“They had some distinctive bumper stickers, too. I would recognize them if I saw them. One was for a drone flying club that Norm is a member of and the other is for Estes Park.”
“There’re two different gas stations on the way up there. Let me finish what I’m doing here, and we can do that. Do you have a photo of Norm and Sheryl?”
“Yes, on my phone,” she said. “I think I might lay down and rest while you finish up.” She scrolled through her phone to find a photo of Sheryl and Norm. There were several, all of them with Elsie. Sadness and an ache like she’d never known washed through her when she saw Elsie’s bright face and infectious smile.
She pulled up Norm’s number. Her finger hovered over the connect button. They probably wouldn’t pick up, just like before. They must have seen that she had called by now. And yet they hadn’t called back, a sharp contrast to their initial show of concern for her.
She rested. When she opened her eyes, the sky was gray. It must be past dinnertime. They’d eaten such a late lunch, she wouldn’t be hungry until dark. She rose and stepped into the living room. Both River and Frankie were gone. He wouldn’t leave her here alone.
She peered out each of the living room windows and then moved to the kitchen that looked out on the back of the house. River stood watching the empty park while Frankie did her business. Just seeing him made her feel safe.
River came back inside, “Do you feel ready to go check out those gas stations.”
“Sure.” She grabbed her purse and they headed out the door to his patrol car. The sun was low on the horizon by the time they got on the mountain road that led up to the hiking trails.
The first gas station didn’t have cameras. The clerk they questioned had been working that Monday but didn’t remember an older couple with a woman in a white hat. Lydia showed her the picture on her phone.
“They would have been driving a gray SUV,” said River.
The clerk, a stout woman with salt-and-pepper hair and glasses she kept on a chain, shook her head. “Monday’s not a super-busy day on the trail, but I don’t remember anyone like that.”
By the time River drove to the last gas station before the hiking trail, the sky had grown even darker. The convenience store was nestled close to a forest. There were two other cars in the parking lot. River left Frankie in the patrol car but let her out of the kennel so she could move around more. They walked side by side toward the store entrance. Inside, a young man with a nose ring and yellow-tipped hair, stood behind the counter. His tie-dye T-shirt saidJesus Loves You.
“How can I help you folks?” He had a radiant smile.
River pulled out his badge. “I’m with the Ridge PD. We’re investigating the disappearance of a little girl.”
“Yeah, I saw that on the news.” His gaze rested on Lydia. “I’ve been praying she’d be found.”
His words touched Lydia. There were probably dozens of strangers praying for her little girl.
“I noticed you’ve got a camera on the gas pumps outside. Do you keep that footage?”
“Just for a week and then we record over it. I can get the recording for Monday and set you up in the break room to watch it.”
“That would be good,” said River.
After the clerk helped another customer who had come in, he dug through the stack of DVDs and put one in the player.
They both pulled up a chair. “Get ready for some riveting television watching,” said River.
River’s sense of humor even in the most trying moments eased her anxiety. “I’m on pins and needles.”
River fast-forwarded through the tape. “We’ll start about two hours before the time of the abduction.”
“It was an afternoon hike, so that would have been about eleven.” Norm and Sheryl had known about the hike. She kept them informed about all Elsie’s school activities, many of which they came to. Her stomach twisted into a knot. How could they have been plotting something like this while they’d sat through Elsie’s school play and attended grandparents’ day? It just didn’t seem possible.
Lydia watched the video as one car after another got gas; some people entered the store as well. “Do they have tapes for the interior of the store?”
“I’m sure they do, but let’s start here. This camera picks up the pumps, most of the parking lot, and you can see when someone walks toward the store entrance. If it comes to that, Eva can get copies of the recordings. She has software that will look for people matching Norm and Sheryl’s description. The white hat would be the most obvious thing to keyword in. Way faster than going through manually.”
After about twenty minutes, Lydia stood. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Leaving her purse behind, she stepped out into the main room where the clerk was looking at his phone. No one else was in the store. He looked up.
“Your restrooms?”
He grabbed a key off the wall. “You have to go outside and to the left.”
