Page 124 of Hidden Nature

“I’ll make it clear this is more a personal interest. A woman went missing from Deep Creek Lake in November. She’s believed to have been abducted from the parking lot of her grocery store, where her car was located.”

“Yeah, I heard about it. A connection’s stretching it.”

“A man went missing from Cumberland in December. His car was located in a motel parking lot. In both cases, there’s been no trace, no ransom demands, no credit card activity. Both had cell phones, deactivated.”

“Did they know each other, Deep Creek and Cumberland?”

“There’s no indication they did. From what I know, Arthur Rigsby left behind a successful dental practice, a new model Mercedes sedan, a house worth about eight hundred thousand, a hefty portfolio, a wife—one he was cheating on—a couple of adult kids, grandkids.

“Janet Anderson from Deep Creek had been married just over a year, and from all reports happily.”

O’Hara’s response was flat. Cop flat. “People don’t always know what they think they know.”

“Agreed.”

But she pushed. If nothing else, she’d lay it out to another cop.

“Anderson was making Thanksgiving dinner for her family and her husband’s. Investigators concluded she’d run to the market for a couple of ingredients. She’d spoken to her mother earlier that day to check on a recipe. Her mother states she was nervous but excited.

“There’s no evidence she walked away on her own.”

“And the cheating dentist?”

“Left a hell of a lot behind, as I said. If it had come to divorce, he’d have lost some, sure. This way, he loses everything.”

“You gotta look at the wife.”

“Yes. I can only look so far.”

“Why are you looking?”

She hesitated, then decided if she wanted a favor, she’d need to be honest.

“Anderson’s close to home. I’m in Heron’s Rest.”

“Been there once. It’s nice.”

“It is. I was formerly attached to the Criminal Investigative Bureau of the DNR. I’ve transferred back home. Between that, at the time of Anderson’s disappearance, I was on medical leave.”

“Hold a minute.” The flat, the rote, went out of his tone. “You’re the one who got shot outside of Hagerstown a few months back?”

“Yeah. Not my best day.”

“How’re you doing?”

“Five-by-five now, thanks. I missed the job, Detective, so when I was able, I dug a little into the Anderson case on my own. Have you ever had one that just sticks with you?”

“Sure I have. Look, Sergeant, Zach Tarrington got hit with a hard divorce and it sent him down. He attempted suicide last year.”

“I know. He has some family connections here in Heron’s Rest.”

“Hmm. So it pinches there, too. His ex has a new boyfriend.”

“Jesse Roper.”

“Family connection tell you?”

“Social media search. I understand the wife’s new relationship might have triggered him. But if he hasn’t contacted anyone, if there’sbeen no sightings, no credit card transactions. No body. Over two weeks now.”

---