The Missing by Chris Mooney Read Free Book Online Page B

database in the world.’
    ‘You have any contacts at the federal lab?’
    ‘I did take a paint course given by the head of the Elemental Analysis Lab, this guy named Bob Gray. I could give him a call.’
    Tell him we have an abduction case and we need him to move this to the front burner.’
    ‘I can ask.’ Pappy was grinning.
    ‘I know, don’t hold my breath and wait by the phone,’ Darby said.
    Leland still wasn’t in his office so Darby headed down to the first floor.
    Missing Persons was tucked at the end of a long hallway. Standing behind the counter was a slimwoman in a dark gray charcoal suit. The name on her ID tag was Mabel Wantuck. Mabel wasn’t smiling in the picture, and she wasn’t smiling now.
    ‘Good morning,’ Darby said. ‘I was wondering if you could help me.’
    The look on Mabel Wantuck’s face said, Don’t bet on it.
    ‘I’ve come across some evidence which may be connected to a missing person’s case,’ Darby said.
    ‘You know I can’t show you –’
    ‘The actual case file, yes, I know, only a detective can see that. All I need to know is if the person is, in fact, missing.’
    Mabel Wantuck took a seat at a paper-filled desk cluttered with several small framed pictures of two chocolate Labrador retrievers. She pulled out the keyboard.
    ‘What’s the name?’
    ‘I’m not sure of the spelling, so we may have to try a few variations. What are the search parameters?’
    ‘Last name first.’
    ‘Last name is Mastrangelo,’ Darby said. ‘Let me try and spell that for you…’

Chapter 13
    Coop rolled a ball of Play-Doh between his hands while Darby explained the results of the Missing Persons search. She was bringing him up to date on the evidence when the lab secretary popped her head inside their office.
    ‘Leland wants to see you in his office, Darby.’
    Leland was on the phone. He saw Darby standing in the doorway and pointed to the single chair set up in front of his desk.
    Behind him was a wall crammed full of pictures taken at exclusive black-tie fundraisers. Here was Leland, the proud Republican, standing arm-and-arm with both George Bush junior and senior. Here was Leland, the caring Republican, standing next to the governor as they handed out Thanksgiving Day turkeys to the poor. To prove he had a sense of humor beneath all that Brooks Brothers clothing, here was a picture of Leland, the funny Republican, holding a copy of The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker given to him at a book party.
    Darby was thinking about the pictures on Carol Cranmore’s wall when Leland hung up.
    That was the commissioner calling for an update.He was a bit surprised when I told him I didn’t have anything to tell him yet.’
    ‘I came by twice,’ Darby said. ‘You weren’t here.’
    That’s what voice mail is for.’
    ‘I thought you’d want an update in person, in case you had any questions.’
    You now have my full attention.’ Leland leaned back in his chair.
    Darby told him about the paint chip first, then the footwear impression.
    ‘It’s a men’s size eleven, and the logo’s a perfect match for Ryzer footwear. The logo stamped on the sole of the footwear impression we found was their second and last logo before they were bought out in eighty-three and became Ryzer Gear. Based on my research, they only manufactured four models, which they sold through catalogues and specialty stores in the northeast. We’re talking a select group of customers. I tried our cases and struck out.’
    ‘So submit a copy to the feds and have them run it through their footwear database.’
    ‘Even if we ask them to expedite it, it will be a minimum of a month before they get around to processing it.’
    ‘I can’t change that.’
    ‘Maybe we can,’ Darby said. This afternoon I talked with a man named Larry Emmerich. He used to work for the FBI lab. He’s the go-to expert on footwear impressions. Emmerich’s retired now, hireshimself out as a consultant. Not only does he have all