Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cam scrubbed a hand over his face as he sank into the ancient chair, the cracked leather poking into his skin. Five days had passed since Lindsey Gill had been abducted from her own home, and so far they didn't have a single damn lead—though not for lack of tips.

After the press conference, they'd received hundreds of calls. Dozens of people claimed to have seen Lindsey, but none of the leads had panned out. The search party's extensive sweep of Brookhaven had yielded nothing, and with each minute that ticked away without answers, the case grew colder. Her family and friends were distraught, and the hope that she'd return home alive was slowly dwindling.

The soft hum of activity around him barely registered as he stared at the photographs pinned to the whiteboard in front of him. Despite the time and effort of painstakingly researching every outlet for the past few days, they offered nothing substantial. No suspects. No evidence. No clear leads. Frustration gnawed at him, setting his teeth on edge.

"We've covered almost every inch of this city." Sawyer scowled and scrubbed a hand over his five o'clock shadow. "She's got to be here somewhere. She didn't just disappear into thin air."

Cam rubbed his temples, the weight of exhaustion and dejection settling deep in his bones. The search party had scoured Brookhaven and beyond, checking every possible hideout, every abandoned building, even combing through nearby forests.

Dr. Joel Parsons's property, though more than an hour away, had been thoroughly investigated. Cam's original theory that Parsons could have hired someone was quickly dismissed when his bank statements revealed nothing suspicious. The lack of any substantial evidence was maddening.

He momentarily closed his eyes and tipped his head back against the headrest. It felt liked they'd been going nonstop for the past week, and they didn't have a single damn thing to show for their efforts.

A scowl pulled at his mouth. There had to be something. Maybe he should go home, clear his mind and come back fresh tomorrow. But that would just make things worse. His mind refused to rest, even at home. Might as well be here, doing something useful.

He couldn't even use the excuse that he needed to check on Kinley. She'd been released from the hospital and was currently helping her sister with wedding plans. Cam was still a little shocked over the news the sheriff had dropped a few days ago.

Sawyer's chair creaked as he swiveled around and stared at the board. "For the time being, we need to rule out Parsons and Cottrell. We've exhausted every lead with those two and came up empty. So what about Jayla Simms? She and Lindsey had similar features. Let's assume their cases are connected."

It was a possibility, one they'd discussed several times over the past few days. Jayla's murder was perplexing, and the case had quickly gone cold with no DNA or solid leads. Lindsey's abduction, however, lacked the violence of Jayla's case—at least as far as they knew. But it was a thread worth tugging at. "It's possible. But we've got no evidence linking the two besides their appearance."

"If Lindsey's disappearance is tied to Jayla's murder," Sawyer said slowly, "then there's got to be something we're missing. Some connection we haven't seen yet."

Cam nodded, skimming the report compiled by the police in Milaca the previous summer. "Jayla was abducted ten months ago after her shift in Milaca," he stated. "And now we have Lindsey Gill, twenty-four, blonde, blue-eyed, abducted from her home here in Brookhaven."

Cam leaned forward, fingers drumming lightly on the armrests of the chair as he studied the photograph taken at the scene. Though they'd checked with surrounding departments, none had any cases similar to Jayla Simms's. Official cause of death had been asphyxiation, but the killer was meticulous. He'd scrubbed down every inch of her body, using bleach to remove any trace of DNA. Her body had been very publicly staged in the center of town, where she was certain to be found quickly. It was almost as if the killer were taunting them with his ability to slip through town, completely unnoticed.

Across from him, Reed rubbed his temples, looking equally exhausted. "There's got to be a connection, but what?"

"Why keep Jayla for so long just to kill her?" Cam pushed out of the chair and drifted toward the whiteboard. "And why pose her like this?"

The killer had transported her body in the dead of night and placed her on the park bench, carefully arranging her hands in her lap, legs crossed at the ankles. The pose appeared so natural that the jogger who'd called it in had initially thought she was alive. Only when he was up close had he noticed the blank look in her eyes.

Cam tilted his head. "It's almost like the killer had some kind of... attachment to her. Like he cared for her."

Sawyer grimaced. "If you can call that caring. But you're right. It feels personal."

Cam spun toward Sawyer. "I think we need to speak with Jayla's family again, take another look at the people closest to her."

* * *

An hour later, Cam and Sawyer sat in the living room of Jayla Simms's parents' house. The room was filled with framed photos of Jayla, her sparkling blue eyes and sunny smile a painful reminder of the life cut short. Jayla's mother, Margaret, sat across from them, a crumpled tissue clutched in her hand. Nearby, her husband stood with his arms crossed as he stared out the window into the back yard.

For the past ten months, the Simmses had held out hope that Jayla would return to them unharmed. But that dream had been shattered just a few weeks ago when she'd been found dead in the center of Brookhaven. The local police had advised Jayla's parents of her death, but the pain was still fresh.

Funeral services had been held just last week, and several floral arrangements were scattered around the room. The blooms had begun to curl at the edges as they wilted, almost as if they too were mourning the loss of the vibrant young woman.

"Mrs. Simms, we know this is difficult, but we need to ask you some questions about Jayla," Cam began gently.

Mrs. Simms nodded, her eyes red from crying. "Of course. Anything to help."

Sawyer leaned forward, his voice soft. "Did Jayla mention anyone new in her life around the time she was taken? Anyone who seemed overly interested in her?"

