Missing In Conard County. Rachel Lee

lot.”

      “They left the bar early, too,” Kelly said. “Kids that age don’t end their partying around ten o’clock. I imagine they started to feel unwell.”

      “Probably so.” He shook his head, then reached for his coffee. “Okay, then. Things just got even more complicated. If they were drugged, it had to be someone who didn’t stand out at Rusty’s place or we’d have heard about him by now.”

      He eyed Kelly. “In short, one of our neighbors.”

      Twenty minutes later, Gage sent them both on their way. “You need to rest up for tomorrow. It’s going to be a long, cold day.”

      “I want to know what kinds of answers we get from those three guys,” Kelly argued.

      “Unless one of them confesses, it’ll hold till morning. Besides, we’ve got a team going out there to try to speak to everyone who was at the bar last night. You might as well get your sleep. If anything breaks, I’ll let you know.”

      Kelly had to be content with that. She really didn’t know what else she could do out there.

      “Tips should start coming in,” she remarked. “I can man the phones.”

      “There are already four deputies out there doing exactly that. Take Bugle home.”

      Out of arguments, Kelly obeyed. Al walked out with her but only around the corner to where she was parked. He needed to collect his vehicle from down the street in front of the diner. Kelly watched her breath blow clouds, and couldn’t help but notice it was growing colder. Of course it was. It was night.

      And the young women...

      She truncated the thought. Running it ceaselessly through her head wasn’t going to improve anything. With the rising sun at least they could search, maybe stop to ask questions at homesteads that weren’t too far out.

      Right now...right now they just needed to wait for word to spread. Then would come the tips, mostly useless.

      But at the moment... She just shook her head.

      Al spoke as they neared her vehicle. “You going to be okay?”

      Her head snapped around and she stopped walking. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

      He faced her directly. “I’m a combat vet, Kelly. I know about second-guessing, delayed reactions and sometimes shutdowns. This has got you upset and worried. You give a damn. You’re not just going to go home and turn on the TV to some romantic comedy or suspense movie.”

      No, she wasn’t. Everything inside her was knotted with frustration and worry. She probably wouldn’t sleep worth a damn. “Sometimes you just have to endure. Get through it.”

      He nodded. “I know. I’m just saying...” He turned his head away. “Forget it. You need an ear, I’m available. This is probably going to eat you alive until we find those girls.”

      She figured it probably would. She just hoped they found the young women soon and found them unharmed.

      Then she and Bugle headed home for what she anticipated was going to be a very long night.