Gone in the Night by Michael Lister

Author:Michael Lister [Lister, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

31

“At 4:37 p.m. Kaylee calls her dorm voicemail to check her messages,” I say. “We have no idea if she had any or what they were.”

Lani says, “She’s a little less than an hour and a half into her trip. Think she was expecting a message from someone in particular? And why not just call or text her cell?”

“Good questions,” I say.

“Why Dahlonega?” she says.

She pulls out her phone and begins typing.

Reading from her phone she says, “The City of Dahlonega, the county seat of Lumpkin County, is in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, approximately 70 miles north of Atlanta. The year-round population of Dahlonega is estimated to be 7,000 with seasonal increases that go along with being home to a major state university.”

Looking up from her phone and over at me she says, “I had no idea it was so small.”

I nod.

“And no one’s ever found a connection she had to it—or a reason she would be traveling there?”

I shake my head.

She returns her attention to her screen and continues to read. “Incorporated on December 21, 1833, Dahlonega was the site of the first significant gold rush in the United States. Between 1838 and 1861, a U.S. Branch Mint produced the Half Eagle, Quarter Eagle, Gold Dollar, and the Three Dollar Gold coins locally. The University of North Georgia, founded in 1873 in the abandoned mint building, was the first state-supported college in Georgia to grant a degree to a woman and is now one of six senior military colleges in the U.S. with expanding undergraduate and graduate programs. Today, tourists come to shop and dine in the historic town square, learn about the city’s colorful history, try their hand at gold panning, and visit the area’s local wineries.”

Looking up again, she says, “So it’s a tourist town.”

“Yep.”

“What about the place she was actually found?”

“Dawson Falls,” I say. “Not much to it. It’s very small. We think she was just passing through it.”

She pulls it up on her phone.

“Located near Dahlonega, Georgia, Dawson Falls is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and State Road 71. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,357. Best known for its unique waterfalls, it is home to a rare pair of enchanting side-by-side waterfalls. Harvel Creek tumbles over 150 feet, and Patty Creek 50 feet, to form the intriguing double falls, which spill into Dawson Creek and flow downhill into the Chattahoochee River. To reach this dazzling display, your brief (but scenic) hike begins at the visitor’s center, which is right outside of Dawson Falls State Park. The paved trail will take you across a bridge over Dawson Creek and continue through the forest. You’ll hear the roaring of the falls before you see the cascading water emerge through the trees.”

“Small town,” I say. “Small town police force.”

“Always shows most in a case like this,” she says. “Even the smallest departments can handle a straight forward case.”

“Absolutely,” I say.

“Wonder what she was thinking as she was driving along here?” she says.

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