Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
Amanda dropped into her chair at Central, feeling like she’d gone through a storm in the first two and a half hours of her day.
She had dropped Zoe off at school, and the mood in the car was only somewhat somber.
If one didn’t know better, they might guess the girl was facing a test that morning, not that her teacher had been murdered.
“I’ll make that appointment with Dr. Tanner,” was one of the last things Amanda said to her daughter before she got out of the car.
All Zoe said was, “I’m okay, Mom,” and shut the door.
Now all Amanda had to do was push her concerns about Zoe to the side and focus on the investigation.
So much easier said than done, but Paul deserved justice, and his wife and daughter needed saving.
Maybe if she succeeded at that, she’d bring Zoe some comfort and closure.
Not that she’d mentioned the situation with Paul’s family to Zoe.
She didn’t see any reason the school would disclose their abductions.
And Amanda wanted to let Zoe process Paul’s murder without additional baggage.
She opened her email and found one from Detective Briggs with two attachments.
The subject line read: Archer Case—Doorcam Footage.
Officer Cochran would have delivered the file to Digital Crimes last night but what stood out was the time on the message.
It was just sent a few minutes ago. Briggs should have clocked out hours ago.
The video quality is poor, and zooming in only makes it worse.
Most doorbell cams have a max range of fifty feet.
I have attached what I could do, though I doubt it will be of much help.
I wish I had better news. But the phone carrier for Valerie Archer’s phone called.
I should see something within the next two hours.
At least there was that. She opened the first attachment. It showed the side of the van, door open. True to Briggs’s word, the image was low-resolution and grainy. It was hard to make out much of anything except for the variations of grays.
She studied the picture, angling her head left and right, as if that would help bring the image into better focus. It didn’t. Though it was probable that Valerie and Brooke were in the back along with one perp, none of this could be confirmed from this snapshot.
The second picture wasn’t any better. It was of the front plate and provided nothing distinguishable.
Trent swept into her cubicle and set down a cup from Hannah’s Diner. “Good morning.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. How are you doing?”
She lifted her cup, appreciating the offering as she’d finished the one she’d picked up for herself on the way in. “Thanks for this. As for how I’m doing, it’s been a morning.”
“I had a feeling it might have been rough. I’ve been thinking about you and Zoe all night. How did she take the news?”
Zoe’s face popped into her head. So small, fragile, hurting…
It was in her eyes. Amanda could have a full-blown cry right there and then.
It might even be therapeutic. Instead, she took a deep breath and put on a brave face.
As much as she could muster. “She’s in shock, that’s for sure.
I’ve made an appointment with her therapist. She doesn’t know I have yet, or that it’s for this evening at six o’clock. ”
“Please pass on my love to her. My heart breaks that she’s had to experience so much loss in her short life.”
“You and me both.” Amanda’s voice cracked, and she pointed at her screen, where the photos were side by side. “Briggs messaged.”
Trent moved in for a closer look. “Those have been cleaned up?”
“They have, but I guess doorbell cams aren’t meant for distance.”
“Which makes sense when you think about it.” Trent pointed a finger toward the photo of the obscured plate. “At some point, they must have ditched the covers, or one would think we’d have had a hit on the BOLO by now.”
“Agreed, but they also probably have the van holed up somewhere.”
“Yeah, wherever they’re holding Valerie and Brooke.”
Her eye caught another email in her inbox with an attachment. It was from Potomac Mills mall, and when she opened the message, she found there were three video files. “Are you seeing this?”
“Let me get my chair.” He grabbed it from his cubicle and wheeled it next to hers.
She hit the play button on the first attachment. It was of the black van near the entrance doors, beside Valerie’s Charger. Nothing new there.
The second one showed footage of Brooke leaving the restroom, texting, and tossing her phone in the trash can.
“Go to when Brooke is texting, and play it backward in slow motion to when she comes out of the restroom. We speculated before that Brooke may have been cornered in there. I want to see if anyone suspicious-looking follows her.”
Amanda did as Trent requested, and a few seconds after Brooke had left, a petite woman wearing a black hoodie came out, facing toward the floor.
“She couldn’t look more suspicious if she tried,” Trent said. “I’d say that’s who we’re looking for.”
Just how to start tracking this woman down? Amanda rewound and confirmed the woman had tailed Brooke from the food court. She kept her face away from the cameras the entire time.
Next, Amanda brought up the third video.
It was from outside the mall’s entrance, covering the moments before Brooke walked outside. Amanda pointed at a woman in a hoodie. “That’s the same woman from the restroom.”
“Uh-huh.”
They watched as the woman got into the back of the black van ahead of Brooke.
Amanda sat back. “I’ll be.”
“I’d say we were right with our assumption. She cornered Brooke in the restroom. But what if Brooke didn’t go in there alone? I mean the chances were against that happening. You ladies like to go in groups.” Trent smiled at her.
She’d argue that point, if she had ground to stand on. “I’m sure this woman would have figured out another way to get to her. I’m curious what she said or did to ensure Brooke’s cooperation.”
“She likely threatened to hurt her family.”
She nodded. “That seems likely, but I’m thinking Brooke’s friends might have something to offer. This woman stands out, like you said, so they must have noticed her.”
“Well, let’s go talk to the girls. What are their names again?”
Amanda opened the original email from Briggs.
“The ones she was in the most regular contact with were Sadie Robinson and Charlotte Brady.” She searched for them in the Department of Motor Vehicles database and found they had their learner’s permits.
Once their photos were on the screen, Trent spoke.
“That’s them. The ones who were with her at the mall and in the photo on her lock screen. It’s eight thirty. The girls would have just gotten to class.”
“So we know where to find them. Let’s go.” Amanda closed her email and headed out with Trent. She could only hope those girls saw even one tiny thing that would push the investigation forward.