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At 9:00 a.m., Poppy makes her way to the large conference room. The folding metal chairs are filled. Men balancing large cameras on their shoulders take stations in the corners. Poppy stands in the back, positioning herself so she can see through the gaps between the taller onlookers.
The room is buzzing but dulls to a murmur when the sheriff and his entourage enter from a door in the back.
As the sheriff approaches the lectern, Poppy senses someone sidling up next to her. She takes a quick glance and sees a tall, slender woman with a short haircut. She’s in her thirties, wears an expensive-looking blouse and flowing slacks.
Stoic, the sheriff begins: “Good morning, everyone.”
There’s a smattering of “Good mornings” before he continues.
“As you are aware, yesterday, private citizens using sonar equipment identified a vehicle submerged in Suncatcher Lake.”
Poppy scans the room and notices the two men from the Cold Case Company videos in the audience. They undoubtedly will make the interview rounds after the press conference, crowing about their discovery. That’s not completely unfair. They’ve been wildly successful at finding watery graves missed by others.
“The car is a BMW model five thirty sedan. The vehicle identification number shows that the car was registered to Michael Lane.”
Another low rumble fills the room. The sheriff doesn’t need to add that it’s the car Alison Lane was driving the night she disappeared.
“Inside the vehicle were two individuals. Though we have not yet identified either of them, the KBI’s preliminary analysis is that they were adult males, both victims of foul play.”
The murmur in the room rises to a buzz.
“We’ll take a few questions, but I trust you’ll understand that there are limits to what more we can say without jeopardizing the investigation.” The sheriff points to a reporter with well-coiffed hair in the second row.
“Sheriff, have you had a chance to speak to Alison Lane’s family? I understand her mother passed away some time ago, but we’ve been unable to reach her father.”
“Yes, I’ve spoken to Michael Lane. He moved abroad and requests that you respect his family’s privacy.” The sheriff shakes his head, as if the media frenzy were the reason Alison’s father fled the country. “Next question,” he says, pointing to another reporter.
“Erin Chaney from KMBC Nine. Do we know how long the vehicle was in the lake?”
“We don’t have a precise timeline, but it appears to have been submerged for a long period.”
“Long as in weeks, months…”
“Years,” the sheriff says.
The reporter continues: “We understand that Suncatcher Lake and other local bodies of water were searched shortly after Alison Lane went missing. Do you know why the vehicle was missed in those searches when Cold Case Company found the car in less than two hours?”
The sheriff doesn’t show any signs of annoyance or defensiveness. “We don’t know why the vehicle was missed, assuming it was in the water when the original search was conducted. It’s something we’re looking into.”
The woman next to Poppy makes a tiny scoffing noise. She looks down at Poppy. “They never searched that lake.”
Poppy furrows her brow and turns back to the sheriff, who’s pointing at another reporter to take a question.
“You mentioned foul play—how did the victims in the car die? And are there any clues about Alison Lane’s disappearance?”
The sheriff frowns. “We can’t talk about the evidence in an ongoing investigation. I can say that the vehicle had some personal effects of Ms. Lane that KBI’s forensic office is processing.”
“The Missouri River Killer has been the lead suspect in the disappearance of Alison Lane,” the reporter continues. “Does the presence of the two men in the car call that into question?”
“Right now, we’re considering all options. As you know, Ms. Lane’s DNA was found at Benedict Cromwell’s campsite, so we believe he was involved in her disappearance. None of the thirteen law enforcement agencies working the case have ever found evidence that Cromwell worked with others. But we’re hoping that once we identify the men in the car it will provide answers.”
The tall woman scoffs again.
Poppy turns her head to the woman. “You mind?” Poppy doesn’t like people who talk during movies and this woman is interrupting her boss, so she figures it’s an appropriate response.
The woman offers a smile. “He’s persuasive,” the woman says. “Trustworthy, believable.” She watches the sheriff as he wraps up the questions.
Poppy nods. The woman’s tone isn’t sarcastic, but the comment doesn’t match her other reactions to the sheriff’s remarks.