Chapter 59

Frustrated, Jeff followed everyone back into Vince's house. They had spent all day chasing nothing. After leaving the park, they had headed to the drug store looking for a lead. Unfortunately, when they got there they weren't alone. The FBI had already pounced on the drug store pulling video and talking to witnesses. As soon as Jeff got out of the car, Agent Miller came over to them.

"You shouldn't be here." Miller told him.

"I have to do something."

"Well right now all you're doing is impeding our investigation."

"All we're doing is looking for my girlfriend. We haven't done anything to get in the way."

"Yea, besides the more people looking the better." Matt said chiming in. "You can't expect us to just sit around and wait."

"Actually, I do. Look, I took a lot of heat letting you get involved in the interrogation. I really think at this point you should all hang back. Take a look around you. We're surrounded by reporters." Jeff scanned the area and noticed several news trucks and reporters set up around the parking lot. Most of them had their cameras angled at them.

"Well that's good. It will have more people looking." Amy said.

"And it lets Shane know that we're on to him." Miller told them. "That's exactly what we don't want. If he figures out what we're up to there's no way of knowing what he'll do."

"Like take it out on Jess." Jeff finished for him and Miller nodded.

"Not to mention seeing you on camera will only make him more desperate. I need you to lay low. The less exposure you get the better." Miller said glancing at more reporters setting up. "That crew over there. They followed you in and now that they all know you're here…"

"They'll follow us around."

"But we might get more information." Stephanie insisted. "There might be people willing to talk to us instead of you."

"Those are people you wouldn't want to come in contact with." Miller told her as another agent came over. He whispered into Miller's ear. Miller mumbled something to him before turning back. "Get out of here, I'll let you know." Miller ran off jumping into a waiting car.

"They know something." Jeff said watching him. He took one look at his brother and they ran back to the car, barely waiting for the girls to get in before pulling out of the parking lot and following the agents' car. Jeff could feel his adrenaline pumping through his veins as they drove through what was now becoming familiar territory to him.

"We're headed back to the park." Jeff told them.

"We were just there. We didn't see anything." Amy said but that was in fact where the cars were headed. They pulled into the parking lot pulling alongside Miller who glanced at them annoyed.

"Stay there!" He ordered them running off. Jeff ignored him of course jumping out of the car and following. Matt turned to Amy and Steph.

"I better go after him. You guys wait here." They nodded at him and watched as Matt got out of the car and went off in the same direction.

Jeff caught up with them quickly and Agent Miller pushed him back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I told you to stay in the car!"

"Where is she?" Jeff asked pushing back.

"You better hold your brother back." Miller yelled to Matt. "Or I'll have him held for obstruction of justice." Matt grabbed a hold of Jeff's arm and pulled him away.

"Just chill out." He told his brother, dragging him away from everyone.

"Let go of me!" Jeff yelled at him.

"No, not until you calm down. This isn't helping. Now if you calm down I'm sure he'll let us know what's going on as soon as he can." Matt pushed him down onto a benched and Jeff winced in pain grabbing his rib. "Hey you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine." Jeff said rubbing his torso. "You could have been a little gentler."

"Sorry but I had to do something before Miller had your ass arrested." He sat down next to him. "Jeff, you've got to keep your cool. You can't go around snapping at everyone. It doesn't do any good."

"I know that." He said running his hands through his hair. "I just want to find her."

"We all do and we will. So, just calm down." Matt told him. Jeff took several deep breaths trying to relax. After awhile, Matt could tell he was calmer. Matt turned back to the parking lot and saw a reporter hanging around their car. "I left the girls alone. I'll be right back. Try not to get arrested."

Matt headed back to the car and could hear the reporter barraging them with questions. Stephanie and Amy had remained in the car trying their best to ignore them. Matt walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door for them to get out.

"Back off!" He yelled at the reporter, helping them out. He tried to guide them over to Jeff.

"Stephanie, how do you feel that your brother is responsible for all of this? How come you didn't know he was so obsessed?" The reporter shoved her microphone in front of them. Stephanie froze.

"Just ignore her." Matt warned Stephanie. "We have no comment." He told her pulling Stephanie away. Finally a member of the FBI came over and escorted the woman away from them. Matt had Stephanie sit down next to Jeff as they waited. Finally Agent Miller came over to them.

"I need you guys to head home." He told them.

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"He was here."

"Wait, he was here today?" Jeff stood up.

"Yes. A couple saw him a little while ago. They recognized him from your pictures you were showing this morning. When they saw him they called the cops. He left a few minutes before we got here."

"Was she with him?" Jeff asked.

"No. All they saw was him. He walked around the park several times quickly. They thought he was looking for someone."

"Jessica maybe" Amy suggested.

"Not likely." Jeff said. "If Jess got away she wouldn't have ran to the park."

"Unless he took her here and she got away." Stephanie said.

"They saw him come in." Miller told them. "He was alone."

"So now what?" Matt asked.

"Now you go home." Miller said. "You guys are being followed by the media. Most likely, Shane saw it. I think he was looking for you." Miller glanced at Jeff.

"Why me?"

"Probably because you're still a threat. You're the only one he sees as standing between him and Jessica."

"So you think he still wants to get at Jeff?" Matt asked.

"Could be, which is why I need you to get home. You shouldn't be out here." Miller said.

"I can't, not till she's found."

"We don't have time to focus our energy on finding your girlfriend and keeping you safe. The best way you can help is to stay away. I mean it." He looked at Jeff, but he still wouldn't budge. "Look, I haven't held anything back from you yet, have I?"

"I don't know." Jeff said to him.

"Well, I haven't and I don't intend to. As soon as we have any information, I promise to let you know. Now please, let us do our work. Miller walked away and returned to the other agents.

"Come on Jeff." Matt told him. "We can check in with Vince and see what he knows." They walked back to the car and Jeff got in. He could feel his anger boiling over again. Shane had been there, and so had they. If they would have waited just a little more, they would have seen him. Instead, Jeff had gotten frustrated and stormed off for a new location. If he hadn't been so impatient, Shane would have been caught and Jess would be safe.

As they filled Vince in on everything that had happened, Jeff went out to the backyard, angry with himself more than anything else.