Page 17 of Once Hidden
“Something like that.”Riley followed Hodge’s car around a sharp bend in the road.
“I guess this means that the other driver, Cable Morris, met the same fate.”
“That’s my guess, too.But I can’t tell Hodge or Rawley that I think they’re both dead.Not yet.They need evidence, not my gut feeling.”
“I understand.Until we find a body—if we find it—they’ll keep treating this as a missing persons case.”
“Which brings us to our other dilemma,” Riley said, voicing the thought that had been circling in her mind since their arrival.“I’m almost certain we’re working a serial case.The method, the victim profile—it all points that way, and that’s also what my intuitions tell me.”
“But we’re the only ones who know it, besides the killer himself,” Ann Marie observed.
“And we can’t announce that at this point,” Riley added.“We’re just not ready.”
They drove in silence for a moment.
“These murders cross jurisdictions,” Ann Marie finally said.“If there’s a pattern here that isn’t about a particular company or any personal connections between the victims—”
“Then Amanda won’t be his last victim,” Riley finished grimly.“And we’re racing a clock that’s already counting down to the next abduction.”
The road ahead curved through a stand of ancient oak trees.Riley watched Rawley’s brake lights flare as her car slowed for the turn.She followed suit, her mind already preparing for the interview ahead.
As they emerged from the trees, Riley caught sight of a house in the near distance, a tidy farmstead with fields stretching behind it.Rawley’s car was already pulling into the gravel drive.
The split-level house sat nestled against a backdrop of rolling pastures, its gray clapboard exterior gleaming under the afternoon sun.As Riley and Ann Marie stepped from their vehicle, Riley noted the careful maintenance of the property—flower beds weeded, lawn precisely trimmed, a row of tomato plants staked in military precision along the side of the house.The place spoke of order and routine, of lives built around predictability.She wondered what Myrtle Sprouse might have noticed about Amanda Lindeen’s final delivery that she hadn’t yet recognized as important.
Captain Hodge and Chief Rawley had already reached the front porch.Before they could knock, the door swung open, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man with sun-weathered skin and thinning gray hair.His expression hardened as he took in the four visitors.
“You were here just this morning, Chief,” the man said, his voice gruff with irritation.“My wife told you everything she knows, which isn’t much.She’s upset enough as it is about Amanda.”
Riley stepped forward.“Mr.Sprouse, I’m Special Agent Riley Paige with the FBI.This is my colleague, Special Agent Ann Marie Esmer, and this is Captain Hodge of the State Police.We understand your wife has already been interviewed, but sometimes people remember additional details after they’ve had time to process events.”
Milton crossed his arms.“And what good has all this questioning done so far?Have you found Amanda?”
“Not yet,” Riley admitted, “but every piece of information helps us build a clearer picture.Your wife was the last person to see Amanda before she disappeared.That makes her perspective invaluable.”
Milton hesitated, his jaw working as he considered his options.Behind him, a woman’s voice called out.
“Who is it, Milton?”
“It’s Chief Rawley again,” he called back.“And she’s got a State Police captain and a couple of FBI agents with this time.”
“Let them in,” the voice replied.
Milton’s posture remained rigid, but he stepped aside, reluctantly gesturing them.“My wife’s in the living room.Try not to upset her more than she already is.”
They followed him through a neat entryway into a living room decorated with family photos and crocheted throws.Myrtle Sprouse sat in a floral armchair, her hands twisting a tissue into knots.She was a small woman with silver-streaked brown hair pulled back in a practical bun.Her eyes darted immediately to Riley’s face.
“Have you found her?Is Amanda okay?”The hope in her voice was painful to hear.
“I’m sorry, Mrs.Sprouse.We haven’t found her yet,” Riley said gently.“But we’re doing everything we can.”
Myrtle’s face fell.She blinked rapidly.“Of course.I understand.But what can I possibly tell you that I didn’t tell the chief earlier?”
Riley sat on the edge of the sofa across from her while Ann Marie took a nearby chair.Milton remained standing, positioning himself just behind his wife’s chair like a sentry.
“Could you walk us through Amanda’s delivery yesterday?”Riley asked.“Every detail you can remember, even if it seems insignificant.”
“It was just before dinnertime.Milton had gone into town for some tractor parts.”She glanced up at her husband.“The NPX truck pulled up, and Amanda hopped out with my package—some gardening supplies I’d ordered online.”
