Cut & Run (A Rachel Scott Adventure) - By Traci Hohenstein Page 0,14
at every angle.
“Nothing out of the ordinary there. No working security cameras on the outside of the station. Matt paid at the pump. Didn’t even go inside.”
“Working security cameras inside the gas station?” Rachel asked.
“Just on the inside,” Red confirmed.
Rachel knit her eyebrows together. “Any reason why we shouldn’t look at the tape anyway? Matt may have been followed. We could have Chris look at the tape. See if he notices anyone familiar,” she said.
“Good point. I’ll check with my contact to see if I can get a copy.”
“You got the whole area covered with flyers? Talked to all the tourist joints around here?” Rachel felt sure the answer was yes, and that only made her feel more frustrated. How did a whole family just disappear in an area that was crawling with tourists?
“I had the team put a flyer on the window of about every storefront between here and the French Quarter,” Red said, nodding.
“No calls yet on the tip line?”
“We’ve had the usual nut jobs call in. The only solid lead was a person saying they thought they saw the O’Malley kids at a McDonald’s in Lafayette. It’s about two hours from here. Turned it over to the detective working the case here, but nothing came of it.”
Anytime Florida Omni Search got a call for help to find a missing person, they put a team in place immediately to start canvassing the area where the person was last seen. Rachel had a database of thousands of volunteers in almost every major city in the United States. Once they got the call for help on the O’Malley case, Janine and her team had created a flyer that was e-mailed out to the team leader in New Orleans, who in turn printed and distributed the information.
“The team took to the street all weekend handing out flyers and talking to tourists and business owners. Hell, the O’Malley family is well-known in the area. And with the media coverage this case is getting, if someone saw anything, we’d know by now,” Red continued. Rachel sighed. Red sounded as frustrated as Rachel felt. It was one thing to find a missing person, but to find a missing family that vanished into the thin air was another thing.
“I wish we’d get word on the body they found in Houma,” said Rachel. “Hopefully that will give us more to go on than an empty parking lot.”
“I’m sure we’ll hear something soon enough. If not from Krapek, then from Detective Kerry Jones at NOPD. Apparently, Detective Jones knows Chris and Matt from working with them on cases involving O’Malley bond clients, so she’s been good about sharing information,” said Red. “Let’s take a ride by the O’Malley residence. Maybe something will shake loose there.” Rachel followed Red back to the car, and moments later they were headed for the Garden District.
“Impressive,” said Rachel, as Red pulled up to the wrought iron gate and she got her first view of the O’Malleys’ home through its ornate bars. It was a beautiful Victorian house on a magnificent lot covered in stately oak trees. A police cruiser kept guard just outside the entryway.
“Think we can go in?” Rachel asked.
“Only one way to find out. I’ll be right back.” Red parked behind the cruiser and got out. Rachel watched as he went up to the patrol car and talked to the officer behind the wheel. After a few minutes, he waved for her to get out of the car. She met him at the front gate.
“How’d it go?”
“Good. I had him call Chris O’Malley, and he gave us the green light to go inside. The front door’s unlocked.”
CHAPTER 8
When Rachel entered through the front door, she thought she’d stepped into an issue of Southern Living magazine. The spacious foyer was covered with black-and-white marble tiles. To the left was a small parlor that looked rarely used; to the right, a grand dining room with a table that could comfortably sit twelve people, and a magnificent staircase that led to the second floor. Rachel walked straight ahead to a big open kitchen that was straight out of a reality TV cooking show: she spotted stainless steel Viking appliances, black granite countertops, a wood-burning pizza oven, and a wine cooler just in one glance. Off the kitchen area was a small breakfast nook that overlooked the backyard, and a patio with a gorgeous pool. A family room to the right held two comfortable leather couches, a couple of oversize recliners, a plasma