Page 157 of Forever Dead

Arnold nodded. “The investigator assigned to us. He’s coordinating the search beyond the farm and helping us work through the witness accounts.”

“Anything useful from Miller Road?”

“A family sent us a phone video this morning. They were filming their kids coming out of the maze. There’s a man in the background, coming through the corn toward the parked cars.”

“Can you identify him?”

“No. Dark clothes, broad build. He gets into a dark sedan and drives away before our unit reaches the road. The plate’s unreadable.”

“What makes you think it’s him?”

“He’s wearing a stitched mask.”

Selena stopped. “Have you spoken to the family?”

“The State Police investigator has. They’ve given him the original recording. He’s checking the time against dispatch and asking for footage from the roads beyond Miller.”

“So it’s a possible escape route.”

“Best lead we’ve got. We’re still checking the main parking lot.”

“Who else has seen the recording?”

Arnold grimaced. “They posted it online last night. Thought they’d caught one of Meekie’s performers in the background. People started sharing it after the news about Connor.”

That explained how quickly a description could spread without anyone at the department releasing it.

“Chuck needs Connor’s account beside that footage,” Selena said. “I’ll write down what he told me.”

Arnold nodded and fell into step beside her.

“It feels wrong,” he said.

“What does?”

“Connor not being here.”

Selena glanced at the farmhouse. “Chuck has help. Let’s make sure he gets everything he needs.”

At the outer boundary, a deputy sat behind a folding table with the scene log. He stared at Selena’s badge, then toward Arnold.

“She’s cleared,” Arnold said. “Chuck authorized it.”

The deputy slid the log toward her. “Time in, signature and agency.”

Selena wrote FBI beside her name, then hesitated before adding TEMPORARILY INACTIVE in smaller letters.

No point pretending otherwise.

A box of shoe covers and gloves sat beside the log. Selena pulled both on carefully, awkward with the cane until Arnold held it for her.

“You don’t have to enjoy that,” she said.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

Arnold handed the cane back.