Everyone crowded into the room. Josie sat beside Trinity on the couch, Harris in her lap. He leaned his head back against her chest, and she felt his little body relax against hers. Misty was right; he’d be asleep in no time. On either side of them were Shannon and Christian. Patrick and his girlfriend took up the love-seat and Misty sat on the floor, Trout at attention beside her, watching as each morsel of popcorn went from the bowl to her mouth. Misty glanced back toward the couch and said, “Trinity, shouldn’t you be watching this at some big premiere in New York City? With Drake on your arm? Being photographed in some stunning evening gown?”
Trinity laughed. “Drake had to work, of course. Some big case. It’s always a big case with the FBI. Anyway, the network doesn’t do those premiere sorts of things for shows like mine. Besides, this is just a sneak peek. They’re playing this episode now to try to drum up interest, and then the show will premiere with two full episodes after the Super Bowl.”
Shannon clapped her hands together. Her face was flushed with anticipation. “This is so exciting!”
The room went completely silent as the first few notes of the theme song began to play. The words “Unsolved Crimes with Trinity Payne” flashed across the screen with a fast-moving slide show of generic stock crime-scene photos behind it. Then Trinity appeared beside a large television screen, dressed smartly in a form-fitting red skirt suit that accentuated her full red lips and long, silky black hair. She gave off an air of solemnity, standing straight and tall, her hands positioned in front of her in the classic television-anchor pose—one hand clasping the fingertips of the other.
“Good evening,” on-screen Trinity said. “And welcome to Unsolved Crimes. I’m your host, Trinity Payne. On today’s episode we’re going to present to you the case of the Rose Glen Three…”
For an hour, the room was largely silent, riveted by the unsolved cold case that Trinity and her team of producers and writers had carefully laid out for the audience, including the prevailing theories among law enforcement and those closest to the victims as to who was responsible. As the credits rolled, everyone congratulated Trinity. Josie shifted Harris’s sleeping form on her body. “That’s amazing, Trin.”
Patrick said, “Will you follow up if any leads come from this?”
Trinity started to answer but a knock sounded from the front door. Misty jumped up. “I’ll get it.”
A moment later, she reappeared and lifted Harris from Josie’s lap. “It’s Mettner,” she said. “He wants to talk to you.”
Josie stood and pulled her T-shirt away from her body. It was moist with sweat from where Harris had lain against her. “Did you tell him to come in?”
Misty settled Harris back onto the couch by himself, covering him with a blanket while the adults talked about the show. Trout immediately jumped up and curled himself next to Harris. “He didn’t want to.”
Josie walked out to the foyer. Her front door was ajar. On her front stoop stood Detective Finn Mettner. This was his night off, too, Josie knew, so he was dressed casually in jeans and an old Phillies sweatshirt. His brown hair was in disarray and as Josie got closer, she saw that his brown eyes were wide and haunted.
Something was wrong.
“Josie,” he said, the name puffing out in a visible cloud in the cold air. “I need your help.”
Three
Detective Finn Mettner had come up through the ranks of Denton Police Department after Josie and Noah. He’d started on patrol and been promoted to detective. He had the least experience of anyone on their team, but it had never stopped him from helping them to solve some of the most confounding cases. “Mett,” Josie said. “Come on in.”
He jammed his hands in his pockets. “I can’t. I just—I need your help. I was hoping you could come with me.”
A nagging feeling of unease unfurled itself in her stomach. Josie stepped out onto the stoop, hugging herself. “What’s going on, Mett?”
He took a step back from her. “It’s Amber,” he said.
Amber Watts was the Denton PD’s press liaison. She and Mett had been dating for over a year now although beyond that, Josie knew nothing about their relationship.
The unease began to wriggle inside her. She looked him up and down, searching for signs that he had been in a struggle or was under duress. At once, she felt guilty for making these assessments. Although she didn’t know Mettner well personally, he had never struck her as the kind of person who would become violent or get caught up in a criminal situation. Still, something felt off to her. “Mett,” she said. “Where is Amber? Is she hurt?”
“I don’t know. That’s just it. I don’t know where she is and there was something weird—there was—I went to her house and—listen, do you think you could just come with me?”
Ignoring his request, Josie said, “You went to her house and what, Mett?”
He looked back toward the street. Josie followed his gaze but all she saw beneath the dull glow of the streetlights were the vehicles of her family crowded into her driveway and parked along the street. Everything else was quiet and still. “She wasn’t there,” he said. “I don’t know where she is and something was weird. There were some strange things at her place.”
For a moment, she wondered if he was in shock. “Weird in what way? Mett, I need you to tell me right now if you think Amber is hurt or in some kind of trouble.”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Can you just come see?”
Josie looked back inside the house. Everyone was fully engaged in a conversation about Trinity’s show. Josie’s family was staying with Josie and Noah for the week to celebrate the holidays, so she would see them when she came home. “Sure. Okay, but I’m going to call Gretchen and Noah. They’re both on shift tonight. If something is really wrong, then they’ll need to come out and—”
“No,” said Mettner, cutting her off. “Please. Not yet. I don’t even know that a crime has been committed. I just need someone else to come out and tell me if I should be worried or not.”
“I don’t like this,” Josie told him. “When is the last time you saw or spoke to Amber?”
“Two days ago,” he said.
“Did you try calling her?”
“Her phone is at her house. So is her car. Her purse. ID, everything. Even her coat. Most of the lights were on in the house. I know you’re going to ask me all these police questions, but I’ve already asked them myself. Everything is there except for her.”
“You sure she didn’t go out for a walk or a run or something?” Josie asked.
“I checked her phone. There are missed calls and texts from me going back the last two days but that’s it. Yesterday was her day off—”
“And today she didn’t show up for work,” Josie filled in. “Noah mentioned it earlier. He called me after he got on shift. The Chief was pissed that she hadn’t called or emailed to say she wouldn’t be in. Mett, I think we should just call him. Or Gretchen.”
“Not yet,” he said. “What if I’m being stupid? I don’t want to turn this into a case if it’s not. I don’t want Amber to think I’m crazy, you know? Like, a stalker. I just want to see what you think of the scene first.”
The scene. Josie sighed. “All right. Wait here then. I’ll be right out.”