Page 35 of Taken from Her
Diana leaned forward, studying the data Morgan displayed. Red dots clustered along the dramatic coastline, a pattern that had been invisible until they'd expanded their search parameters beyond the immediate disappearance sites.
"Same device?" Diana asked.
"Can't confirm that, but the timing and location patterns suggest coordinated surveillance." Morgan highlighted specific data points. "Someone was monitoring coastal access points on the nights Tara, Isabel, and Joanna disappeared."
Diana's analytical mind began processing possibilities. The coastline offered isolation, multiple access points, and natural barriers that could muffle sound. More importantly, it connected to something Lavender had shared during yesterday morning's coffee: how all three women had deep, personal relationships with the coast that extended far beyond casual recreation. Tara's sunrise runs had been meditation as much as exercise. Isabel's photography expeditions were attempts to capture the peace she'd found after leaving Silicon Valley's chaos. Tara's evening beach walks with her rescue dog were rituals of healing, both for herself and the animal she'd saved.
"There's more," Morgan continued, pulling up a second file. "Community members have been calling in reports about unusual vehicle activity near coastal access points. Three different callers mentioned a dark sedan parked with the engine running, positioned for quick exit."
"Surveillance behavior," Diana said with recognition. This wasn't an opportunistic crime but methodical planning.
"Gets better. One caller remembered partial license plate information, and another noted that the driver appeared to be using binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens." Morgan's excitement was breaking through her professional restraint. "Chief, this feels like the breakthrough we've been waiting for."
Diana stood, moving to the wall map where red pins marked last known locations for each victim. She traced the coastal highway with her finger, noting how it connected all three areas while providing surveillance opportunities for someone studying their routines.
"Joanna's morning swims and runs along the coastal trail," Diana said, thinking aloud. "Isabel's photography expeditions to capture sunrise over the cliffs. Tara's evening beach walks with her rescue dog."
"Exactly. Someone who understood their connections to the coastline could predict where and when they'd be vulnerable."
Diana felt the familiar surge of professional excitement that came with evidence finally coalescing into comprehensible patterns. But underneath the analytical satisfaction was something else—anticipation that had nothing to do with police work and everything to do with the woman who'd shared coffee and quiet conversation with her yesterday morning, whose insights had been proving invaluable to the investigation and whose presence had become something Diana looked forward to with an intensity that still surprised her.
"I want to investigate the coastline," Diana said, the decision forming as she spoke. "Physically examine the areas where this surveillance was taking place."
"I can coordinate with Lieutenant Hodges for tactical support," Morgan offered.
Diana paused, considering. Standard procedure would involve backup officers, evidence technicians, and the full apparatus of official investigation. But community knowledgehad been providing insights that formal procedures missed, and the coastline was intimately connected to how Phoenix Ridge residents lived their daily lives.
"I want to bring Lavender," Diana said. "Her community networks provided intelligence about the vehicle activity, and she understands how these women related to the coastal areas."
Morgan's expression shifted slightly—not disapproval, but recognition of the unconventional approach Diana was proposing. "Community consultation makes sense for this type of investigation."
"Exactly. A community consultation." Diana gathered the coastal maps and evidence photos, professional justification settling comfortably over personal motivation. "I'll coordinate with Lavender about timing and local knowledge requirements."
"Yes, ma'am. Anything specific you want me to focus on while you're conducting the coastal investigation?"
"Cross-reference the vehicle reports with traffic camera footage from coastal highway access points. If someone was conducting regular surveillance, there should be a pattern in the evidence within the official systems too."
Morgan closed her laptop, gathering her materials. "Chief, this collaborative approach, it's working. We're getting better intelligence than traditional methods would provide."
Diana nodded, feeling something settle into place that had been shifting since she'd first entered Lavender's Café. Not just professional evolution, but recognition that her usual methods might be insufficient for protecting a community she was only beginning to understand.
"Sometimes understanding people requires more than procedural knowledge," Diana said, echoing words that had been reshaping her approach to everything.
After Morgan left, Diana sat alone with the coastal maps and her phone, anticipation building as she prepared to callLavender. Outside her window, Phoenix Ridge stretched toward the ocean, salt air carrying promises of discovery that felt both professional and deeply personal.
She dialed Lavender's number, already imagining how the morning light would look reflecting off the waves they'd study together.
Lavender had answered on the second ring, her voice brightening when Diana explained about the coastal evidence. "Pick me up in twenty minutes," she'd said without hesitation.
The patrol car felt different with Lavender in the passenger seat. Diana had driven this coastal highway hundreds of times, but today, with the windows cracked to let in salt air and Lavender's easy presence, the familiar route felt like new.
"Take the scenic route," Lavender suggested as they approached the junction where the highway split toward either the direct inland path or the winding coastal road. "If we're investigating how someone might have watched them, we should see what they saw."
Diana turned toward the ocean, immediately understanding Lavender's logic. The coastal highway wound along dramatic cliffs, offering sweeping views of the ocean that could distract from the serious nature of their work or provide perfect vantage points for surveillance.
Morning mist still clung to the coastal peaks, but sunlight was beginning to break through in golden shafts that painted the water in constantly shifting patterns. Diana found herself stealing glances at the view, noting how the landscape affected her mood in ways she rarely allowed herself to acknowledge on duty.
"Tara used to run this stretch every morning," Lavender said, pointing toward a trail that paralleled the highway before disappearing into coastal scrub. "She'd start before dawn, timing it so she could watch the sunrise from Seal Point."
