Chapter 5: The Drive Nobody Was Supposed to Find
"Raymond Pierce!""
Agent Rebecca Lawson's voice cut through the parking lot.
Raymond stopped beside his pickup.
He turned slowly.
"Yes, ma'am?""
"Put the object in your hand on the hood of your vehicle.""
Raymond smiled.
"What's the problem?""
"Do it.""
He looked toward Wade.
The sheriff gave him a barely noticeable shake of the head.
But Rebecca saw it.
So did Travis.
Raymond placed the black drive on the hood.
Rebecca approached.
"Where did you get this?""
"Found it.""
"Where?""
"Can't remember.""
"That's unfortunate. I have an excellent memory.""
Raymond chuckled.
"Maybe you should ask Sheriff Mercer. He knows more about county property than I do.""
Wade stepped forward.
"Agent Lawson, you're overstepping.""
Rebecca didn't turn.
"Then file a complaint.""
She put on gloves and examined the drive.
There was a small strip of faded white tape across the top.
Someone had written three characters on it.
R-17.
Travis stared.
"That's not possible.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"What?""
"Three years ago, the search operation used numbered evidence drives. I remember seeing that designation in the operations room.""
"Are you sure?""
"Yes.""
Raymond shrugged.
"Could be anything.""
Rebecca placed the drive inside an evidence bag.
"We'll find out.""
Wade stepped between her and the pickup.
"That belongs to the county.""
"Then you'll have no problem explaining why it was in a civilian's possession.""
Wade's face tightened.
"You're turning a simple dog incident into a circus.""
Rebecca finally looked at him.
"An injured animal is not the only thing I'm investigating.""
Wade's eyes flickered.
Travis noticed.
Raymond noticed too.
And suddenly the older man stopped smiling.
"Maybe we should all calm down," Raymond said.
Rebecca nodded.
"Good idea. You can start by telling me why you brought this drive here.""
"Like I said, I found it.""
"Where?""
"In a storage unit.""
"Whose storage unit?""
Raymond hesitated.
"My brother's.""
"Franklin Pierce?""
"Yes.""
"How long have you had it?""
"Couple of years.""
Rebecca studied him.
"Then why bring it to Sheriff Mercer today?""
Raymond glanced toward Wade.
"Personal business.""
"What kind?""
"None of yours.""
Rebecca closed her folder.
"That answer will be included in my report.""
Raymond opened his truck door.
Rebecca raised a hand.
"Don't leave yet.""
He sighed.
"Am I under arrest?""
"Not at this moment.""
"Then I don't have to stay.""
"Correct. But if you leave, I will document that you declined to answer questions about possible evidence connected to an unresolved investigation.""
Raymond's expression changed.
He looked at Wade again.
This time, Wade didn't look back.
Raymond climbed into his truck.
The engine started.
He drove away.
Rebecca watched until the vehicle disappeared.
Then she turned toward Travis.
"Tell me about the original search.""
Travis rubbed his hands together.
"It started around eight in the evening. My sister had gone into the woods near our grandparents' property. A storm came in. She didn't return.""
"Who organized the search?""
"County emergency services. The sheriff's department coordinated the road closures.""
"And Rex?""
"Rex was brought in by a private rescue organization. Darnell was his handler.""
Rebecca nodded.
"Do you remember the name of that organization?""
"Southern Search and Rescue.""
"Good. We'll need their records.""
Travis continued.
"Rex found Emily just before dawn. She was near an old drainage ditch.""
"Was anyone else there?""
"Not that I remember.""
"Did your sister mention hearing a vehicle?""
"She said she heard a truck and someone shouting.""
"Did she identify the voice?""
"No.""
Rebecca paused.
"Was the location searched before Rex found her?""
Travis frowned.
"Yes. Twice.""
"By whom?""
"County deputies.""
Rebecca opened her folder.
"According to the official report, the area where Emily was found had already been cleared.""
Travis stared.
"What?""
"That's why the case caught my attention. The search log says the drainage ditch was checked at 11:40 p.m. But the rescue dog found your sister there at 5:18 a.m.""
"Maybe the search team missed her.""
