tech guy to work on.
“Do you want to take a look at this?” he asked. “I’ve already catalogued everything. But you might have a different perspective on the things your sister brought with her.”
“Of course.” She stood and began to examine the various items inside.
Most were unremarkable, things that were expected on a backpacking trip. But Mackenzie had also brought a few personal items—including that picture of her family.
Kori reached farther into the bag and felt around at the bottom. A moment later, she pulled the bottom of the pack out—a black flap used to flatten the base of the bag.
“Wait . . . I think there’s something buried down here.” She reached back inside and pulled out something else.
A necklace. It must have been tucked beneath the flap where he hadn’t found it. He chided himself, vowing to be more careful next time.
As she held up the necklace, it gleamed in the light. At the end of the gold chain was an emblem: a circle with a tree inside, its branches reaching upward with flames consuming it.
Kori stayed at the station with Wyatt for the next couple of hours. She listened as he planned out tomorrow’s search operations.
She found herself continually checking her watch. She was anxious to talk to Daisy and hear what she had to say.
Finally, it was time.
She contemplated telling Wyatt about her meeting. Then she decided she’d wait. If Daisy told her anything worth mentioning, Kori would bring it up. But right now, she didn’t want to distract him from planning the search tomorrow.
She excused herself, feigning exhaustion. Then she went to her car and drove to the library. Several parking spaces were available on the street in front of it.
She parked and found the bench Daisy had mentioned.
As she waited, she glanced around, noting how secluded this area was. It was probably why Daisy had chosen this location to meet. No one would overhear anything she said.
But the seclusion also felt eerie—like the perfect place to stage a crime.
She shivered.
Still sitting on the bench, she glanced at her watch. Five fifty-five.
As she waited, she thought about the necklace she’d found in Mackenzie’s backpack.
It had been small—an inch across, maybe less.
Why would her sister have a necklace with that symbol on it? What did it mean?
Wyatt and Graham had vowed to keep asking around about the symbol. There was obviously a connection. But what could it be?
Kori turned her collar up against the wind and checked her phone.
It was now four minutes past six.
