The Bones She Buried: A completely gripping, heart-stopping crime thriller(21)

By the time all the prayers had been said and hymns had been sung, Josie was exhausted, and she hadn’t done anything all morning but sit dutifully in her seat. She kept her hand between Noah’s shoulder blades as she walked with him out to the chain of cars that would take Colette’s body to its final resting place. Laura, Grady and Theo drove in Laura’s SUV and Josie drove Noah in her own vehicle. At least there was no bickering over Josie’s position in the line of cars. The mood was somber at the cemetery and didn’t improve at the post-service luncheon which the family hosted at a nearby restaurant.

Back at Noah’s house, Josie followed him up to his bedroom where he collapsed into bed fully clothed. She made a few attempts at conversation, but he told her he was tired and just wanted to close his eyes. She sat beside him in the bed, stroking his hair until he fell asleep. Josie’s own exhaustion was bone-deep. She, too, tried to sleep but couldn’t settle. Giving up, she got her laptop from her overnight bag and booted it up.

She knew that both Gretchen and Mettner would do everything humanly possible to bring Colette’s killer to justice, but still Josie couldn’t help but satisfy her curiosity about Drew Pratt. The details she remembered about his disappearance were foggy. Several times during the week she’d started to research it using the browser on her phone but then stopped herself, not wanting to seem rude and insensitive toward Noah and his siblings. After Noah’s remarks about wanting her to just be his girlfriend, she didn’t want him to feel neglected by her when he needed her most. Even though it was true that she longed to go after Colette’s killer, the main reason was that it broke her heart seeing Noah in such pain. She couldn’t bear being on the sidelines and itched to get out there and deliver justice to the person who had caused that pain.

Now the funeral was over and Noah was passed out, it wouldn’t hurt to have a look.





Fifteen





A quick Google search turned up thousands of results, so Josie clicked on a news report from their local television station, WYEP, which had broadcast several years after Pratt’s disappearance. Back then, Josie’s twin sister Trinity Payne had been a roving reporter for WYEP and in the clip, Trinity stood beside a large television screen in a skin-tight red dress with glossy red lipstick to match. Her long black hair fell halfway down her back in waves that looked as though they had been hair-sprayed into a permanent formation. Josie was astounded by how young Trinity looked. Then again, that had been before the missing girls case and before the Lila Jensen case which had weathered them both.

“In 2006,” Trinity began clearly and firmly, “Assistant District Attorney Drew Pratt took the day off from work and took a drive.”

Drew Pratt’s face appeared on the large screen with the word “MISSING” beneath it. Penetrating brown eyes stared from the photo, and his mouth was set in a grim line. Josie imagined he must have been a formidable opponent in court.

Trinity continued, “He drove from his home in Bellewood to the Susquehanna Craft Fair and Farmers’ Market located in Denton.”

Next to Trinity, images of the craft fair flashed across the screen. Josie recognized it. There were two bridges in Denton which crossed the Susquehanna River: a little-used one to the south and the more popular Eastern bridge. Near that bridge, not far from the shore of the river was an old barn that had been renovated and modernized inside. The owner rented spaces inside of it to locals who wanted to sell crafts or produce. It was only open a few days a week, but it had been a staple in Denton for as long as Josie could remember.

On screen, Trinity continued, “It wasn’t unusual for Drew Pratt to visit the craft fair. As his daughter told us, he liked to support local artists, and most of the artwork hanging in his Bellewood home had been purchased there over the years.”

The camera cut to the inside of the converted building, showing the various booths maintained by local artists selling everything from large wall paintings to holiday decorations.

“Pratt arrived at the craft fair around ten a.m. This much police know from surveillance footage taken from inside the building. Pratt can be seen perusing the various stands and then striking up a conversation with a woman. Police say that the footage was grainy so they’re not able to pull a still of the woman from it. However, they do say she appeared to be about five foot four compared to Pratt’s six foot frame with short, dark hair.”

An older Hispanic man with thinning gray hair, wearing a navy blue suit and red tie appeared on the screen. At the bottom of the screen he was identified as Dom Hernandez, FBI agent. “We don’t know this woman. We don’t know if Pratt knew her or if they had just met. We don’t know what they talked about or if they left together. Unfortunately, when the initial investigation took place, the local police didn’t place much importance on her, so the fact of her existence was never released to the press. I believe if this detail had been known to people immediately after Mr. Pratt’s disappearance, maybe some tips would have come in. Several years have now passed, so who knows who this woman was and where she is now?”

Trinity cut back in. “Police still refuse to release the footage of Pratt and the mystery woman. Pratt’s wife died about ten years before his disappearance following a protracted battle with cancer, and his adult daughter tells us that he wasn’t dating anyone at the time he disappeared. What we do know is that his vehicle was still in the parking lot of the craft fair building twenty-four hours later when his daughter reported him missing. Back in 2006, Beth Pratt had just graduated from Penn State and returned home to live with her father while she looked for a job. She told police it was extremely unusual for him to be out overnight without telling her where he was going to be.”