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The disappearances had people on edge. No one had heard from any of those that had disappeared. Something or someone had caused their demise, he just couldn't prove it. Even with patrols stepped up day and night, they had found no clues as to what was happening around here.
Hannah had stepped over to the Sheriff’s Office to see Frank for a little bit. While he was on the phone, she checked out the local wanted posters the FBI always faxed over to the police stations. One in particular caught her attention. That was the guy she had seen at the hardware store, she was positive. The other man looked so familiar; she just couldn’t put a name to the face. She hated this side effect of MS; her memory just wasn’t as it used to be. People she went to school with and had been around her whole life, over half of them, she couldn’t remember their name or all of the good times they had. She wished at times her life was back to the way it used to be as far as that part was concerned. There was so much she just didn’t remember anymore and she worried it would only get worse.
She heard Frank hang up the phone. “Frank, come see. This was the man leaving the hardware store. I wish I could place the other man that was with him, but for the life of me, I can’t.”
“Hannah, are you certain this is the man you saw?”
“I’m positive.”
“That’s not good news at all then. But, that may also fit, since you said you saw a motor home. This is an escaped serial killer down in Hope, Louisiana. It is believed that another potential serial killer helped him escape. I need to get on the phone with this Agent O’Riordan and find out more details, just in case.” He gave her a quick kiss.
Hannah knew from talking with Frank his mind was turning. She continued to stare at the picture. His eyes seemed almost lifeless.
Frank called the FBI hotline. “My name is Sheriff Frank Ourso, in Lake Hamilton, West Virginia. We may have a sighting of one of your most wanted, David Thorguson. The motor home was also seen. “
It didn’t take long for Agent O’Riordan to get on the line. “Where did you say you are located?”
“Lake Hamilton, West Virginia. Listen, we haven’t found any bodies, but we have had several prominent citizens disappear. They just vanished into thin air. I did have a sighting of a motor home, but there is a national park not far from here, so it’s not unusual for motor homes to be seen in the area.”
“We have reason to believe these two hide out in parks to torture and kill their victims. Is the park large enough where they could be hiding the bodies there?”
“Yes, it is and there are quite a number of various walking trails, and a fairly large lake.”
“This is the first big tip that we’ve had. Would it be possible for you to send me what files you do have on the missing persons, so that I can review those? I and a few others are going to head that way, if you don’t mind?”
“You are more than welcome to come into town. I plan on taking a ride out to the park to see if a motor home is parked there.”
“Sheriff, I know it goes without saying, but please be careful. These men are very dangerous.”
Sheriff Ourso decided it would be best to go in pairs and check out the park. No motor homes were at the park and the manager had not had a motor home fitting that description stay there. That wasn’t to say that one hadn’t been there during the day. Where the hell was that motor home then? Hannah wasn’t the only one that had mentioned seeing it.
Agent O’Riordan received the email with attachments from Sheriff Ourso. With several prominent people disappearing, they may be on the right track. Once they were in the air, he informed the task force about the most recent developments. “I know we usually have a meeting before taking off, but time is of the essence. Several prominent people in the town have disappeared without a trace. No bodies have turned up either. Sheriff Ourso and a SWAT team already checked out the local park but found no motor home. A search and rescue team had already searched the area when a couple went missing from there a couple of weeks ago, but nothing turned up from that search. A second search and rescue team is being sent out to the park, this time with cadaver dogs. I believe that our duo has found another area to hide. The park is popular and we do know from past experience they like quiet places.”
By the time Agent O’Riordan and the task force landed, search and rescue had been working the area for several hours. Sheriff Ourso met them in the parking lot, “Thank you for coming. So far we haven’t had any other leads. The search and rescue team hasn’t had any luck. The cadaver dogs haven’t found any bodies either.”