“Where did they find her?”
“Three miles outside of the original search area. She matches Angela’s physical description. Because we don’t know what she was wearing at the time she disappeared, they’re unable to say if it’s for sure her until they run her DNA.”
The search area had covered at least thirty square miles. They’d been searching the area for a week.
Hunt wouldn’t let her go back to help. It was too strenuous and stressful and potentially dangerous with her condition. He gave her updates several times a day. She’d gotten used to him saying they had nothing to report. No evidence Angela had been anywhere near the area where they’d found the car or further away in the search area.
She’d held out hope, however infinitesimal it might be, that Angela was out there somewhere.
Definitely not in Idaho.
Cyn couldn’t think of a single person from Angela’s past that she’d even sporadically had contact with that lived in Idaho.
“Cyn.” Hunt brushed a tear from her face. “We don’t know if it’s her.”
“Then we need to go find out.”
“Are you sure you’re up to doing that?”
“It needs to be done. Let’s go.”
Hunt put his hand on her shoulder. “Hold on a second.” He rose and went to the waitress station and grabbed a large to-go cup and came back, poured her water into it and put the lid on, then poked the strawfrom her glass into the cup. “Take this with you.” He was always thinking about her needs.
“Thank you.” She turned in her seat and hugged Shelby. “I’ll call you later.”
Shelby brushed her hand over Cyn’s hair. “I want good news for you.”
“Me, too. But I’ll take the truth and knowing she’s not out there somewhere undiscovered and alone.”
“He’ll pay for this.” Shelby echoed Cyn’s looping thought.
“Yes, he will.” She took Hunt’s hand, remembered that she needed to get up slowly so she didn’t jar her system into moving before it was ready to support her efforts with all systems working together. She turned to Hunt’s family. “Thank you for a really lovely breakfast. I’m so glad you included me.”
“You’re always welcome,” Mr. Wilde said. “You take care. Anything you need, just call.”
Hunt glanced at his whole family. “I’ll be in touch. And thanks,” he said, letting them know he appreciated them accepting Cyn with him.
They walked out of the restaurant to the parking lot together, but she pulled her hand free when Hunt turned for his police SUV. “I’ll drive.”
She shook her head. “I’ll take my car, that way if you need to stay and help with the investigation or something you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Cyn. I know you’ve got to be reeling by this news.”
“I am trying to hold it together and not fall apart on you. I know what you need me to do when we get there. I can do this. I have to. For her.”
Hunt cupped her face in his hands. “You can let gowith me any time you need to, Cyn. I know how strong you are. I know how hard this is for you. I also know that it’s taking a toll on you to hold it all together and get through another day not knowing what’s happened to them.”
“I don’t want it to be her,” she confessed.
“Neither do I. And if you want to stay here with Shelby, I’ll go do this for you.”
“I need to do it. If it’s her, I need to see her, so I’ll know it’s real and true.”
“What if something happens while you’re driving?”
“You’ll be leading the way. You’ll know if something happens. But it won’t. I feel okay. If I start to feel off, I’ll pull over.”
“Promise me.”