Mrs. Simms shook her head. "No, she didn't. Jayla was very private. If she was seeing someone or if someone was bothering her, she never mentioned it. She seemed happy with her job; she went out on a few dates from time to time, but she mostly spent time with her friends."

Mr. Simms turned from the window. "We've been over this with the police already. She was happy, she was fine. We didn't notice anything unusual."

Cam took out his notebook. "What about her hobbies, her routine? Did she change anything in the weeks leading up to her disappearance?"

"She was busy with work, and she attended yoga class every Saturday," Mrs. Simms replied. "She was incredibly predictable."

That was good news and bad, to Cam's way of thinking. If Jayla rarely deviated from her routine, it would have been fairly easy for the killer to get to her. On the flip side, it helped to narrow down the list of places where she might have come into contact with the man.

Cam and Sawyer thanked the Simmses then left and drove to her best friend Megan's apartment. Megan greeted them at the door with a cautious smile. "What can I do for you?"

Cam introduced himself and Sawyer. "Ms. Cook, we'd like to ask you some questions about Jayla Simms."

"Please, come in," she said, holding the door wide. She led them to a small, cozy living room and dropped into an armchair, leaving the men to occupy the couch. "I was sorry to hear about Jayla. I'd hoped…" Her face pulled into a grimace. "Well, you know. It's been so long."

Cam nodded. "We appreciate you taking the time to see us. I'm sure this has been hard on you."

"It still doesn't feel real." She gave a slow shake of her head. "I'm just glad she was finally laid to rest."

Sawyer glanced at Megan. "If you can, I'd like to talk about the last few days before Jayla was abducted. Was she seeing anyone that you're aware of?"

Though Jayla's parents weren't aware of Jayla dating anyone around the time of her disappearance, Cam was hoping that Megan might have more information. Friends were often privy to details that parents weren't, and they desperately needed a lead to find Jayla's killer.

Megan thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Not that she mentioned. She'd broken up with her boyfriend, Josh, a couple month before. I think she'd been on a few dates, but no one that really stuck out."

"Do you know their names?"

She made a little face. "I'm sorry, I never met them so I'm not sure who they were. I think she met one guy online, so maybe start there."

Cam nodded and made a mental note to double check her social media accounts and phone records. The local police hadn't listed anyone of interest in her disappearance, but he would double check to make sure anyone Jayla had dated was questioned.

Sawyer tipped his head. "What about work? Did she mention anything odd to you? Anyone new or strange hanging around?"

"No. She was her usual self. We talked about work, our plans for the weekend, but nothing seemed off."

Sawyer pressed further. "Did she ever talk about the men she'd gone out with? Maybe someone who made her uncomfortable?"

"Not that I can remember," Megan said. "If someone was bothering her, she would have told me."

"Thanks for your time." Cam pushed to his feet, and Sawyer followed suit. "We're sorry for your loss."

Next, they visited the bank where Jayla worked. The manager, a middle-aged woman named Tina, welcomed them into her office.

"Jayla was one of our best employees," she said, her eyes sad. "She was always so cheerful."

"Did she ever mention feeling uneasy here?" Cam asked. "Was she involved in any altercations with customers or other employees?"

Tina shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of. Any formal complaints would have come to me, and I checked to make sure nothing was ever filed. She had a few unhappy customers from time to time, of course, but nothing that ever escalated."

"Anyone who might have paid too much attention to her?"

"Sorry." An apologetic grimace pulled at the corners of her mouth. "No one that I can think of."

It was a dead end, but not unexpected. Cam dipped his chin in acknowledgment. "Thanks for your time, ma'am."

Her coworkers echoed the same sentiments—Jayla was friendly, reliable, and didn't seem troubled by anyone. She also never mentioned any men of interest to her coworkers.

Their next stop was Serenity Yoga Studio. The receptionist, a young woman with short brown hair, greeted them. "Can I help you?"

Cam flashed his badge. "We're investigating a homicide. Do you remember Jayla Simms?"

The receptionist's face paled, and her hand flew to her throat. "I remember her. She was a regular. I still can't believe she's gone."

"Did you notice anything unusual? Anyone who seemed out of place or too interested in her?" Sawyer asked.

Her lips curved down in a frown. "Not really. The studio is pretty quiet. People come in for their classes and leave."

The receptionist didn't have anything to add, so the men thanked her and headed back to the station.

"Well that was a waste of time," Sawyer said, slumping into his chair.

Cam stared at the board filled with photos and notes. "Not entirely. Megan said she'd been on a few dates before she was abducted. Let's double check those reports again and see if the locals up in Milaca found the men and interviewed them."

Diving into Jayla's social media account, Cam found messages she'd exchanged with a man named Devon. According to the transcript, they'd flirted for a couple of weeks, gone out on one date, then decided they weren't a good fit.

Sawyer was busy highlighting passages from her text messages. "I've got her here talking about going on a date with someone—Henry Greico."

Cam added both men's names to the list. "We'll question them, see what they have to say. Maybe we'll get lucky and one of them will lead us to Lindsey."

Sawyer sighed. "Wishful thinking. The only thing they seem to have in common is their features. What still bothers me is—why keep Jayla for so long if the plan was to kill her eventually?"

Cam shook his head. "I don't know. But there has to be a connection here somewhere."

Jayla's killer was still out there, and Lindsey's life hung in the balance. They needed a lead—before Lindsey became the next victim.