Chapter 53

Cain clutched the steering wheel of the Phantoms van tighter and tried to focus on the backwoods two-lane road. The team had done their preliminary filming and had talked about the case when reaching the city limit. They were silent now. There was no doubt of the tension inside the vehicle. They were worried about this location and making no effort to hide the fact.

He took in the rows of cornfields and farms that dotted the horizon and wondered how someone like Sammy had grown up in this place. Her sense of adventure and spirit would only be trapped here. Smothered.

Reaching over, he lifted his can and chugged more of his cola. He needed the caffeine. Thoughts of Sammy had kept him up all damn night. The things she'd hinted at yesterday during lunch kept pinging around in his head. Not for the first time, dread sat heavy in his gut. He had the sinking suspicion someone had hurt her badly. And that someone was probably a member of this small community.