C19 Chapter 19

Thompson's phone buzzed as he stepped out of the room to make a call. "Get me the security footage around the location where the pictures were taken," he instructed the team.

Meanwhile, Emily's eyes widened as she worked on her laptop. "I found a missing persons report... matches one of the girls in the pics. Samantha Lee, 20, reported missing two days ago."

Jules' eyes snapped to Emily. "Samantha? I know her... knew her from university."

Thompson walked back in, serious. "Security footage shows a figure in a hoodie near the location. Tech's enhancing the image now."

Emily added, "Samantha's family reported she was getting weird messages before she vanished."

Jules leaned forward. "What kind of messages?"

Emily scrolled through her notes. "Her mom said something about texts saying 'they're watching' and Samantha seemed really scared."

Thompson's expression turned grim. "Sounds like our guy's MO."

The room fell silent as they connected the dots. Jules broke the silence. "We need to find…. the other girl."

Emily nodded. "I'm checking other missing persons reports for similar cases."

Thompson's phone buzzed again. "It's tech. They enhanced the security footage... looks like the hoodie's wearing gloves. No clear face."

Jules' jaw cliked. "So they're careful."

Thompson nodded. "Very. But we're working on it."

Hours ticked by as they dug deeper. Emily looked up suddenly. "Guys... I think I found something else. Samantha's phone records show she got a text from an unknown number the night she vanished."

Jules' eyes narrowed. "What did it say?"

Emily read aloud. "'Meet me at Oakwood at midnight. -J'"

Thompson leaned forward. "Oakwood... that's near the club where the incident too place and also where the pictures were taken."

The tension in the room ramped up. Were they closing in?

Thompson's eyes narrowed as he processed the new information. "Drake's involvement seems coincidental. Check if he's got any links to the case beyond being at the wrong place."

Emily nodded, typing away on her laptop. "I'll look into his movements for the time of Samantha's... switch."

Jules leaned forward, her gaze intense. "We need to find the girl who swapped with Samantha. She's the key."

Thompson stood up. "Right. Let's check missing persons for similar profiles to Samantha. Maybe our girl's in there."

The team dug deeper, the clock ticking away. Emily suddenly looked up. "Guys, I found something. There's a missing persons report for a girl named Lily Foster. Same age, same build, same hair color as Samantha."

Jules' eyes widened. "Lily Foster. Could be our girl."