Chandler left the doorway. Meghan scanned the room. She saw Dana and Reeve standing together, peering over the maps on the conference table. Troopers and some FBI cadets raided the coffee station. She saw how the cadets responded when the FBI supervisor moved through the ranks.
Sergio Wilcox, Special Agent in Charge for the Anchorage field office, seemed like an attentive older man with patience and an eye for trouble. Meghan got to view him from the side and didn’t inject herself in the middle of the conversations between Reeve and Wilcox. That was Dana’s job, and she excelled at getting in the middle of everyone’s conversations.
The cadet go-bags cluttered the far back corner of the station. They packed for cold weather and for an extended time. The occupancy of the police station didn’t rate for eighteen people at one time. Lester monitored the front and kept the door locked. He texted Meghan from time to time about the growing crowds outside. People wanted to help. It wasn’t her call, and they had to wait as long as she did.
The atmosphere had a little tension and a lot of body heat. It felt like a summer night after a thunderstorm when the ions collected against the skin.
Ten minutes after Wilcox arrived and Meghan watched the professional interaction, the man found his way to her office. Meghan stood beside the desk and shook hands with Wilcox. He was over retirement age for the bureau, a little older than sixty-seven by Meghan’s guess. His trimmed bureau hairstyle and cold-weather clothing made him appear confident, and no stranger to the elements.
“Chief Sheppard,” he said. The handshake was firm, and Meghan felt Wilcox took that time to assess Meghan.
“Special Agent in Charge, Wilcox,” Meghan said.
It was unnecessary, but Meghan played the game long enough to know when she had to bend to the proper authority. The man didn’t have all the answers, but from that point forward, it was Wilcox’s show.
“I believe you have everything available to execute the grid search intended and make contact with the locals. I’ve included a phone contact list for the mayor, school officials, and other city agencies that can assist.” Meghan felt the retired persona bubbling up from her past. Wilcox didn’t expect or have time for surprises. She assumed he had all the relevant background information on the girl and her family.
With a case as crucial as an Amber Alert, small talk and interagency power struggles had no place. He stood beside the chair, facing Meghan. She remained standing and felt her spine stiffen at attention. Body language spoke louder than words.
Dana had successfully undermined Meghan’s body image with many comments about her derriere. Meghan didn’t allow personal feelings to overshadow the real issues.
“Chief Sheppard, I appreciate you accommodating us,” Wilcox said. “Sergeant Reeve had some suggestions about how we take care of this business. I’m curious if you have anything to add that will enable us to utilize our people better.”
Meghan waited to answer. She took a breath. Meghan had all night to prepare and think about how she’d handle the operations if she were in charge.
“Take advantage of the people waiting outside. I’ll make sure we get a full list of names from the volunteers. Duane Warren, the city mayor, is the right person to make it look like an entire team effort instead of the bureau and troopers taking over the town. People want to see him among your teams.
“Split your teams into four groups. Start them at each end of the city and work their way back here. You’ll find more people will join in the search as they see the agents.
“If we don’t locate Christine in the first sweep, put a team in the Chena Hotel and another in Mountain Manor. Gerald Worsley is the hotel manager. He will provide you with information for anyone registered from outside Alaska. You may not get names without a warrant for guests. But if Gerald feels it is good publicity for the hotel, he will accommodate you.
“Contact the local radio station. Have someone address the listeners. DJs, Dave and Wayne, have PSA messages broadcast to all listeners. If you write up a statement, we might get more people interested.
“Take advantage of the local reporter, Calvin Everett. He dedicated a full night to posting on the news media page about Christine. He knows everyone. Everyone reads his online paper and follows his social media posts. If it looks like you’re including the press instead of hiding things, people will respond favorably.
“All we have now is a missing girl and no suspects. Any number of people saw her at the school gym last night. My lieutenant and I are following up on any promising leads we’ve received since the alert went out. You don’t need us underfoot. Please use my sergeant, Oliver Henry, as your point man. He is eager to find the girl as much as the rest of us. Oliver knows everything and everyone.” Meghan’s brain wound down, and she had a few more ideas. With Wilcox still listening without interrupting, she continued.
“You might want to move your operations to the hotel if this goes longer than today. They have conference rooms available. I know the hotel is overbooked, but Gerald has several cots available and can set up everyone in one of the first-floor rooms. It will be more comfortable there than anywhere else in town.”
The look on Wilcox’s face was impossible for Meghan to read. He was a man of the bureau and understood ‘poker face’ better than most. He didn’t emote. Details inside Wilcox’s head didn’t register on his face.
“Thank
