the bedroom from the video on the screen minus the man and woman.
Stephanie studied it and then shook her head. “I’ve never seen this place. Is it important?”
“We don’t know,” Harrison said. “We’re not even sure there’s a connection. We’re just trying to follow all possible leads. So nothing rings a bell?”
She moved the phone so that it was in direct light, her eyes on the screen. “No. I’m sorry.” She looked up at him, frowning, her eyes full of apology.
“No worries.” Harrison blew out a breath and reached for the phone. “It was a long shot, anyway.”
“Wait a minute,” Stephanie held out her hand, reaching for the phone. “Is there any way to enlarge the picture?”
“Sure,” Harrison said, his gaze locking with Hannah’s as he enlarged the frame. “Is this better?” He handed Stephanie the phone again.
“Yeah.” She nodded, as she squinted at the screen. “I don’t know if it helps, but isn’t that Sapphire Lake just outside the window?” The lake was about five miles from Sunderland and a popular student hangout.
“I’ll admit it looks like water,” Harrison said, shifting so that he could see better. “But there’s no reason to believe that it’s our lake.”
Hannah and Stephanie shook their heads in unison.
“You haven’t been here long enough,” Hannah said. “Sapphire Lake got its name for a reason. The water is saturated with a unique blend of minerals. They turn it a really deep blue. There’s nothing quite like it.”
“So have either of you seen a building that could house this room?” Harrison asked, still looking at the photo. “A farmhouse, an old warehouse? Something?”
“No.” Stephanie shook her head. “It’s in a state forest. There aren’t many buildings.”
Hannah nodded to concur.
“Okay, so what about this—I know it’s hard to see, but is there anything about the area outside the window that gives a clue as to where on the lake it might be?”
“I don’t see anything that looks familiar,” Stephanie said. “I mean you can only see a tiny snippet of the water, and it’s a really big lake.”
“I’d say at least five or six miles from end to end,” Hannah agreed. “But at least it’s something.”
“And you think it might help you find Sara?” Stephanie asked, worry making her sound much younger.
“It’s definitely a start,” Harrison said, smiling acrossat her. “We’re really grateful for your help.” He reached out to shake her hand, and she looked up at him with the blind adoration only the young can achieve.
“And I promise to get back to you as soon as we know anything,” Hannah added.
She nodded, looked quickly at Hannah and then back to Harrison, and then turned to go.
“Hang on,” Harrison said, as Stephanie turned back to him. “One more question. Do you remember what Sara was wearing the morning she left?”
Stephanie frowned, then smiled. “Yeah. This I do know. She was wearing jeans and a shirt. Mine, actually. She hadn’t done laundry. It was a Sunderland T-shirt. Black with orange writing that said ‘Property of Sunderland.’ ”
CHAPTER 5
T he scene was overly bright, despite the fact that it was nearly three in the morning. Local police cars were lined up in the rutted lane that fronted the old building, lights flashing a garish red. Harrison killed the engine and was out of the car almost before it stopped, heart pounding as he made his way past the requisite crime scene tape, a halfhearted effort to contain access to the site. In truth, there was nothing to contain, the out-of-the way house surrounded by the twisted cedars and rocky inclines that marked the Texas Hill country.
He flashed his FBI credentials at a policeman standing guard on the front walk and then stopped on the weather-beaten porch as his partner Madison emerged from inside. With an unbidden intake of breath, he waited.
“It’s her,” Madison said, her eyes dark with emotion.
“Is
Stephanie studied it and then shook her head. “I’ve never seen this place. Is it important?”
“We don’t know,” Harrison said. “We’re not even sure there’s a connection. We’re just trying to follow all possible leads. So nothing rings a bell?”
She moved the phone so that it was in direct light, her eyes on the screen. “No. I’m sorry.” She looked up at him, frowning, her eyes full of apology.
“No worries.” Harrison blew out a breath and reached for the phone. “It was a long shot, anyway.”
“Wait a minute,” Stephanie held out her hand, reaching for the phone. “Is there any way to enlarge the picture?”
“Sure,” Harrison said, his gaze locking with Hannah’s as he enlarged the frame. “Is this better?” He handed Stephanie the phone again.
“Yeah.” She nodded, as she squinted at the screen. “I don’t know if it helps, but isn’t that Sapphire Lake just outside the window?” The lake was about five miles from Sunderland and a popular student hangout.
“I’ll admit it looks like water,” Harrison said, shifting so that he could see better. “But there’s no reason to believe that it’s our lake.”
Hannah and Stephanie shook their heads in unison.
“You haven’t been here long enough,” Hannah said. “Sapphire Lake got its name for a reason. The water is saturated with a unique blend of minerals. They turn it a really deep blue. There’s nothing quite like it.”
“So have either of you seen a building that could house this room?” Harrison asked, still looking at the photo. “A farmhouse, an old warehouse? Something?”
“No.” Stephanie shook her head. “It’s in a state forest. There aren’t many buildings.”
Hannah nodded to concur.
“Okay, so what about this—I know it’s hard to see, but is there anything about the area outside the window that gives a clue as to where on the lake it might be?”
“I don’t see anything that looks familiar,” Stephanie said. “I mean you can only see a tiny snippet of the water, and it’s a really big lake.”
“I’d say at least five or six miles from end to end,” Hannah agreed. “But at least it’s something.”
“And you think it might help you find Sara?” Stephanie asked, worry making her sound much younger.
“It’s definitely a start,” Harrison said, smiling acrossat her. “We’re really grateful for your help.” He reached out to shake her hand, and she looked up at him with the blind adoration only the young can achieve.
“And I promise to get back to you as soon as we know anything,” Hannah added.
She nodded, looked quickly at Hannah and then back to Harrison, and then turned to go.
“Hang on,” Harrison said, as Stephanie turned back to him. “One more question. Do you remember what Sara was wearing the morning she left?”
Stephanie frowned, then smiled. “Yeah. This I do know. She was wearing jeans and a shirt. Mine, actually. She hadn’t done laundry. It was a Sunderland T-shirt. Black with orange writing that said ‘Property of Sunderland.’ ”
CHAPTER 5
T he scene was overly bright, despite the fact that it was nearly three in the morning. Local police cars were lined up in the rutted lane that fronted the old building, lights flashing a garish red. Harrison killed the engine and was out of the car almost before it stopped, heart pounding as he made his way past the requisite crime scene tape, a halfhearted effort to contain access to the site. In truth, there was nothing to contain, the out-of-the way house surrounded by the twisted cedars and rocky inclines that marked the Texas Hill country.
He flashed his FBI credentials at a policeman standing guard on the front walk and then stopped on the weather-beaten porch as his partner Madison emerged from inside. With an unbidden intake of breath, he waited.
“It’s her,” Madison said, her eyes dark with emotion.
“Is
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