Brian waited until after midnight to pull the access log again.
The station was nearly empty. Just a patrol officer finishing paperwork and the night dispatcher answering calls in a low, steady voice.
He shut his office door.
Closed the blinds.
And copied the flagged user ID onto a flash drive.
Not to accuse.
Not yet.
Just to preserve it.
The entry showed Sarah Johnson's number was accessed two days before her disappearance.
Not through the active case file.
Through an internal database search.
He leaned back in his chair.
Whoever ran it had clearance.
And they'd done it quietly.
He didn't check who the user was.
Not yet.
That step would trigger a system notification.
And he wasn't ready to make noise.
Instead, he sent himself a secure, encrypted copy of the metadata.
Insurance.
Smoke was getting thicker.
He just didn't know where the fire started.
Carbondale – Sarah's Dorm
Molly sat on the floor surrounded by Sarah's belongings.
She hadn't left the room in hours.
Claire and Robyn sat nearby, quietly sorting through old notebooks and storage bins.
"I can't believe she never told you how bad it was," Robyn said softly.
Molly shook her head.
"She didn't want me to worry."
Claire handed Molly a small flash drive.
"She gave me this after they broke up," Claire said. "She said if anything ever happened… to keep it."
Molly's hands trembled.
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"
Claire swallowed. "Because nothing happened. He disappeared. We thought it was over."
Molly plugged the flash drive into Sarah's laptop.
A folder opened.
Screenshots.
Saved voicemails.
Photos.
Her breath caught.
Jay's messages were worse than she'd imagined.
Possessive.
Manipulative.
Threatening.
You think blocking me makes you safe?
You don't get to decide when this ends.
I know where you go to class.
Molly's stomach turned.
"He followed her?" she whispered.
Claire nodded slowly.
"For weeks."
Another folder opened.
Photos.
Some were selfies Sarah had taken secretly while Jay wasn't looking.
In one, his face was partially visible.
No hat.
No sunglasses.
Just enough.
Molly zoomed in.
Her pulse spiked.
The eyes.
The nose.
The jawline.
It was subtle.
But—
"Does that look like…?" she began.
Claire leaned closer.
"I don't know," Claire said carefully.
But Molly knew what she was thinking.
Detective Jack Davis.
She hated that her mind went there.
Hated that she'd even noticed his reaction at the station.
But the resemblance was unsettling.
Not exact.
But close.
Too close.
She snapped a screenshot and immediately sent everything to Brian's private email.
Every message.
Every image.
Every file.
Her fingers shook as she typed:
I'm scared. Please tell me this helps.
Branson
Brian opened the email just after 1 a.m.
He went still as the files loaded.
The threats were darker than Molly had described.
Calculated.
Persistent.
Obsessive.
Then he opened the photo.
His jaw tightened slowly.
He enlarged the image.
The man's face wasn't fully clear.
But the structure…
He leaned back and rubbed his jaw.
It could be a coincidence.
Lots of men shared similar features.
He opened another photo.
Zoomed in further.
There, on the man's wrist.
The same metallic band he'd noticed earlier.
Police-issued.
Common model.
But still.
His heart beat heavier now.
He closed the image.
Then reopened the database log.
Two days before Sarah vanished.
Her number was accessed internally.
He stared at the screen.
This wasn't a shut-and-close case.
This was something buried.
Something careful.
Something patient.
He picked up his phone and called Molly.
She answered immediately.
"Tell me you saw it."
"I saw it," he said quietly.
"Does it look like him?"
He chose his words carefully.
"It looks similar."
Silence.
"You noticed too," she whispered.
"Yes."
She exhaled shakily.
"I feel crazy."
"You're not crazy."
"I keep thinking about the way he reacted when I said her name."
Brian closed his eyes briefly.
He had noticed it too.
"You need to be careful," he said finally.
"From who?"
He hesitated.
"From digging too deep alone."
Her breath trembled.
"I didn't know how bad it was, Brian. He followed her. He threatened her. I had no idea."
Her voice broke.
"If he's the one who took her…"
"We don't know that," Brian said firmly.
But even as he said it, doubt clawed at him.
Claire took the phone gently from Molly.
"Detective," she said carefully, "we're worried about her going back down there."
"She shouldn't," Brian said immediately.
"She wants to."
"I know."
Claire lowered her voice.
"If this guy is dangerous… if he's watching… Molly could be next."
The thought hit Brian like a punch.
"I won't let that happen," he said quietly.
Cabin – Night
Sarah's wrists were nearly free.
The tape had stretched enough to allow slight movement.
She kept her breathing even when she heard him approaching.
The door opened slowly.
Jay stepped inside, calmer tonight.
Watching her.
"You've been quiet," he said.
"I'm tired."
He walked closer.
Studied her face.
"You've been thinking."
"Of course I have."
He reached down and ran his fingers over the tape.
Testing it.
She forced herself not to flinch.
"You're not going anywhere," he said softly.
"I know."
He tilted his head.
"That's new."
She held his gaze.
"You said screaming doesn't work."
His lips curved slightly.
"Good."
He sat beside her on the bed.
Too close.
Her body went rigid.
"You're going to stop fighting eventually," he murmured. "They all do."
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
"I won't."
He leaned in close to her ear.
"You already are."
When he stood and left the room again—
She waited.
Counted his steps.
Then slowly twisted her wrists again.
The tape tore just slightly.
Enough.
Soon.
Carbondale – Later
Molly lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Her books are untouched.
Her assignments are overdue.
Her phone screen glowed beside her.
A photo of her and Sarah at graduation.
She turned onto her side.
"I'm coming back," she whispered to herself.
Claire's warning echoed in her mind.
Let the police handle it.
But something in her gut refused to sit still.
There was something off.
Something hidden.
And she couldn't shake the feeling—
That danger wasn't just outside the investigation.
It was closer than anyone realized.