Chapter 8: The Photograph in the State Police Archive
Travis stared at the photograph until the details began to blur.
Wade Mercer sat behind the steering wheel.
Franklin Pierce was in the passenger seat.
The truck was parked beside the eastern timber road.
A timestamp in the lower corner read 2:27 a.m.
Emily had disappeared less than six hours earlier.
"Where did you get this?"" Travis asked.
Rebecca enlarged the image.
"An old traffic camera archive. The original files were never transferred into the county investigation. They were stored on a state transportation backup server.""
"So the sheriff didn't know about them?""
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
Travis pointed toward the photograph.
"Can you identify the location?""
"Yes. The camera was installed near the old logging entrance.""
Darnell looked at the image.
"That's the road Rex kept trying to follow.""
Rebecca nodded.
"Exactly.""
Emily stood behind her mother.
Her face had gone pale.
"That's the truck.""
Travis turned.
"You're sure?""
"Yes.""
She pointed at the passenger window.
"That's the man I saw.""
Rebecca zoomed in.
The image was grainy, but Franklin's profile was visible.
Emily covered her mouth.
"I remember his voice.""
Travis moved closer.
"Are you okay?""
She nodded, though tears were gathering in her eyes.
"I remember him telling someone to hurry.""
Rebecca studied the timestamp.
"At 2:27 a.m., the official search log says the eastern sector was temporarily closed.""
"Because of equipment failure," Travis said.
"Correct.""
"But the truck was still there.""
"Yes.""
Darnell folded his arms.
"That means they were out there while the search was supposedly suspended.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"That's a reasonable conclusion.""
Emily sat down.
"My God.""
Travis took her hand.
"Hey. Look at me.""
She looked up.
"We're going to find out what happened.""
"What if they were looking for me?""
Travis didn't answer.
Because that possibility had just become impossible to ignore.
At the state police field office, Rebecca arranged for the photograph to be examined by a digital evidence specialist.
Michael Grant returned with two cups of coffee and a thick folder.
"There's more.""
Rebecca looked up.
"Show me.""
He placed a document on her desk.
It was an old county dispatch transcript.
At 2:31 a.m., Wade Mercer had contacted the communications center.
His message was brief.
Eastern access road secured. Suspend civilian volunteers until further notice.
At 2:34 a.m., another transmission appeared.
No further personnel required.
Rebecca read the lines twice.
"Who acknowledged this?""
Michael pointed to the operator's name.
"Dispatch clerk named Helen Morris.""
"Is she alive?""
"Yes. Retired. Lives in Jackson.""
"Contact her.""
Michael nodded.
Rebecca turned another page.
There was a second dispatch entry.
At 3:06 a.m., Wade requested a county vehicle.
The reason listed was:
Transport equipment from eastern sector.
"What equipment?"" Rebecca asked.
Michael shook his head.
"No description. No inventory number.""
Rebecca leaned back.
"Convenient.""
"There's something else. The original search coordinator filed a complaint six weeks later.""
"What kind?""
"He said the sheriff's department had removed several pieces of equipment without proper documentation.""
Rebecca looked up sharply.
"Who was the coordinator?""
"Daniel Reeves. He moved to Tennessee two years ago.""
"Find him.""
Michael hesitated.
"There's a problem.""
"What?""
"He died last month.""
Rebecca sighed.
"Of course he did.""
Michael placed another sheet on the desk.
"His daughter contacted the state police after seeing the story about the injured dog.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"What does she want?""
"She says her father kept copies of the original search records.""
Rebecca sat forward.
"Where are they?""
"She doesn't know. But she remembers him mentioning a storage locker.""
"Get her number.""
Michael handed over a card.
Rebecca immediately called.
A woman answered after three rings.
"Hello?""
"Ms. Reeves? My name is Agent Rebecca Lawson. I'm investigating the search operation involving Emily Cole three years ago.""
There was a pause.
"My father told me someone would call eventually.""
Rebecca exchanged a look with Michael.
"Did he leave documents?""
"Yes.""
"Do you know where?""
"There's a box in his garage. He told me not to open it unless someone came asking about the missing girl.""
Rebecca stood.
"Can you meet us?""
"Tomorrow morning.""
"Is there any way we can come tonight?""
Another pause.
Then the woman spoke quietly.
"Agent Lawson, I think someone has already been here.""
