Page 95 of Is Anyone Listening?
"Really?" I asked with excitement. "That's great. Did you actually see her in the truck? Is she still alive?"
"I didn't get a good enough look at the passenger to know for sure, but if it was her, then she was alive the day Nathan found her boat."
"Do you think he saw her? Or who took her? Have you heard any more about his condition?"
"I heard that he survived the night, but I don't think anyone has spoken to him yet. Does that match what you know?"
"Finn went to see him, but I haven't heard back. So, how are you tracking this truck down?"
"I have a friend who's trying to clean up the video enough to see a license plate, but I'm not sure I need it."
"Why not?"
"Because there's a logo on the door of the truck, and it looks like the Stonecross Inn logo."
My heart leapt against my chest. "Are you serious? Are you saying it's Ray's truck?"
"I think so, but I don't have a clear enough view to take it to the police yet. And I'd really like to get facial recognition on the passenger, which my friend is also trying to do. You know this video will just get buried if it's not irrefutable."
I sighed as I saw the dead end he'd just run into. Even if it was Ray's truck, we couldn't prove it had picked up Jessica unless she was seen on the video. "This is so frustrating."
"Believe me, I hate finding bits and pieces as much as you do, but I'm excited to have a new lead. If I can confirm the license plate, my friend said we might be able to pick up the truck on the bigger highway cameras later that day, which would tell us where they went."
"Okay, that sounds promising."
"I think so," he said, a more hopeful note in his voice than I'd heard in a while. "What's going on with you? Any more leads on Natalie? And, hey, I'm sorry about not getting those building plans."
"Don't worry about that. I can go by the building department, too, but even if there is a tunnel, it probably comes out at a point on the beach where there are no cameras."
"Probably," he agreed. "Are you still staying at the inn?"
"One more night. Tessa can't leave the hospital until tomorrow, and I'm still trying to figure something out before I have to leave."
"Are you talking to your grandmother about what happened?"
"She's talking but not about Natalie or Jessica."
"What's she talking about? Your family?"
"She's said a little about the family, but nothing that revealing. I think she's trying to tell me just enough to satisfy me and then send me on my way. But I'm not giving up yet."
"Well, I would steer clear of Ray. Don't be anywhere by yourself. Make sure you stay in public places with a lot of eyes on you."
"I will. Call me when you know more. If we can prove that Ray took Jessica somewhere, that could break everything open."
"I know how important this is," he said seriously.
"Have you told your brother you have a lead?"
"Not yet. I don't want to get his hopes up until I know more."
"Good luck."
"You, too." As I ended the call, I felt a little more optimistic, but I also couldn't help thinking that if that video pointed to Ray, then it might also point to my grandmother, and I might have to face the fact that she wasn't just a bad grandmother, she was also a horrible person.
That thought derailed my optimism, but I couldn't jump ahead. One step at a time.
I got up, threw out my empty salad container and returned to the car. Wandering around town on my own hadn't gotten me very far, so I headed back to the inn. Maybe I could chat with Dorothy. She'd been friendly, and she knew everyone better than I did.
