A Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary by Terry Shames

Author:Terry Shames
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary
ISBN: 9781633884908
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Published: 2019-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

Back at headquarters, Connor is holding down the fort and says it has been quiet. “You look like you’ve got a fire under your tail.”

“An idea.”

I sit down at my desk and dial Luke Schoppe’s number. He’s an old friend who has been a Texas Ranger from the time when it used to be a separate organization. Ever since it was put under the umbrella of the Texas Department of Public Safety, he keeps threatening to retire, but he never gets around to it.

He isn’t in the Bryan office, but I reach him on his cell phone. “Schoppe, I could use your help.”

“Tell me what’s up.”

I fill him in on Loretta and Elaine Farquart going missing. “Both women were set up to meet men they contacted through a dating website.”

At that Schoppe grunts. “That’s so risky.”

“Risky is right. The Farquart woman was found dead this morning. She was run down by a car.”

“I heard that, but I didn’t know somebody from your neck of the woods was also missing.”

I bristle at the idea that he hasn’t heard that Loretta is missing. He works out of Bryan. He should have known. “I don’t understand how you can’t have heard about it.”

“I’m not in the office. I’m up in Austin and have been for the past week. Someone called me with the news about the Farquart woman just before I left to head home. They called because it happened on the highway out from Bryan.”

“I don’t understand why there hasn’t been more action from the Department of Public Safety. They aren’t paying enough attention to this!”

“Samuel, that isn’t like you. Now you have to calm down. It won’t do your friend any good if you have a stroke.”

“Listen, Schoppe, you know as well as I do that time is of the essence here.” As soon as I say it, I’m stabbed by the memory that at first I didn’t take Loretta’s disappearance seriously myself.

“Do you know for sure the same person took both women?”

“No, but the MO is the same, and it seems damn likely to be the same person.”

“Samuel, I’m telling you, you’re too agitated.”

“Of course I’m agitated. This woman is a personal friend. I have to find her, and I’m no closer than I was when she went missing.”

“You’re too close to the victim. You aren’t thinking clearly. You caught me driving on my way back to Bryan, but I’m coming to you. Hold tight.”

“Wait. I had a specific reason for calling. Does the DPS use drones for surveillance?”

“Drones? Not that I know of. The FBI might. What are you thinking?”

“Nobody has spotted either woman’s car. And there hasn’t been any activity on their credit cards, so the likelihood is that Loretta is still around here. I’m thinking if her car is out in the open, a drone might be able to spot it. Or maybe a helicopter.”

In the background, I hear the hum of his car. “You know they aren’t going to send out a helicopter for that, and the drone is an unlikely scenario too.

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