Rachel returns to find Jerry hunched over the keyboard, typing furiously. He glances up as she approaches.
"Ray Muller is telling the truth, Sergeant. He enlisted in the army in '92 at the age of seventeen. His parents gave permission, and I think I know why." Handing her a sheet of paper, he continues. "Based on his records, he was quite the troublemaker—multiple arrests, problems at home and school. I'd imagine his parents hoped the military would straighten him out."
"His mother was probably afraid he'd turn out like his father if she didn't intervene," Rachel muses before shifting her train of thought. "What about the twins?"
Jerry glances at the screen again. "They were sent to live with their aunt in upstate New York shortly after their mother's death."
"So does Tim have a sibling we're unaware of?"
Jerry taps a few keys and then scans the data. "According to vital statistics, Angela only had four children—Tyler, Tracy, Ray, and Ron." He types a bit more and frowns. "All of Margaret's children are deceased."
Rachel exhales. "One of the twins being the killer would explain the deaths on the coast—but not the ones down here. Unless they somehow managed to travel back and forth."
"Which I find to be highly unlikely, because they were only ten."
"Did William Muller have any illegitimate children?"
Jerry types rapidly, then shakes his head. "I'm not finding him listed on any other birth certificates."
"The Phantom's mother probably didn't want the child to know who his father is."
"Can you blame her for wanting to protect her kid from a monster like him?"
"No." Rachel grabs her phone off the desk. "Hopefully Kirk and Jeff haven't left yet."
Jerry watches her dial. "What are you thinking, Sergeant?"
"Maybe one of the twins knows something," she says, putting the call on speaker. "Kirk, this is Sergeant Bower. Where are you?"
"We're headed back to the station. Why?"
"I need you to ask one of the twins if they have another sibling we don't know about."
"We're only a few minutes out. So it'd be nothing to turn around."
"Please do. Keep me posted."
"I will, Serge.
Rachel steps into the room as Joe pins the last picture of the eleven suspects onto the board. "What are you working on, Joe?"
"These are the ones Sharon was able to identify," Joe replies. "I've arranged them chronologically by the day they disappeared. The Phantom claimed they all abused or neglected their children, but I knew a few of them personally." He gestures to a couple of photos, runs his fingers through his thinning hair, and adds,. "I don't see either of them hurting their kids."
"You never know what goes on in the privacy of someone's home."
"True," Joe admits, "but you'd think someone would've noticed if it were happening." He scratches his five o'clock shadow, then says, " But then again, abusers are skilled at hiding their actions. Targeting areas where bruises won't be visible.
"The victims—terrified of retaliation—make excuses when injuries are noticed." Rachel's thoughts drift to her own past. Shaking off the memory, she turns back to the board. "At first glance, I'd say they're all around the same age. They probably ran in the same circles."
"Good observation. What else?" Joe prompts.
"The men all have brown hair, brown eyes, and muscular builds. Maybe they worked out at the same gym here in town."
Joe nods. "I've mapped out where each one was last seen. It looks like they were all within a two-mile radius of each other. That has to be the kidnapper's comfort zone—where the perp lived, worked, or both."
"I'll pull up an old map to see what was there at the time," Rachel says.
Just then, Jerry enters with an update. "Sergeant, I've got news about Marco Rossi—the man found on the bike trail. Grace Morgan was his attorney, and apparently, a lot of people weren't happy about him being released on bail."
Rachel frowns. "I thought she said she specialized in contract and real estate law."
"She did. But she was an assistant DA for about six months early in her career."
"Find out what other cases she worked on during that time," Rachel instructs. "Were you able to trace the threatening call?"
"It came from a burner phone. We're trying to track down who purchased it, and we've set up a stingray device in case they call again. We also have an officer stationed outside her house."
"Any updates on our other victims?" Rachel asks.
"No, ma'am," Jerry replies.
A knock at the door interrupts them. Kirk steps inside. "Sergeant, an old colleague of yours is here to see you. She says it's about the Muller children."
Rachel straightens. "Send her in."
Kirk steps aside as a short, rounded woman in her thirties enters the room. She is wearing navy blue scrubs. Her thick, dark hair is pulled into a neat bun at the center of her head.
Rachel's eyes widened. "Julia? Oh my gosh, hon, how have you been?"
Julia smiles warmly. "I'm fine. Mom sends her love."
"How is she?"
"Better now that she's retired. She had a rough time at the end—you know what she was going through."
Rachel's gaze flicks to Julia's attire, her eyebrows lifting slightly. "So, you're a nurse now, huh?"
Julia nods. "I finally took your advice, and I'm so glad I did."
"I'm happy it worked out for you."
"Me too. But that's not the reason I came to see you." Julia reaches into her pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Rachel. "My husband, Jeff, said you were looking into the Muller children. He said it's connected to their father's disappearance."
"That's right."
"I overheard Tim and his half-brother talking before Tim passed," Julia explains. "From what I gathered, they were involved—not just in their father's disappearance, but in all the others who went missing that year."
Rachel straightens. "Did you get the brother's name?"
"No—just a number." She points to the paper in the sergeant's hand. "Tim gave it to me and told me to call and say that he needs to come right away."
"What exactly did the two say?" Rachel asks.
"Tim told his brother they were like Holmes and Watson. Then his brother bragged about making sure their dad—and other abusive parents—would never hurt anyone again."
Rachel's expression tightens. "Why didn't you come forward sooner?"
"I thought maybe they were detectives," Julia admits. "They used a lot of police jargon—things Jeff often says. But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I finally told Jeff, and he urged me to come talk to you."
"I'm glad you did."
Rachel's phone rings. She answers briskly. "Sergeant Bower." Glancing at Julia, she listens, then nods. "Yes, she's here. She told me what was said. You do that and keep me posted."
She hangs up and turns to Joe. "That was Jeff. He and Kirk are checking hospital security footage. He also said the twins weren't aware of another sibling. They even called their older brother, and he didn't know about anyone either."
"So maybe their bond is friendship, not blood."
Picking up her phone, Rachel quickly calls the number she was given, looks up and says, "It's no longer in service."