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WALKING TOWARDS Rossi through the police station sends a stab of disappointment through Stella's chest. It yielded very little in terms of concrete leads.
"Karen Foley recanted her story," Emily says.
"You think she's lying?" Rossi asks, turning to face them.
Derek sighs as Emily answers, "well, something happened to her."
Stella nods in agreement. "She avoided eye contract, she shielded herself, she got defensive, and then point blank refused to admit it happened."
Rossi frowns and shakes his head. "She couldn't open that door. Afraid she could never come back."
"Right now, the only person she's protecting is the offender," Emily states, eyebrows raised.
"We just told her that this guy could still be out there," Derek tells Rossi. "She wasn't even concerned. She wasn't scared at all. Why?"
"Maybe she's got nothing to be afraid of," Rossi suggests. Stella furrows her brows at him, waiting for him to continue.
The former sheriff speaks up. "Where are you going with this?"
Rossi turns to face him as Emily crosses her arms considerately. "Why can't someone let a case go?"
"Because in your gut, you know the son of a bitch is still out there," Caufield replies.
"Exactly," Rossi says. "Only she doesn't blink." The three of them behind Rossi exchange an understanding look.
"She'd only move back here because she thought it was safe," Stella nods, catching his drift. Maybe the interview hadn't been borderline worthless after all. "So the guy who kidnapped her either moved away or died and she heard about it."
"You know who this man is," Rossi reminds Caufield. "He grew up here, too. He was in his mid-twenties then. He left after you found his last victim."
"December 13, 1980," Caufield says, taking the piece of paper from Rossi's hand with his admittedly shaky one.
"He might have gone to prison," Derek prompts. "Could have joined the military, moved away, sold his property."
Stella has this profile all but memorised, hoping that knowing it well enough would help solve the case quicker and help them all get home soon. "He was reckless in his personal life, a drinker. He would've had arrests for DUI."
