After searching Chuck’s apartment and questioning several neighbors, Holly concluded that Chuck may not be coming back. His car was in the parking lot and they had found several of Kristy’s hairs in the back seat but she and Chuck were nowhere to be found. A few neighbors reported seeing him sitting in his car earlier, but they were not sure what happened to him afterward. Holly knew she needed to be focusing on the investigation, but she couldn’t leave Kristy to whatever sick fate Chuck had in mind for her.

  ”Why would he kidnap her?” Higgins said as they searched through Chuck’s apartment for a third time.

  “I don’t know, but I’ve never had a good feeling about him.” Holly replied.

  “So if his car is here and we know he had Kristy in it, you think he’s got her in some kind of hidden spot around here?”

  Holly shook her head, “Maybe, but it’s unlikely.”

  ”How so?” Higgins asked.

  “If she were in some hidden location around here, why leave the car out in the open? I know he wasn’t aware of the cameras at Kristy’s house, so he would be under the assumption that only he knows what happened to Kristy. That text from Kristy about her being gone proves he’s not aware of us being onto him, since he’s trying to buy some time. That means he’s likely going to not kill Kristy soon, since he wants us to not notice she’s gone for a while.”

  ”Sooo.. How does that lead to him not hiding nearby,” Higgins asked.

  Holly shrugged as she emptied Chuck’s dresser and tossed everything on his bed. “I just feel like there’s too many witnesses around here to make this a feasible place to hide someone you kidnapped, you know?”

  Higgins nodded while removing the sheets from Chuck’s bed, “It’s hard to think like a creeper, but that makes sense to me. Do you think he kidnapped Jenny too?”

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  “It’s possible, but why would you say that?” Kristy said, honing into Higgins’s idea. He had a good mind for these things even if he didn’t always give himself credit. She was hoping that Higgins might be seeing something she hadn’t yet.

  “Well it’d be weird if there were two kidnappers right? Plus, it happened so close together and right after his visit the night we first saw that transforming monster.”

  The way Higgins said that struck a chord with Holly, “It did happen close to when the monster was discovered. And Chuck is the only one outside of Kristy’s home to know of its existence, right?”

  ”Sure,” Higgins nodded and motioned for Holly to continue her train of thought.

  ”When did Kristy say she first met Chuck?” Holly asked.

  ”A week or two before we met him,” Higgins said.

  ”And after Chuck meets Kristy, both Kristy and Jenny go missing within such a short time of each other. That also coincides with right after Chuck saw evidence of the transforming monster being near their house. What if Chuck didn’t go after Kristy and Jenny? What if he was getting them out of the way to get to the monster?” Holly’s eyes went wide as she started piecing things together. “I’m starting to think that maybe Kristy’s kidnapping may be directly related to the investigation.”

  Higgins didn’t respond right away as he moved the mattress off of Chuck’s bed and stared at a card with a lanyard that looked like a work badge, resting on the box spring. Higgins picked it up and his head jerked up, his eyes meeting Holly’s. He handed the work badge to Holly, “I think you’re right.”

  Holly took the badge and a pit opened in her stomach when she saw a photo ID for Chuck as an employee for the water purification plant. There was no way that so many coincidences could exist. Chuck was now the number one suspect of the investigation.

  “We need to find him before this draws out any longer.” Holly said.

  Just then, Holly’s phone rang with the tune she set specifically for the phone she gave Gilbert.

  “Holly here,” she said.

  Gilbert excitedly shouted through the phone, “I found the vials and I have the code to the safe! You need to hurry!”

  “We’re on our way,” Holly said and hung up.

  “What’s going on?” Higgins asked.

  “We have a lead on the vials. Let’s go.” Holly said to Higgins as she headed to the car.

  “Shouldn’t I stay here in case he comes back?” Higgins suggested.

  “No, you’re coming with me. This place is a dead end,” Holly said, waving the badge, “Once we nail down this water purification plant, I’m convinced we’ll find Chuck and Kristy too.”