Rebecca's grip tightened on the phone.
"Why do you think that?""
"Because my father's garage was broken into yesterday.""
"Was anything stolen?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you report it?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
The woman began crying.
"Because whoever came in left a note on the workbench.""
Rebecca's voice softened.
"What did it say?""
The woman whispered:
Your father should have kept quiet.
Back at the clinic, Darnell was sitting beside Rex when his phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unknown number.
He answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through.
"Mr. Brooks?""
"Who's asking?""
"My name is Daniel Reeves.""
Darnell sat upright.
"The search coordinator?""
"Yes.""
Darnell looked toward Rex.
"I thought you were dead.""
A bitter laugh came through the phone.
"Apparently, so did some people.""
"Where are you?""
"I need to talk to you about the dog.""
Darnell stood.
"What about Rex?""
"Do you still have the photographs from that night?""
"Some of them.""
"Good. Don't give them to Wade Mercer.""
Darnell's stomach tightened.
"Why are you calling me?""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Because I made a mistake three years ago.""
"What mistake?""
"I let them change the search report.""
Darnell stared at the wall.
"Who changed it?""
"Wade. Franklin Pierce was there too.""
"Why?""
"Because they were hiding something.""
Darnell looked toward Rex.
"What?""
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
"Your dog found more than Emily that morning.""
Darnell's blood ran cold.
"What are you talking about?""
"There was another person near the drainage ditch.""
"Who?""
"A man.""
"Was he alive?""
A long silence followed.
Then Daniel whispered:
"No.""
Darnell gripped the phone.
"Who was it?""
"I never found out. But I saw his body before the sheriff arrived.""
Darnell looked toward the clinic door.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
"Because Wade told me the man had died in an accident. He said the body was unrelated to the missing girl.""
"And you believed him?""
"I wanted to.""
Darnell's voice hardened.
"Where is the body now?""
"I don't know.""
"Daniel—"
"Listen to me. I have the original search photographs. The ones they removed from the file.""
"Where?""
"Storage locker 118. Old Jackson Road.""
Darnell reached for a pen.
"Give me the address.""
Daniel recited it.
Then he added something that made Darnell stop writing.
"There's one photograph you need to see. Rex is standing beside the body.""
Darnell closed his eyes.
"Why?""
"Because the dog wasn't looking at the body.""
"What was he looking at?""
Daniel's voice cracked.
"The man's hand.""
Darnell waited.
"There was something in it.""
"What?""
"A sheriff's department badge.""
The call ended.
Darnell stood frozen.
Then he called Travis.
"Son, I need you to come back to the clinic.""
"What happened?""
"Someone just called me about the night Emily disappeared.""
"Who?""
"Daniel Reeves.""
Travis went silent.
"He's alive?""
"Yes. And he says Rex found a dead man in those woods.""
Travis's voice dropped.
"What else?""
Darnell looked down at the old dog.
"He says the man was holding a sheriff's department badge.""
Twenty minutes later, Travis and Rebecca arrived.
Darnell repeated everything.
Rebecca immediately called Michael.
"Find Daniel Reeves. Verify his location. I want a unit at his residence.""
Travis paced beside the examination table.
"Could that badge belong to Wade?""
"Possibly," Rebecca replied.
"But we won't assume that.""
"What if the dead man was a deputy?""
"Then we'll establish his identity.""
Darnell opened his cloth pouch.
He took out the photograph of Rex near the timber road.
"Daniel said there's another photograph. One showing the body.""
Rebecca studied the image.
"Where is the original?""
"Storage locker 118.""
"Don't go there alone.""
Darnell nodded.
Rebecca reached for her phone.
Before she could dial, a message arrived from Michael.
She read it.
Then her expression changed.
Travis immediately noticed.
"What?""
Rebecca turned the screen toward him.
It was a photograph of Daniel Reeves's front door.
The door stood open.
A red stain marked the wooden floor inside.
Beneath the photograph was a message from the state trooper assigned to the property.
Residence appears disturbed. No sign of occupant.
Travis looked at Rebecca.
"Where's Daniel?""
Rebecca grabbed her jacket.
"We don't know.""
Then another message arrived.
This one contained a photograph of an empty storage locker.
Number 118.
The door had been forced open.
The box of photographs was gone.
May you like
And written across the metal wall in black marker were five words:
*THE DOG SHOULD HAVE DIED.*
