Nothing. Hands clasped, prayer-like, she began to pace the floor. It was as though her younger sister had been swallowed by the earth. No one had seen or heard from her for two days. Although she was impulsive, it wasn’t like Tess to go off without telling someone her plans. And it wasn’t like her to miss classes. The bait that lured her away must’ve been something she wanted very much. The killer claimed to have Tess. It was a claim she had to take seriously. Yet without proof of foul play, and because her sister had packed a bag and left on her own, she couldn’t direct a full scale FBI search. She’d already commandeered as much help as she could justify. Gary, Ray and a few other close coworkers had already stuck their necks out for her. She dropped to her chair, and buried her head in her hands. She needed leads. Now. It was time to bring in a private investigator to find Tess. Hash Kilmier’s name came to mind. He was a former heavyweight boxer with connections that reached into the bowels of the underworld.
