Find Me by Debra Webb

over the Internet and on billboards. And nothing. It's like she just vanished into the mist. The grandparents offered a reward today so we can hope that'll help." Even as he made the statement his mind whirled with all that could go wrong… yet, nothing about any of this was right. His gut twisted. God help him. There was no way to make it right.
    "Can't hurt," Fritz agreed. "So far we seem to have been successful in keeping that… detail from the homicide scene out of the media." Fritz tugged at his tie. The man had worn one every day of his adult life. Didn't seem to matter to him that no one else bothered.
    "So far." Ben was terrified that the single detail they had saved from the beginning of the investigation might get leaked. That was the one piece of evidence with the potential to end this nightmare. The only part that made it personal enough to connect to a suspected killer.
    Images from the murder scene zoomed into horrifyingly vivid focus before his mind's eye.
    God help me.
    "Conner's going to bring the Newton woman over to meet with you in the morning, I hear," Fritz commented.
    The chief pushed aside the agonizing thoughts and images. He had heard about
her
visit with Deputy Brighton. The way his deputy had gone on, it was clear Ms. Newton was already up to her usual theatrics. Sarah Newton was a loose cannon. He didn't need that right now. This case didn't need that right now. What he needed, what the folks of Youngstown needed, was for everything to fall into place so this nightmare would end.
    He redirected his attention to the conversation. "She giving him any grief?"
    Fritz shrugged. "Not so much. Conner says she has her own methods and he's doing all he can to cooperate with her wishes. If he gets in over his head he'll let me know. I think she gave your deputy more trouble than she's giving him."
    Ben shifted in his chair, earning another squeak of protest. If he was lucky, Conner would keep that woman under control. That was all Ben could hope for at this point. Unless he got lucky and the news he had to pass along now helped her to see that she wasn't needed here.
    Get on with it
. This part had to be done. Beating around the bush wasn't going to change this vital step. Ben wasn't looking forward to what he had to do. Had put it off a good two hours already. But it had to be done.
    Only two people besides the killer knew this part. Ben and Carl Saxon, the medical examiner. Ben had ordered him to keep this quiet until they had more information. A couple of hours ago Carl had called with what he'd learned. Another pivotal step in reaching the end of this nightmare. It was time for Ben to share that information with Youngstown's mayor.
    Ben pushed to his feet, stepped to the door and closed it. What he was about to say to his old friend was something he didn't dare let out, not even among his own deputies. Not until he'd run it by the FBI… not until the time was right.
    "I'm relatively certain we're alone, Ben," Fritz offered, obviously puzzled at the covert behavior. "The only light on in the whole building is yours. I let myself in." He patted the ring of keys on his belt. "We can speak freely."
    Fritz would understand when he'd heard what Ben had to say.
    Dropping into his chair once more, Ben studied his lifelong friend before saying what would change everything for him as well as the citizens of Youngstown.
    "You're making me more than a little nervous."
    Ben dragged in a heavy breath. "This is not like twenty years ago, Fritz. For more reasons than we already knew."
    The mayor's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
    Those two young women had been murdered in a manner every bit as heinous as Valerie Gerard. Ben had made the initial discovery at the chapel that cold, January morning two decades ago. But he'd never told anyone. Not a single soul. Not even Fritz. If he had, how on earth would he have explained going out to the chapel at that hour of the morning?
    If he'd known then…
    Guilt congealed in