“Where is she?” Bobby spoke under his breath, the question rhetorical—a plea to the universe.
“There’s no forced entry. Nothing out of place.” Sam returned from checking out the bathroom. “Her toothbrush is still here.”
Though saying so sounded crazy in the circumstances, it made perfect sense. Check whether there were any signs of force or violence. Search for clues whether a person had gone on the run with free will. If they had, they often took clothes, cash, and their toothbrush. Sam reacted, going on instinct, as Bobby would if his skin didn’t tingle, and feel tight, as if stretched over his bones. He fought to breathe. He let the phrase he didn’t want to contemplate ease into his mind.
Assess the crime scene.
Oh God.
“Easy. Take it easy. We don’t know nothing’s wrong, not for de
