“They’re gone.There’s no one here.”
Decker looked at the two cars parked in the driveway.
“Could they have gone somewhere on foot?”
Jamison looked over his shoulder and said slowly, “Why didn’t the cop get out when I yelled for you?”
They hustled over to the car.
Decker knocked on the window. And when he didn’t receive a response, he pulled his gun and slowlyopened the car door.
The dead officer slumped sideways, held in only by his seat belt.
Jamison said, “Oh my God! Decker!”
Decker looked up at the house. “You sure it’s empty?”
“I called out to them. Nothing. I looked around the first floor.”
“Were there signs of a struggle?”
“No, nothing that I could see.”
“We have to searchthe rest of the house. But hang on.”
He called Lassiter for backup but got no answer.
He next called Kemper.
Again, nothing.
They both went to voicemail.
He put his phone away. “Okay, it’s just us. Get your gun out and follow me.”
They entered the house and searched the first floor thoroughly, including the closets.
The placelooked normal. There was an empty bowl and glass in the sink. No overturned furniture.
They headed upstairs and went bedroom by bedroom until they got to Decker’s.
He opened the door and looked around. His gaze fell on the folded piece of paper lying in the center of the bed. Next to it was a cell phone.
He picked up the paper and slowly unfolded it.
Youwill wait to hear from us on this phone. Any mistakes, they are dead.
Jamison held out her hand for the note and he passed it across. She read it and plopped down on the bed and buried her face in her hands.
Decker walked over to the window that looked out over the rear of the house.
That was how they must have taken them. Through the backyard, over the fence, andonto the next street.
Where it all began.
He said, “They’re going to call, Alex. We just have to be ready when they do.”
Jamison said nothing.