Page 78 of Chasing Creed

Maggie gripped the phone. Starkville. It was one of the PLSs on the list. She reached for the whiskey. Took a sip. Stayed quiet and listened.

“I know it’s probably all some strange coincidence. But someone was in the forest this morning watching Brodie. I found an inflatable boat on the river’s edge. I know it all sounds crazy, but I think that abandoned place in Mississippi is being used as a drop site. Maybe a stash house. I’m hoping you can check out this woman and find out if she might somehow be connected to Brodie.”

Maggie pulled a copy of the list out from her notebook. “Do you have a name?” Her index finger found Starkville.

“Yeah, Norwich just confirmed her identity. Her name was Mandy Davidson. Her fingerprints were on file. She had some misdemeanors. But nothing serious. Certainly nothing that should have gotten her killed.”

Maggie didn't need to track her finger to the name column. She already saw it: Davidson. Amanda Davidson. Starkville. Her DOE was several days ago.

“Maggie?”

She realized she’d gone quiet for too long.

“Someone left a handwritten note on Pakula’s windshield while we were at the courthouse in David City. It was a list of names.”

“A list of names?”

“With numbers and locations. We’ve been trying to make sense of it. One of the names was Kristin Unger. Do you remember her?”

“Of course. I was the one who found her.”

“Another name we just confirmed was a body pulled from a lake here in Omaha. The list also includes a waitress from a café in David City who didn’t show up for her shift this morning.”

“What do these two women have to do with Kristin?”

She hesitated. “The column that has the numbers is labeled Charlottes.” She let that sink in then added, “Brodie isn’t on the list.”

“And Mandy Davidson. Is she on the list?”

“Amanda Davidson. Yes.”

“So, it’s obviously a hit list. The survivors.”

“It’s not obvious, Ryder. I’ve had killers play these kinds of games. With Iris’ trial coming up, this guy could be motivated by the publicity. He might simply know enough about the case. We’re still trying to find out if these women were kidnapped as children. If they have any connection to this area. To Iris.”

“Kyle’s mother said Mandy had been kidnapped as a girl.”

“That could just be a coincidence.”

“You don’t believe in coincidences.”

“I’m not sure why he would—”

“This list. When did you find it on Pakula’s windshield?”

“Yesterday. It was scribbled in blue ink on the back of a flyer for local events and eateries.”

“You had it yesterday? When were you going to tell me about it?”

“Ryder, we’re still trying to figure it out.”

“It had a column labeled Charlottes, and you didn’t tell me about it. You weren’t going to tell me, were you? Except I brought up one of the women listed on it.”

“I was going to tell you as soon as—”

“He’s already here.”

“No, that’s not possible. He just took a woman last night from the café.”