Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

They headed straight to Fallon Ray’s workplace, a small boutique downtown. Inside Boho Boutique, they headed straight for the counter and flashed their badges.

“I’m Detective Sawyer Reed,” he introduced himself. “This is Lt. Cam McCoy. We’re investigating a missing person.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “Fallon?”

“That’s right.” Sawyer dipped his chin. “Can you tell me what happened?”

The store manager, Alexis, was visibly shaken as she relayed the events of the past several days. “She’d asked for more hours, but it wasn’t originally her day to work, so I figured she just forgot about it.” The woman dragged in a shaky breath. “But she didn’t show up the next day, either. And with everything going on…”

She trailed off and bit her lip. “I started to get really worried, you know?”

“I understand,” Cam said. “You reached out to Fallon’s mother first, is that right?”

Alexis nodded. “I thought about calling the police, but I didn’t want to waste your time if it turned out to be nothing. Mrs. Ray was listed as Fallon’s emergency contact, so I checked with her first.”

“I’m glad you reached out as soon as you did.” Sawyer nodded, pulling out his notebook. "When was the last time you saw Fallon?"

"Three nights ago," Alexis replied, wringing her hands.

“Did you notice anything strange, anyone out of the ordinary?”

She shook her head. “Everything seemed normal. She finished her shift and left at her usual time. One of her coworkers, Jenna, walked with her to her car."

“What time was that?”

“Let me check.” Alexis turned to the computer and searched for a few minutes until she found what she was looking for, then swiveled the screen his way. “Looks like she clocked out at 7:42 that night.”

"Can we speak with Jenna?" Cam asked.

Alexis nodded and stepped away, returning a moment later with Jenna, a young woman in her early twenties, her eyes wide with worry.

"Jenna, tell us what you remember about the night Fallon disappeared," Sawyer said gently.

Jenna took a deep breath. "We finished our shifts and walked out to the parking lot together. We talked for a few minutes by her car, just the usual stuff. I watched her get in, start the engine, and drive away. Everything seemed normal. That was the last time I saw her."

"Did she mention anything unusual? Anyone she was worried about?" Cam asked.

Jenna shook her head. "No, nothing like that. She seemed fine, just tired from work."

"Thank you, Jenna," Sawyer said. "If you remember anything else, please call us immediately."

He handed her a card, then they headed back out to the car. “Let’s touch base with Mrs. Ray again, see if she remembered anything, or can give us anymore leads.”

Fifteen minutes later, Sawyer and Cam stepped out of their car and made their way up to the front door. Maureen Ray, Fallon’s mother, greeted them with a tired but hopeful expression. She had been waiting anxiously for any updates.

“Good morning, Mrs. Ray,” Sawyer said, offering a sympathetic nod. “We’re here to ask a few questions about Fallon. Anything you can tell us might help.”

Maureen led them into the living room, her movements heavy with concern. “Of course. I’m just hoping you can find her soon. Fallon’s always been so responsible—this is so out of character for her.”

Sawyer and Cam took a seat on the couch, their notebooks ready. “We need to piece together her last few days to see if there’s anything that might indicate what happened,” Cam said. “We’ll start with you and then move on to her friends, family, and anyone who might have seen her recently.”

Maureen nodded and provided a detailed account of Fallon’s recent activities. She mentioned that Fallon had been busy with work and seemed stressed but had not mentioned any specific problems.

"Do you know if Fallon had any enemies? Anyone who might want to harm her?" Cam asked gently.

Maureen shook her head. "No, Fallon is a good girl. She doesn’t have any enemies. She’s been focused on work and spending time with family. She doesn’t even have a boyfriend right now."

Sawyer took notes, his mind racing. "We’ll do everything we can to find her. Did she have any plans that night? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Maureen wiped her tears. "No, she was just supposed to come home after work."

"Mrs. Ray, I need to ask you about something we found," Sawyer began, keeping his voice gentle. "Fallon's garage door opener is missing from her vehicle. It appears to be the only thing out of place. Did you take it?"

Mrs. Ray shook her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. "No, I didn't. When I couldn't reach Fallon, I went to her house to check on her, but when I didn't find her there, I left and went straight to the sheriff's department."

Sawyer nodded, jotting down notes in his pad. "Did anyone else have access to Fallon's house?"

Mrs. Ray took a deep breath, trying to recall any details that might help. "I have a key, but I keep it on my keychain. Fallon and her boyfriend broke up a few months ago; he might still have a key, but I'm not sure. I'm not aware of her sharing keys with neighbors or anyone else."

"Do you know if anything strange has happened recently? Anything out of the ordinary?" Sawyer asked, hoping for a lead.

Mrs. Ray's face fell as she shook her head. "No, nothing that I know of. Fallon didn't mention anything unusual to me. She was just focused on work and getting over the breakup."

Sawyer sighed inwardly, feeling the frustration mounting. Every question seemed to lead to a dead end. He looked at Mrs. Ray, her worry etched deeply on her face, and knew he had to keep pressing forward.

"Do you have any idea if Fallon might have given her garage door opener to someone else? Maybe for safekeeping or any other reason?" Sawyer asked, clutching at straws.

Mrs. Ray frowned, thinking hard. "No, she was very particular about her things. I can't imagine her doing that. But... I don't know, Detective. I'm so scared for her."

Sawyer reached out, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "We're doing everything we can to find her, Mrs. Ray. If you think of anything, no matter how small, please let me know."

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, Detective. I just want my daughter back."

Sawyer stood up, giving her a small, encouraging smile. "We'll find her, Mrs. Ray. I promise."

As he walked out of the house, he felt the weight of his promise pressing down on him. He knew they were running out of time. He needed to find a lead, something that could crack this case open.

Back in his car, Sawyer turned toward Cam. "No one else is supposed to have a key to her house, except maybe her ex-boyfriend."

"You think the ex might be involved?"

"Maybe," Sawyer said, rubbing his temple. "But we need to confirm if he still has a key. And we need to find out why the garage door opener is missing. It's the only thing out of place."

"I'll start digging into the ex-boyfriend's background," Cam replied. "Let's see if we can get anything from him."

He stared out the windshield, the image of Mrs. Ray's tearful face lingering in his mind. He was more determined than ever to find Fallon and bring her home safely. As he started the car and drove away, he knew they were getting closer. Every small detail mattered, and he was ready to follow every lead, no matter where it took him.