Inside the bag sat three heavy, vintage film canisters and a stack of Polaroids wrapped in thick, yellowed plastic. The photos were stuck together, but the top one was clear enough to send a chill down his spine. It showed the town’s most beloved figure, Mayor Halloway, standing by this very car.
The Mayor had led the search parties for months, crying on television and offering a massive reward for their return. In the photo, he wasn’t crying; he was smiling, holding a set of keys toward the camera lens. Elias felt a wave of nausea as he realized the date stamped on the back of the photo. It was dated August 14, 1984—the day after the girls vanished from the county fairgrounds. The car hadn’t been stolen by a stranger; it had been a gift, or perhaps a bribe, given in the dark. Elias looked at the film canisters, realizing they were the only witnesses left to the truth.
A twig snapped in the brush behind him, and Elias spun around, clutching the satchel to his chest like a shield. The woods were thick, filled with shadows that seemed to move as the sun dipped behind the mountain peaks. He wasn’t alone out here, and someone clearly knew the car was being raised today.
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