Back at the precinct, Fence sat at her desk, reviewing the case file, trying to make sense of the few details she had. Merri had no criminal record, no connections to anything that could explain the execution-style killing. Her car was found abandoned miles away, with no sign of forced entry or struggle.
The victim's background was a dead end--he was just a man, living a quiet life, with no apparent enemies.
But there was one thing that kept nagging at her: the footprints. And the trucker's story. Something about it felt...rehearsed. As through Jackson was hiding something.
She picked up her phone and dialed Officer Lee.
"Lee, get me everything you can on Ancy Merrie. I need a full background check, family , friends , work history. And I want to know everything about that trucker, Jackson. Something feels off."
"I'm on it, Detective. Anything else?"
"Yeah. Get me a copy of the surveillance footage from the rest stop. There's a gas station nearby, see if they have any cameras pointing toward the area."
She hung up, staring at the map of the area on her desk. It was all connected in her mind, but the pieces didn't fit together yet.
As she sat there, the phone buzzed again. This time, it was a news report.
The headline made her blood run cold.
"Unsolved murder on Route 8 linked to missing persons case."
The storm was getting started .