"Possible. But there's another issue.""
Rebecca showed him a printed page.
The search log contained an entry at 2:13 a.m.
It stated:
Search temporarily suspended in eastern timber sector due to equipment issue.
Travis frowned.
"What equipment?""
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
"Who authorized the suspension?""
Rebecca pointed to the bottom.
The initials were W.M.
Wade Mercer.
Travis looked across the parking lot.
The sheriff was speaking to Briggs.
His face was relaxed.
He was even laughing.
"Why would he stop a search for a missing teenager?""
Rebecca closed the folder.
"That's what I intend to find out.""
Inside the diner, Evelyn appeared at the office door.
"Agent Lawson?""
"Yes?""
"I found something.""
She held a small envelope.
"I keep old receipts and maintenance notes in the office. Three years ago, the security system stopped recording for about forty minutes.""
Rebecca took the envelope.
"Do you know why?""
"The technician said there was a power interruption.""
Travis looked at her.
"Was there?""
Evelyn shook her head.
"No. The lights never went out. The refrigerators kept running. Even the cash register worked.""
Rebecca examined the note.
"Who serviced the system?""
Evelyn pointed to a name.
"Franklin Pierce's company.""
Travis felt his chest tighten.
"The timber company?""
"Yes. They handled some of the county's electrical maintenance contracts.""
Rebecca read the date.
It was the same night Emily disappeared.
The time of the interruption was 2:10 a.m.
Three minutes before Wade's search suspension order.
"Mrs. Price," Rebecca said, "do you have the original maintenance invoice?""
"I think so.""
Evelyn disappeared into the office.
A moment later, she returned with an old folder.
The invoice listed the equipment that had supposedly been serviced.
One line caught Rebecca's attention.
Remote camera access panel — replacement and retrieval.
Rebecca looked up.
"Why would a company replace a camera access panel at a diner?""
Evelyn shrugged.
"I never knew.""
Travis took the paper.
"Wait. This system was connected to the old timber road camera.""
Rebecca turned toward him.
"How do you know?""
"My grandfather owned part of the land near that road. The county installed a traffic camera there after several trucks were vandalized.""
"Was it connected to this system?""
"I don't know.""
Rebecca examined the invoice again.
"Then we need the original county camera records.""
She reached for her phone.
Before she could make the call, another vehicle pulled into the parking lot.
A white sedan.
A young woman stepped out.
She wore a red sweatshirt and held a small cardboard box against her chest.
Travis recognized her immediately.
"Emily?""
His sister looked toward him.
Her eyes were red.
She had clearly been crying.
"What are you doing here?"" he asked.
"Mom told me what happened.""
"You should have stayed home.""
Emily shook her head.
"I wanted to see Rex.""
Travis moved toward her.
"He's at the clinic.""
"I know. I brought something.""
She opened the box.
Inside was a framed photograph.
A younger Rex stood beside a sixteen-year-old girl wearing a red winter coat.
The photograph had been taken in the hospital three years earlier.
On the back, Emily had written:
To the dog who refused to leave me behind.
Rebecca examined the picture.
"May I?""
Emily nodded.
The agent turned the frame over.
Something was taped beneath the photograph.
A small folded piece of paper.
Emily's face went pale.
"I forgot that was there.""
Travis carefully unfolded it.
It was a handwritten note.
The handwriting was shaky.
The words were simple.
I saw the blue truck again. He knows where I live.
Travis looked at his sister.
"When did you write this?""
Emily's lips trembled.
"Two days after I came home.""
"Who was he?""
"I don't know his name.""
"Did you tell Mom?""
"No.""
"Why?""
Emily looked toward the parking lot.
Then she whispered:
"Because he came to our house the night after Rex saved me.""
Rebecca stepped closer.
"What did he say?""
Emily swallowed.
"He told me that if I ever talked about the truck, the dog who saved me wouldn't be the only one who got hurt.""
Travis felt the ground shift beneath him.
He looked toward the highway.
The sheriff's SUV was gone.
May you like
And suddenly, the question wasn't why Wade had attacked Rex.
It was why he had been so determined to stop the dog from being identified.
