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whether his wife chose to ignore the truth, Ricky Franks was a sexual predator.
    Judy enjoyed being with Ricky, and they spent most of their time together. Franks would often join his wife at her job as a school crossing guard and visit with her until the school bell rang and she picked up her redand-white stop sign to assist the children across the street. The simple act of being within one thousand yards of a school was a violation of one of his terms of probation, but Franks obviously didn't care. He often ignored the directives of the court. Not only had he been jailed twice during his seven-year probation term for failure to attend required counseling sessions, he was now living with a child under the age of eighteen, and thumbing his nose at other sex-offender terms of probation.

    On March 25, 1999, the evening before Opal Jennings's kidnapping, Franks had become enraged during his sex-offender-counseling session and had stormed out of the counseling center without explanation. No one knew what had set him off, or what repercussions would occur as a result of his anger.
    Walking into Herrera's office, just behind her-husband, was Judy Franks. Herrera cringed as he noticed her. She, too, often accompanied Ricky on his probation visits, frequently interfering with Herrera's officer-probationer discussions. Judy regularly made excuses for Ricky's lack of attendance at therapy or failure to perform community service. But as Herrera went through the usual inquiries about job, family, and counseling, a nagging thought in the back of his mind kept trying to push forward.
    Once the Frankses had left his office, Herrera continued to ponder the reasons why Richard Lee Franks would pick now, after all these years, to change his appearance drastically. The small-framed Hispanic officer walked to the window, adjusted his glasses, and watched as Judy and Ricky Franks climbed into a black Mercury Cougar and drove off.
    Herrera's eyes widened as he stood straight. Hurriedly he rummaged through the papers on his desk. Pulling the one he sought from the stack, he held it with trembling hands.
    On the 8' -by-l l-inch sheet of copy paper was the image of Opal Jennings, along with the brief description of her abductor. The depiction was familiar to Herrera. It fit the man who had just left his office. The car described in the flyer was eerily like the one driven by the Frankses to Herrera's office. He was certain the man authorities sought was Richard Lee Franks.

     

CHAPTER 4
    A light mist fell on the hundreds of people who crowded the neighborhood street where little Opal Jennings had lived with her grandparents. They held hands, encircling the bewildered Sanderford family, while candlelight flickered, illuminating the tears that spilled down their cheeks. The sweet sound of `Jesus Loves the Little Children" brought painful sobs from Opal's family.
    Donna Whitson, a tall, dark-haired woman, clung to Audrey Sanderford. Whitson, the mother of Amber Hagerman, was there to support the family, as were all the others who filled North Hampshire Street. Wearing a white sweatshirt with her daughter's image on the front, Whitson clung to Audrey Sanderford, holding her as she cried. Painful memories of Amber's abduction speared Whitson's heart, but she had felt compelled to be there for the family of this stolen child.
    "A little girl is missing, Lord, and everyone is scared. A little girl is missing, Lord, and all we can do is pray," a resident read aloud. Everyone bowed their heads to pray for the safe return of Opal Jo Jennings.
    Similar prayer services were taking place in Arkansas, where Opal was born, and in Tennessee, where the Sanderfords lived for a time.

    The events were meant to bolster the spirits of the family, who had slept little and worried ceaselessly since Opal's kidnapping. The outpouring of love and concern was overwhelming, but nothing would ease the pain of their loss, nothing but finding Opal.
    Leola Sanderford wearily