Ellie and Derrick followed the manager of the convenience store into a back room where he set up the camera footage for them to view. They settled in with coffee and he rewound the tape to the day before. One camera focused on the interior of the store and another the exterior, so they first studied the exterior footage starting two hours before Bertie had seen Jacey.
People came and went, many stopping for gas, drinks and snacks, students running in for food, day workers and twenty-somethings carrying out twelve packs of beer and filling coolers with ice. Although the legal age for buying alcohol was eighteen, a lot of kids had fake IDs or managed to persuade an older student, friend or even a parent to purchase alcohol for them. The police did their best to curtail it by watching the local bars for inebriated kids as they left.
“I’ll focus on looking for Jacey,” Ellie said. “Derrick, narrow in on any vehicles or male drivers that might look suspicious.”
“On it,” he murmured.
The footage continued running and minutes later, Ellie spotted a girl that looked like Jacey veering into the parking lot,her hair flying in the wind. Just as Bertie described, she kept glancing over her shoulder as if she was nervous. Had someone been following her?
“There she is,” Ellie said. “Just like the store clerk stated, Jacey was definitely running from someone. And she looks scared.”
Derrick nodded. “So far, I don’t see anyone following her though.”
“Now she’s going in the store.” She turned her gaze to the film of the interior of the store where Jacey hesitated in the snack aisle as Bertie described, then she ducked her head and inched her way to the counter. She spoke to Bertie and Bertie handed her the phone.
Ellie stiffened as she spotted bruises on Jacey’s wrists as if she’d been restrained. Dammit, she couldn’t see her arms or legs through her clothes, but the bruises indicated she’d endured violence at the hands of someone. Violence before she’d walked into the hands of a serial predator.
She pointed out the dark purple splotching to Derrick. “Did she get those bruises from Cameron or the killer?”
“The killer could have been holding her hostage and she escaped,” Derrick suggested.
True. They really had no idea if or how long he kept them before strangling them.
Ellie’s stomach knotted as she watched Jacey dart out the door and head into the alley. They lost sight of her there, but Ellie continued watching the footage, hoping she’d emerge and they’d spot her abductor.
Derrick cleared his throat. “There’s been a good bit of traffic in and out of the store but look at that black pick-up truck. A man got out and filled up his tank, then pulled over into the corner of the parking lot. I can’t see his plates, but watch.”
Derrick rewound the tape and pointed out the truck. “There. A man dressed in a dark jacket with a UGA cap gets out and takes a look around. Then he goes into the alley.”
Ellie gasped. “The alley where Jacey went.”
Their gazes locked. “Keep running it.” Ellie said.
Derrick did and five minutes later, the same man exited the alley, keeping his face averted. Jacey walked beside him and climbed in the passenger side of the truck.
Ellie zoned in on her red boots. She was wearing both of them at the time.
Jacey hesitated to close the door but then shut it and the truck peeled from the parking lot.
“It looks like she went with him willingly,” Ellie said.
“Maybe she knew him,” Derrick said.
“Dammit, he must have been aware there were cameras and kept his face hidden, and his hand looked leathery with age, indicating he was a man, not a teen like Cameron?—”
“We still need to find Cameron and that man,” Ellie said. Although the unsub had never shown his face or even the front of his body. He’d hidden in the shadows of the alley and the truck was parked so close to it that he could just slide in without being seen.
Intentional.
Ellie’s heart ached. Jacey had called her mother and told her she was coming home. But she’d just climbed in the vehicle with her killer.
“I’ll send this footage to our people at the Bureau,” Derrick said. “Their forensic analysis team might be able to narrow down the type of truck and more about it.” He leaned closer. “Although it looks old to me, maybe a sixties model.” He snapped his fingers. “That could help us.”
Ellie’s pulse jumped. “Let me look back at the original investigation notes.”
Derrick’s brows rose. “What are you thinking?”
Ellie took a breath. “That Earl Bramble drove a black sixties pick-up. I saw it in the photos. The sheriff at the time had it searched for evidence of Ruth.”
