A shaking hand fluttered up to cover Leah’s mouth. “Oh, sweet Jesus. She’s dead. Isn’t she?”
Tasha realized how her previous statement could’ve been misconstrued and moved quickly to correct her mistake. “No, Leah. We don’t know that. We’re still looking for her, but we did find her car.”
Leah made a sound somewhere between a relieved sigh and a mournful sob.
“I have some follow-up questions for you and Allen, if you’re up to it.”
“Yes,” Leah said, nodding. “Of course. I’ll let Allen know you’re here.”
Tasha took a deep breath and released it slowly while Leah made her way up the stairs lining the left side of the foyer. The Johnsons’ living room sported high ceilings, denim blue walls, comfortable furniture perfect for watching movies on the big screen plasma television, and dozens of family photos. She paused to look at a framed portrait of Mindy in her high school graduation cap and gown.
The smiling girl in the photo was a younger version of her mother. Coppery red hair curled around a peaches and cream face. Jade green eyes twinkled with excitement and the promise of the life that lay ahead of her.
Tasha had seen that same excitement in Maya’s eyes in the last photo she’d received. She was twelve in the photo, but had turned thirteen a few days after it was taken. Looking at the proud display the Johnsons had created for Mindy, Tasha felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t display Maya’s photo at home or on her desk. She kept it tucked away with her badge, her secret guardian angel and a reminder of why she risked her life to make the world a safer place.
Another picture of the entire Johnson family caught Tasha’s eye. It was a snapshot from what appeared to be a vacation at the beach. Leah and Mindy knelt on sandy towels, hugging and laughing. Allen sat on an ice chest nearby, smiling and watching mother and daughter as they mugged for the camera. The perfect example of a familial happiness Tasha had never known.
“Lieutenant,” a man’s voice called from the foyer.
Tasha looked up from the photo and was greeted by an identical smile plastered on the living face of Allen Johnson.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Leah says you found Mindy’s car.” He directed her to an overstuffed and oversized armchair while he and his wife took positions on the opposite sofa.
“It was left in front of the women’s dorm at the community college.”
As they sat, Tasha scrutinized the couple. The Johnsons were a study in contrasts. Leah was petite, fair-skinned with equally pale red hair and green eyes, and a youthful glow that made her age difficult to determine based solely on appearance. Thick muscles rippled under Allen’s mahogany skin, creating a solid girth to match his height. Naturally wiry hair had been tamed, cut close to the scalp but retaining the salt-and-pepper characteristic of a man in his late forties. His eyes were a light golden brown, sharp and piercing in their intensity.
“Is there any indication that she’s the one who left it there?” Allen asked.
“No, but forensic analysts from the FBPI will be examining the car. If there is any evidence to be found, they’ll find it.”
“No one saw anything?” Leah asked.
“No one has come forward yet.”
“How can someone leave a car in plain sight and no one see the driver?” Leah’s voice took a hysterical edge. “It doesn’t make sense!”
Allen wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “The police are doing everything they can, sweetheart.”
Tasha nodded. “It’s true. We have officers canvassing the campus and surrounding areas with Mindy’s picture and a description of the car. Unfortunately, these cases can take time to crack. But someone, somewhere, holds the key bit of information we need. We just have to find them.”
Leah dropped her gaze, and Allen cleared his throat before asking, “You said you had some questions for us?”
Tasha pulled from her pocket a pen and small notebook containing a few hastily scribbled notes she’d made during a brief phone conversation with Alex. “One of the Enforcers found a couple of items in Mindy’s car that perhaps you could help put into context and give us a better understanding of how they fit in with Mindy’s life.”
“Of course,” Leah said, wiping at her eyes as she looked at Tasha. “Anything we can do to help bring Mindy home.”
“The Enforcers found a large amount of cash in her backpack. Was it customary